Correatown

Well gang, your girl in music was quite distressed when those curve balls September kept throwing her way appeared to have cost her a dream interview with the front woman of LA folktronica darlings Correatown on the eve of their 'Pleiades' album release at LA's Bootleg Theater on September 20th. Then I remembered how awesome I've always assumed the ever-fabulous Angela Correa is, and realized that if I was right she would most likely be cool with an interview via email. Fortunately for all of us, I was right regarding the assumed awesomness, and Angela sent in answers, even while on the road, at the end of last week... Best part? Angela Correa writes in my language, wherein we attempt to illustrate her meaning by way of punctuation, or lack thereof. Hint: *'s play a starring role (ba-dum-bum-chaaa).

What's the first thing you think of when you wake up?
my ever-present *brain ticker tape* to-do list and a hot mug of coffee

What first drew you to music and what still draws you to it?
I was drawn to the the way singing actually feels, a hum that sort of vibrates through your chest like a ringing bell...
when I think about music- whether creating or listening I tend to visualize it as patterns, colors and lines. Finding a connection between the sounds, the images and the ideas is what draws me in still.

What inspires you?
I'm very much inspired by art and nature----->
I love getting lost reading books by descriptive imaginative writers like Murakami, Kundera, Rushdie. I love looking at photos on my Instagram or Tumblr feed and seeing the images people share... a glimpse into someone's perspective, what's meaningful to them, what their eyes love, a moment in their life. I like to imagine stories of who these people are. I'm also inspired by my neighborhood in Mt Washington and the view out my window... I wish I could write more lyrics about nature without seeming lame.
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Whats your artistic mission (as a superhero tag line?)
*making music that tastes as good as brioche french toast* ahem, barely kidding
Superhero Tag Line: *sonic astral projection*

How about for this album?
I wanted to create an album that sonically felt really lush and dreamy but had a darkness and weight to it... lyrically, everyone assumes I'm writing about LOVE, but really all the songs on the album have more to do with personal introspection and doubt. Grappling with a feeling of belonging and inclusiveness, and figuring out who you are really and what you want your life to become. I think I'm very fascinated by the idea of connections- juxtaposing two disparate ideas or objects relating to each other and finding something new.

Since starting Correatown, how have you grown as a person or artist that makes you most proud?
I've had to learn to be patient and trust that even though it's not the way I imagined things would go down, maybe it's supposed to be the winding road for me... our new album *pleiades* is exactly that. It took so long to make it and fund it, but I feel really proud of the music we created. I hope people find out about it and have a chance to listen to it- I feel like the music speaks for itself.

What are your goals for this album, that will make it a success for you no matter how it does numbers-wise?
Well, fortunately a few of the goals have already been fulfilled - we've had people pledge to be a part of making it with us through Kickstarter and so we've sent copies of this album all over the world already. That's amazing -that people in Norway, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, USA, etc. are putting our yellow vinyl record on their players and listening. We've also had "Further" included on a soundtrack and songs used in shows, so that feels really good- mainly because it brings us new listeners everyday. I think hinging success on album sales is setting yourself up for disappointment, especially when people can download/stream your music all over the place for free, rather than buying music. Just because people don't pay for music doesn't mean they aren't listening... for me success is having someone write an email that says they used a song during their wedding, or that they're listening to it everyday for a month, or that it inspired them to do something. Honestly, I just want people to find out about our music and listen- so I hope more people/bloggers/fans write about *pleiades* and share it.

Share your greatest career glory.
Yikes. Probably the first time I got P_A_I_D some serious cash money for a song that I wrote. Holy shit, that felt good. But- it was also pretty amazing to have my voice used in the film Walk Hard and to be able to call my parents and tell them. It made me feel a little more *real* in their eyes.

Tell me about your most memorable show or moment on stage.
Memorable good------> two shows:
Long Ago: the record release for my 2nd solo LP as Angela Correa was at Tangier (back when The Fold did shows there) and the room was filled with friends and other musicians. I was playing solo acoustic guitar and it was a pretty chill quiet set and the audience was absolutely magic- that were sitting cross legged on the floor and it felt like when you see a hummingbird fly close to you... enthralling.
More Recently: performing in London in this amazing wonder of a venue called Bush Hall that looks like a frosted wedding cake inside as Les Shelleys (my side project with Tom Brosseau). For our last song we went out into the audience and played a capella. In Les Shelleys I sing and play *body percussion* of sorts (clapping, playing beats on my thighs, snapping and shit) and that night just felt electric. *what you hope for*

And now, the most mortifying moment/show.
Memorable bad: I played a show in Santa Barbara in a beautiful old church called the Presidio. Right before I started to play, as I walked by the headlining band's gear (that filled the whole stage, I had about three feet square to play) I brushed past a rather poorly situated super old Gibson Banjo and it dropped to the ground with a loud horrible THUD. The entire audience gasped... and I felt like a total loser. It didn't break, thankfully... but a terrible cloud of *ikkk* settled over me and even though I performed well-enough, everything I said in between songs was really dark and self-deprecating... not my finest hour.

