paste
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Carol
      Schneider
     
     
      ast
      Monday
      I
      got
      the
      chance
      to
      have
      a
     
     
      E
      brief
      but
      meaningful
      chat
      with
      Sue
     
     
      Medley.
      During
      this
      conversation
      I
     
     
      asked
      a
      few
      questions
      that
      had
      been
      gnawing
     
     
      away
      at
      the
      insides
      of
      myself
      and
      a
      certain
      other
     
     
      X-Press
      staff
      member.
     
     
      Since
      I
      have
      neither
      the
      time
      nor
      the
      energy
     
     
      to
      turn
      this
      interview
      into
      a
      coherent
      article,
      I
     
     
      have
      decided
      to
      just
      give
      all
      those
      interested
      the
     
     
      transcript
      of
      my
      conversation
      with
      Sue
      Medley.
     
     
      She
      was
      a
      truly
      lovely
      person
      to
      talk
      to
      and
      very
     
     
      responsive
      to
      the
      questions
      I
      asked
      her.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Q-
      Your
      new
      album,
      Inside
      Out,
      seems
      to
     
     
      take
      a
      new
      direction.
      Why
      is
      that?
     
    

    
     
      A-
      The
      only
      thing
      that
      changed
      was,
      I
      mean
     
     
      since
      the
      first
      record,
      (is
      that)
      I’ve
      grown
      a
      lot
     
     
      more,
      had
      a
      lot
      more
      experiences,
      written
      a
      lot
     
     
      more
      songs.
      And
      I
      think
      as
      time
      goes
      on,
      you
     
     
      just
      kind
      oflearn
      things.
      The
      record
      just
      kind
      of
     
     
      took
      on
      a
      maturity,
      kind
      of
      like
      a
      natural
      pro-
     
     
      gression.
     
    

    
     
      Q-
      On
      this
      tour
      you
      are
      performing
      ‘‘un-
     
     
      plugged’’.
      How
      does
      this
      compare
      to
      touring
     
     
      with
      the
      whole
      entourage?
     
    

    
     
      A-It’s
      just
      a
      totally
      different
      thing.
      Playing
     
     
      acoustically
      opposed
      to
      with
      a
      full
      band
      is
      just
     
     
      a
      totally
      different
      kind
      of
      thing.
      I
      enjoy
      them
     
     
      both.
      Right
      now
      I’m
      really
      enjoying
      the
      acous-
     
     
      tic
      thing
      ‘cause
      it’s
      something
      I
      haven’t
      done
      in
     
     
      fifteen
      years.
      I
      mean,
      when
      I
      first
      started
      play-
     
     
      ing,
      performing
      in
      coffee
      houses,
      I
      performed
     
     
      just
      by
      myself
      on
      acoustic
      guitar.
      I’m
      finding
     
     
      right
      now
      I’m
      doing
      this
      with
      another
      guitar
     
     
      player,
      who
      is
      from
      Nashville,
      who
      I’ve
      done
     
     
      some
      co-writing
      with.
      It’s
      just
      the
      two
      of
      us
      on
     
     
      guitars.
      |
      find
      that
      it
      gives
      the
      audience
      a
      much,
     
     
      much
      clearer
      picture
      of
      what
      I
      do.
      I
      think
      it
      gives
     
     
      the
      audience
      a
      chance
      to
      hear
      my
      lyrics
      more,
     
     
      hear
      the
      songs
      and
      hear
      my
      voice,
      too,
      inamuch
     
     
      better
      way
      since
      I’m
      not
      getting
      drowned
      out
     
     
      by-you
      know-
      six
      electric
      guitars.
      I
      think
      in
      that
     
     
      respect
      it
      really
      gives
      the
      audience
      a
      chance
      to
     
     
      have
      a
      much
      closer
      look
      at
      what
      I’m
      doing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Q-
      What
      kind
      of
      crowds
      does
      your
      music
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      usually
      draw?
     
    

    
     
      A-
      My
      audiences
      vary
      from
      anywhere
      from
     
     
      young
      kids
      to
      people
      in
      their
      20’s
      to
      people
      in
     
     
      their
      40’s.
      I
      have
      a
      very
      broad
      age
      group
      as
      far
     
     
      as
      my
      audience
      goes,
      which
      to
      me
      is
      good.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      10
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Q-
      What
      is
      your
      connection
      to
      John
     
     
      Mellencamp?
     
