The prodigal songstress returns! Since last visiting OpenAir with her band Paper Bird, Esme Patterson released her first solo album and is making waves nationally with special features on Daytrotter, American Songwriter, and NPR Music's Heavy Rotation. She also sang backup for Tennis on late night talk shows Jay Leno and David Letterman and Paper Bird played the sold out Of Monsters and Men show at the Boulder Theater.
With guitar in tow, Patterson finds time to visit the CPR Performance Studio, revisiting the writing and recording process behind “All Princes, I,” with host Alisha Sweeney.
Sans the traditional accompaniment of her fellow Paper Bird bandmates, Patterson exposes her solo musical venture with candor; “It was really empowering in some ways too, it was really fun, but it was very different, and terrifying and wonderful.”
Between songs, she also reflects further to reveal her musical heritage, both genetic and cultural. Patterson, a self-described “bear,” musically, “will eat anything that tastes good…just about anything that you can think of.” In particular, though, she digests her “favorite album of all time,” to which she attributes the motivation behind the unadulterated mistakes, which “seem more human, more real.” Effectively, Esme Patterson erects a “pretty raw” audio scaffolding atop an undeniably solid musical foundation.
Listen to our interivew which includes four exclusive tracks, including an one that's unreleased: Esme Patterson in the CPR Performance Studio
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