Amy LaVere
Encyclopedia
Amy LaVere is an American
singer, songwriter
, upright bass player and actress based in Memphis, TN. Her music is classified as Americana, combining a blend of classic country
, gypsy jazz
, and southern soul
. She has released three albums on Memphis
label Archer Records, and has multiple acting credits in major motion pictures.
/Louisiana
border town in the Piney Woods
region, nurtured by musical parents with a passion for traditional country music. Her family moved 13 times by the time she entered high school, ultimately landing in Detroit
where Amy fronted the punk
band Last Minute while still in her teens.
as part of the burgeoning Lower Broadway
scene, where she began to play upright bass as half of the popular roots duo The Gabe & Amy Show. By 1999, she had moved to Memphis
where she began work at Sun Studio
.
In early 2006, LaVere released her debut album This World Is Not My Home on indie label Archer Records to instant national acclaim. She was joined on her album by many accomplished artists, including notorious southern bluesman Jimbo Mathus
, formerly of the Squirrel Nut Zippers
. The Los Angeles Daily News
raved at the time, "Something like this doesn't come along every day." LaVere has also begun a nascent acting career that began with her cameo as Rockabilly
queen Wanda Jackson
in Walk The Line
and continued with featured role in Craig Brewer
’s Black Snake Moan
.
In 2007, Amy went into the studio with acclaimed producer, Jim Dickinson
to record her second album, Anchors & Anvils. Dickinson has previously produced albums for Ry Cooder
, Aretha Franklin
, The Rolling Stones
(Sticky Fingers
) and Bob Dylan
(in a 40-year relationship that has extended from Blonde on Blonde
to Time Out Of Mind
), and whose landmark role as producer includes such eclectic classics as Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers
, The Replacements' Pleased to Meet Me
and Dickinson's sons' seminal the North Mississippi Allstars
– captured Amy and band at his Zebra Ranch recording barn/'art project' in rural Mississippi.
Archer Records released Anchors and Anvils in May 2007, and the critics instantly latched onto LaVere's album as a refreshing example of noirish southern storytelling. Her second album rose to number six on the Americana Music Charts and earned Amy a nomination for the Americana Music Association Awards' Best New Or Emerging Artist. In addition to her critical recognition, she toured the United States from coast to coast, receiving rave reviews for her genuine and powerful performances. She played a series of dates with The Swell Season
, had a breakout performance at Austin City Limits Festival, and shared the stage at the Americana Music Conference with Lyle Lovett
, Todd Snider
, and others. She continues to tour and looks to expand her dates internationally, where she has already developed a strong radio following.
On October 1, 2008 she opened for Seasick Steve
at the Royal Albert Hall
in London
.
In 2009 she opened for musical group Lucero
on their 1372 Overton Park US Tour and also toured as a special guest with Seasick Steve
.
In 2011, LaVere released her third album Stranger Me to much critical acclaim. Spin Magazine called it "the breakup album of the year." Q Magazine, the Daily Mirror and The Sun all awarded it four stars. Paste Magazine said: “LaVere could rest on her lyrics alone, which are witty and feisty enough to stand on their own, but by giving her band boundless license to indulge any whim or eccentricity, she has crafted a well-rounded album that is already among the year’s best.”
In July 2011, LaVere and her band (guitarist David Cousar, violinist/keyboardist Krista Wroten-Combest and drummer Shawn Zorn), promoted the UK release of Stranger Me in London and France.
In August 2011, LaVere returned from her East Coast Tour promoting Stranger Me. She begins her West Coast Tour September 4th, 2011.
On September 28th 2011, LaVere was named "Best Singer in Memphis" for the second consecutive year by the city of Memphis, TN.
In November 2011, LaVere and her band will tour Europe.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, upright bass player and actress based in Memphis, TN. Her music is classified as Americana, combining a blend of classic country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, gypsy jazz
Gypsy jazz
Gypsy jazz is an idiom often said to have been started by guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt in the 1930s. Because its origins are largely in France it is often called by the French name, "Jazz manouche," or alternatively, "manouche jazz," even in English language sources...
