thePULSEBy Staff
Massachusetts singer-songwriter, producer, and dedicated activist Erin McKeown returns with a new album, Manifestra, which brings together her political and musical selves. Funded by her enthusiastic fan-base in a mere six days via PledgeMusic, Manifestra, her 7th studio album, will be released January 15th on McKeown’s own TVP Records and features track lyrics collaborations with Rachel Maddow.
Says Erin about how she arrived at the making of Manifestra, “A couple of years ago, I found myself at a cross-roads. I knew it was no longer sustainable for me to participate in a traditional label relationship. And I knew it was no longer possible to keep my political and musical selves separate. Everything had to change.”
And thus was born Manifestra, singer-songwriter and producer Erin McKeown’s seventh studio album and the first to originate on her own TVP Records label.
Work on the record began with the arrival of the title track. In the early dawn hours after a late-nite gig, McKeown was awakened by the first line of the song, “Humble, like the child of god she wants to be.” The rest of the over 6 minute composition came tumbling out, complete, just as the sun was rising.
“The word ‘manifestra’ just came to me. It describes a statement of purpose and unity, a clear action from a female perspective, a bright hope. I was trying to describe the process of internal change becoming external. It never occurred to me that I had made up a word,” she laughs. “The concept just made sense to me.”
Next came the challenge of finding a new sound to reflect this new worldview. The answer came in two parts. First, producer McKeown and her touring band recorded the basic tracks live to tape over 3 days. Later, she sent the files to musical friends, asking them to focus on simplicity and unison in their parts.
And so, Matt Douglas’s saxophones double McKeown’s signature electric guitar playing. Erik Deutsch’s vintage synths merge with Joe Brent’s string arrangements, which in turn mirror Erin’s vocal lines. Marc Dalio’s live drums unite with electronic loops and Jeff Hill’s bass to push songs forward. The resulting interplay drives the lushly orchestrated “Proof,” the thump and snarl of “The Politician”, and the deep groove of “The Jailer,” a song inspired by McKeown’s trip with a group of artist/activists to visit the border fence that divides Arizona and Mexico.
Singing with McKeown are UK songster Polly Paulusma on “Proof” and rising troubadour Ryan Montbleau, 
who co-wrote and sings on the playful duet “Instant Classic.” Fellow indie singer-songwriters Anais Mitchell, Sean Hayes, and David Wax Museum lend their voices to the stirring album-closer “Baghdad to the Bayou.” The latter song addresses injustice from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico. Backed by a slow-cooking New Orleans simmer and topped with bright horn lines, “Baghdad” was co-written via text message by McKeown and longtime friend and fellow Western Massachusetts resident Rachel Maddow while Maddow was reporting in Iraq.
“I’ve never been a fan of songs that sacrifice music for the sake of a message, but it became clear to me that as a citizen I had to bring what I believe more clearly into my music. It began to feel urgent, and I knew I had to try,” Erin says.
In the last several years, McKeown has channeled her passion for social justice and her interest in public policy into extensive work with activism/advocacy groups. She recently joined the board of the Future of Music Coalition and was a 2012 fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society.
Given McKeown’s well-known activism around musician compensation and technology, the choice of how to fund Manifestra was obvious. Using the PledgeMusic platform, McKeown’s fans funded her project in a mere 6 days. In addition to covering recording and promotional costs, the fundraising campaign allowed Erin to make the first music video of her career.
McKeown concludes, “At this point in my career, I am most concerned with cultivating relationships that are mutually fulfilling. I want to give my fans the best possible music and experience. I have loved getting to know them better and better. I want to work with musicians who inspire me, and I want to provide opportunities for artists to collaborate in new ways. I want to learn how to be a better activist, and I want to be a part of my community. It is no longer enough for me to just make records and tour. I’ve got to do more.”
Erin appears at Brighton Music Hall on Jan. 17, two days after the release of her album Manifestra.
www.facebook.com/erinmckeownmusic
www.last.fm/music/Erin+McKeown
Special Thanks to Girlie Action Media, Marketing, and Management