Tell me about your most surreal fan moment thus far.
Monica Lewinsky once came to a show and bought me a whiskey. She was actually really sweet.

What is the strangest thing that's ever inspired a song?
I saw a box set called "Make Your Own Paper Airplanes" once in a book store and I woke later in the middle of the night with "Super Paper Airplanes" fully formed.

Give me some insight into your music + songwriting process.
I write in fits and starts. I usually have pieces and ideas for melody or music and then I start to slowly weave a song together. Sometimes a song is teased out fully formed after just a few hours of playing, singing or ruminating- like "Valparaiso" "Green Cotton Dress" or "La Serena." I'd love to say I'm one of those people that write everyday, but I'm not. I go through seasons of songwriting. As I was working on all the aspects of releasing this record I was definitely in a *winter phase* - mulling ideas over in my head and let that aspect of my creativity rest. But I'm very firmly feeling *spring* these days and actively working on new songs.

What has been the most rewarding moment so far in the journey?
I don't know if there is really one moment that stands out- but sometimes I let myself really take in that I've been making my living as a musician for nearly 5 years now... and when I first started to play music back in 2002, I just wanted to perform a song I'd written at an open mic in San Diego. That gives me some perspective on things- like, cool your jets girl, take a deep breath, you're doing ok.

What is the most ridiculous gig you've taken on as an artist/musician?
I really enjoy playing strange little art openings and eclectic performance art shows. There was a loft party I played once where a talented friend's performance included stripping down to nothing and having his face shaved while Chinatown played in the background... totally awesome. I love being a part of the fringe. I once played a set of folk songs in the dark basement room of a techno club in Utah, followed by a troupe of belly dancers... I wouldn't say I've had many ridiculous gigs- but many memorable shows, for sure.

Whats in the works?
Ah, the magic question. Writing and recording new material! *Pleiades* will be released on a great indie label in Australia at the end of the year- which I'm absolutely thrilled about! Perhaps a new 7-inch in early winter? I'm a sucker for VINYL. Possibly a stripped down tour with a friend in the new year. Hopefully the indie film I scored will come out next year, and I believe a song made it into a film coming out in 2012 (fingers crossed, you never know with that shit)... but yes, we are definitely scheming and making plans already for 2012.

You're forced at gunpoint to get your karaoke on; go!
Lauren Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)

Name your Guilty Music Pleasure.
I'm really into movie film scores and their accompanying soundtrack albums... I just revisited the Pretty In Pink soundtrack. OMG_LOVE.
That Suzanne Vega song "Left Of Center" kind of ruled my world when I was a pre-adolescent teeny one.

OK gang, if you missed that September 20th Pleiades release show, depair naught: Correatown put up 2 LA shows set for this month on their facebook page over the weekend:

October 16th at El Cid with The Remainers & Peachy Keen. 10:30 pm show time. Tickets are $5 in advance at www.romepromotions.com, or $8 at the door.

October 26th at The Standard in Hollywood with Amy Blaschke & Brandon Mayer. 8:30 pm in the Cactus Lounge - free show.
- Theexaminer.com

CORREATOWN,

“Pleiades” (self-released)
???? —

The brainchild of singer/songwriter/guitarist Angela Correa, indie pop outfit Correatown
still are seeking to expand their fan base outside of Southern California. They may have taken a major step in that direction with the release of sophomore platter “Pleiades,” a fantastic collection of 11 tunes that branch out beyond Correatown’s early lo-fi days.
“Valparaiso” announces that the band is exploring new musical avenues, and they
additionally soar on keepers “Isomer,”“Everything, All at Once,” “Play,” “Shine Right Through” and “La Serena.” The one constant throughout is the dreamy vocals of Correa, who adds depth to every lyric she sings. (JS)
- In Tune - The Daily News

Angela Correa
Correatown
ctown.jpg

Apple has empowered independent musicians, now we can make and create anything we dream up. I just recorded a new song idea last night while I was out with friends ON MY PHONE. Yes, that was me in the corner singing and tapping a rhythm into my palm.