, and southern soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. She has released three albums on Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
label Archer Records, and has multiple acting credits in major motion pictures.
Early life
Amy LaVere was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and grew up in Bethany, Louisiana, a small TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
/Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
border town in the Piney Woods
Piney Woods
The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. These coniferous forests are dominated by several species of pine as well as hardwoods including hickory and...
region, nurtured by musical parents with a passion for traditional country music. Her family moved 13 times by the time she entered high school, ultimately landing in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
where Amy fronted the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Last Minute while still in her teens.
Career
The early 1990s found LaVere in NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
as part of the burgeoning Lower Broadway
Lower Broadway
Lower Broadway is a street that is a focal point of Nashville, Tennessee.The street runs east and west between Interstate 65 and the west bank of the Cumberland River. Its features include the Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville Convention Center and various honky tonk bars, including Robert's Western...
scene, where she began to play upright bass as half of the popular roots duo The Gabe & Amy Show. By 1999, she had moved to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
where she began work at Sun Studio
Sun Studio
Sun Studio is a recording studio opened by rock pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 3, 1950. It was originally called Memphis Recording Service, sharing the same building with the Sun Records label business...
.
In early 2006, LaVere released her debut album This World Is Not My Home on indie label Archer Records to instant national acclaim. She was joined on her album by many accomplished artists, including notorious southern bluesman Jimbo Mathus
Jimbo Mathus
Jimbo MathusBirthname: James H. Mathis, Jr.Born: August 1967 Birthplace: Oxford, MSGenres: American musicOccupations: Entertainer, singer, instrumentalist, songwriter, tankerman...
, formerly of the Squirrel Nut Zippers
Squirrel Nut Zippers
The Squirrel Nut Zippers are a band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus , Katharine Whalen , Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher....
. The Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
raved at the time, "Something like this doesn't come along every day." LaVere has also begun a nascent acting career that began with her cameo as Rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
queen Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist...
in Walk The Line
Walk the Line
Walk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold and based on the early life and career of country music artist Johnny Cash...
and continued with featured role in Craig Brewer
Craig Brewer
Craig Brewer is an American film director and screenwriter. His 2005 movie Hustle & Flow won the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and achieved commercial success, along with an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp".- Life and career :Hustle & Flow...
’s Black Snake Moan
Black Snake Moan
Black Snake Moan is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer. It was filmed in and around Stanton, Tennessee, and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake...
.
In 2007, Amy went into the studio with acclaimed producer, Jim Dickinson
Jim Dickinson
James Luther "Jim" Dickinson was an American record producer, pianist, and singer who fronted, among others, the Memphis based band, Mudboy & The Neutrons.- Biography :...
to record her second album, Anchors & Anvils. Dickinson has previously produced albums for Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
(Sticky Fingers
Sticky Fingers
-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, acoustic guitar on "Dead Flowers", electric guitar on "Sway", percussion*Keith Richards – electric guitar, six & twelve string acoustic guitar, backing vocals...
) and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
(in a 40-year relationship that has extended from Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde is American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's seventh studio album, released in May or June 1966 on Columbia Records and produced by Bob Johnston. Recording sessions commenced in New York in October 1965, with a plethora of backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing...
to Time Out Of Mind
Time out of Mind
Time Out of Mind is the 30th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 30, 1997 on Columbia Records. It is his first double studio album since 1970's Self Portrait...
), and whose landmark role as producer includes such eclectic classics as Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers
Third/Sister Lovers
Third, also issued as Sister Lovers, is the third rock album by American power pop group Big Star, recorded in 1974 and eventually released in 1978 by PVC Records...
, The Replacements' Pleased to Meet Me
Pleased to Meet Me
Pleased to Meet Me is the sixth full-length album by The Replacements. It was released on July 7, 1987 .The album to some degree maintains the style of the previous album, and major label debut, Tim...
and Dickinson's sons' seminal the North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars is a Southern rock/blues jam band from Hernando, Mississippi, founded in 1996. The band is composed of brothers Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson , and Chris Chew...
