Aural Life: Theresa Andersson: One-Woman Band

So, recently, I've been hearing about Theresa Andersson, mostly from Jason Bentley, DJ and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW, while listening to the program. I first heard about Theresa Andersson when I was listening to KCRW, NPR...one of those listener-supported stations. They were playing some music from a live performance of hers, and it was good jazzy-alternative music. Then they started discussing her performance...and mentioned that she did everything herself using loops recorded live. I was very intrigued, so I checked her out online and I was amazed.

Theresa Andersson is a woman from New Orleans, though she was born and raised in Sweden and lived there until she was 18. The music she plays is great. Not only is she a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, violin, dulcimer, glockenspiel, percussion (you name it, she could probably play it) and using her voice as a percussive instrument and to sing, but she, in her own repsect, is somewhat like a DJ. With arsenal of 40 or so pedals in front of her, Theresa is a one-woman-band. All of her songs are full of life and sound that she produces herself. Drums, guitars, violin, dulcimer, glockenspiel, everything she does herself. Her own vocal harmonies, even down to a duet with, well, herself. Nothing is prerecorded when she performs, everything she does is live, recorded live using a ton of looping pedals. This not only requires an internal sense of the tempo of the song, but full attentiveness and even balance. From cueing loops while playing, twisting knobs with her toes (she performs barefoot), multitasking barely scratches the surface of what she does when she performs and she does it so flawlessly and makes it look so simple. She knows how to do what she does, and she does it well. Not only is what she does visually astonishing, but sonically, it is great. Her music is wonderful and once you find out how she does it all live, that it is not a band backing her but HER backing her, you are even more amazed.

But don't just take my word for it, check her out for yourself:

MySpace

Facebook

Here are the videos from her youtube channel of her performing her songs "Na Na Na" and "Birds Fly Away":

"Na Na Na"

"Birds Fly Away"

Also, I highly suggest that you watch her Morning Becomes Eclectic In-Studio Session. You can watch it here: Theresa Andersson on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic
You can also stream just audio, but I highly suggest you watch it.

Her album, Hummingbird, Go! is available now.

You can purchase it via: