Joan Shelley on fishing for songs

“The analogy of fishing has been used before. You’re just trying to be there at the right time, when your brain is in the right state for catching new images, new ways for words to come together. That’s what I think he’s speaking to. If you’re consciously trying to make it fit your form, you’re going to scare away the fish. You’re not going to get anything. That open mind of witnessing whatever comes out—and maybe it’s not going to make any sense—is an important part of it.”

—Joan Shelley

From my interview with Joan Shelley in the August 2017 issue of Acoustic Guitar, in which she talked about traditional folk, alternate tunings, and working with Jeff Tweedy as producer of her latest album. Also included is a sidebar on Shelley's stellar accompanist, guitarist Nathan Salsburg. Read the full story here.