I finally had the opportunity to sit down with one of our generations most important singer-songwriters, yet someone who I feel has not received the widespread claim she deserves.  Deidre McCalla burst onto the women’s music scene in the 1980s with her outstanding recordings on the legendary Olivia Records label.  Her music cannot and should not be placed in a cubbyhole, she speaks to a diverse audience with songs that touch us all.

The occasion of the release of her latest album Endless Grace (her first studio album since 2003!) gave me the opportunity to sit down with her to discuss her approach to music and the stories behind her songs.

I have run into Deidre at various folk music conferences, in fact, I probably ran into her much earlier – before embarking on a career as a singer-songwriter, Deidre was a sound engineer at the legendary Folk City in New York’s Greenwich Village, a place where I spent many a weekend night absorbing music.

Deidre obviously was absorbing music as well, and it led to her eventually moving to California in the 1990s where her work as a musical artist led her to releasing several critically acclaimed albums for Olivia Records.

The recording of her latest album was motivated by the Covid-19 pandemic, in fact there are two songs on the album that speak directly to the impact the pandemic and lockdown made on our lives.  Socially relevant, deeply personal, the album speaks to our everyday lives and offers us hope.  Deidre has always been an artist that challenges often-stereotypical perceptions to music by writing and singing from her heart. I found Endless Grace to be one of the most rewarding albums I’ve heard in a long time, and I only hope we do not have to wait another 19 years for her next collection of song!

From our archive, here is Deidre McCalla’s visit to TRADITIONS on June 12, 2022 as heard on WFDU-FM and www.FolkMusicNotebook.com

 

Also, here is Deirdre’s recent appearance on Folk Music Notebook’s “Artist in Residence Showcase” series: