Claire Small (Photo: Valerie Fremin)

In researching an upcoming Peter Bradley Adams interview, I learned about the music of Claire Small, and found myself drawn almost immediately to her songwriting and voice (the latter of which reminds me of Shawn Colvin). I love Small’s succinct and effective bio: “Claire Small is living out her musical adventure that includes leaving, losing, loving and moving to Texas to sing her heart out.” This spring (May 18, 2010 to be exact)  will see the launch of her third release, How Do You Like Love?,  for Freedom Records. But in the runup to the May release, Small will be offering folks the chance to buy  pre-release packages very soon. Also to whet listeners’ appetites, Small recently revealed that the album’s title track (“How Do You Like Love?”) will be available to download for free sometime in February. She also will be opening for Asleep At The Wheel for a few shows in Arizona, and then returns to Austin to play the Cactus Cafe on Feb. 13, 2010, with Terri Hendrix. My thanks to Small for her time and thoughts.

Tim O’Shea: What was the big attraction to move from Nashville to Austin, Texas a few years ago?

Claire Small: I actually moved to Houston first to be with someone I was in a relationship with but only stayed there about 5 months. When things started to not go so well I knew I had to leave but I didn’t want to go back to Nashville. In 2006 I had been to Austin to play ACL Fest and really liked the city. It seemed so laid back and the people were really nice and very into live music. So, I thought I would go and check it out on my own and stay a week to see if I liked it enough to live there permanently. I haven’t left since.

O’Shea: In what ways has your songwriting voice strengthened over the course of three albums in the past few years?

Small: I believe my writing has become more personal and to the point. My songs are about my feelings regarding some situation I’m experiencing, and I think I used to beat around the bush, probably out of fear of being too vulnerable. Growing up a little more has helped me discard the ambiguity and not be afraid to just say what I’m feeling.

O’Shea: What makes you and bandmates Matt Eskey and Stephen Belans able to collaborate so effectively?

Small: To me, one of the more essential elements necessary in a band situation is the ease of sharing ideas. From the beginning we’ve all felt comfortable exchanging ideas knowing that they’ll be listened to and tried out with open minds and enthusiasm, without any judgment or a bad attitude.

O’Shea: Your next album (set for a May 18, 2010, release) is named “How Do You Like Love”–how did you settle upon that name?

Small: Hdyll is actually the title of the first song. This record is about my journey from Nashville to Houston to Austin and all that it entailed—well, regarding love really- finding love, the heartbreak of leaving my hometown, then the heartbreak of losing that love, the adventure of moving to Austin on my own, and then finding love again. So the song is asking, “How do you like love now, after all you’ve been through? Is it worth all the trouble? Is it always a good thing to follow your heart?” I still think it is. If you had told me before I left Nashville where I would end up I would have told you that you were crazy. But your heart can make you do crazy things. Following mine though has led me to Austin, and I couldn’t imagine my life being any better.

O’Shea: Can you give folks a glimpse into your songwriting process? Do you have a set routine for writing songs, or does that change based on your setting?

Small: I’ve always written songs the same way ever since I was a teenager. First I get this feeling in my chest, sort of a powerfully restless feeling, so I pick up my guitar and start playing, just finding chords that seem to work together. When I find some that resonate with me I start singing. Then the words start to come. Usually a line or two at first, and so I sing those over and over, and then more words come and the song starts to take shape. It usually takes a few days to a week for me to finish it, and then I refine it over time. It’s not really a disciplined way, or like how they do it in Nashville with the whole co-writing thing. For me, writing songs is very personal and private, and I don’t share them with anyone until they’re finished.

O’Shea: What kind of lessons or perspective do you take away from working with a musician like Peter Bradley Adams?

Small: Peter is always working really hard. He never rests on his laurels. Just when his new record is about to come out, he’s already starting to put together his next project. He’s also constantly writing, solo or with other people. I definitely admire the disciplined approach he takes to his music career. He also takes very good care of himself. When we toured together we made it a point to eat well—going to grocery stores a lot instead of restaurants—and get exercise when we could. It’s nearly impossible to have a healthy lifestyle on the road, but if you make a concerted effort, then the toll won’t be so great.

O’Shea: On your Facebook page, your music is characterized as “Indie Rock, Roots Rock, AM Gold”–the first term I am familiar with, but how would you describe “Roots Rock” or “AM Gold”?

Small: A lot of my musical influence comes from 1930’s and 40’s American roots music and includes artists like Hank Williams and Robert Johnson. For me, roots rock describes the filtering of these influences through the rock music I listened to in my teenage years. There are also a lot of big, poppy harmonies and arrangements on this record, emulating bands I loved when I was younger like The 5th Dimension and the Mamas And The Papas.

O’Shea: How did you find yourself (without naming names for privacy’s sake) with a RoadNanny gig? Has your RoadNanny work led to situations where you’re inspired to write a song?

Small: As with a lot of things in life, it was really a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and being ready to take advantage of an opportunity. I had quit my day job to tour with Peter on and off, so when those tours were done I was available to work as a Roadnanny. The family I work for were friends of a friend and asked me to do a trial run on some Texas dates. It was so much fun and we all got along so well that they asked me to tour with them for the rest of the year. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I haven’t been inspired to write, but I have had the opportunity to open a lot of the shows, which are in bigger venues than I would ordinarily get to play. I’ve also gotten an inside look at show business on a larger scale. If I’ve learned anything it’s that there are a lot of logistics and details. Oh, and bring plenty of snacks too.

O’Shea: Is there anything about your music or your bandmates that you’d like to discuss that I did not ask you about?

Small: I think it’s important to acknowledge and continually discuss the changing landscape of the music business. Though the future is uncertain, it is also wide open, and artists now have more freedom and opportunity than ever. We approached this record and its promotion with this in mind, and I’m excited to see what I can accomplish with my own brainstorming and hard work.

[In addition to her website and Facebook page, Claire Small can be found on Twitter here.]