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ISSUE #26 MMUSICMAG.COM INDIE SCENE J h icks c On her latest effort, the acclaimed singer- highlights harmonies

Kim Richey has been on the behind the boards for her previous effort, take people i admire and let them just move—colorado, boston, Washington, 2010’s Wreck Your Wheels. and surprise, go ahead and do it.” south america, europe and London, where surprise—Thorn features no shortage of she also tapped into a talented pool of she spent three years. she returned to guest stars: , Will Kimbough, co-writers—hubbard, mando saenz, mike for the third last summer to pedal steel player carl broemel of henderson and Dave olney among them. “i make her new album, Thorn in My Heart. my morning Jacket, keyboardist Dan really enjoy writing with other people,” says Richey’s first venture to music city mitchell, multi-instrumentalist Pat sansone Richey, 56. “it’s a social thing for me. i’m after college included a stint as a cook of Wilco, and (with often on my own because i’m pretty happy at the famed bluebird café where she whom Richey co-wrote yearwood’s hit, by myself. but i also love collaborating. glimpsed singer- performing “ [i Lied]”). Part of it’s the discipline, because i have there. When she returned to the city “When neilson and i toured as a no discipline whatsoever. Left to my own in the late 1980s, she began writing trio with Dan mitchell, there was only so devices, i’ll go to a movie or find myself songs for a roster of nashville’s finest much we could do with the three of us swayed by some other distraction.” including , , soundwise, so we decided to make our this time Richie established a self- brooks & Dunn, , , vocals the main element,” Richey explains. imposed deadline. “i didn’t have much time , and mary “that’s how this record evolved. i wanted to write,” she recalls. “i went out on a limb, chapin carpenter. she put down her to do more harmony singing, and to me that and i guess that’s the way i work best. i told songwriting pen long enough to sing on equates with a country or folk sound. my booking agent i would have a record albums by trisha yearwood, carpenter, “neilson and i talked a lot about the out in time so he could start booking a tour , Jason isbell, Rodney instrumentation we wanted,” says the in advance. you really have to have a new crowell, shawn colvin, and Zanesville, ohio, native. “and we had all record every time you go out. so i said, even William shatner. she landed a contract these great musicians in the studio. We’d ‘oK, i’ll have a new album,’ even though i with mercury Records, which released play a song and say, ‘What do you think, didn’t have the songs, didn’t know who i’d the first of her seven albums in 1995. guys? Do we need anything extra on this? make the record with, didn’t have a label. it since then, her star power association anything you want to add?’ it became a all kind of came down to the wire.” has extended to producers she’s worked big collaboration. that’s how i love to work. For now, Richey’s happy to again call with including hugh Padgham, John i know there are people who go into the nashville home. “i was in a constant state Leventhal, Giles martin, Richard bennett studio and say, ‘here is what’s going to of jet lag there for a while,” she admits. and bill bottrell. For her new record, Richey happen on this song,’ down to the part the “now i’m kind of ready to stay put.” returned to neilson hubbard, the man guitar player’s going to play. i would rather –Lee Zimmerman

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