Thank you Steve Jobs. - Paste Magazine

California native Angela Correa, who fronts Los Angeles indie-pop band Correatown (Correa clarified to Billboard.biz that the act's name apparently has no direct relation to the L.A. neighborhood Koreatown), played for a room full of music supervisors at Los Angeles' Bootleg Theater on Sept. 20. The show celebrated the release of Correatown's self-released album, "Pleiades," which features the song "Further" that appears on the latest soundtrack (volume 4, released Sept. 9) of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." Early on in the set, Correa mentioned that she was "overwhelmed and humbled" by fans who helped fund the recording of "Pleiades" through donations on Kickstarter. Audience attendees included Chop Shop's Alex Patsavas and numerous execs from music music marketing company Zync Music Group. In addition to "Grey's Anatomy," Correa's singing voice was used for the character of Darlene Madison in Sony Pictures' 2007 film "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story." She also recently scored the upcoming indie movie "Sassy Pants." - Billboard

Earlier this week, Los Angeles-based indie-pop group Correatown released their new EP titled Etch The Line. Poetic and precise, the EP is a perfect introduction to the band's ethereal style, highlighting front woman Angela Correa's vision of a multi-instrumental blend of shimmering melodies and effervescent harmonies.

In preparation for their forthcoming full length Pleiades, the band has launched a Kickstarter campaign, giving away music, art, recipes, and more in exchange for pledges.
- Guiltfreepleasures.com

Correatown is a East Los Angeles-based indie pop band. It is the musical project of frontwoman Andrea Correa and their music is described by their PR as having “a sound fully realized in a dark club filled with the reverberating layers of washy guitars, beautiful harmonies, growling fuzzed out analog synths and a melodious voice.” The free download below, ‘Further’, is a pleasing mixture of angelic vocals and shoegazey instrumentation. It’s a track from their limited edition 10? vinyl EP ‘Etch the Line’. The band are currently soliciting donations for a full-length album ala Pledge Music via Kickstarter; donate to the cause here. - Theregoesthefear.com

Angela Correa is the front woman featured in Correatown, along with her bandmates Mike Corwin, Jenni Tarma and Rob Poynter. The band calls Eastern Los Angeles, CA home where they have developed a strong hold on the tightly knit music community. With three self released albums and two EPs behind their belts they have honed their sound into a textured collection of melodic soundscapes and ethereal melodies. One nifty acheivement that Angela Correa can claim is that she played the singing voice of Jenna Fischer’s character Darlene in the 2007 film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. So that was actually her singing “Let’s Duet”. This track, “Further”, is featured on their new EP Etch The Line.
- Yousoundlikearobot.com

I'm now on my second listen through this lovely six-track EP from independent Los Angeles dream-pop band Correatown (helmed by vocalist Angela Correa).

They're "DIY," which means they've got a Kickstarter to raise money for their first album — the minimum requested donation is a dollar, but if you give them $65, Angela "will create a LIVE freestyled rap-ditty (performed to the end credits music of The Wire!) about YOU or a subject of your choosing," if you give them $350, you get "the most delicious meal you can imagine," for four, served in the LA area (or where tour dates coincide), and you don't even want to know what $2,000 gets you. - Thehairpin.com

A friend of mine recently told me that it's the first 10 seconds of a song that make or break its fate. A tough standard, but really, in many cases, it's true. If you don't like something, well, it's often immediately clear to you and your scattered brain: it just isn't for you. Fortunately, the 10-second rule favors today's Jam of the Day, "Further," quite well.

Correatown is led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Angela Correa, and its latest project is an EP titled Etch the Line, a vinyl release. A full-length is planned for later this fall (visit their Kickstarter campaign), but for now, I'm quite satisfied with what's already out there for my ears. "Further" is a well-crafted piece of piano-dream-pop; Correa's vocals are as smooth as an analog dream, and I think I hear subtle breathing and hand claps in the background. Or, maybe I'm just nutty.

