Patricia Conroy is no stranger to the world of country music. Though new to America, she has been a hit in Canada since 1990. As a native of Montreal, Patricia was raised in an environment influenced by both the French culture of her native Quebec and her family's strong Irish roots, which pervade her accent to this day. She speaks fondly of the Celtic music that flowed through her home as a little girl, which ultimately led her to piano lessons and vocal training just a few years later. Conroy explains, "I consider my early years singing with my family, my church and singing acappella as the time when I really got to know my voice."
During those early years, Conroy discovered the music of Emmy Lou Harris, who she cites as her biggest musical inspiration. In her opinion, "Emmy Lou was the first country artist that could rock yet bear sincerity and soul in her music." With this realization, Patricia joined her first band, a country bluegrass outfit named "Homemade Stew." She performed with the group as a background singer, but eventually left to front her own band in 1985 and follow her dream. "It was my destiny," she believes. "I felt I had a gift and I wanted to share it."
She launched her musical career in Vancouver, and relocated down to Nashville, Tennesee. In 1990, Conroy released her first album, Blue Angel, for Warner Music Canada. Two years later, she followed with her second release, Bad Day For Trains, which featured the Canadian top 10 hit "My Baby Loves Me" and two number ones, "What Do You Care" and the title track. With this string of hits, Conroy quickly established an intense following throughout Canada. The fruits of this hard labor would eventually result in Patricia being named the Canadian Country Music Association's "Female Vocalist of the Year" for 1994.
Appearances on Music City Tonight in addition to an intense schedule of county and state fair performances, where she shared the stage with American contemporaries Vince Gill and Reba McEntire, prompted a strong response in the states. From the television screen to the concert stage, Conroy initiated contact with the American public, bringing her beautiful Irish-Canadian voice to a new group of fans. Her single, "Somebody's Leavin'," began drawing attention in the U.S., while shooting to number one on the Canadian country hit parade.
"Everyone has been very supportive of our success ... country music fans are family and they are touched by music from the heart," says a sincere Conroy, whose attitude toward the music remains constant. Patricia and her four-piece band have not allowed the growing waves of adulation to change their concept of what it means to be performing musicians. "We have been working at this for ten years," she says in a reflective mood, "and we're still on the same page musically."
Now, with the release of You Can't Resist, Conroy and company are preparing for more touring in support of the album. The work with the band never stops and plans for the next record are already being made. "I would like to work with the same people on the next record and maybe try some new things," she says. By working non-stop, Patricia is constantly honing her singing and songwriting skills, and having a great time in the process. "It's so much fun and we like making music together. What else can you ask for?" With an attitude like that, Patricia Conroy is an artist You Can't Resist!
The following interview with Patricia Conroy was taped during Country Music Week, at the CCMA national convention, in Calgary, Alberta. The night before we spoke, Patricia debuted material from her new Warner Music Canada CD, Can't Resist It, during a showcase concert in the convention centre ballroom, delighting the thousands of fans and convention goers.
When Conroy launched into some of her more familiar radio successes like Blank Pages, My Baby Loves Me Just The Way That I Am and Bad Day For Trains -- she drew considerable applause. Conroy's road band was augmented by the guest appearance of drumming legend Kenny Aronoff, who flew in for the gig. Earlier that day Patricia's lead guitar player, Bob Funk, was named CCMA Guitarist Of The Year at a Musician's Citation Luncheon.
WCMR: Hearing the material from You Can't Resist, with Kenny Aronoff 'locking in' with your band here in Calgary, was a fine introduction to the new album.
PATRICIA: What a highlight for me--of any year, any part of my musical career--to play with someone like Kenny Aronoff. Not just for myself, but for the band as well. It was one of those 'moments' that we are in this music business for. We appreciate them, and remember them, you keep those 'moments' with you when times are tougher.
WCMR: You seem to be breaking some new ground here, there are some new sounds for Patricia Conroy on this one.
PATRICIA: There's quite a difference from anything I've ever done before. I'm not sure exactly what the difference is--to verbalize it--but I know that we found songs that I didn't have access to previously. My own writing has been developing. Working with a different producer also has made some changes and what they bring out of me as an artist. I'm moving forward, and... blossoming.
WCMR: I would venture to say, and here we go with categories, that it is less traditional; however, it is more 'roots rich'.
PATRICIA: That's quite true. You can't really ignore where you came from. It's not possible, when you are trying to be true to your music, which is what I've endeavoured to do on this album. I have not tried to put out something that will be 'mainstream' or 'be a hit' or whatever. This album is a collection of songs that were chosen very carefully, that I feel something very personal about. Every time that I sang these songs in the studio, or when I sing them live, I feel very strongly about each and every one of them.
For that reason it is an album that I love, and will cherish, and I really hope that everyone else likes it.
