It's a long way from there to here

I enjoyed reading this interview with Jewel. Her sweet, melodic voice has long belied her tough nature. I suppose that is in part from trying to straddle folk, country, rock and even dance hall. I would like to see a little more rawness in her voice. It's almost like she is trying too hard to please her listeners, rather than just letting go. Maybe Freewheelin' Woman will finally be it?

Quite a few things stand out in this interview. I liked the way she sized up cynicism, calling it a "coping mechanism to hide your dreams, your aspirations ... you're just hiding behind a mask." Very true. She goes on to note all the flack she took for her book of poems, A Night without Armor. She said she was influenced by Bukowski and Anais Nin, offering raw verses in a 1998 MTV interview with Kurt Loder, only for him to give her a grammar lesson. It took all these years for him to finally issue an apology.

You begin to realize just how difficult it is for young musicians, especially young women, to cope with success. Jewel went from being a homeless person putting together her life through poems and songs, a choice she said she made, to an overnight sensation with the release of her first album, Pieces of You. She was only 21. Everyone wanted a piece of her, literally, and she had a very hard time dealing with it.

No one seemed to give her a break. She recounts some of the interviews from that time, and they were pretty harsh. Sexualized to the point of being presented as a Trailer Trash Barbie, she fought back by calling her male interviewers a bunch of dicks. She held her own and kept churning out the albums despite the mixed reviews. Then she took a break, and the vocal critics figured she was done.

Now she's back, not with a vengeance, but rather a deeper understanding of herself after raising her son Kase as a single mother. She feels she is at the height of her abilities and really proud of who she is. However, there are still a lot cynical persons out there ready to take her down a notch, so we will see how she manages. My guess is she won't take any shit from anyone.

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