Give it more than 10 seconds, won't ya?
- Speakersincode.com

We featured Correatown's song "Isomer" as a teaser to the band's sophomore album Pleiades, and we're more than happy to see them again now, this time after the album's already dropped. While "Isomer" is a melodic soundscape of dreamy surrealism, "Turn On Turn Up" takes a much more uplifting and pop-driven direction. The soft vocals of Angela Correa float along perfectly on top of grinding guitars and hints of little bells, and the refrain of "Electric" is all-too-fitting. It's a great song and made me wonder what the rest of the album is like. To satisfy my raging curiosity, I listened to it and was pleasantly swept away by the light and dreamy yet catchy and compelling qualities all the way through. If you're wondering, too, you can stream the entire album for free from Spinner or buy it from Bandcamp. - Onlinerock.com

This gorgeous album is, sadly, my first introduction to Angela Correa and her band. Opener "Valparaiso" is like a modern female take on Simon and Garfunkel and is followed by a mix of shoe-gaze and sunny indie-pop like "Play." If you're a fan of Great Northern, I think you'll really enjoy this a lot. I'm going to have to check out the rest of their catalogue because this is great cuddling music. Stream it in its entirety over at Spinner. - Afterellen.com

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CORREATOWN | Etch the Line EP

August 10, 2011

Correatown’s sophomore full-length, “Pleiades”, is due out September 30th via Another Room Recordings. But before that record lands, you should listen to the band’s May 2010 release, “Etch the Line EP”. At the center of this Los Angeles band is lead singer, Angela Correa, with her silky smooth, impassioned vocals. The band hides its happy-go-lucky lyricism and lovelorn imagery amid gauzy textures of pretty synth, washed-out guitar, and crushing melodies. “Everything All At Once” is a sweeping song about love being right under your nose: “And all you want is everything beautiful … / Well, maybe what you want is right here.” Don’t let the fact that the band’s music has been featured on a number of popular TV shows stop you from listening. Yes, some of the music feels primed for a moment of programmatic heartbreak, but that doesn’t mean its confectionery. There’s bitter with this sweetness. The EP billows with hushed moments, low-light touches and a desire for love. The mix of “Everything All At Once”, at the end of the album, is a subtle piece of piano balladry that turns the original version of the track on its head. They’re completely different styles. The original uses lovely, crisp reverb vocals, and the latter sounds more raw and soulful. The band hosted a Kickstarter project for “Pleiades”, and they surpassed their $10,000 fundraising goal. You can hear a stellar Wittches remix version of “Isomer”, a song that will appear on “Pleiades”, at the group’s bandcamp page. It’s a stunner. I say this all the time, but sometimes it can be a joy to listen to a band that isn’t afraid to be melodic and to be understood. Correa is joined by bandmates Mike Corwin, Jenni Tarma and Rob Poynter. Follow the band at Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace [David D] - Their Bated Breath.com

Correatown had me from the second I heard the double clap into the snap drum pattern on Further. Add to that an infectious song, drenched in sensual vocals and a well made video that also looks pretty cost effective and Further might be one of my favorite new videos in recent weeks. Correatown just splashed onto my radar with their spicy gooey goodness but I'll be god damned if they don't seem like the cool neighbors that just moved next door with the sweet album collection and understanding of wine. - SYFFAL.com

Muruch
08
Aug
Correatown: Pleiades

Correatown’s new album, Pleiades, will be released on September 20th. Led by Angela Correa, the L.A. quartet plays a splendid mix of dreamy folk, lo-fi indie rock and electro-pop. This genre-hopping results in a very appealing and extremely diverse range of songs – some tunes could easily fit on an album by The Bird & The Bee, others sound more like Eisley, still others recall Jenny Lewis. Pleiades is one of those albums I like more with each listen. - Muruch.com

Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Album: Pleiades
For Fans of: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, PJ Harvey, Fiona Apple

The members of Correatown are like a family, and as they greet me with hugs and warm smiles at a small cafe on the Eastside of Los Angeles, I feel as if I’ve been welcomed into their home.

The band has taken full advantage of its hometown with music featured on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Brothers and Sisters.” but it’s just one of the many endeavors singer Angela Correa, drummer Rob Poynter, guitarist Mike Corwin and bassist Jenni Tarma have in the city.

“Everyone has a lot of different things,” says Correa. “It makes it hard sometimes to coordinate schedules. It definitely throws some kinks in it, but its just at the point of how it is. We all have a lot of projects we’re trying to balance.”

“The reality out here is you can really juggle a lot of things and find like-minded people that you’re passionate with,” Poynter adds.

Tarma works as a session musician and is often on tour with Atlantic artists like Christina Perri. Both Poynter and Corwin are involved in the entertainment industry. And Correa has the side project Les Shelleys and just finished penning a score for an indie film.

Lately, however, Pleiades has become the main focus for the band members as they record their second full-length album for Correatown. They’ll release it this fall on Correa’s label, Another Room Recordings. “The album itself is pretty layered and textured,” says Correa. “When we recorded I didn’t want to be hindered by what we could play live. I wanted to create the music we wanted to make.”