WCMR: There's a link in the 'blue' imagery. This time it's Too True Blue. Your debut on the Warner Music label was titled Blue Angel. The lead single is a blue mood, Somebody's Leaving. When are we going to get the song where you just met the perfect guy and everything has a happy ending? I guess My Baby Loves Me Just The Way That I Am qualifies, but there's a lot of hurtin' going on in your own writing and on songs you choose to record.
PATRICIA: I guess that the title track, You Can't Resist It is the most positive track. It's an emotional song. That's what I like about it. It's an album cut--from Lyle's first album. I heard his demo version, which is my version, and then I compared it to his recorded version and that was nothing like the original demo.
WCMR: (At this point I had not yet heard the ballad Home In Your Arms either and it certainly answers my question, but our interview lead away in a different direction without mention of this 'happy ending' number.) I said: You Can't Resist It is very bare bones...
PATRICIA: Most of these songs leave a great deal for interpretation. Somebody's Leaving was written by Kostas and Matraca Berg, two of my favourite songwriters, and the demo was very bare bones and we didn't really have a really big concept of what we were going to do, but once we got into the studio, what happened was the musicians took over and the song took on this funky, swampy, New Orleans... sound. The mood of the whole song is very emotional.
WCMR: I was watching the dancers the other night during your set, and on several of these tunes, especially this one, they changed their step pattern when the sections of the music changed, you know, when it lifts up in the second part. There is either a tempo change, or an apparent tempo change--a 'feel' change. I've only heard the song that once so I can't say exactly.
PATRICIA: I think the songs are very self-containing that way. They really take the listener somewhere. I'm a country artist, and my roots are very traditional, I sang Celtic music when I was young and I listened to country as I grew up. On this album people can hear where I'm coming from, the songs are a reflection of what I feel about music.
WCMR: What you are saying is that the personal element became the organizing factor on You Can't Resist?
PATRICIA: Absolutely!
WCMR: Let's talk about your original writing on the album, the songs you wrote.
PATRICIA: I wrote I Don't Wanna Be The One walking home from the gym one day, and had to 'peel' home, because I didn't want to forget it, I thought, 'This is a cool tune!' I managed to get it down on my little tape recorder, and I carried it around for a year and a half. Did it live also and got positive feedback on it.
The other two are Crazy Fool, which is very bare bones, and Keep Me Rockin, which was written with Jennifer Kimball, and is just a fun rockin' country song.
WCMR: It's kind of a rockabilly feel, if I remember right from last night.
PATRICIA: Contemporary roots-rock-country, is that a fair description?
WCMR: Well, what I'm getting at, is it's not a hammer-on hard rock feel, it's more like that skipping along Mystery Train feel with a little bit of that Scotty Moore guitar figure that is in so many of Elvis Presley's Sun Sessions recordings.
PATRICIA: I like it because it shows people that I really like to have 'fun'. If you see me live, you know that, but we don't often capture that mood on an album. We did with this one.
WCMR: It guess its common with songwriter/performers that you write a song and it may sit in your catalogue, or in your band repertoire, as Blank Pages did for years... And then, eventually, either the song matures, or the time comes around forit. Is that at all how it works?
PATRICIA: Yes. I think with songs, timing is very definitely a factor. I have songs that didn't make this album, that I know will make an album. People won't hear it on this album, but eventually, they will hear it, because they are beginning to know me better. All those songs are part of me.
WCMR: I know you've been very occupied with your own recording career since moving to Nashville, but have you got any cuts out there that are being listened to by other artists, or is that perhaps on the agenda for the future?
PATRICIA: I've just begun to catalogue all the songs properly. Take the time to sit down and make demo tapes. I would absolutely love to have other artists cut my material. I think that all songwriters will agree, that not every song you write is a good song for you, even though you've written it. It may be perfect for somebody else.
WCMR: One of the little cliches of the music biz is one that says a good song will always find its way to a recording studio...
PATRICIA: Or to the right singer. I have passed on songs that have become hits for other singers. That sort of thing happens a lot. I believe that Michelle (Wright) passed on Maybe It Was Memphis ...and I passed on He's A Wild One... Sometimes I kick myself about that one, but I didn't think it was the right one for me...
Songs are a really interesting facet of an artist's career. What I chose for my first album is completely different from what I chose for my latest one. You grow and change musically. Today's country music has taken on a 'contemporary feel'. Why? Because our lifestyles have. Mine has. The people I'm hanging out with, the movies I've seen, or the music you listen to. John Hiatt is in my collection. So is Joe Ely. It's not necessarily traditional country music, I'm influenced in all kinds of ways...
WCMR: Let's talk about the recording sessions. Morin Heights must be an inspiring setting to record in.
