Describe your sound.
I would call it "acoustic folk-pop, with hints of R&B", though several reviewers have slotted me in the Americana genre, and a few radio stations have labeled me "country", which I'm really not. I love words & wordplay, double meanings, interior rhymes, weird tunings... I think my favorite description has come from local musician/songwriter Larry Martin, who called my music "High Plains Think-Pop".
What artists have inspired you?
Since inspiration is a bit different from influence, cool question. I'm inspired on a daily basis by anyone who is doing his or her thing with great zest & passion, especially in any creative form, regardless of medium. I'm also very inspired by underdogs, comeback stories, & late starters, for example Rodriguez, Charles Bradley, and a friend of mine named Lauren Heintz.
When did you know you were meant to be a musician?
I loved music deeply from a young age, but shelved it as a primary career choice in my mid-20s, for reasons that seemed valid at the time. It was not until about four years ago, really, that I reexamined that choice and realized that it was *still* what I most loved and what I wanted to do. This is why I so relate to & cheer for the "late starters" tribe above--I'm a late re-starter!
What inspired you while writing songs for your album “The More Things Change?”
"The More Things Change" actually covers a lot of ground for me personally--the songs on that album were written over a period of twenty-plus years, which encompassed some personal turmoil for me, and a lot of loss including the deaths of both of my parents and several others close to me. I would say the unifying theme of "The More Things Change" is an attempt to make sense of those losses & changes. I've always reached first for a guitar in times of grief. A lot of the songs are somewhat uptempo though so it's not a total downer by any means. Though I'm not bluegrass, that's something I appreciate about that genre--horrifying events, cheerily sung!
Any plans for a new album?
Oh definitely. I counted up not long ago and I've actually got at least *two* full-length albums' worth of new songs right now, and I'm very excited about this material. I hope to be back in the studio within the next month. The next release will have a somewhat different tone & sound--I've got songs about pie and dogs and high-mileage diesel engines. I also plan to record here locally in Amarillo this time, using my bandmates and some of our other superb Panhandle musicians.
Where can people go to learn more about your music?
Would love to have folks visit my website, at http://www.amycoffmanmusic.com
and my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/amycoffmanmusic
I'm also on twitter @amycoffmanmusic
Any upcoming tour dates?
Nothing planned at the moment as far as an extended tour, though I hope to be doing my second NM-AZ tour in late spring, and my band The DustJackets normally tours the southwest in June every year. I do have a calendar on my website that I keep updated, that lists all upcoming shows, for both me solo and The DustJackets.
