Ladyfest: How long have you been making music?
Briana: I got my first acoustic guitar for Christmas in sixth grade, which I was really excited about, but I didn't put in enough time and effort until about two years ago. I have been trying to play at least a little bit every day for about a year and a half. I've always liked to sing, since I was a tiny thing, but I was much too shy to sing in front of most people until three years ago. While Winter turned to Spring this year, I recorded a CD on my computer called "Hope Music" which I began passing out to every friend I thought would appreciate it in some way. In April, when pretty much everyone I knew had a CD, I brought a small stack down to After the Gold Rush Records, in Nevada City. They are $5.
L: How long have you been performing?
B: I played an open mic in Grass Valley about three years ago with my friend Evan King. I wrote the words and sang, he wrote the guitar part and played guitar. We got our act together in about a week. It was a really fun, exciting, and also nerve-racking week. I was SO nervous. That's the only open mic I've played. The next time I performed wasn't until June of this year, at "Hear Tell Summer Spells" at Coffee Town in Grass Valley. Since then I've played once at Briar Patch in Grass Valley, I've played at two art/music shows put on by a friend in Nevada City, and once at a benefit at Dos Banditos with my friend Benjamin Brown. We called ourselves "The Bumbling Bees" and we plan on performing together again soon.
L: Having now done both, do you prefer recording or performing and why?
B: I don’t really prefer one from the other. I like recording by myself because I never feel embarrassed about experimenting with my voice. I enjoy performing because it’s really exciting to get any kind of feedback, and when it’s positive it just blows my mind! They are very different experiences for me and I appreciate things about them both. On the other hand, they both make me nervous… so I’m working on that.
L: What inspires you?
B: I love the Yuba River. I love Autumn in Nevada City. I love to travel. My friends, strangers, flowers, trees, graveyards, so many things. I love watching life. I am inspired by all kinds of things every day. Lengthy road trips are very inspirational, life-changing events for me. They provide so much time for reflecting, I just wish that gas prices weren't so high!
L: Where did you go on your last road trip?
B: In the middle of last December, my good friend Camille and I headed out of Nevada City in her ’87 Toyota van. We had a single mattress in the back, lots of snacks, and no plans except for us both to see Arizona for the first time. We were on the road for almost two weeks. We went to several parts of Arizona, and ended up in New Mexico and Texas for a couple of days as well. We slept in the van almost every night. At the end of the trip we stayed in hotels for a couple of nights because we couldn’t take the cold anymore. In the van, we woke up with the sun and frost, and went to sleep soon after dark because it would get too cold to hang around outside the blankets. We saw and learned so much together on that trip. It was the freest I’ve ever felt, and maybe the freest I’ll ever be.
L: How often do you write?
B: I have written poetry since I can remember. Probably since I learned the word. Or the meaning. Or, maybe it was when I discovered synonyms. Or rhythms. Or rhymes. Maybe it was when
I
Learned
About
Lines.
But anyway I write all the time. I get the urge and I immediately have to find a pen and paper, of sorts. I write on a lot of receipts and napkins. Sometimes I just end up singing stuff out loud to myself, because I can't find anything to take it down with. I always think I'll remember if I sing it out loud, but I usually forget the whole thing even happened. Writing poetry is probably my favorite thing to do. It helps me in so many ways, and I enjoy looking back on old writings too.
L: Where did you grow up?
B: I was born in Grass Valley, at home. We lived in that house until I was about one year old and then we moved a couple of miles away to the house I lived in until I was seventeen.
L: Where do you live now?
B: I live in Nevada City with my older sister, Sarah. She’s twenty-five. We’ve been living there for almost a year now and we love it. We can walk to town in less than ten minutes, and drive to the river in about the same amount of time. I lived in Santa Cruz for a year before this house, but I missed the ways of Nevada County too much. The river, life-long friends and good food called me back.
L: What else do you do with your time?
B: I work at Video Library in Grass Valley four days a week, which I like a lot. I worked there for six months before I moved to Santa Cruz, and now I’ve been back for about six months. In Santa Cruz I worked at another locally owned video store, for a year, called Westside Video. I guess I have a thing for video stores. Besides work, I really enjoy hanging out with people and getting to know them. I also like collecting things, taking pictures, walking, listening, observing, and of course listening to music.
L: What kind of music have you been listening to lately?
B: It’s really hard for me to give straight answers about music. I have a really expansive music taste. I will listen to anything once. I like something from pretty much every genre. I am usually a very calm person so I don’t find myself listening to anything too hardcore…. I grew up listening to the oldies with my parents so I feel like that’s what always sticks around and brings me up when I’m down. I love a lot of ladies, like Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, and Aretha Franklin. Of course, there are so many inspiring ladies making music today too. One of my favorites, if not my very favorite, is Diane Cluck. Her music and voice speak to me as if they were written in my dreams. Plus, all the wonderful local ladies we have here in Nevada County! Thank you for making Ladyfest come to life! Lady Power!
BEESHARQ will be part of our evening concert at Ladyfest Nevada County. show starts at 7pm.
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