For Pleiades, the band hosted a Kickstarter project. It was their first time doing so, and Correa admitted that at first it was a bit difficult to ask for help. “But it’s cool to have a personal interaction with people who are part of what enabled you to keep making music,” she says. “They’re a part of it; we wouldn’t be putting vinyl or CD out in September without their help.”

The Kickstarter project showcased some of the band’s other talents as they put together a crafty stop-motion video, which was mostly created Correa and Tarma. Those who donate to the project will receive handmade t-shirts, tea towels, hand-bound recipe books or other cool crafts in addition to an advanced CD or vinyl copy of Pleiades, as a personalized thank you from the band.

Pleiades is due out September 20, and the band is already looking forward to what’s next, and figuring out as Correa says, “what serves the song,” as they prepare to tweak their vibrant studio songs for live performances this fall. - Paste Magazine

It's impossible to listen to the opening seconds of Correatown's Pleiades without feeling something, whether it's hope, joy, melancholy, or despair. It's those soaring, dramatic strings and girly vocals dripping in nostalgia set to a Phil Spector-inspired BOOM, boomboom
cha drum beat-they'll get you every time. Lead singer Angela Correa's voice is a little Camera Obscura, a little Gigi, and a lot Azure Ray. The band's lush instrumentation and terribly sincere balladry proves a song can be both gorgeous and heartbreaking at once. That's probably what landed them a featured spot on Grey's Anatomy. And while Pleiades occasionally
veers into cheesy soundtrack territory, Correatown manages each time to pull it back with enchanting song structures and unexpected melodies.Warning: do not listen to this album
after a breakup. lt will tear your heart in two all over again. [Erin Griffith] - Bust Magazine

"We just got Angela Correa's mysterious self-released CD, Correatown, in the mail and fell in love with her hooky balladry and vulnerable, slightly twangy vocals. (Note: We're not talking about Amy Correia.) You read it here first: Angela Correa, who just moved here from San Diego, is going to be a much loved L.A. artist in about 10 minutes."- Kate Sullivan & Falling James - LA Weekly

"The problem with Angela Correa is that she's just too damn good at what she does. If Correatown was intended to be ten songs ripped from a soul in an attempt to exorcise some demons, then she's succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. Simply listening means you won't feel the same at the end as you did at the beginning, so God knows what writing and performing the songs did to Angela Correa. The difficulty is that the songs are so intense and personal, they swamp and eventually submerge the listener in the anguish, it all becomes just too much. Correatown began life as a collection of one-take demos, recorded as they happened. Producer Gregory Page was so impressed he decide to add some colour, it is Angela Correa's - and our - great good fortune that he did little more than add the subtlest of shades. Correatown contains the bare floorboards of songs and, if artist or producer ever stray from that ethos, then they will be making a grave mistake. Correa possesses a voice that seems permanently on the edge of breakdown and the sparsity of the accompaniments merely serves to highlight its fragility. Perhaps it's a cumulative effect but from Pinwheels on, the songs seem to draw ever closer, an already intense album becomes almost impenetrable. Quite where Angela Correa sits in the gallery of musicians is pretty much a matter of personal perception. If she's a folk singer then she's the darkest folk singer you'll have heard for a while and if she's a country artist then she mines depths that even three chords and a truth rarely manage. But whichever genre you choose to place her in, one thing is certain, you'll never have heard anything quite like her before. As Correatown moves unstoppably on, a feeling of intrusion creeps in as if you are overhearing someone's private and intimate conversation and human nature being what it is, that makes Correatown a magnetic listen, almost imperceptibly you become enmeshed in the album's bleakness. Correatown is an uncomfortable listen. How could it be otherwise when its author exposes all her trails and tribulations so completely. However it is also an album you'll never ever forget." - 7/10 - AMERICANA UK JULY 2005

"Angela Correa recorded most of these songs in one take... one very lovely take. The disc is as alt-country or Americana as you will like -- haunting melodies, darker edges and a solid, heartfelt vocal. Think of Kathleen Edwards and songs like "Mercurial Heart" will jump out and grab you. Touches of keyboards and drums round out the songs, but if left alone Correa would shine. Correa could sing the horoscopes and draw you in judging by the gorgeous "Super Paper Airplanes" that resembles Sheryl Crow circa The Globe Sessions. She is in no hurry on these slower, roots-oriented tunes, especially the sway-inducing "Savvy Young Punks" although this one has some subtle pace changes. The lone up-tempo track early on is "Pinwheels" which resembles Lucinda circa Essence. There are several great tunes here, whether it is the somber "Saint Dinan" or the engaging "The Songcatcher". World weary and filled with some heartbreak, Correa nails each number perfectly, particularly the gorgeous "Hardship to Be (Souvenir)". A broken heart never sounded so good..." - 8/10 - POPMATTERS.COM JULY 2005