– captured Amy and band at his Zebra Ranch recording barn/'art project' in rural Mississippi.
Archer Records released Anchors and Anvils in May 2007, and the critics instantly latched onto LaVere's album as a refreshing example of noirish southern storytelling. Her second album rose to number six on the Americana Music Charts and earned Amy a nomination for the Americana Music Association Awards' Best New Or Emerging Artist. In addition to her critical recognition, she toured the United States from coast to coast, receiving rave reviews for her genuine and powerful performances. She played a series of dates with The Swell Season
The Swell Season
The Swell Season is a folk rock duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. "The Swell Season" name is derived from Hansard's favourite novel by Josef Škvorecký from 1975 bearing the same title...
, had a breakout performance at Austin City Limits Festival, and shared the stage at the Americana Music Conference with Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
, Todd Snider
Todd Snider
Todd Daniel Snider is an American singer-songwriter with a musical style that combines Americana, alt-country, and folk.-Biography:...
, and others. She continues to tour and looks to expand her dates internationally, where she has already developed a strong radio following.
On October 1, 2008 she opened for Seasick Steve
Seasick Steve
Steven Gene Wold, commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American blues musician. He plays guitars, and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.-Childhood and early life:...
at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In 2009 she opened for musical group Lucero
Lucero (band)
Lucero is an American punk/Texas Country infused rock band that is based in Memphis, Tennessee.-Biography:Lucero's punk rock roots flavor their now "country-ish" music, while their Southern roots give them the twang that they have come to be known by. They had their start in Memphis, TN. The band...
on their 1372 Overton Park US Tour and also toured as a special guest with Seasick Steve
Seasick Steve
Steven Gene Wold, commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American blues musician. He plays guitars, and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.-Childhood and early life:...
.
In 2011, LaVere released her third album Stranger Me to much critical acclaim. Spin Magazine called it "the breakup album of the year." Q Magazine, the Daily Mirror and The Sun all awarded it four stars. Paste Magazine said: “LaVere could rest on her lyrics alone, which are witty and feisty enough to stand on their own, but by giving her band boundless license to indulge any whim or eccentricity, she has crafted a well-rounded album that is already among the year’s best.”
In July 2011, LaVere and her band (guitarist David Cousar, violinist/keyboardist Krista Wroten-Combest and drummer Shawn Zorn), promoted the UK release of Stranger Me in London and France.
In August 2011, LaVere returned from her East Coast Tour promoting Stranger Me. She begins her West Coast Tour September 4th, 2011.
On September 28th 2011, LaVere was named "Best Singer in Memphis" for the second consecutive year by the city of Memphis, TN.
In November 2011, LaVere and her band will tour Europe.
Discography
- 2006: This World Is Not My Home
- 2007: Anchors and Anvils
- 2009: "Died Of Love" (EP)
- 2011: Stranger Me
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2005 2005 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005... |
Walk the Line Walk the Line Walk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold and based on the early life and career of country music artist Johnny Cash... |
Wanda Jackson | |
| 2006 2006 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006... |
Eat | Wendy #2 | |
| 2006 2006 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006... |
Black Snake Moan Black Snake Moan Black Snake Moan is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer. It was filmed in and around Stanton, Tennessee, and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake... |
Jesse | |
| 2011 2011 in film The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :... |
Woman's Picture | Loretta | |
| 2011 2011 in film The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :... |
A Fine Step | Maggie | |
| 2011 2011 in film The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :... |
The Romance of Loneliness | Amanda | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 2006 in television 2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television... |
$5 Cover | Amy | All episodes |
External links
- Amy LaVere at Archer Records
- "Amy LaVere: Country with a Cathartic Twang" by David Dye, World CafeWorld CafeWorld Cafe is a two-hour long, nationally syndicated music radio program that originates from WXPN, a non-commercial station licensed to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The program began in 1991 and was originally distributed by Public Radio...
, NPR, May 14, 2007 - It's Anchors Away For Amy Lavere From honesttune.com.
- Amy Lavere - IMDb profile on IMDB.com
- Stranger Me Paste Magazine Review