For today's Artist Spotlight, we had the opportunity to interview a band that's among our favorites, The Weepies! @theweepies are a husband and wife folk duo of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan who hail from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Weepies are known for their fantastic harmonies and indie musical sensibilities. Over the course of their career, they've sold over one million records. We had the chance to touch base with The Weepies to get the inside scoop on their story!
Both Steve and Deb began writing and performing music when they were kids, both having an affinity for music. They came to be professional musicians after their twenties (and a series of other jobs). Deb wanted to be a teacher and had earned a Masters Degree from Brown University in education. Steve went to Stanford and wanted to be a physicist, a screenwriter, a court reporter, a member of the US diplomatic corps, and a postman. Despite time in these positions, deep down, they always wanted to be musicians.
The Weepies were able to go full-time into music beginning in their late twenties to early thirties, after having met in 2001. The band achieved mainstream breakthrough with three records spanning from 2006-2010 (Say I am You, Hideaway, and Be my Thrill).
Regarding their writing process, the duo felt that it's somewhat mystical in nature and that the best songs seemingly already exist and emerge from the ether after they're written. Other times, they force themselves in front of paper or an instrument and dedicate time to the work. However, sometimes ideas just come to them and they let them percolate over a couple of days.
The Weepies have an eclectic group of artists that have inspired them in their careers, including: Paul Simon, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan,Sting, Nina Simone, Edith Piaf, Jerry Garcia, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein, Chet Baker, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, and the late Tom Petty.
The Weepies are proud to be a self-sustaining operation, they write their own music, produce their own records, and play their own instruments. They do concede to having a talented group of musician friends that assist every now and then. As proud parents to three young children, they still spend time on their craft and are currently working on a new track that they feel good about and believe it may be the one that "hangs around a while".
Honestly, we think they sell themselves short in that regard, as they have an impressive discography of five full-length albums and a live EP. What touches us most about The Weepies' brand of music is that you can feel the genuineness with which they play. You hear it in every note, every harmony, and every rhythm that they put out into the world. What also comes through in their music is that it's made by two people that love one another. We don't know about you, but we think that's pretty damn great.
Looking to jump into The Weepies music? We guarantee, despite their name, they will leave you smiling. We'd recommend starting with: "Somebody Loved", "World Spins Madly On", "Gotta Have You" and "Nobody Knows Me at All".
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