PATRICIA: A beautiful spot! Very much out in the country. I can relate to it. I grew up in Montreal and I used to go to Morin for summer vacation. So, there we were, up in the mountains, on a lake. Nobody had their cellular phones with them. All the musicians were there for the duration, they weren't running off to other sessions. We didn't have to worry about anything. There were row boats from the cottage to the studio, and we chose half country players and half rock players, which was exactly what we wanted.
We didn't want to sound like 'everything else'. Let me just interject here: I think each of the females coming out of Nashville have more of an interesting unique sound than the male artists, I don't know why that is. I think that a lot of the males tend to sound the same, I don't think I'm far off when I say that.
WCMR: Are you saying that a lot of the 'hat acts' or the 'hunk acts' sound the same?
PATRICIA: I don't want to be cruel when I say that...
WCMR: Perhaps what you are hinting at, Patricia, is that many of the female artists like Emmylou, tap in to a bluegrass sweetness in their music, the sort of thing that brings out the individuality in a singer, and no matter how hard singers like yourself 'rock', you never lose that sweetness...
PATRICIA: I don't ever want to lose that! That's why I like people like Patty Loveless and Emmylou Harris, because they'll never lose that sweetness and the roots of that traditional sound that really ultimately grabbed their soul in the first place, and mine also. The women are very individualistic. Very cool. Pam Tillis, Martina McBride, all very much their own sound. And that's what I was looking for on this album.
WCMR: You have been, Patricia, consistently throughout your career, fashion conscious. And that has extended into your music. It's like do you put the mandolins on, or do you leave them out. Do you use fiddle and steel, or do you go for twangy guitars and keyboards... What is the fashion of tomorrow's sound?
PATRICIA: ...would you necessarily put an accordion on this song... does it sound good? Does it look good?
WCMR: Who are the specialty players who most fashioned the 'sound' on your new album?
PATRICIA: Quite frankly, Kenny Aronoff, the drummer. He's a big part of the sound.
WCMR: He's a monster! And no doubt, he's a busy guy, with Mellancamp and all sorts of projects... How did you get Kenny to come up here to Calgary and do this one gig with you?
PATRICIA: I'll draw a parallel--to the kind of person Kenny is--Vince Gill. If you run into Vince, he'll not only say 'hello', but he'll sit down and pick your brain and talk to you. Sometimes, you almost say, 'you must have something else to do'... Kenny's like that. I phoned him up three days before the showcase here in Calgary and said, 'You probably can't... but... could you?' 'I'm there!' he said.
WCMR: Didn't Vince sing backup on a couple of tracks on your first album, when you certainly had no big reputation in Nashville?
PATRICIA: That tells me something about these people, why they are so popular and what makes them what they are. They put so much heart into everything that they do! Kenny just gets up there and drums, he's connected.
WCMR: So you built your album upon a rock, a really solid foundation.
PATRICIA: I built it upon a rock and a soft place, the best of country and the best in roots rock. Similarly, that's why I chose Mike Wanchic to produce. He brought along Justin (Niebank) who records Wynonna and Marty Stewart... he really knows his Nashville stuff, the kind of Nashville stuff that I like, the gutsy Nashville sound. Mike has worked with Sue Medley.
WCMR: Way back when, back in the beginning days in Kitsilano, you and Sue were the top two new country singers on the West Coast. Since then, she has gone over to roots rock. But I enjoy her albums, especially the textures.
PATRICIA: I do too. And of course Mike does the John Mellancamp stuff, the earthy roots rock. Mike's a sweetheart. He's so down-to-earth, no pretension at all. I'm really lucky that I end up connecting with real people like that all the time...
WCMR: Well, you hang out with Bob Funk, who is an amazing and totally unpretentious guy, maybe not as well known as some of these other figures like Vince and Kenny, but Bob won an award yesterday. Best guitarist. Bob's on the album?
PATRICIA: Yes. You'll hear him most prominently on "I Don't Wanna Be The One", because he and I created that song... created what it sounds like ...he put the Bob Funk guitar parts on that song. Bob is very subtle, very needed, very much a part of our sound. Bob did all the demos with me. I think we demo-ed seventy songs... I ended up demo-ing ten J.D. Souther tunes and eventually writing Crazy Fool, that's what happened.
WCMR: Synthesis.
PATRICIA: It was incredible.
WCMR: In a sense though, a lot of songwriting is synthesis, taking what you learn about why other songs are good songs and making that knowledge work for you when you write.
PATRICIA: I absorb so much from other artists. I think it is important to get re-inspired all the time, by things you were inspired by earlier. It happens every time I listen to Emmylou.
WCMR: Okay, so that's one place you go back to...
PATRICIA: It's like you've reached home base. I listened to thousands of songs, and very few of them cut deep, in a good way. When I first heard You Can't Resist It, suddenly, I said, 'That's it! That's what I'm looking for!'
