Life in Austin has been good.  I’ve learned so much about music and myself since last May.  I’ve performed at 119 open mics and showcases and the like since June.  I’m about to record my debut five-song EP at Rubicon Artist Development.  I’ve met all sorts of cool musicians at every level of their careers, both here in Austin and also online around the world.  Thanks to the internet and Skype I’ve been able to keep up with interviews and send them to air on KRUU back in Iowa (and then worldwide online!).  Somehow I haven’t been able to keep up as much with posting here though.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been posting more about my Austin adventures over on my personal music blog: heathermillermusic.com

I’m excited to see what happens next.  Really, it has been Lyrical Venus and the opportunity it gave me to connect, interact, share and discuss music with other women artists that gave me the courage to follow the dream of making my own music!  So while it’s a bit of bummer to me to realize how many posts I’ve missed here in the past few months, I can’t deny how excited I am about everything else going on in my life right now.

In any case, it seemed like maybe a good catching up compromise would be to do a round up entry with links to the archived podcasts in case any of you missed the interviews I’ve done lately but didn’t get a chance to post about here.  All of these women are amazing!  Do stay tuned, there are more great ones in the pipeline.

11/15/11 – Yael Meyer

http://kruufm.com/node/11939

Chilean born and LA based singer-songwriter Yael Meyer releases her sophomore album today.  With four tracks off her effervensent Heartbeat EP plus seven new ones, Everything Will Be Alright satisfies those fans who have been hungry for more from Yael and provides an irresistable treat to new fans.  Filled with light, hope and love, Yael’s music fills the heart with joy.

11/29/11 – Heather Mae

http://kruufm.com/node/12037

Artists and musicians love to talk about their creative process and how they might change it or get better.  Heather Mae dives in and faces her art head on.  After spending a year writing a song every day and a summer touring the country from East to West, she has learned more than a few things about taking action, living in the moment and brewing creativity on the spot.  With all that experience under her belt and a style that has been compared to Joni Mitchell and Ingrid Michaelson, Heather Mae has a long and beautiful career ahead of her.

12/13/11 – Joy Ike

http://kruufm.com/node/12125

Pittsburgh singer-songwriter Joy Ike lives by the motto, “It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.”  Making the transition to full-time musician was not an easy decision, but not only has she blossomed as an artist, she even takes the time to pass on her lessons learned in an advice blog for other indie creative types.  Whether you’re a music maker or appreciator, her rich voice and intelligent, bubbly piano-pop sensibilities will win your ears over in no time.

01/17/12 – Anna Coogan

Singer-Songwriter Anna Coogan

http://kruufm.com/node/12351

Anna Coogan’s new album, The Wasted Ocean, is a fresh collection of olde time flavored sea songs, but more the type to row a small wooden boat, wearing a hand-knit woolen sweater misted with salt spray, than the type that stomp around in an eye-patch on a peg leg, sloshing mugs of beer.  The songs are deeply atmospheric, layered, and evocative, all while allowing Anna’s rich, sweet and honest voice to hold center stage.

01/24/12 – Rachel Platten

http://kruufm.com/node/12393

Based on her album, Be Here, New York singer-songwriter Rachel Platten is the type of person you’d want to adopt for a best friend or big sister.  Her songs are upbeat and positive without denying that heartache and hard times exist.  Rachel is just confident that those situations are temporary and with the right attitude you can turn it around.  A little of her sweet voice, bubbly smile and piano-driven pop may just be the perfect pick-me-up.

Most of the Lyrical Venus 2011 Interviews

Wow! It’s kind of hard to believe it, but it’s true, the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour is 4 years old!

That’s four years of great music by and fun interviews with women musicians of many genres – folk, pop, blues, jazz, even the occasional rap!

Thanks to the internet, the connections have been worldwide. When I can’t do the show live, I’ve pre-recorded and sent it in from multiple states and countries I’ve visited over the past four years – Barranquilla and Medellin in Colombia, Seattle, WA, Ashland, OR, Lyons, CO, Austin, TX for instance.

