Music, Sex and Poetry

What does every aspiring Queen of Rock need to have in her life? A genius guitar player like Tim Pierce!! For those of you who don’t know who Tim is, he’s one of the all-time great rock guitarists...whose record hasn’t he played on? The Goo Goo Dolls, Weezer, Shakira, Jewel...and just about everybody else has required the soulful tones of Mr. Pierce to make their record sweet. Tim and I have developed a writing relationship for several years now, so on a spring morning, one of my favorite things to do in the world is throw on a pair of jeans, some high heel boots, a t shirt, grab my acoustic guitar, my dictaphone and some fresh tapes, jump in the car, grab a caffe latte and head for Tim’s. When i arrive at Tim’s house, I descend to the basement where Tim has his beautifully organized studio. I always know I’m in for a treat. Tim is truly a magician on the guitar! Like a brilliant fine artist, any sketch I take him he will turn into a full canvas in about an hour and a half. Usually, it starts with me sitting and singing to my acoustic guitar. We describe the scene I’m trying to create, the vibe, maybe any influences, then Tim sets up a click and off we go! The first time I heard Tim Pierce play on my first record, it was love! I thought "now THAT is a guitarist I want to write with!" Tim is incredibly flexible, whether I take him a ballad or a hard rock song like Lenny Kravitz, he’s gonna give me what I want and what I need! So this has been a beautiful part of my life over the last couple of years...quiet mornings in a basement, etching out our new brand of rock. Get ready....it’s all coming to you soon!!!

I know one should not name drop especially in a place like L.A. But I have to enthuse about bumping into Joni Mitchell last night.......as you know I live in Laurel Canyon and I was inspired to move to Los Angeles really because of its roots in the the kind of music I love, which changed my life and way of thinking when I listened to it. I’m not sure how much I learnt at school, but I will say I learnt my world view from a number of the singers from the 1960’s. So you can imagine my excitement to meet one of my hero’s last night accidently out and about. Of course I was 30 years too late for the 60’s revolution....but I did come here with some wild idealism about a new spirtual revolution, which I think we can all see really is happening in the world.
I Immigrated to America in 1997. I felt the spirit of all that had created here would inspire me to create my own artistic tapistry......in a profound way which it has. i feel I have worked incredibly hard to expand myself to write all of the songs I have been working on in the last 2 years. So to happen to run into Joni Mitchell last night was a profound honour and I shall deffinatly take it as a good luck sign......these days I deffinatly feel like one of her ladies of the canyon......So I told her I’m recording up where you used to be......its so magical up their I said i feel like the spirits of the Canyon are just listening to me when I sing in the evenings.......and they are happy that the tradition continues....she asked if the bands were still playing up there....my sister said yeh if you walk around in the evenings around the top of the canyon you can still hear bands playing. As you can imagine she had a magical presense, a beautiful smile in her eyes, a grace and kindness of a great spirit. We gave her a copy of "Beautiful to be alive’’ told her how the spirit of her music was so inspiring to us. Onetime my friend drummer Kenny Aronoff came to visit me when I had just moved into the canyon.....’’ah he said, this makes total sense, where you were always headin.......Joni Mitchell......Ladies of the Canyon’’.......I smiled, it made more sense this morning. I am profoundly moved by the arist of the 1960’s there creative flair, there consciousness, there sense of responsibility. Who lived in this canyon well a few.........but my favorites The Doors, Crosby Stills and Nash............and the Queen of Laurel Canyon......Joni Mitchell and she looked like a queen sitting there radient in here own journey of creative........ah a legend.... But I take pleasure in the idea that she was once a young woman like me sitting in the Canyon........’’Chasing the Muse’’ into her songs......probably sometimes with candles burnin and sage bought from the country store....hope you are having an inspiring sunday. Love Zoe