An Exclusive Interview with Tracy Bonham + New Album ‘Sky Too Wide’ & Tour Dates

Tracy Bonham has today released her anticipated new album titled ‘Sky Too Wide’ via A Woody Hollow. Having first come onto everyone’s radar with her mega-master hit ‘Mother Mother‘, she is one of those artists that, not only coasted past legendary status long ago under her power, but did it on her terms, song by song, note by note. That is truly nearly impossible to do, especially in today’s music scene. Originality often has a price, and that price is usually a creative compromise. So, to see how Tracy’s career has taken off and long stayed airborne is as inspiring as it is pleasing to see.

With ‘Sky Too Wide’, we get the latest evolution in her revolution of music with a complete album full of originality and grace.

And, in this audio interview above, we get a peek into the mind behind all of that music and a glimpse into the humility and creativity of such originality. This is as much a conversation as it is an interview. Enjoy!

Check out our other features with Tracy Bonham HERE.

‘Sky Too Wide’

‘Sky Too Wide’ is as much an adventure as it is an album. Nine experiments into the depths and breadth of a vast catalogue of influence and artistry that introduces Tracy Bonham to a new era of fans. To those who have never heard her music before, or forget to make the connection to her past body of work, they will be lucky enough to get a wide range of genres and atmospheres with each song.

That, to me, is the inner beauty of ‘Sky Too Wide’. It’s a wide and diverse soundscape. It’s also something that doesn’t stay, or dare I say, feel comfortable in the mainstream. It doesn’t ‘stay in its lane’. It creates a new highway for itself to cruise at its own pace. And that is where its comfort zone lies. In its uniqueness and individuality. It’s accessible because it wants to be.

Tracy shows, more than ever in my opinion, her multi-faceted thinking, planning, and execution of her music. Using her multi-instrumental history and panache for the hook, Tracy highlights the feels and makes them audible. This is what true musicians do.

About Tracy Bonham & ‘Sky Too Wide’

“It took a little while for me to loosen up and allow my songs to breathe,” says accomplished alternative artist Tracy Bonham about her continually evolving sound. Her new album ‘Sky Too Wide’ carries a lovely level of creative freedom that has eluded her in the past. “This album is really about getting back up after some major personal challenges,” she explains. “I am more aware and awake than I have ever been.”

An artful merging of the music that swirls within her (she is classically trained in piano, violin, and voice), ‘Sky Too Wide’ elevates the indie rock foundation in which she first found mainstream success and infuses it with elements of classical and jazz without making it sound pretentious or too artsy. iHeart Radio’s Brutally Delicious described the album as “drawing from the romanticism of classical composers, merging lush harmonies and emotive melodies with her signature quirky songwriting… The result is a captivating blend of genres that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly original, proving that Bonham’s music-old and new-remains as relevant and resonant as ever.” Rock And Roll Globe praises that it “showcases Bonham’s maturity and newfound confidence.”

‘Sky Too Wide’ is a luscious record with upright bassist Rene Hart (David Amram, James Hunter) and drummer Alvester Garnett (Regina Carter, Abbey Lincoln) providing the musical backdrop for Bonham’s exquisite vocals to weave and dive amidst the elevated indie rock for which she is known. Imbuing the immersive and freeform aspects of jazz with the intricate structure of classical music into the raucous nature of indie rock gives her music the freedom to explore and grow.

“It’s like going back to the spark I had as a very young musician, discovering the beauty of Ravel and Debussy, and reclaiming that spark and everything that has happened after that,” she explains of the coalescence of influences on this album. But ‘Sky Too Wide’ is not a snooty record… It’s still primal and visceral with added texture and finesse. The gorgeous piano-led ballad “Damn the Sky (for Being Too Wide)” finds Bonham searching for her “village” after a painful divorce. She explains that the song is about “isolation, loneliness, and a longing for community. My family is 3,000 miles away and, on one very tough day, I wanted to shrink the sky to bring them closer to me.”

Her current single “Jumping Bean” revisits a track that was originally from her Down Here (2000) album and refashions it to suit her current self. While the original was fired up with reckless and spunky rebellion, this new version is more confident and deliberate, displaying a healthy dose of female agency and power. “It is now coming from a place of liberation rather than a feeling of helplessness,” she says.

Not all is serious and measured in tone, however. Her mischievous sense of humor comes out in full display in her playfully theatrical “Dear God, Should I Hit SEND?” which is “a direct rip from Chopin’s Nocturne op. 9 no. 2,” she laughs, adding, “it’s about how people communicate in the 21st century and the negative impact a single text, tweet, X, or post can have on the world or in one’s relationships.”

Bonham’s breakthrough debut album, The Burdens of Being Upright (1996, Island Records), spawned the massive #1 alternative chart-topping single “Mother Mother.” A classically trained violinist and pianist, and twice GRAMMY™ nominated, Bonham spent the following 27 years evolving as an artist through her albums and live performances. That debut album catapulted her into the spotlight with MTV fame, major radio play, and more, continuing relevance until even recently, when “Mother Mother” was featured in Showtime’s Yellow Jackets (Season 1 Episode 2).

“Playing with incredible jazz musicians like Rene and Alvester has opened my mind and is now giving me the support I have always needed to spread my wings and fly,” she says, reflecting on her new music and more realized sound. “I am enjoying exploring the intersections and overlaps of where classical and jazz meet without excluding my alternative rock sensibilities. These dudes can rock, too. The three of us playing together is my happy place”.

LINKS:
https://www.tracybonham.com/
https://linktr.ee/tracybonham
https://www.instagram.com/tracybonham/
https://www.facebook.com/TracyBonhamMusic
https://x.com/tracy_bonham
https://www.youtube.com/@TracyBonhamOfficial
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6RaSfqo4f0b42iNouQeAKK