Shivaree - Under the Moon with Ambrosia

"Success? I wasn't expecting it, it was a shock. Then again, in my life things have always happened a bit by chance. Just like in the movies". More than speaking, she whispers, with her soft, sensual voice, Ambrosia Parsley, chanteuse of Shivaree. Certainly the breakout success of "Goodnight Moon" (No. 1 in Italy too) and the sudden fame haven't turned this twenty-nine-year-old Californian from the San Fernando Valley into a diva. Bare-faced, hair pulled back, wrapped in her very demure leather jacket, Ambrosia radiates grace and infectious smiles as she nibbles on a tomato in her dressing room. With her are the other members of the band: guitarist Duke McVinne and keyboardist Danny McGough, two old studio hands who gave shape and substance to the Shivaree project. "We really love country and western music," explains McGough, "but not in the purist Nashville sense. We like to mix everything together: folk, rock, jazz, pop." Ambrosia nods and comes up with the exact phrase to define their music: "washing machine", spinning together sounds, noises, emotions.

How did Shivaree come about?

I met Duke at a party in San Fernando. Danny, on the other hand, I met in Los Angeles. That's where we decided to found Shivaree, a name taken from an old cowboy slang expression used at bachelor parties to celebrate the newlyweds.

As in other recent cases, "Goodnight Moon" was also propelled to success by a commercial. Can advertising help music, or does it risk limiting its meaning?

In our case it helped us a lot. I'd never even seen the ad, then I found out that song was everywhere. It could be a new avenue, given how hard it is to break through on radio and in the media, especially for bands without a big promotional machine behind them. In short, through a commercial you can get your music heard without being subject to the constraints and limitations of the music business.

Why did you choose to title the album with that never-ending title, "I Oughta Give You A Shot In The Head For Making Me Live In This Dump"?

The phrase comes from an American sitcom from the Sixties: a cow swallows a little radio, and those words - I oughta give you a shot in the head for making me live in this dump - are the lyrics of a song playing on the radio when the vet manages to pull the device out of the animal's stomach.

Irony also comes through in your lyrics. Where does your sense of humour come from?

It's kind of my philosophy of life. When I write, in particular, I always try to keep a certain distance from the stories I'm telling, not to get too emotionally involved. That lets me draw on humour. To exorcise problems and live a more peaceful life.

Is it true you started singing very young?

Yes, my family and friends were music lovers. I grew up among hippies: my dad had long hair and an unkempt beard, my mum was your typical freak. My dad and my two brothers played country music, my maternal grandmother played piano and ukulele. We'd get together at home to play, sometimes there were more than thirty of us. Before the police showed up...

Which musicians influenced you the most?

I grew up listening to Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Chet Baker. But I also love country music and special voices like Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. I was lucky to grow up in a country as rich in influences and musical styles as America: it's something that's stayed with me, a kind of magic. My music is the result of everything there is in America, from gospel to country, from soul to jazz.

The last track on the album is called "Arrivederci". Why is that?

The song refers to a trip I took to Italy five years ago. I was at Milan airport. I had to say goodbye to some friends and the atmosphere was melancholy. Everyone kept saying "Arrivederci" to each other. So I thought I'd write a song using an Italian word, since I was in Italy. I love that country, its warm colours, everything is so sweet and refined... It's a source of inspiration.

The second album, "Rough Dreams", has a much more minimal title. Where does it come from?

It's a song by Otis Redding that we're particularly fond of. We liked the idea of the "rough dream", the unsettled, dreamlike perspective, whatever meaning you want to give it. Whether it's a bad dream or a good one.

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