Erin Muir

How the did started with all this??
I started from a very young age- when I was five, I began studying classical music and by the age of about 12 I was writing my own songs. I taught myself to play guitar and started performing just after high school.

What's the message to transmit with your music??
The message from my album, Poet's Lovely Daughter, and the video that we just did for it, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb8gPP0L1gU , is about being open to passion, to love, to experience life beyond your intellectual concepts of it; and I think that the message is for me, too, as well as my fans and listeners!

What's your method at the time of writing a song??
I sit down and practice and write every day, but when an actual song comes, it comes all in a flash of light. And it comes when it comes and I just pray to have at least some pen and paper handy! For example, the other night I had a really cool show at King King, a club in Hollywood, where a dance troupe performed live to my songs! It was so inspirational I couldn't sleep all night and finally I just gave in, got up, went to the piano and listened- and boom! in about five minutes, the skeleton for a brand new song just was borne right out of me- and THEN I could go to sleep.

Which is your music influences??
Well, as a songwriter, I am greatly influenced by Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Sting, and Annie Lennox. And Prince! As a composer, on that side of things, I'm influenced by Henry Mancini, Debussy, Schubert, and Pucini and Mozart. I'm also heavily influenced by Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Indian ragas, Led Zepelin, of course John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Elton John, Elivs Costello.

What plans do you have for the future??
Well, I'm writing a musical that is going to be like a world music pop musical! And I'm going to record it as an album AND a musical.

Which has been the funniest prank you have been or took part while on tour or after a show??
Well, there have been lots over the years! There was the time I woke up on a yacht headed for Cuba.... we had gone to party on a yacht after a show in Florida and the gentle rocking of the sea was so relaxing I fell asleep. When I awoke, we were at sea! When I asked where we were going, the band said, "Cuba!" I had to remind them that it would have been illegal for us- if we even made it- as US citizens- sadly.... did we make it? No puedo tell you.

If you were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you and your band (If any) are, ¿Who would you send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?
Well, this has happened to me and they sent me to look for help because I was the only girl amongst four guys. hahaha! They figured I'd have a better chance getting people to help us! And I did.

Since I'm not in a band anymore and I often travel solo, I guess I'd have to eat myself. I guess I need my left foot least of all....

Which country you would love to play?
Anywhere and everywhere in South America!!

With which bands you would love to share stage??
ANNIE LENNOX! Imogen Heap! Nitin Sawhney! Madeleine Peyroux, Sting, Prince! Paulo Conte, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, and Jeff Buckley. Okay, Jeff Buckley is dead, but since we're dreaming......

Are you OK, with the direction the band is going actually?
I LOVE the direction the band (myself) is going because that direction is a supernova explosion of here.

Check out more of this artist by going to: http://www.myspace.com/erinmuir