Amanda's Got A New Story

Amanda Marshall is in a good space -- relaxed and casual.

She gives off that impression, dressed in a basketball shirt, hair in braided pigtails, and sitting cross-legged on a couch in a day room at a downtown hotel.

The 27-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter also gives off that impression on her recently released third album, Everybody's Got A Story, which she's currently travelling across the country to promote.

It's surprising, really, considering what's at stake with this record.

After hopping to the top of the national music scene with her monster debut, Marshall stumbled somewhat with her sophomore effort, Tuesday's Child, which failed to make the splash -- critically or sales-wise -- that its predecessor did.

But if there is or was any pressure on Marshall, she doesn't seem or sound it.

"Before recording, I had some time off -- I think that was a big part of it," Marshall says simply about her frame of mind pre and post recording.

"And I'm really happy. I'm in a good mood ... I just focused, I knew what I wanted to say."

But more importantly, the performer knew how she wanted to say it.

Everybody's Got A Story takes more of a groove-oriented approach to music that -- while still very much Marshall, thanks largely to that polished granite voice of hers -- may come as a surprise to longtime fans familiar with her previous rock-soul offerings.

Much of the new direction comes in the form of drum and percussion programming from an unknown DJ named Molecules.

But as to where the sound originated from, Marshall says it's a natural evolution.

It's the kind of music she's always been into and what she's tried to focus on in live performances, which, by the way Calgarians will get a chance to see early in the new year.

"It's my third record so maybe you get a little closer every time," she says, also admitting she's aware her new album is more in keeping with the current musical climate.

"Every time you do this you get a little closer to finding your voice.

"It takes a couple of stabs, and not to overanalyse it, but I think sometimes you just hit a groove. I hit a moment where I was like, 'Yeah, this is cool.' "

Lyrically, Marshall thinks she's also found a new formula that works.

She says she wanted the album to come across as conversational and more personal, while at the same time employing a certain ambiguity that would leave songs open to interpretation.

Marshall points to the cynical matrimony song Marry Me, which some people have wrongly taken to mean that she and her boyfriend of 10 years have or are going to tie the knot.

"It was really important to me not to repeat myself. I didn't want to write a bunch of love songs. I didn't want to write a bunch of songs that are about the same thing. If I've touched on a subject already, let's touch on it from here instead of from the same angle.

"We tried to do it a lot and that's one of the things that I'm really proud of -- lyrically, whenever convention dictated that we go left, we really tried to go right."


	AMANDA'S GOT A NEW STORY CALGARY SUN MIKE BELL Rocker's latest CD shows personal side Amanda Marshall is in a good space -- relaxed and casual. She gives off that impression, dressed in a basketball shirt, hair in braided pigtails, and sitting cross-legged on a couch in a day room at a downtown hotel. The 27-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter also gives off that impression on her recently released third album, Everybody's Got A Story, which she's currently travelling across the country to promote. It's surprising, really, considering what's at stake with this record. After hopping to the top of the national music scene with her monster debut, Marshall stumbled somewhat with her sophomore effort, Tuesday's Child, which failed to make the splash -- critically or sales-wise -- that its predecessor did. But if there is or was any pressure on Marshall, she doesn't seem or sound it. "Before recording, I had some time off -- I think that was a big part of it," Marshall says simply about her frame of mind pre and post recording. "And I'm really happy. I'm in a good mood ... I just focused, I knew what I wanted to say." But more importantly, the performer knew how she wanted to say it. Got her groove on Everybody's Got A Story takes more of a groove-oriented approach to music that -- while still very much Marshall, thanks largely to that polished granite voice of hers -- may come as a surprise to longtime fans familiar with her previous rock-soul offerings. Much of the new direction comes in the form of drum and percussion programming from an unknown DJ named Molecules. But as to where the sound originated from, Marshall says it's a natural evolution. It's the kind of music she's always been into and what she's tried to focus on in live performances, which, by the way Calgarians will get a chance to see early in the new year. "It's my third record so maybe you get a little closer every time," she says, also admitting she's aware her new album is more in keeping with the current musical climate. "Every time you do this you get a little closer to finding your voice. "It takes a couple of stabs, and not to overanalyse it, but I think sometimes you just hit a groove. I hit a moment where I was like, 'Yeah, this is cool.' " More than one meaning Lyrically, Marshall thinks she's also found a new formula that works. She says she wanted the album to come across as conversational and more personal, while at the same time employing a certain ambiguity that would leave songs open to interpretation. Marshall points to the cynical matrimony song Marry Me, which some people have wrongly taken to mean that she and her boyfriend of 10 years have or are going to tie the knot. "It was really important to me not to repeat myself. I didn't want to write a bunch of love songs. I didn't want to write a bunch of songs that are about the same thing. If I've touched on a subject already, let's touch on it from here instead of from the same angle. "We tried to do it a lot and that's one of the things that I'm really proud of -- lyrically, whenever convention dictated that we go left, we really tried to go right."