Page 18 - BiTS_04_APRIL_2021

SW: Exactly. No, there were no amps at all. I used the acoustic piano, and the bass player played
his upright bass. It’s a 100-year-old upright bass and we played together in the living room and
then we had a very well-known harmonica player in Canada and North America, Harpdog Brown.
He probably used amps on his harmonica when he was doing his pieces.

BiTS: I don’t count that, an
amplified harmonica. That’s still an

acoustic instrument.

SW: Yeah, exactly and then the
clarinet player. He recorded his
clarinet in Philadelphia, so a
clarinet wouldn’t have an amp
either.

BiTS: How long did all this take to
put together?
Harpdog Brown
SW: From starting writing? I
would think I was starting writing
in August. We recorded in October or November and then to get the pieces - it’s a big job putting
out an album, Ian, because you have to get all the administration stuff done and the artwork done

and everything. I’m thinking I received the masters in January, so a couple of months, say. It took a
couple of months.

BiTS: Tell me about some of the songs that are on the album because although there’s going to be
a lot of stuff from you, in most of the other albums you’ve done, you’ve done some sort of
traditional blues. Is there one on this?

SW: Some traditional blues? I did a Willie Dixon cover song

called “Home to Mamma”. It’s an old one and it’s about being Willie Dixon
sick on the streets and you’re talking to your mom wherever
she is, kind of thing and I thought that song was relevant to
record right now for obvious reasons. We have a big homeless
population here. I’m not sure where you live exactly, but
homeless people are dealing with a lot of factors right now.

It’s a traditional blues song and that one’s got some clarinet
and a trombone player played a little bit on that too. My songs,
there’s ten original songs, of course, written by myself and
traditional blues, I guess, yeah, compared to so much other
stuff that’s out there. It’s not rock blues or anything. I’m an
older woman now, so there’s one song about some advice to

younger women about men [chuckles].

BiTS: [Laughing] Good for you.

SW: Yeah, things like that. I mean, I get to write whatever I want [laughing].

BiTS: Do you have a favourite song on the album?