"There's an inescapably seductive quality to Angela Correa's songs; despite the fact that every song she writes is downtempo and melancholy, she has produced forty-five minutes of mellowness rather than full sedation. Correatown is ten beautiful, earthy tunes, stripped bare musically and emotionally, that trudge along at the pace of a wounded deer. Only Correa's endlessly soothing voice and the strength of her bittersweet songs allows her to avoid the pitfalls of a "downer" album.
Correa hails from San Diego, a town that boasts an impressive collection of singer-songwriters: Liz Janes, J Turtle, Castanets (Ray Raposa) and that Jason Mraz fellow all compete with her for coffee shop stage time. Maybe it's the fact that San Diego's weather is exactly the same every day, but all of these artists, Correa included, attack their music as if they're on the tail end of a vicodin bender. When you hear the droning organ on "Hardship to Be You", you'll realize that time simply isn't an issue for Correa. Similarly, "Mercurial Heart"'s sparse guitars and "Night Light"'s wispy vocals suggest a world where the seasons never change, the hours don't pass and the only causes for concern are heartache and depression -- two things Correa understands well."
- SPLENDID EZINE MAY 2005

... I went back downtown to El Presidio Chapel to see Petracovich play a show with Angela Correa opening. I was going mostly to hear Angela, but from what little I knew, it also seemed like a good idea to check out Jessica Peters, formerly a Santa Barbara resident, who performs under her great-grandfather's last name. Amanda met us there one song into Angela's set.

The chapel was small, narrow, and a surprisingly good venue for these acts. We didn't get to sit in pews, so that was a little disappointing. On my request, R. decoded the Catholic iconography all over the place and determined that one of the statues over the altar was a church-founder clutching a crucifix and not, as I claimed, Mr. Stab You With A Dagger (or was that Mr. Stab You For A Dollar?—anyway, Father Stabby for short). Amanda later won the blasphemy award for declaring that the representation of Mary, Queen of Heaven, was clearly a transvestite. We are shameless, arrant heathens.

Angela Correa, however, is a lady who will not swear in a church. Angela Correa is a lay-dee. She immediately demonstrated her superior classiness in her first song, "Only a Word," by omitting the offending oath from lines that usually concern, "my motivations / all my hesitations / those goddamn -isms." Not that she went soft, no: "Only a Word" is still a number about that magic word or phrase that "can ease my ache / fascinate and tempt me / to lose it all." It's one of my favorites, and I've never heard her do it better.

She went right to my other favorite next: the lead song on Correatown, "Mercurial Heart," which I think contains some of her best writing, not to mention the endless vocal fun she makes of "mercurial" itself. I'm especially smitten with, "You, you've been calling out my name / the way a carny calls out his game / deceptively." At the line, "you're near but you are far" she cast a significant glance at the final stations of the cross hanging on the chapel wall.

After only these two songs, I could tell a few things. One, Angela's live performance has outstripped all of her recordings. That may have already been the case prior to this show, but it's the first time I've seen her since spending time with her albums. Two, this was a much better venue for her, acoustically speaking, than the Mercury Lounge where I caught her last. She appreciated the difference, too, and said it was the most beautiful place she ever played. Three, not being there to open for or sing with Tom Brosseau might have a made a difference. As much as I love their work together, she seemed more confident with her own show this time around. Whereas at the Mercury she started out subdued and their sound system conspired with barroom racket to muffle her whispers and sighs, in the chapel she came out ready from the get-go with her full breathy, gravelly, and sweet range, every bit of it perfectly audible.

She prefaced a new song, "Green Cotton Dress" (available here), with a warning that it wasn't about her. People would come up to her after she played it, she said, and tell her that they were so sorry. But it's not about her she insists, rather it's an homage to one of her favorite warbly-voiced country singers, whose name I now forget. Disclaimer notwithstanding, when Angela sang, "So, Saturday night / oh, we flag down a cab / take a blurry ride across the east side / with this perfectly nice man," she looked up at the stations again apologetically, though maybe this time addressing the painting of the Virgin above them.

