Featured Artist ~ February
2006
 Irina
Rivkin
Bio
Outmusic Awards Recipient, & founder of Rose Street & vocal
trio Making Waves, Irina has performed for 25 years, from her childhood
singing jazz & Russian folk in a family band, to performing her own
songs for the last decade. Her gutsy poetic world-folk originals journey
into personal & political, with occasional travels into Russian &
Spanish language lyrics. Irina layers her poetic lyrics with rich textured
harmonies, swirling with vocal percussive beats, all created live on-the-spot
using her loop station instrument!
Her full-length CD “upwelling” is released on Rose Street
Records in 2004, and has received radioplay on over 100 radio programs.
"See Through Bush," a song from "upwelling", received
airplay all over the world after being chosen for the Acoustic Rainbow
v.20 radio sampler (distributed in Oct. 2004 to 1300 radio stations).
In addition, as an occasional harmony vocalist for SONiA, she sang at
the 4/25/04 March for Women’s Lives in Washington DC, the biggest
march in US History, as well as at the June 2004 Clearwater Hudson River
Revival on a stage shared with Pete Seeger, Holly Near, Toshi Reagan,
and Dar Williams!
Interview
How old were you when you started writing songs and who were
your major influences with your music?
I wrote 1 song when I was 14 or 15, but didn't really start songwriting
until i was 20 or 21. As a child, I grew up singing jazz & Russian
folk songs in a family band, and I feel that both influenced my music.
However, I wasn't in a place to really find my own voice until I had the
freedom of adulthood. In college, I found inspiration in female artists
who spoke truth through music -- Indigo Girls, Ferron, Disappear Fear,
etc. The first song I wrote as an adult was a "coming out song"
(not the Russian-Jewish-Lesbian-Emigre-Coming-Out-Song that I sing now,
but a just-starting-to-come-out song that I don't sing anymore).
How would you describe your music?
Poetic vocal world-folk originals, with lots of harmonies and vocal
rhythms. Lyrics are very important to me, so a lot of thought goes into
songwriting. I grew up singing harmonies, so that's a big part of my music
too. In performance, I sing the vocal rhythms, melodies, and harmonies
live, using a loop station instrument to layer them as I sing them on-stage.
Sometimes, I also collaborate with others (especially on the Rose Street
Harmony Tours).
How many CD projects have you finished and are you working on or have
any future project in the works?
"upwelling" (13 songs) is my full-length debut (I had an EP
and compilation before that). "upwelling" was released independently
on Rose Street Records in 2004. Although I've written over 40 songs, many
of them are unrecorded. I'm hoping to begin recording my next full-length
album later this year or in 2007. My primary focus since "upwelling"'s
release has been on the live performance. The loop station has enabled
me to incorporate what I usually could only do in a studio (sing vocal-rhythms,
harmonies, together with lyrics) live on-stage, and it feels different
and new every time! I'm hoping at some point also to create a live DVD
which incorporates this new work.
What special honors or awards have you received?
"Ya Eyo Lublu" ("I Love Her" in Russian, a.k.a.
the "Russian-Jewish-Lesbian-Emigre-coming-out-love-song") received
an award for "OutSong of the Year 2003". "upwelling"
was a finalist for Outstanding Debut Album (2005). "See Through Bush"
a song from "upwelling", received airplay all over the world
after being chosen for the Acoustic Rainbow v.20 radio sampler (distributed
in Oct. 2004 to 1300 radio stations).
What is your favorite venue to perform live and why?
I don't have 1 favorite venues. My favorite performance are at festivals
(and my favorite festival is Susquehanna Music & Arts Festival, where
I played in 2005 and will return in 2007). I love the spirit of community
at festivals, the response of the audience, the energy, and the connection
with other artists, volunteers, and festival-attendees (and nature too).
I find also that audiences at festivals are really open to unique &
original music, so I feel free to be myself. Of course, I also feel at
home performing at the Rose Street House of Music ;o) I love house concerts
because of the intimacy and connection, the fact that the lyrics really
sink in when people are there to listen.
Tell us a little bit about Rose Street and your involvement with it.
Rose Street House of Music is a house concert and grassroots musical
community, bringing out women's voices through poetic music of substance
& depth. We host about 10 concerts a year here in Berkeley, plus we
put on "Rose Street Harmony Tour" concerts at colleges, folk-clubs,
other people's houses, etc all over the country (if you'd like to host
a concert, email rosestbooking@yahoo.com). For me, music & community
are connected, and I often connect with other artists on the road. Before
starting Rose Street in 1998, I had connected with many artists through
the benefit concerts/festivals I performed in & produced (and benefit
concerts continue, some of them at Rose Street).
What music organizations are you affiliated with?
Rose Street, Indiegrrl, SongsAlive!, and Institute for Musical Arts
IMA (Rose Street is a non-profit project of IMA).
What does it mean to be "Indie" to you and do you own your
own record label or publishing company?
Indie means having the freedom to create the music that feels true
for me. "upwelling" was released on Rose Street Records.
How involved are you with your recording projects?
"upwelling" was self-produced, so I was involved in every
step of the process, from choosing the recording/mixing/mastering-engineer
(Woody Simmons was awesome!), writing and arranging the songs, pre-production,
performing the vocals & many of the harmonies & vocal rhythms,
choosing guest vocalists/instrumentalists, and choosing the mix.
What does Indiegrrl mean to you?
Indiegrrl for me is about independence & community: independence
in singing truth through music, and community in connecting with other
female artists.
What are your main goals for 2006 and in your music career as a whole?
My main goals are to connect with more festivals (I love the response
my music receives at festivals, and everything else about performing at
festivals), as well as to continue growing my audience. I'd also love
to begin working on a DVD that might capture some of the energy &
spirit of the live performance.
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