Plus the artists have called in from around the country and world, LA, Boston, Nashville, Austin, London, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Philadelphia, Idaho, Seattle, St. Louis, Florida, Boulder, and more.  Of course it’s always a treat to get a local artist playing live in the studio too!

And let’s not forget the wonderful listeners navigating time zones to tune in on Tuesdays to Lyrical Venus on kruufm.com from all around the planet!  Big love and thanks to you!  It is always a treat to hear from you, what you enjoy about the artists, if you got to tune in to the show, who you want to hear more from and about.

Speaking of connections, if for some reason you haven’t connected yet on the other Lyrical Venus social profiles, let me take a moment to give you those links here:

Lyrical Venus on Twitter

Lyrical Venus on Tumblr

Lyrical Venus on Facebook

And don’t forget the KRUU blog and the archived interviews over at KRUU too.  (I must confess, I am definitely missing several interviews from the past, if there is one in particular you are looking for, hit me up, that squeaky wheel would help me prioritize the order I work on editing them.)

As has been my annual tradition, I’ve collected a playlist of songs by the women I’ve interviewed in the past year (the shortest one I can find by each artist), and I played as many as I could this week, though I had to split in two parts, since there were 32 artists!  Part 1 playlist is here: http://kruufm.com/node/12262 Tune in next Tuesday from 9-10am Central for Part 2.

Big love, many thanks, looking forward to another year of awesome music in 2012!

P.S. I can’t deny that this show and blog has been the inspiration and impetus for me to explore my own music, I’ve been blogging about that here: http://heathermillermusic.com/

Singer-Songwriter Laura Marie

San Antonio born and raised, singer-songwriter Laura Marie very nearly became a marine biologist in college. Luckily for fans of her heartfelt, personal lyrics and smoky-smooth vocals, Laura Marie’s love of music and songwriting eventually carried her through to a degree in music education, past band breakups and the challenges of new motherhood to arrive at her second solo album, Last of the Ones.

Both a snapshot of a time of challenging change for the better in her life, and a prophecy of the bigger picture she couldn’t see at the time, Last of the Ones is both deeply personal and yet serves as a healing salve to all the hearts out there that inevitably get bruised by some life event or another.

Check out this gorgeous and heartwarming video of her song Love You Like Me:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.

Check out Laura Marie’s website to get her albums, keep up-to-date with her shows and also her blog with great tips for indie musicians!

Tune in Tuesday 11/8/11 to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in Fairfield or kruufm.com online anywhere from 9-10am Central time US for your weekly concentrated dose of music by female singer-songwriters! Interview with Laura Marie at 9:30.

Singer-Songwriter Bess Rogers

Brooklyn-based artist Bess Rogers just came out with her fourth independent release, Out of the Ocean. Featuring all the upbeat handclaps, sweet harmonies, indie punk and pop progressions and catchy melodies we’ve come to love from Bess, the album is also tied together with her fascination with science.  Themes of evolution and love are woven together masterfully in an album that is the perfect balance of smart and fun.

If the success of her Kickstarter campaign is any indication (the final result was reaching 267% of the goal, with over 500 backers, after meeting the original goal in just 2 days!), Bess’ near constant touring in the past several years has really gained her a devoted following.  That, her awesome songs and the fantastic company she keeps.  I have this feeling that when we look back in music history sometime down the road, there will be a group of musicians with the same sort of notoriety as The Group of Seven or perhaps the Impressionists.  Yes, I know that’s painting and this is music, but the same principle of a bunch of people living around the same time and influencing each other’s art applies!  Just check out the cast of characters involved in making Out of the Ocean:

Produced by Chris Kuffner (Ingrid Michaelson’s Girls and Boys) and recorded partly in a Maine farmhouse studio owned by Sam Kassirer (producer of Josh Ritter and Erin McEown) and partly in Rogers’ home studio in Brooklyn, Out Of The Ocean features a host of talented friends including Ingrid Michaelson, Allie Moss, Ian Axel, Saul Simon-MacWilliams, Elliot Jacobson and Dave Eggar (Train, Beyonce).

