Shelly Peiken 2/6/24 Shelly Peiken 2/6/24

Post GRAMMY Musings

It was a long week. There were more pre-GRAMMY parties than ever before. I pace myself these days. That said, I had a better time than I used to. I no longer feel like I have anything to prove. I don’t ask colleagues what they have coming out but rather ‘what’s been keeping them busy.’ Because, let’s face it…a lot of people don’t have anything coming out. It’s not like it’s the 90s when songwriters had 2 dozen cuts a year.

Shelly Peiken 8/19/22 Shelly Peiken 8/19/22

Both Sides Now

When Joni sings “Both Sides Now’ at 78 people might try to help her remember the lyrics but Joni doesn’t need help. If you sing a song 10,000 times, even if you lose your mind (which Joni hasn’t), you remember the song. The words just come. Muscle memory. Her voice an octave lower. Her tone, vintage. It might seem like she’s going to forget. But the woman is simply taking her time.

Shelly Peiken 6/11/20 Shelly Peiken 6/11/20

Laurel Canyon

Every so often I’ll fire up Sonos and tap on Four Way Street and I’m at Woodstock, especially if I just had a hit of a joint. It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t actually there. Joni, who penned “Woodstock,” the quintessential masterpiece ABOUT the festival, wasn’t there either. She was a vessel. She was stardust. She was golden. She channeled a movement. Everything they were writing was a reflection of whatever was going on sociopolitically at the time. That’s what it was about.

Shelly Peiken 4/23/19 Shelly Peiken 4/23/19

Album Update

Sometimes you can’t beat a scratch vocal. There’s something about the first moment you step up to the mic and it’s so fresh and real. I’m never going to be more honest than when I’m not thinking about it. I feel it with my bones.