Song Descriptions

Inside a song words are not minced, eye lines are not diverted, cages rattle but there are no awkward silences. I can push thoughts into word shapes and yearning into notes that bend and fall wherever I want. I'm powerful; I'm taller, thinner. I have no choice but to write songs and sing them, they are my salvation.

Mumble: This is a story of infatuation – the kind of desire you can't wash off. You wear it like a neon suit – everyone can see that you're smitten, vulnerable, transparent... like your heart is on display... beating so damned hard. Desire guides everything you do, takes you over, makes you lose your place...

Slow Dance Hotel: Big, juicy, New York city, pulsating with all it's New York-ness and in an old hotel on the upper east side there's this tiny moment going on, a sexy, tender, slow dance to a Miles Davis tune that's all distorted, blasting from the clock radio, luring the day into night. I told Greg and Jim that I wanted to try and create a kind of Bacharach/David environment, with a little Beach Boys thrown in for good 60s measure. We recorded this song 3 times from scratch until it felt retro-right.

Party Girl: The Anna Nicoles and Marilyns of the world are represented here... tragic, tormented, vulnerable women who seem to love a party more then they love themselves.

Brand New Juliet: Oh Van Morrison... how I love thee... Watching my man fall for a woman who seems to have everything I don't. Bi-ch!

Paris: A melancholy sketch of the city of lights, smudged on a creased napkin. Larry John McNally is one of the most legendary writers I've had the thrill to work with. He came up with the idea of Paris... a crumbling relationship, lives half lived – dreams fading. Paris is their last chance...

Just a Little: Well... sometimes it's so darn good, ya just want a little bit more, a little bit longer... like all night... that would be alright... don't tell mom.

Unsung: Wrote this song on earth-night, while my little girl slept in the next room, that's why it's so hushed. I lit candles and played a bass line on the piano, the story unfolded then and there... later, in the bathtub I came up with all these "unwords" – both existing and made-up, "unshy me, uncry me, unfurl me ungirl me... " I did that thing –jumped out of the tub dripping wet, grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled all these "un-ideas" down. The page is was a mess, ink running everywhere. Jim and Don jumped in with chords and form ideas... not then and there. I got dressed and stuff...

Dancing on the Edge of Love: This song is a morning stretch, a playful admission of lust and the joyful acknowledgement that it's about to become love.

Don't Make me Laugh: Wrote this one with Jim and Tonio K who I have come to find out is a bit of a legend. He was amazing to write with, does the stream of consciousness thing that I do... talking out the story of the song, then, bang the lyrics just start falling from the sky. Recording this song was an almost holy experience, Don and Peter and I were so deeply in it together... the hugs after this very take were electric.

Forget Everything I Know: What's a girl to do? Everything she's learned and experienced has left her with cold feet. So the obvious solution... forget everything you know. Don, Jim and I were eating Montreal bagels late at night writing this one - we got to part in the lyric where I say, "What am I what am I what am I gonna do?" ... When Don said "I'm going to forget everything I know" and there it was. Sometimes I have to forget everything I know and everything I think I am, to get past fear and get the hell out of my own way.

Beautiful Sinner: Don sent me this heart breaking piano track and told me that he had eavesdropped on a conversation that centered around the fact that we're all flawed, sinners, fallen from grace etc. Then he said, " But the thought occurred to me that if everyone I know is a sinner, I certainly know some beautiful ones!" I took that and sat in the my parked car in downtown T.O. and all the lyrics just poured out of me on to the page.