"Super Paper Airplanes" was next, and then she asked Jessica to come up to sing with her on "St. Dinan." Jessica would chime in ethereally at the ends of certain lines; halfway through, I felt that I had criminally overlooked this track on the album. Indeed, one of the best things about hearing my favorite songs first was the opportunity to focus on the ones I had heard before but never closely followed. Angela did a new song called something like "I Try to Tell My Heart to Behave" and then closed her set with "Nightlight," another gem rediscovered for me. - Blood & Guile Blog

As Los Angeles-based singer Angela Correa makes her way along the California coast to San Luis Obispo she is marking the start of a series of dates that will keep her on the road for five weeks. Despite filling SoCal venues with her gorgeously languid voice for a considerable period of time now, this is the first real motion Correa has made to present her music to the world while distraction-free. And it seems like now, more than ever, the time is right for such an undertaking.
With a new album, Correatown, completed and awaiting release, Correa is now poised to present a three-songs EP, which will be made available digitally, and a tour in its honor. The next few weeks with see Correa traveling through Northern California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, before finally returning to Southern California for a stop at SOhO on Tuesaday, January 29.
“I spent the last year making this album, and I decided to put out this EP and play some shows to support it,� reasoned Correa during a recent phone call from the road. “And I have always wanted to go out on tour. I have been working a day job for the past few years, which has made touring, other than on weekends, much more difficult. So now that I’m devoting all of my time to music, it’s pretty awesome to be able to take five weeks and go traveling and do whatever I want to do.�
The last time Correa played Santa Barbara was last May, when she joined forces with Devon Sproule and Victoria Williams for an enchanting evening of music in the Presidio Chapel. Even though her visits to town might not be as frequent as they once were, Santa Barbara has always been featured prominently on Correa’s tour itineraries. Having first ventured through town when she was playing in support of Tom Brosseau — and alongside him in the duo, Les Shellys — Correa has performed everywhere from bars to chapels.
“Back then, I had a lot more flexibility when it came to my music than I’ve had in the last few years,� offered Correa. “I was still technically working on my Masters thesis at that time, so Tom and I could jump in the car and head off for some shows. But, for the past few years, I have unfortunately felt the pinch of needing to work more and that has made it a little more difficult to play as many shows as I might have wanted. And that’s the reason for getting out now.�
While such commitments might not have allowed Correa the freedom to wander as freely as she may have wished to in the live arena, but they didn’t hinder her collaborative or recorded undertakings. Along with the aforementioned Les Shellys project, the past few years have also found Correa working with Angie Hart o(f Frente! and Splendid fame), along with Joanie Mendenhall (from Matt Curreri and the Exfriends and Joanie + Secretaries) under the Low Standards moniker. Correa sees the opportunity of collaborating as not only a way to color her musical career, but a way to expand it as well.
“I definitely love working with different people and doing different projects,� explained Correa. “For this new solo album, I definitely wanted to explore all the different textures and sounds that I have always heard in my music, but have never really been able to capture. I worked with Raymond Richards at his studio and he encouraged me to have Brian Whelan and Rob McCorkindale flesh out the songs a little more and give them more of a rock sound.�
For Correa, the production of the new album has been a completely different experience compared to past recorded endeavors. While her first album was made with nothing other than Correa, her guitar, and a single microphone, all recorded rather simply onto a minidisk, for this undertaking she was determined to give the songs the instrumentation and production they so richly demanded and deserved. And the end result is one of the most diverse and bewitching collections of songs Correa has created thus far.
“I was just really excited to finally be in a studio where there was all this amazing gear,� Correa enthused. “And I also had the time to explore all the ideas that I had finally put [to paper]. I played vibraphone on songs, along with mini korg and keyboards. I really had fun fleshing out the ideas that had always been there, but that hadn’t had the opportunity to come out previously. I just kept recording until the songs were finished. There was no timeline either.�
Despite having made considerable connections in the music industry over the past several years, Correa is still very much a musical machine unto herself. By not having a manager or booking agent, she not only administers everything from the recording of her music to the presentation and design of it, but she also books her own shows and plans her own tours.
“It’s awesome to finally be realizing what I have been working toward for so long,� offered Correa. “This is what I daydreamed about all last year while I was in the studio making the album. This is now the fun part. I love being out on the road and playing shows and meeting new people. I’m also enjoying the chance to be driving and thinking, and even to be working on some new songs in my head along the way.�
Jonathan McEuen, Angela Correa (Correatown) and Emy Reynolds
* When: Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008, 8 p.m.
* Where: SOhO, 1221 State St., Santa Barbara, CA
* Cost: $12 - $10
* Age limit: All ages
- Santa Barbara Independent

