The veins of natural imagery that run through Laura Veirs' music should come as no surprise. Born and raised in Colorado Springs and currently residing in Portland, Ore., Veirs has spent most of her life surrounded by some of America's most picturesque landscapes. Although her first foray into music was with the all-girl punk band Rair Kx during her college years, Veirs changed gears and began crafting organic indie-folk laced with references to the natural world.
Maked by quiet tension, evocative pastoral scenes and Veirs' distinctive vocals, her seventh album, July Flame, is perhaps her best work yet. Recorded and produced in the home studio owned by Veirs and her longtime partner/collaborator Tucker Martine, the record is her first release on her own label, Raven Marching Band. Featuring guest performances from Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Karl Blau, Steve Moore and violist Eyvind Kang, July Flame has an informal, collaborative sound to it that matches its earthy tones and the summery feel of songs like "I Can See Your Tracks" and "Sun Is King." In this session for World Cafe, Veirs plays a few songs from the new album.
This segment originally ran March 23, 2010.
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