‘Shotgun Singer’ comes to Iota Café

Kyle Ridley/for the News & Messenger
Published: May 1, 2008

Indie musician Kris Delmhorst's ambitious fifth studio album, "Shotgun Singer," is available after nearly four years in the making.

The Brooklyn native hits the stage with her latest folk-rock-soul songs Friday at the Iota Club and Café in Arlington.

"It feels great; it's really exciting," Delmhorst said about the long awaited re-lease.

Delmhorst, 37, began recording demos for "Shotgun Singer" with the intent to make an experimental disc unlike any prior project.

"I ended up really frustrated because I felt like I was following a lot of patterns," she said about the initial studio sessions.

In 2005, Delmhorst decided to put "Shotgun Singer" on the back burner and began working on the album "Strange Conversation," a modernized collection of poetry spanning the centuries. She toured with the CD for more than a year before returning to revitalize "Shotgun Singer."

Delmhorst "built a little world of music" in fellow folk troubadour Erin McKeown's rural cabin in Western Massachusetts. For months she "chipped away" at the new tracks in solo, late-night sessions.

Delmhorst, who plays 14 instruments on "Shotgun Singer," realized she would need ample time to finish producing the CD, which meant a loss of income from live gigs.

"I know I couldn't make it the way I wanted to make it unless I had a bunch of time," she said. "The way it is being a songwriter at this level… our profit margin is pretty small."

Delmhorst turned to her Web site and fan base to assist with funding the record. She offered exclusive downloads, autographed memorabilia and advanced CD material to those who do-nated.

"It was a hard decision," said Delmhorst on enlisting fans for support. "But it turned out to be really amazing."

The innovative approach to "Shotgun Singer" resulted in 12 eclectic tracks that run the gamut from ethereal, multi-layered opener "Blue Adeline" to the stripped down, guitar-and-vocals closer, "Brand New Sound."

Delmhorst relates songwriting to "making a weird little collage" where she draws from personal experience and incorporates fictional elements from the same "emotional root."

She said she constantly has new ideas, but tends to write in "intensive chunks" while alone.

"I spent a lot of times with these lyrics," she said. "I'm not the kind of person who writes in the coffee shop and writes on the bus."

"Shotgun Singer's" lengthy production resulted in an abundance of material that Delmhorst found hard to narrow down. Rather than shelve leftover tracks, she created "Horses Swimming," a six-song acoustic EP available via her Web site and con-certs.

Delmhorst spent the last few months on the road supporting the dual projects and said the heavy travel can take its toll on mind and body.

"You can really start to lose your grip a little bit," she said, adding that she practices yoga daily to keep physically and mentally centered. "It's the key to my entire survival."

Delmhorst recently completed a European tour and is looking forward to playing in northern Virginia again. She said the "enthusiastic" and "open-minded" crowds give her a "special kind of warmth."

"I always feel really welcome," she said.

Delmhorst is making sure to enjoy her last month on stage before taking a break this summer to welcome her first child. The pregnant singer, due in June, plans to keep the second-half of '08 "low key."

Kyle Ridley can be contacted at .

WANT TO GO?

What's up: Indie singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst performs

When: Friday at 9 p.m.

Where: Iota Club & Cafe, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington

Tickets: $17 at the door, no advance ticketing; 21 and over

Info: IotaClubandCafe.com