A Chat with Connie Lansberg (30.09.2022)
While there are many artists who are natural storytellers, there are few who are both accomplished musicians and published authors. Connie Lansberg is one of the few who have done both and she continues to showcase her abilities through her album Deep Dark Down & Blue. An infectious collection of songs, the tracks combine poetic lyrics with elegant melodies and deep emotional expression. We had the chance to chat with Lansberg about the album, collaborations, challenges, unique stories and much more!
OSR: You are both a fixture on the Australian jazz scene and a published author, but what was it that first drew you to music?
Lansberg: I grew up with a sister who played classical piano and a mother who loved Simon and Garfunkel, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt and church music. I remember writing lots of poems when I was a kid and one day, it clicked that I could write them as songs. The jazz came much later. I wanted to work with jazz musicians so I had to learn to sing jazz. Finally, when I met mark Fitzgibbon, a master jazz pianist, the two things merged.
OSR: Books and songs are two similar yet different creative paths. How do you find a happy balance between the creative processes for both?
Lansberg: Books, songs, film scripts, all start with a story and words are the common denominator. I wasn’t sure I could sit still long enough to write a whole book, but I write the movie first, then use that as an outline for the book and then use the story to influence the songs. A song is like a short story. Short stories start at the end or the beginning of a whole book.
OSR: You are turning your storytelling ability to your first original album Deep Dark Down & Blue. What made you decide to release this album now?
Lansberg: I’ve put out heaps of singles on Spotify, but the songs on this album are directly influenced by the first book in my fantasy series, Tsera’s Gift, The Perfect Tear. I also started a record company and entered this album into the Australian ARIA awards. I am ready to get these songs more well-known.
OSR: The tracks of the album tell stories of characters who face varied situations, from secrets to heartache. Is there an overt theme or story to the album as a whole?
Lansberg: It’s mostly about connection and how we are the same, as opposed to the outer layers that make us appear different. Everyone in this business wants to know how an artist is different or unique and I could never answer that, because underneath the filters through which we view life, we are all exactly the same.
OSR: You continue to work with your long-time collaborator Mark Fitzgibbons on this album. How did you two first connect?
Lansberg: My drummer and partner wanted to go see Mark play. He had just returned from China after a few years. I saw him walking into the venue and I thought I knew him. (I did know him, but I couldn’t think why, since we never met before.) I said, “Hi Mark, how are you?” He looked startled, but acted like he knew me too. It wasn’t until later that I realized I’d never met him before. Not in this life anyway. (that’s a whole other story!) Just a side note, I am fully qualified as a Soul Re-alignment Practitioner, and I discovered that Mark and I have had many musical lives together. We were immediately comfortable and he knew exactly what I was going for.
OSR: The album also features other musicians. Can you tell us more about them and how you got together to collaborate on the album?
Lansberg: This album features two great double bass players and two great drummers. Mark knows everyone in Melbourne and his theory is to get the very best players you can in the studio. Ben Robertson taught Ben Hanlon, who went on to become a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Ben Hanlon’s arco is second to none. Our version of What’ll I Do has had over 400,000 streams on Spotify, not bad for an independent artist. Danny Fischer played drums on the originals and the wonderful Pete Hodges did the standards. I have a wonderful team of great players.
OSR: What was the biggest challenge you faced when creating this album?
Lansberg: Me! Writing comes first, singing second. I write songs that are sometimes challenging to how a voice works and I am very particular about authenticity. I’m telling you a story more than I’m singing to you. I can say all sorts of things when I sing as opposed to saying it.
OSR: While you are known as a jazz singer, this album walks the line between jazz and pop with a touch of soul added in. Was this a mixture you actively tried to achieve or did the stories themselves pick the sound?
Lansberg: Yes! The stories pick the sound. It’s painting. The subject matter needs certain colours. Mark usually has motives in mind and then the bass and drums play off that. I mostly stay out of it. Once I’ve got the words, melody and tempo, I let the boys play.
OSR: Each track on the album has a unique story that invokes a wealth of emotion, but is there one that stands out for you?
Lansberg: I can’t get over the gorgeous improv Mark does on ‘Secret Garden’. I rewrote that song just before recording it and it goes back and forth between 4/4 and 3/4 time signatures.
OSR: Through the rather infectious and moving tracks, you take listeners on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but what is the one thing you would like people to feel while listening?
Lansberg: I’ll let you in on a secret. I am the only Transformational Entertainer in Australia, a skill I always had, but never spoke of. I have a frequency in my voice that dislodges stuck energy and infuses positive energy. I do live shows here in Melbourne called the 4-4-4 where I tell the audience what is happening and what I’m dislodging and infusing. So hopefully, listening to this album is a gentle healing experience, and you will feel lighter and ready to tackle life.
OSR: What else do you have in store for us in the next 12 months?
Lansberg: We’ve already finished the second album of originals and standards and I’m finishing the third book in the series, as well as starting another series based on a collection of magic spoons and the mischief they cause. I’m also setting up another season of live performances with the 4-4-4. People seem very accepting of the idea that music heals when in the right hands or maybe I should say the right voice. I’ve set myself the task of writing a song a week and so far I’m on track.
Thanks to Connie Lansberg for chatting with us! You can find more about her on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
