Page 29 - Aruba Today
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PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Thursday 24 March 2016
Dealing with loss helped Bonnie
Raitt tackle songwriting
MESFIN FEKADU also includes her versions of to gravitate to the new In this March 7, 2016 photo, singer Bonnie Raitt poses for a por-
AP Music Writer INXS’ “Need You Tonight” music: “I hope people can trait in New York to promote her new album, Dig In Deep.”
NEW YORK (AP) — After and Los Lobos’ “Shakin’ relate to it, no matter what
back-to-back tours and Shakin’ Shakes.” age they are.” Associated Press
albums, Bonnie Raitt said She said the second verse Though it’s hard to tell,
finally finding time to deal of the piano ballad “The Raitt said she started to
with the deaths of her fa- Ones We Couldn’t Be,” play guitar and write songs
ther, mother and brother which she co-wrote, is “re- as a “hobby.” She recalls
helped her break writer’s ally about family mem- getting her first guitar for
block and craft songs for bers.” Christmas and playing
her latest album and tour. “I know they were sorry they some much her fingers
“I don’t write often and couldn’t be what I needed bled.
easily ...This particular time and I was sorry I couldn’t “I just played till I had cal-
after a period of about 10 live up to the expecta- luses and my fingers bleed
years when my family — tions,” she said. “And at and I just learned every
my parents and my older the time when the relation- Joan Baez song I could
brother — were all ill and ship’s not working or you’re learn, and I became the
passed away in a short pe- under stress, you tend to camp fire counselor that
riod of time... I was pretty put blame not necessarily sang the songs at my
fried, and I took 2010 as a where it’s really accurate camp,” she said. “And
complete break from think- — it’s all about them, if only I just thought music can
ing about what I wanted to they acted different — so change the world, and I
do next,” she said. “(I did) the reckoning that hap- still feel that way.”
some grief work with a sup- pens years later is your re- usic can change the world,
port person and I just really alize you both just did the and I still feel that way.”
felt all the things that had best you could.”
been pushed aside by all The Rock and Roll Hall of
that loss and trauma. And I Famer, whose hits include
came out of it really grate- “I Can’t Make You Love
ful.” Me,” ‘’Something to Talk
“Dig In Deep,” released last About” and “Love Snea-
month, features a number kin’ Up on You,” said she’s
of personal songs Raitt co- thrilled to be touring with
wrote as well as her signa- the new songs. The “Bonnie
ture guitar. She also said Live in 2016” tour kicked off
she got a boost from her last last week and will visit New
album, 2012’s “Slipstream,” York City, Oakland, Austin
which won the Grammy for and Nashville, Tennessee.
best Americana album. She will also play interna-
“I was rejuvenated by ‘Slip- tional dates in the summer.
stream’ ... and I co-wrote a Raitt also said there was
song on that one with my some anxiety when she
guitarist ...The words didn’t began writing for her new
go, so it forced me to write album.
some songs that went with “It made me nervous know-
what my experience was, ing I was going to be writ-
and that kind of got the ing more of the songs and
wheels greased,” she said. I was saying, ‘Oh my God,
“I kind of wrote on assign- I know so many people out
ment. ...After all that loss, there, they’re gonna say,
to finally have the time and ‘This one unfortunately is
freedom and not have to not as good,’” she said. “I
be worrying about family don’t like to be compared
members, I had more op- (to myself), I just wish ev-
portunity to write.” erybody would say, ‘She’s
On the new album, 66-year- doing the best she can’
old Raitt co-wrote five of — especially because it
the 12 tracks, including up- was more risk with my own
beat album opener “Un- tunes. But so far everyone’s
intended Consequence relating to them so I’m real-
of Love” and the political ly smiling a lot these days.”
“The Comin’ Round Is Go- Raitt also wants more peo-
ing Through.” The album ple outside of her fan base