And now check out a few of them performing the single Anchor:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.

Check out Bess’ newly updated website to get the new album, see videos, get other merch, and stay up-to-date with her busy touring schedule.  For those of you in Fairfield, IA, Bess will be performing at Cafe Paradiso on Oct. 24th with Allison Weiss.  It’s sure to be an energetic and entertaining show!

Tune in Tuesday to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in Fairfield or kruufm.com online anywhere from 9-10am Central time US for your weekly concentrated dose of music by female singer-songwriters!  Interview with Bess at 9:30.

Singer-Songwriter Jane Godfrey

Growing up in a large and highly musical family, St. Louis singer-songwriter Jane Godfrey spent a lifetime of listening to and making music with her brothers and sisters before a serious of sleepless nights led to her picking up a pen to write herself.  Quickly validated to continue by winning a song-writing contest, when Jane was ready to record, she had a built-in backup band of siblings ready to add their harmonies and instrumental talents to her delightful story songs.

When I met Jane around the campfire at Storyhill Fest Midwest in 2010, a few things really struck me about her music.  There was the clever wordplay, the poignant insights into the human condition, and the way her songs really served and honored the people she wrote them for, yet they were universal in that anyone could relate to them.

Check out Jane performing her song Donuts & Daydreams at a songwriting contest last August:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.

If you’d like to hear more of Jane’s music, stay up to date on new releases or purchase her album Choose Beauty, check out her website.

Of course you can also tune in to KRUU at 100.1 FM in Fairfield or kruufm.com online anywhere from 9-10am Central on Tuesday, October 11th. Get to know Jane at 9:30.

Singer-Songwriter Kristin Cifelli

Boston based singer-songwriter Kristin Cifelli has been playing piano since 2nd grade and writing songs since the 5th.  Two and a half years in the making and well worth the wait, her newest album, Middle of Nowhere, is grown-up pop with songwriter smarts and a voice you could listen to all day long.

The polish shines on each carefully crafted song of Middle of Nowhere, backed with lush instrumentation that never distracts, allowing the vocals and stories to take center stage.  Not that the Berklee grad needs a full band to make her songs soar, just check out this version of her doing her song Not Supposed To solo on The Steve Katsos Show:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.
Then you can go check out and download the album version on Kristin’s Bandcamp to hold you until the full album is released.  Check out Kristin’s website and sign up to her mailing list so you’ll know as soon as Middle of Nowhere is available!

Of course you can also tune in to KRUU at 100.1 FM in Fairfield or kruufm.com online anywhere from 9-10am Central on Tuesday, October 4th. Get to know Kristin at 9:30.

Singer-Songwriter Erin Hill

The multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Erin Hill is currently focusing her formidable skills on an ambitious new project – a sci-fi video album.  Much like a collection of short stories, Erin describes the ten songs on her upcoming album Girl Inventor to be little 4 minute episodes in a Twilight Zone flavored series.  The psychedelic harp-driven tunes run the gamut from dreamy to rocking, all topped with Erin’s etherial vocals and are also waiting to be realized in video form.  The first video for the track Giant Mushrooms is already making a splash online, check it out here:

If you are reading this elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.

Check out Erin’s website to find out more about the Girl Inventor project (set to drop October 10th) as well as her other projects.  While you are there, sign up for her mailing list and connect to her on Facebook and Twitter so you’ll be the first to know when the new videos are released!

Tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in Fairfield, IA or kruufm.com online anywhere from 9-10am Central US on Tuesday, August 30th to get to know Erin and also get your weekly concentrated dose of music by women.  Interview with Erin starts at 9am Central.

Steve and Lobelia Lawson

Born in West Virginia, a long-time resident of Canada and currently living in the UK, singer-songwriter Lobelia is no stranger to making her way in new lands.  She and her husband Steve apply that adventurous spirit as a musical pioneers, forging a new path for independent artists everywhere by their own life example.