    

    
     
      A-
      I
      have
      recorded
      my
      last
      two
      records
      at
     
     
      Mellencamp’s
      studio
      in
      Bloomington,
      Indiana
     
     
      and
      his
      guitar
      player
      Mike
      Wanchic
      produced
     
     
      both
      of
      my
      records
      and
      we
      used
      a
      couple
      of
      their
     
     
      players,
      a
      guitar
      player
      and
      a
      drummer
      on
      the
     
     
      last
      record.
      And
      when
      John
      Mellencamp
      per-
     
     
      formed
      at
      the
      Dylan
      tribute
      a
      couple
      of
      months
     
     
      ago
      at
      Madison
      Square
      Gar-
     
     
      dens,
      he
      asked
      me
      if
      I
      would
     
     
      like
      to
      come
      up
      and
      be
      a
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      band
      and
      part
      of
      the
      back-
     
     
      up
      vocalists
      because
      one
      of
     
     
      their
      back-up
      vocalist,
      was
      out
     
     
      of
      town
      or
      in
      Europe
      or
      some-
     
     
      thing.
      So,
      I
      mean,
      it
      was
      great
     
     
      because
      I
      know
      most
      of
      the
     
     
      guys
      in
      the
      band.
      I
      was
      com-
     
     
      fortable
      with
      it
      and
      it
      was
      a
      lot
     
     
      of
      fun-
      just
      a
      great
      opportunity
     
     
      to
      be
      a
      part
      of
      a
      musical
      event
     
     
      like
      that.
     
    

    
     
      Q-What
      singers
      do
      you
      find
     
     
      most
      influential
      in
      your
      own
     
     
      music?
     
    

    
     
      A-
      Well,
      I
      think
      for
      me,
      my
     
     
      influences
      when
      I
      was
      growing
     
     
      up
      were
      The
      Rolling
      Stones,
     
     
      Joni
      Mitchell,
      Little
      Feet,
     
     
      Bonnie
      Raitt,
      you
      know
      so
      I
     
     
      think
      that
      those
      influences
      are
     
     
      definitely
      a
      part
      of
      my
      music
     
     
      somewhere
      in
      there
      because
     
     
      this
      is
      the
      music
      I
      grew
      up
     
     
      with,
      and
      Bob
      Dylan
      as
      well.
     
     
      When
      you
      grow
      up
      with
      a
      cer-
     
     
      tain
      kind
      of
      music
      it
      definitely
     
     
      comes
      out
      in
      your
      own
      stuff
      as
      you
      get
      older.
     
     
      Q-
      Of
      the
      people
      you’
      ve
      performed
      with
      thus
     
     
      far
      in
      your
      career,
      who’s
      your
      favorite?
     
    

    
     
      A-
      I
      think
      I
      would
      have
      to
      say
      John
      Mellencamp
     
     
      and
      the
      band.
      [really
      did
      enjoy
      that,
      it
      was
      great.
     
     
      It
      was
      great
      touring,
      I
      toured
      with
      Bob
      Dylan
      a
     
     
      couple
      of
      years
      ago,
      that
      was
      a
      great
      experience
     
     
      too.
      But
      I
      think
      for
      me
      just
      doing
      this
      Dylan
     
     
      tribute
      and
      being
      able
      to
      perform
      with
      the
     
     
      Mellencamp
      band
      was
      great
      and
      I
      mean
      it’s
     
     
      such
      a
      great
      band.
      And
      that
      band
      has
      been
     
     
      together
      for
      17
      years
      and
      they’re,
      you
      know,
      a
     
     
      real
      true
      rock
      and
      roll
      band.
      One
      of
      America’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      line
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      true
      rock-and-roll
      bands.
      I
      really
      just
      felt
      thai
     
     
      tightness
      and
      closeness
      with
      them
      and
      it
      was
     
     
      really
      great.
      ;
     
    

    
     
      Q-
      What
      is
      your
      favorite
      song
      on
      Inside
      Out?
     
     
      A-
      Boy,
      that’s
      a
      tough
      one.
      I
      like
      them
      all
      for
     
     
      different
      reasons,
      but
      I
      think
      my
      favorite
      would
     
     
      probably
      be-
      you
      know
      I
      kind
      of
      like-
      Forget
     
     
      You.
      I
      kind
      oflike
      the
      dry
      humor
      in
      the
      song,
      it’s
     
     
      like
      a
      dark
      humor
      kind
      of
      song.
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Q-Is
      there
      anything
      else
      you’d
      like
      to
      tell
      tH
     
     
      readers
      at
      U.P.E.I.?
     
    

    
     
      A-
      Well,
      just
      that
      we’re
      looking
      forward
      "
     
     
      coming
      to
      the
      East
      Coast.
      It
      will
      be
      the
      first
      tim
     
     
      that
      Billy
      Crain,
      my
      guitar
      player,
      has
      see?
      the
     
     
      East
      Coast,
      he
      was
      born
      and
      raised
      in
      Tent
     
     
      see,
      So
      he’s
      looking
      forward
      to
      it.
      And
      !™
     
     
      looking
      forward
      to
      it
      because
      I’ve
      only
      p!4y°
     
     
      on
      the
      East
      Coast
      once
      and
      that
      was
      this
     
     
      summer
      so
      I’m
      looking
      forward
      to
      doin
      !
     
     
      acoustic
      like
      this
      and
      getting
      a
      chance
      t?
      on
     
     
      nect
      a
      bit
      with
      my
      audience.
      @