Amy Speace
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Amy_Speace is an American singer-songwriter from Pennsylvania, United States of America. She was well-known for her 2002 solo debut entitled "Fable" released under Twangirl. Today, she is one of the more prominent rock and folk musicians of the era.
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[edit] About
[edit] Early Life
Speace was born in Baltimore and raised in small-town Pennsylvania. She is a singer-songwriter who initially had her sights set on a career as a playwright/actor, graduating from Amherst College and toured with the prestigious National Shakespeare Company.
After moving to New York, she had roles in various off-Broadway productions and independent films, ran her own theater company, and taught Shakespeare in the New York City school system. After teaching herself to play guitar, she began setting her poetry to music, and quickly found songwriting to be the most creatively fulfilling thing she'd ever done.
Speace made her solo debut with the 2002 release “Fable”, recorded with $5000 donated by fans and released on her own Twangirl label. Giving up her hard-won acting career to become a full-time musician, she hopped into her car and hit the road, booking herself into every club, cafe and college that would have her. After catching a performance at the SXSW music industry festival, Judy Collins' manager brought Speace to the attention of Collins, who signed Amy to Wildflower Records.
Amy’s 2006 debut for the label, “Songs For Bright Street,” received warm praise from critics and stayed at the top of the Roots Americana and Folk Charts for months, earning her a nomination by the North American Folk Alliance as “Emerging Artist of the Year” in 2007. In 2008, Speace joined Ian Hunter’s Acoustic Tour as his support act and received praise from UK and European press and radio and developed a strong international following as well. Speace toured and shared the stage with many incredible artists such as Judy Collins, Ian Hunter, Alejandro Escovedo, Steve Forbert, Little Feat and many other.
[edit] Significant Leap
In June 2009, Wildflower Records released Speace’s sophomore album, “The Killer In Me”, marking a significant leap in her artistry. Recorded with producer James Mastro and engineer Mitch Easter, “Killer” includes a rare duet appearance by Ian Hunter on 2 tracks. Judy Collins also helped in her album by covering her song "The Weight Of The World" and is calling it "one of the best anti-war songs" she's ever heard. Already it has received rave reviews from press. Reflecting on making “The Killer In Me”, Speace concludes, "I got into music with my eyes wide open, having already been doing something else. I knew that the kind of music I wanted to make might be outside the realm of what's on the radio, but I didn't care. I just wanted to make something that's real. I'm as proud of this album as I am anything I've ever done."
[edit] The Killer in Me
The Killer In Me's 12 soul-baring new songs maintain the effortless melodic appeal of her prior work, while delivering complex emotional insights that give the album startling intimacy and resonance. "The Killer In Me" chronicles a strangled co-dependent relationship, while "Haven't Learned A Thing" offers absolution for the continuing struggle in the attempt to connect with another and never getting it completely right. "This Love" speaks to the hope and uncertainty that comes with the onset of a new relationship. The album covers more terrain than romantic relationships, closing with "Piece By Piece," written as a prayer to her father, wishing him peace and love after the death of his brother.
Most of the album was written in the rural isolation of a rented cabin in the Catskills after her final separation from her husband. "It was just me, some books, my journals, my guitar and the songs, with no phone and no TV," she explains. "I spent a lot of time reading and hiking and chopping wood for the stove, and wrote the songs that form the emotional center of this album." "The situation," she continues, "forced me to sit with a lot of silence, fear and confusion and make a kind of peace with them by writing songs to keep from going crazy. That's when the album started making sense to me and became a whole different thing. Something shifted when I realized what was going on in the world outside mirrored what was going on inside of me, and I wanted to write songs that bridged that divide."
Speace recorded The Killer In Me with her longtime producer and lead guitarist James Mastro, of Bongos/Health and Happiness Show fame, and her longstanding live band the Tearjerks, comprised of guitarist Rich Feridun, bassist Matt Lindsey and drummer Jagoda. The sessions took place at alt-pop legend Mitch Easter's Fidelitorium studio in North Carolina, with Easter lending his talents as engineer. Also on board is English rock icon Ian Hunter, who adds his distinctive vocals to a pair of songs.
[edit] News
[edit] Tours & Concerts
- Check her MySpace to know more about her concerts at 1
[edit] Announcements
- Check her Official Site for complete news and updates at 1
[edit] Discography
Comprehensive recordings made by the artist.
[edit] Albums
 1998 |
 2006 Twangirl |
 May 16, 2006 Wildflower Records |
 June 30, 2009 Wildflower Records |
[edit] Compilation Albums
 August 5, 2008 |
 January 27, 2009 |
[edit] Famous Quotes from Media
- "A collection of gems, a little dark around the edges. As a singer she's got a soulful voice that grabs your ears. Take note, Amy Speace is one artist you won't want to miss." -- John Platt (WFUV, New York)
- "If you thought that "Songs For Bright Street", her previous effort was already worth your attention, then this "Killer In Me" will certainly be an album you have to ad to your collection!" - Mr Blue Boogie, BillyBop
- "If you're on to the newest trends in music country you must certainly knock at the door of Amy Speace. Those looking for honest and personal work have come to the right address." - Keys & Chords
- "There's more than nerve and creativity noticeable on the meanwhile fourth album of this singer - songwriter, already the title track "the Killer In Me" and "This Love" feature vintage Lucinda Williams." - Rootsville.be
- "Speace knows how to make a beautifully varied CD that builds a coherent unit through a wonderful balance of pop, rock and blues, ballads and up-tempo numbers that never bore you for a minute. A truly excellent and grown-up album." - Moors Magazine
- "Amy Speace has one of those fetching voices, the kind that taps you on the shoulder and motions seductively for you to follow it around corner after dark corner. You don't know where you're going to end up or how you'll ever find your way back, but that doesn't matter right now: you're enjoying the trip." - Scott Brodeur, No Depression
[edit] Other Artists
[edit] Similar Artists
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[edit] External Links
