KATHERINE SVITAVSKY
I was first introduced to Dessa’s music through a friend about two years ago, and haven’t yet found anything quite like it. From a mix of rapping and singing to unique instruments and ear-grabbing hooks, Dessa’s music is nothing short of stimulating.
The show, held in September at the Cavalier in downtown La Crosse, attracted a very diverse group of people—those already familiar with Dessa and also those looking for a fun Friday night. The assortment included college students, 20 and 30-somethings, parents who left the kids at home, and more, but whatever their reasons for coming out to the concert, they did not leave disappointed.
In taking the complexity her music offers on tour Dessa faces a bit of a challenge, as she is charged with translating the studio versions of her work into live tracks. Changing from studio to live altered Dessa’s sound, one of the most significant changes being including another vocalist, Aby Wolf, on most tracks. What this looked like from the audience’s perspective was Dessa and Aby Wolf taking on the role of dueling vocalists, drawing energy from each other’s performance and building on the other’s voice.
Dessa concert review and interview
November 2014 | Klutch Chronicle
Dessa’s honest and compelling lyrics are also what make her so popular. Experience with spoken word poetry and background in philosophy (she earned an undergraduate degree in the field from the U of M) allow her to construct imaginative and intelligent lyrics. Dessa’s music is also incredibly varied: a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Down appears on her latest album right next to Fighting Fish, a track that is impossible to sit still during, about ambition, ego, and the integrity of art.
The fun of a live show isn’t only in the sound but also the visuals, and seeing a performer so present when performing was just as exciting as hearing the music. What struck me the most as an audience member was how real Dessa was: during the show she conversed with the audience, took selfies, cracked jokes, and even hopped off the stage into the crowd below during a song into a mass of people singing and rapping the lyrics right next to her. But that’s completely fitting with what Dessa’s all about: creativity over comfort; risk over rigidity; music over money, making her work truly one-of-a-kind.
Aside from enjoying the show with my friends, I got a chance to ask Dessa a few questions! She graciously obliged my curiosity, and her insight is printed for you, dear reader, to consider.
What does your writing process look like? I jot down little idea fragments throughout the day—a turn of phrase, an image, or a single word that catches my ear. Then later, when it’s time to assemble a song or poem or an essay, I’ll reference this pile of raw material to incorporate into the finished piece. It’s sort of a paleontological process: I get of little bones and have to try to figure out what sort of creature they make.
What are the best parts of performing and touring? Worst? Touring is probably one of the best and worst parts of this job. I’ve had the chance to travel through most of this country and I’ve done so with some of my closest friends. I’ve performed work I believe in front of audiences on three continents. But I’ve done most of that traveling with my knees against the dash or against the seat in front of me; we travel in a pretty worn-out van with blown speakers and intermittently functional air-conditioning. Touring is the hardest part of this job: for every hour you spend on stage, you spend 15 or 20 on administrative tasks: filling out spreadsheets, booking hotels, emailing promoters, calculating merchandise totals. And driving—you drive for most of the daylight hours everyday, stopping only for fast food.
Does performing in La Crosse differ from other places (perhaps larger places) you’ve been? If so, how? I first La Crosse visited as a guest lecturer at the university. I stayed for a few days and was taken by the scale of the place, there’s a real charm in the compact downtown, entirely walkable in an hour or so. The view from Grandad Bluff was spectacular, exceeded the hype. Is La Crosse a prime, strategic market, like New York? No. But it’s a sweet place to play a show. And parking’s way, way easier.
Can you talk about what being a part of the collective Doomtree means to you? Doomtree is all I’ve known as a musician, so it’s hard to talk about it with any objectivity. There are seven of us total, and those guys are very much a family to me—with all the love, history, dysfunction, and loyalty that that word implies.
What’s next for you, professionally: On October 26th, I’ll make my debut at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. I wrote a new piece called “The Good Fight” to be performed with 100 voices.