Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 12, 1991 TAG: 9104120594
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Tracie Fellers / Staff Writer
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
She's earnest, thoughtful, down-to-earth and decidedly unspoiled by the group's success.
"We sort of feel like normal people," Saliers said in a phone interview from Atlanta, where she's taking a break from the Indigos' current East Coast tour. "Especially at home. At home I forget I'm an Indigo Girl."
But after 1989's "Indigo Girls," the group's first album for Epic Records, the duo's fan aren't likely to forget Saliers. Or Amy Ray, the other Indigo Girls.
The album, an acoustic blend of folk and rock that sold more than 500,000 copies, was well-received by critics and earned the Indigos a Grammy for best contemporary folk performance. It also spawned "Closer to Fine," a song about the search for personal fulfillment that became a pop hit.
The duo will make a stop in Southwest Virginia, performing at Virginia Tech's Burruss Auditorium on Thursday at 8 p.m.
Saliers, 28, isn't incredulous when she talks about what she and Ray have accomplished since they released their first single, 1985's "Crazy Game." But you get the impression that she's still getting used to it all.
"I guess we're successful. We're able to play shows and we get lots of people there," she said. But the Indigos aren't "really big stars," Saliers said, and she's happy with that.
"We really don't get bothered or anything. Most of our exposure didn't come from things like videos, so there's not a lot of visual recognition." There is some, however - especially in Atlanta, she said. "But people are nice. People are very thoughtful about how our careers are going.
"The only pressure that comes is knowing that there's another record around the corner. Everything else that comes from it is just blessing upon blessing, for me anyway. I have nothing to complain about."
Saliers and Ray, who both live in Atlanta, have been paired musically since their high school days in Decatur, Ga. And acoustic guitar playing isn't the only thing the two women have in common.
They met as sixth-graders in Decatur and both grew up in the Methodist church. Saliers' father is a Methodist minister and theology professor.
Both women also attended Atlanta's Emory University, where Saliers studied English and Ray majored in religion.
The influence of religion, along with personal experiences and the duo's Southern roots, is evident in their song lyrics. And spirituality is one of the themes the group sought to address with the title of their latest album, "Nomads*Indians*Saints."
"The title came from a line in one of Amy's songs, `World Falls,' " Saliers said:
I wish I was a nomad, an indian or a saint./
The edge of death would disappear, leave me nothing left to taint./
I wish I were a nomad, an indian or a saint./
Give me walking shoes, feathered arms and a key to heaven's gate.
"We chose the title because a lot of the songs are about personal journeys and sort of spiritual quests and leaving the Earth behind," Saliers said. She and Ray decided calling the album "Nomads*Indians*Saints" was the best way to tie the collection together, she said.
What the Indigos write about is "pretty much all personal," Saliers said. "It might be that we're writing about what's going on with a friend of ours . . . or if I read a book and I'm touched by it, I'm sort of writing about my response to that, and that sort of makes it personal."
Saliers said she and Ray "don't worry about critics anymore." Most have praised their music - which has the emotion of folk and the edge of rock - and their husky, honey-toned voices. But some call their lyrics obscure and difficult to decipher.
"I hate those critics," Saliers joked. But in a more serious response, she said: "Amy and I have talked about how fun it would be to be able to write with more humor and irony. But that's a gift and we're not gifted in that area. We can only write how we know how to write.
"If we got wind of the fact that the music was a bummer we'd be thinking about making some changes," she said. But "our experiences through letters and through talking to people is that the music is much more uplifting than downbeat.
"If you're not poor and you don't have to worry about getting your daily bread . . . once you get past that level, a lot of experiences are the same. The world is so alienating that people are unwilling to be vulnerable. I think that Amy and I write a lot of things that's personal stuff and vulnerable stuff and people can relate to that.
"Music is a very cathartic way of expressing emotions," she said.
At the same time, "it's kind of excruciating to write a song. . . pulling your thoughts out and pulling your emotions out to really get the message of what you're trying to say - it's tough," Saliers said. "But once you get a song done, it's like, `whew, it's over.' "
Besides, when the songwriting well runs dry, Saliers can always turn to a couple of favorite influences: Joni Mitchell and Southern culture. Asked if her regional roots have any role in her writing, she answered: " Definitely, without a doubt.
"We tour three weeks and take a week or two off, which is why it takes us such a long time to tour." But that way, they can go home, see their families and "be around all the things that influence us," she said. "It's just a very comforting and influential environment as far as our writing goes."
Could she see herself living anywhere else? " No way," Saliers said. She paused for a moment."I suppose I wouldn't mind having a little vacation beach house," she conceded.
Pretty much what you'd expect from a girl-next-door.
Tickets are $6 for Tech students, $10 for non-students and available at the university bookstore's ticket office. Tickets may be purchased by calling 231-5615, or 800-843-0332 outside the New River Valley.
\ THE INDIGO GIRLS:
Thursday, 8 p.m. at Virginia Tech's Burruss Auditorium. $6-$10. 231-5615.
Keywords:
PROFILE
by CNB