The Watson Twins Issue #36

By K Tighe
Published: August 1st, 2008 | 10:47am

I first became enchanted with the sisters Watson when their soulful Americana croons anchored Jenny Lewis' solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat. I later fell hard for the vintage harmonies on the self-released Southern Manners EP. With a new album out this summer — one that's flush with those signature harmonies, impressive instrumentation and plenty of industry hype — Chandra and Leigh Watson have a lot to gab about. They let us eavesdrop while they chatted about life in the studio, the merits of analog recording, and finally letting go of their newest creation, Fire Songs (Vanguard).

LEIGH WATSON: So we made a record, Fire Songs. How does that make you feel at this very moment?

CHANDRA WATSON: At this very moment I feel very relieved, excited, terrified, and proud. It's as if we are sending our little babe out into the world — a world which sometimes is warm and sometimes very, very cold. What was your favorite moment in the studio?

LW: We recorded over a period of about two months. That first weekend at New Monkey was pretty amazing; the songs began to materialize and become the real deal right then and there. That was a highlight to see them taking shape since not long before, we were just playing them for each other — two voices and two acoustic guitars. How about you?

CW: I really enjoy writing songs and coming up with ideas for the instrumentation and vibe of the song. When I write, I always hear other things in my head — whether it’s a cello on "Fall" or the piano on "How Am I To Be" — all these sounds are floating around and it's so nice to be present as they materialize.

LW: Let's sum this up with a short story of how Fire Songs got its name.

CW: We were touring with Matt Costa, and I had started working on a song that was originally titled "Fire Song” — it was the first in this batch of new tunes for the record.

LW: That song kind of set a standard that dictated the vibe of the songs that followed; they were storytelling — they came from a place that was real, truthful, and uninhibited.

CW: "Fire Song" took on its own shape and is on the record under a different name, "Old Ways," but we couldn't get away from the image of the "fire." The warmth, the idea of torch songs; it’s emotional, real, heartfelt, and meant to bring people together.