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Angela Correa, says that hearing—or, rather watching—your voice come out of someone else’s mouth onscreen is a surreal, even otherworldly experience, but certainly not an unpleasant one.
Correa’s smooth yet slightly smoky pipes recently served as the singing voice of Darlene Madison, actress Jenna Fischer’s character in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, a Golden Globe-nominated comedy about the turbulent ascent of fictional music legend Dewey Cox.
“What a ride,� Correa says in a phone interview as she strolls through New York City’s Chinatown with a friend on a frigid January afternoon. “Michael Andrews, the film’s composer, who I met a few years back just called me up and asked me to come into the studio. And that was that. It was a wonderful experience.�
Correa says she always appreciates the chance to provide music for a film or license one of her songs for a television show, including Grey’s Anatomy, because the cash flow provides formidable creative independence.
The additional exposure to a new pool of audience members doesn’t hurt, either.
“When I decided to drop out of graduate school around 2000 to pursue music full-time, it was a landmark decision,� Correa says, her voice punctuated by a loud siren and other random New York street noise, “I told myself that I would not compromise artistically, and I would do things exactly how I wanted to do them from that time on.�
An unwavering commitment to artistic integrity and independence has helped Correa generate a thoughtful, intuitive catalog of songs that appeals to virtually anyone with an ear for subtle beauty.
“My songs are all about observation. There’s a little bit of the small northern California town that I was desperate to escape from as a kid, as well as some bits of Mexico and Denmark and every other place I’ve traveled. It’s all there,� Correa says.
Correatown is Correa’s current moniker. Correa’s songs are an atmospheric destination, rooted in her experiences as a traveler, so Correatown certainly fits. Her live shows feature a full band, although she generally adds a few solo acoustic songs to her set.
“I love the collaborative experience of playing with a band. When I play with a band, I want the band to be fully integrated into the performance. I don’t want it to be ‘Angela Correa and her back-up band.’ Although I do love playing solo because I can reshape a song as I’m playing it.�
Like throngs of other aspiring musicians and performers, Correa initially struggled when she relocated from northern California to Los Angeles. Over time, she became a fixture in Los Angeles’ vital eastside music scene.
“When I’m in L.A., I go out and see music about three times a week. There’s so much incredible independent music there right now. And not everyone is competitive as you might think they would be. There are some very sweet people who want to help out other fellow musicians. It’s a great place to be.�
Prior to her Los Angeles submersion, Correa—whose sunny disposition practically sends rays of light streaming through ,my cell phone—admits that she was broke and her morale sinking fast. Correa insists that her first Salt Lake City performance in 2003 was a turning point in her career.
Ryan Stanfield, a member of experimental instrumental band Theta Naught, saw Correa perform while vacationing in Los Angeles and invited her to play a show in Salt Lake City.
The warm reception Correa received at dearly departed all-ages venue Sugar Beats wows her to this day.
“It was more than ‘Oh, these people like my music.’ After that show, I thought to myself ‘I’m doing this for a reason; this is how I make my impact.’�
Correa says she especially enjoyed performing on the same bill as Eden’s Watchtower Records artist Iberis (aka Jan Reed), a Salt Lake City-based folk musician, and is overjoyed that the two will play together again. Correa describes Iberis as “a great talent. Her beautiful and literate songs stay in your heart and your head.�
Correatown is currently touring in support of Echoes, a limited edition three song EP available on iTunes Jan. 22. “I love being on the road,� she says. “Touring is one of my favorite things about playing music. I’m so glad that I’m in the position to tour once again.�

Early shows—especially an early show scheduled in the middle of the week, like Correa’s Utah appearance with fellow clear-voiced Californian Daniel Ahearn—tend to be a challenge attendance-wise, but Correa is optimistic.
“I’ve always had such a great reception in Salt Lake City. I’m really hoping that people will come out this time. I pressed a batch of Echoes EPs with handmade screen-printed covers that I’m going to sell at shows. When you’re on the road, you’ve got to come up with creative merchandise ideas if you want to get people to shows and sell something.�
If you’ve seen Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, don’t miss the surreal experience of witnessing firsthand the organic source of Darlene’s vocals. And if you haven’t caught the film yet, come see part of what you’re missing.
ANGELA CORREA w/ Danial Ahearn @ Area 51, 451 S. 400 West, Wednesday Jan. 23, 6 p.m. 24Tix.com
- Salt Lake City Weekly