Independent Minded

Independent Minded Ani DiFranco continues to pave her own path in music

BY LAURA LATZKO

Making it in the music industry as an independent artist is never easy, but for Ani DiFranco, it was necessary to make music her way.

Over the last three decades, the Grammy Award-winning folk artist released more than 20 live and studio albums as an independent artist. She become an icon for not only her music but also her activism and DIY approach.

On February 13, DiFranco will visit Fox Tucson Theatre as part of a nationwide and Australia tour with up-and-coming singer Jesca Hoop.

Throughout her career, DiFranco pushed the boundaries of music by blending folk with rock, funk, hip-hop, jazz, electronica and other styles.

She worked and performed on some of the same stages as notable artists such as Prince, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Kris Kristofferson and Pete Seeger.

In May 2019, she released her memoir “No Walls and the Recurring Dream,” which shares the story of her coming of age as a woman, entrepreneur, activist and musician. DiFranco says the book gave her a new outlet for expression.

“It was just a new way for me to write after 30 years of writing songs. I was excited to change it up. It was a crazy thing to sit at a computer for two years, as opposed to driving around the world playing guitar and singing,” DiFranco says. “It was challenging and terrifying, but I was glad to make it through. I think I learned a lot.”

She also released the “No Walls Mixtape,” a collection of reworked songs from early in her career.

“It gave me an excuse to pick up my guitar after having ignored it for so much time to work on the book and revisit some of those old songs that came up in the book and sing them in the voice I have now, which is pretty different from my voice at 25, 20 or 18,” DiFranco says.

She looks back on those songs and the era with a different outlook, as someone in a very different place in her life.

“Even singing an old song, it feels different because I’m different now than the person who wrote it. Definitely the process of writing the book and revisiting the old songs illuminated some things for me about what my life was back in my young adulthood,” DiFranco says.

“The book and this batch of songs make me realize in retrospect I was writing about survival and safety. There’s a lot of negotiating danger in the world, in a way I had forgotten. I am a more grounded, strong and safer person now than when I was a young woman just venturing into the world.”

Her last studio album was 2017’s “Binary,” which she worked on with sound mixer Tchad Blake.

At this point in her career, she was ready to give up some control and collaborate with others. She was impressed by the end product.

“It was such a revolution to me, how much creativity can be brought in at the late stage of the process. The whole album is recorded, but a mixer can come in with fresh ears and a new way of interpreting the material and bring something even more to the table,” DiFranco says.

During her career, she has also released albums titled “Not So Soft,” “Imperfectly,” “Not a Pretty Girl,” “Evolve,” “Educated Guess” and “Allergic to Water.”

Her albums have been released under her label Righteous Babe, which she created in 1990. This same year, she released her self-titled debut. She created her own label because the available avenues in the music industry didn’t fit her.

“It just felt like there were inherent compromises to my vision and my integrity I would have to swallow to do all that. I just made up a different way,” DiFranco says. “The biggest reward is freedom. I’ve been free to do my art and do my career the way I wanted to. I was free to make my own mistakes and have no one but myself to blame.” Being an independent artist has come with challenges and a learning curve. Looking back on her older albums, she says she wishes the quality was more professional.

“I didn’t have a team of professionals there to make it sound right or there to help trans-

Over the last three decades, Ani DiFranco has released music as an independent artist. (Photo by Anthony Mulcahy)

late what I was doing. I was just alone in a recording studio, feeling my way through it, operating very emotionally in a moment, which doesn’t necessarily stand up in retrospect or do each song justice,” DiFranco says. “Sometimes, I wish I had better-sounding records that could translate to more people, but I have to keep falling back on I did it the way I felt it at the time and it managed to connect with a lot of people.”

DiFranco didn’t set out to be a role model but found she inspired others, especially women.

“When other people bore witness to me trying to become myself, be unapologetically myself, feel what I really feel and think what I really think and get out from under the way I was socialized, the way I was taught and the way I was trapped in this way or that way, I think it just becomes inspiring to other people to do the same for themselves,” DiFranco says.

“My goal was never to teach anyone anything or show them. It was only to be something I wanted to be. The secondary thing that happens is it helps other people to do that too.”

Throughout her life, she has been inspired by other activists and musicians, as well as comedians.

Her life is different now than when she started in the business. She is now the mother of two children.

She has had to learn to balance her family and career, something not always easy for a musician.

“It’s hard to leave when you have two kids. It’s hard on them. It’s hard on all of us. And it’s hard even when I’m at home to find space to make art, to write a new song, to play guitar. I feel guilty to take the time. It’s a constant struggle, but so many parents know who struggle, just try to strike a balance on any given day,” DiFranco says.

She says many of her fans have grown up along with her.

“A lot of them have become parents themselves like I have, so it’s cool to share the journey with people and hear back from people, ‘Oh yes, me too,’” DiFranco says. “A part of this is sharing all of the aspects of trying to be a mother and yourself.”

Her love of music started at an early age. She was playing the guitar and busking at age 9 and writing her own songs at age 14. DiFranco is not only a celebrated musician but a feminist icon, poet and LGBT and prochoice activist. Throughout her life, being active has been important to her.

She says with the political climate today, it is just as essential for her to speak out. She found people are more open to her ideas.

“I feel like there’s more receptiveness to my music and me wanting to talk about something like patriarchy in polite conversation. People used to just run in the other direction my whole life,” DiFranco says.

Originally from Buffalo, DiFranco grew up with politically minded parents, especially her activist mother.

“She taught me I’m a citizen and I should be accountable to more than just myself in this life,” DiFranco says.

MORE INFO What: Ani DiFranco When: 8 p.m. Thursday, February 13 Where: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street Cost: $31.50 to $90 Info: 547-3040, foxtucson.com