you don't watch TV. why did you STOP? how does it affect the MUSIC?

i also rarely read newspapers or listen to news. i became convinced that watching color pictures of atrocities ACROSS the globe might make me LESS SENSITIVE to real human beings in need in my own town. i think without the noise of tv, my mind is a pretty spacious place with ROOM for lots of independent thought and feeling. the music i make reflects this: spare, simple, and very singular.

what is RADICAL intimacy?

radical intimacy is my secret weapon against the alienation caused by technology and digital oppression. everybody is STARVING for AUTHENTIC human contact because INFORMATION has replaced WISDOM as a currency. my music is very emotional and direct, a practice of radical intimacy.

why are all your instruments so TINY ?

i play a 1905 Washburn parlor guitar (named Delilah) which is VERY small and a TOY PIANO WHICH NEEDS A NAME. i tackle HUGE human issues in the songs - loss, sex, the meaning of life, mistakes, love, longing. i think the little instruments balance out the big content.

what do you mean that your politics are those of the Body?

while i am not incredibly interested in government, i am VERY interested in how people treat each other and how people treat themselves. i had an eating disorder for years that almost killed me. the self-hate was insane but i learned it from the media. ancient fears about women's bodies and women's power are still pervasive. i hope i can help teach young girls (and old girls) how to feel whole and worthy.

is it true that you are a VITAMIN as well as a MUSICIAN?

yes. i've always thought of myself as a WRITER FIRST, a SINGER second, and a PLAYER third. but people tell me there's a lot of NOURISHMENT in the music.

what's this we hear about you and JAPAN???

after months of negotiation, i SIGNED a licensing deal with a brand new japanese label! they plan to release my album HURRICANE CHILD early in 2001 and a tour is being discussed for spring. i am THRILLED, of course - visions of tea ceremony, sushi, and ichibana (traditional flower arranging)!

This interview originally presented for b's Women of MP3.com feature.