Published: October 28, 2008 9:33 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
Music Now Exclusive Interview
Susannah Blinkoff
Susannah Blinkoff
This next artist was born and raised in Ney York City, the Big Apple-city of dreams. She has been performing professionally in clubs and off-Broadway since the age of twelve years old. Junior's Cave recently caught up with the Indie singer/songwriter Susannah Blinkoff in this exclusive interview.
Isaac: Welcome to Junior's Cave. It is a pleasure to feature you on our online pages.
Susannah: Thanks so much! It's great to be here.
Isaac: Let's start off by asking you how did you first become interesting in wanting to be a performer?
Susannah: Well, I grew up with it all around me. My mom is a songwriter and when I was a kid, she was recording albums and touring and singing jingles - so of course I thought I could do it too. And because I grew up in Manhattan, we went to lots of Broadway plays, musicals and ballet - I saw so many great performances. By the time I was nine, I was writing little plays for my friends and me to be in and taking a children's class at a very respected acting school in New York called Herbert Berghof Studio. There, I started performing in professional plays and doing the kid roles. I sang sometimes with my mom. It went on from there.
Isaac: Do you feel that your music is relevant for today's times? Why or why not?
Susannah: I'm not sure that any music is not relevant - if somebody somewhere likes it, it's relevant, I think. But I tend to write a lot about relationships and so in that way, maybe my songs are valuable because one of the toughest challenges and greatest joys in life is to be with and get along with other people.
Isaac: You have had some great successes with your songs. In particular, some of your songs have been featured on MTV's hit show "My Super Sweet Sixteen", in the feature film "My Super Ex-Girlfriend." What have you contributed to your success with your songs being so popular?
Susannah: Well, thank you, but I'm hoping for some even bigger success! I just want to reach more ears…and TV and film placements are a great way for indie artists like me to get exposure.
Isaac: Your music has been compared to Norah Jones, Liz Phair and Dido. How do you handle it when people make such comparisons? Do you feel that this takes away from you as the artist, Susannah Blinkoff?
Susannah: Not at all. When I put my CD on www.cdbaby.com for sale, they asked me to name three people I sound like. That's how they categorize and sell the music. If I can identify my sound, people who like similar music can find me. Otherwise, there's just too much music on the web to sift through. I ask people all the time who they think I sound like or how they would describe what I'm doing because I have a hard time with that…and they're usually kind of stumped. I don't really sound like anyone else and my musical style is pretty eclectic. Some recent reviews compared me to Lisa Loeb, Aimee Mann, Shawn Colvin and Susanna Hoffs. To me, those are nice compliments!
Isaac: Your latest album, "Let's Pretend" is a masterpiece. What has been some of the feedback that you have received from your fans as well as other critics about this album?
Susannah: You know, with any music there will be people who don't like it and people who do. That's not always easy, but I accept it as part of being an artist. But lately, the folks who are responding to my stuff are doing so with a passionate, emotional excitement that amazes me. And many of them are djs or reviewers who listen to tons of new music - so it means a lot that they like it so much. I feel very grateful anytime people can relate to my songs. That's the whole point. And I love getting played on the radio!
Isaac: If you could write your own successful story, what would it sound like now?
Susannah: Oh gee. Let's just say that I would love to stay healthy, keep singing and performing and writing, and live until I'm 100. And if I can keep learning new things and doing creative projects that scare me and stretch me…that's success.
Isaac: What are your hopes for the next five years meaning where do you see yourself at that time musically?
Susannah: Busier than I am now, in the studio a lot, and getting paid more!
Isaac: How is your relationship with Miles High Productions?
Susannah: Fantastic. They're great. I want to recommend them to everyone I know who is putting out their own CD.
Isaac: What have been some of the important life lessons about the business side of making music that you have learned?
Susannah: I'm a good singer, but I suck at the business side. I've learned that I need other people to do the things I can't/don't do because I'm too shy or I don't have the time. And I need collaborators. I struggle every day with self-discipline. I do much better with assignments and creative partners who I have to show up for.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one female singer/songwriter, who would it be and why?
Susannah: Madonna. Because she is a goddess and I worship her.
Isaac: When you are performing live onstage, describe the feeling you have while on stage?
Susannah: Good question. Sometimes, I have so many things to think about and pay attention to - the mike, the mix, my monitor, the musicians, the lyrics, the physical act of singing - it requires intense concentration and I have to be totally present, I can't let my mind wander at all. But it also feels very natural being onstage because I've been doing that since I was so young. It's pretty easy for me to get emotionally involved in what I'm singing, connect with an audience, and have them watching me. I love to perform!
Isaac: Where can folks buy your music and find you online?
Isaac: Give shouts out to your family, friends, and fans.
Susannah: Thank you to everyone who comes to my gigs and supports me, everyone who buys the CD, and especially the people who surf the net looking for new music and take the time to listen to my songs when they've never heard of me. Thank you to the fans who write to tell me they love what I'm doing. That cheers me on more than you can imagine! Thanks to Rich Jacques, my wonderful producer on the CD who's so great to work with and so talented. And thank you to my husband Jordan who loves when I sing and supports me 100% in my following my dreams.
Isaac: Final thoughts from Susannah Blinkoff.
Susannah: I really appreciate your interest in me and my music! This has been very cool. But now it's my son's bedtime and I'm being summoned. Gotta go sing a lullaby…
