When discerning people of hip culture today consider who their favorite singers are, there is a great likelihood that Patty Griffin appears in their Top Ten. She has quietly, firmly assumed that spot without any apparent push from labels or high-powered PR, although a more subtle grassroots effort has always been afoot, no doubt. But she got there largely the old fashioned way, she sang her way there. By herself, as a duo or with rock bands in certain periods, making obvious the truth that she can do all that, and much more.
And though her voice is not short of magnificent, her songwriting propelled her to success in short order. People want to cut a Patty Griffin song the same way they might want Buddy Miller to play or Emmy Lou to sing on their record. They want them there, as part of who they are, and to make their record that much more special.
We're very glad to have had the opportunity to speak with the artist recently, to mark the occasion of her new benchmark release, Children Running Through. She's complicated, interesting, and shared some of herself that day. A play based on her music will soon appear, written by Keith Brunin and produced by Tom Hulce. We discussed that, and many parts of her past and present in the pages to follow. We're sure that after you hear the clips on the Listen page, you'll be enjoying your own copy of Children Running Through, as we have ours.
