Singer-songwriter Debra Penberthy and her band The Dark and Dirty wowed the crowd at a fundraiser for her upcoming debut recording this past Thursday night at Throop Theater in Pasadena.
After the show, I interviewed Debra about her music.
Tonight you were the headliner at a variety show to raise funds for your upcoming debut recording (an EP with six songs). Tell me about your EP:
I’d love to! Right now, it’s six songs that I wrote over the past ten years, though we may be adding some more because it’s going so well and I have a lot more songs… I picked six songs along with my wonderful producer, Tim Kobza, as I felt they fit together well and would tell a musical story about love, loss and hope. It will probably be out sometime in late 2014.
How would you describe your music and your influences?
It’s Americana, and it is heavily influenced by the music of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Neko Case, Jenny Lewis, and Jack White. It’s me on voice and some piano, and it has Hammond B3, soulful guitars, an amazing harmonica player, great drums and bass. There are elements of blues, tin pan alley, country, and some jazz harmonies. And, there is a bit of dark humor in there, like my love song, “Love in a model town” which is about a male rabbit who lost his girlfriend to a train wreck, a real loss as she was the only monogamous rabbit he could find.
Yeah, you said that at the show. But, to me that song is just beautiful and sad. I didn’t really see the rabbits, but it was one of my favorites. And there is a song called “Dream of Peace” that is getting some good attention?
Yes, that song is really near and dear to my heart. It’s about not finding some of the things you want in life, like love, peace and beauty but still dreaming of and believing in them. It’s anthemic, and I love singing it. Earlier this month, I got to sing it on internet radio using an early rough of the backing track from my upcoming EP, thanks to Melvin Johnson of the Qumran report (watch song here).
Yeah, I saw that and loved it! And, it seems that you have strong convictions and social justice and feminist elements to your music.
Yes, definitely. I’ve been involved in making positive change for my whole career, working for Greenpeace after college and then working with young musicians to help them activate their potential. So, with my music, I tie that in. There’s my song, “Half the Sky,” which is meant to be a tribute to the Half the Sky Movement aimed at ending systematic oppression of women and girls around the globe by the end of the 21st Century. My goal is to make this a bit like a “We are the world” song but for stopping gender-based oppression, like sex trafficking, sex-selective abortions, and other types of violence against women. I go to different houses of worship and really any place of principles and sing this song to raise attention for the movement and get people to take action on these issues. People can contact me to do that, and I’ve sent it to Barbara Boxer, as she recently reintroduced some important anti-violence against women legislation into the US Senate.
How’s the recording of that song going?
Great! A couple weeks ago, we went into the studio and added a gospel choir and children’s voices to this track, and it’s really coming along well. Can’t wait to share it! There’s an early version of it on my SoundCloud page, and people can follow me there for updates on my music. I also have a new website*, and people can contact me through there to get on my mailing list.
Yeah, it was great to hear “Half the Sky” at the show, and to see the “making of” music video that you’ll be releasing soon. It’s clear that you love what you’re doing, and that really translated to a great time for the audience. What are your hopes for your music?
I really want to change people’s lives through it. I believe in the power of music to make the world better—more beautiful, more about the heart, and more just. Many of my songs are sad, but there’s always an undercurrent of hope and belief in a better day. And, I think that by experiencing a full range of human emotions, we all become more compassionate and able to connect with each other. I hope that my music will reach a wide audience to make this kind of impact.
With the clock reaching midnight, and an after-the-show buzz that kept many in the crowd milling around, it was time to let Debra go home and get a well deserved night’s rest.
Debra reaches out and soothes the soul through her music. While her lyrics tap into healing energies, they challenge and inspire us toward a positive change. Soon, the world will experience that feeling!
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