Lobelia’s latest project, a covers album titled “Beautifully Undone”, is sparse and lovely, her rich voice wrapping like warm honey around each song and claiming them for her own.  Tracks as you’ve very likely never heard them before include Junk by Paul McCartney, Moon River by Henri Mancini, Consider Me Gone by Sting and You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive.

Here’s an example of Steve & Lobelia performing a cover at a house concert during their US tour last summer:

Here’s another video of them performing their song Happy:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the videos.

You can learn more about Lobelia, connect with her social networks and listen to and buy songs from her website at http://www.lobelia.net/

Of course you can also join us for an inspiring interview on Lyrical Venus Radio as Lobelia talks about touring sustainably, booking gigs and being genuinely interesting on Twitter, motherhood as a musician and the importance of using all your talents to live a happy life, rather than trying to fit into a traditional idea of what being a musician looks like.

The next Lyrical Venus Radio airs on Tuesday, August 9th from 9-10am  Central Time US.  Tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in Fairfield or kruufm.com from anywhere in the world at the top of the hour and get to know Lobelia.  Stick around after that for more great music by women artists for the rest of the hour!

Singer-Songwriter Annie Dressner

Growing up surrounded by music both in her family and school life, it wasn’t till the end of high school that New York singer-songwriter Annie Dressner taught herself to play guitar and began putting her own words to song.  Challenged by a friend to take her songwriting seriously, Annie started taking her music out to open mics every week until she “wasn’t scared anymore”.  That hard-earned confidence is probably what gives Annie the graceful, relaxed and assured delivery that makes it sound like she’s got 4 or 5 releases behind her, when Strangers Who Knew Each Other’s Names is really her debut album.

Evoking the likes of Jenny Lewis or Neko Case, Annie’s confessional quirkiness hooks you in at first listen, and her sweet voice and the lush, layered production will have you pressing “repeat” and adding the album to your summer backyard BBQ soundtrack.  Don’t be surprised if you hear one of her songs behind a pivotal scene on a popular TV show sometime soon.  She’s got that thing.

Check out this video of her song Fly to see what I mean:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.

From the title track about meeting someone for the first time after only knowing them on Facebook for a while, to the melancholy-sweet “Morning in Brooklyn”, the upbeat “Find Me”, and more, Annie is unleashing a lovely little collection of tracks to the world today.  Find out more about Annie and keep tabs on her upcoming adventures in the world of music at her website: http://www.anniedressner.com

She’s on Facebook too, obviously. https://www.facebook.com/AnnieMakesMusic

Tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 in Fairfield, IA or kruufm.com online from anywhere on Tuesday, 7/19 from 9-10am Central for your weekly concentrated dose of music by female singer-songwriters. Interview with Annie starts at 9am, followed by a set dedicated to the awesomeness of live music and more.

Singer-Songwriter Amy Zamarripa

Generous, hard-working and talented to boot, Amy Zamarripa is a major player in the Austin Open Mic scene, hosting her own on Fridays at Fair Bean Coffee every week.   You can find her playing out at others around town almost any other night of the week!  Besides being a musician, Amy is a massage therapist, painter, poet and shutterbug, taking pictures of all the performers at the open mics and posting them in the Austin Acoustic Open Mic Network group on Facebook.

Informed by her other artistic passions, Amy’s music is lush with poetic lyrics and imagery of colors, nature, spirituality and the human condition.  Mix that with a rich, bluesy voice and you get the soulfulness of Janis Joplin, the spark of Bonnie Raitt and the mystery of Tori Amos.

Have a listen to Amy singing Turtle Blues by Janis Joplin:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.

Check out Amy’s website to hear more of her music and connect with her elsewhere online! With one album under her belt and another one in the works, she shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in Fairfield IA or kruufm.com from anywhere in the world on Tuesday from 9-10am Central to get to know Amy, hear a few songs celebrating the 4th and more! Amy will be on the air at 9am.