Interview with Lucy Kaplansky

Lucy Kaplansky
Lucy Kaplansky

Interview by Scott Preston

New York City resident and singer/songwriter Lucy Kaplansky will be playing 2 shows in the area. One on 2/22/08 at Canal St Tavern in Dayton, OH and on 2/23/2008 at Molly Malone’s in Covington, KY. Lucy was kind enough to answer a few questions:

Cincy Groove: What made you move to New York City when you were 18?

Lucy Kaplansky: I decided I wanted to be a singer. I met this guy when I was 17 in Chicago. He really liked my voice and and we started singing together. He was from New York and we decided to be a duo. This was all right after high school, I think my parents were horrified.

Cincy Groove: There was a point after you moved to New York City that you decided to goto school and not concentrate so much on the music. What brought on this decision?

Lucy Kaplansky: I just decided I didn’t want to be a singer anymore. I went back to school to pursue Psychology, because I was in therapy and I thought it would be interesting to be a therapist. After years and years of getting into good therapy with somebody else I realized I was running away from the thing I really wanted, which was to be a singer. I never really wanted to be a therapist, it wasn’t my first love. By the time I realized this I had already become a Psychologist.

While I was in grad school becoming a Psychologist, Shawn Colvin and I made a album together. It was her idea. She always wanted to produce an album. It was really after the album came out and that I wanted to be a singer again. Then I had an album that Shawn Colvin produced and she was just starting to get famous. That was a huge foot in the door for me.

Cincy Groove: Did you collaborate with anybody on your latest album “Over The Hills”?

Lucy Kaplansky: I have a really great band that I have been working with for a while. I worked with some really great singers who I have worked with before, Jonatha Brooke, Buddy Miller.

Cincy Groove: Who would you like to work with that you haven’t had a chance to yet?

Lucy Kaplansky: I would love to sing with Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle.

Cincy Groove: Has anybody ever come up to you and said how you have inspired them to do something?

Lucy Kaplansky: It actually happens alot. People know my story about changing careers. People will email me or come up to me after shows and tell me they were inspired to pursue music or to pursue something they really loved.

Cincy Groove: What do you do when you are not playing music?

Lucy Kaplansky: I try to write songs. I try to write everyday but its going really slowly. I run my own business and then I pick up my daughter from school. I am a mom when I’m not singing.

Cincy Groove: Did you and your father ever get a chance to perform together?

Lucy Kaplansky: He passed away 1 1/2 years ago. He was a very talented piano player and wrote songs just for fun. I performed some of them and they are actually really big hits at my shows. When I would play in California , where my parents live, they would come to my shows and sometimes travel with me. If there was a piano he would sit in with me and play a couple of his songs together.

Cincy Groove: How did Bob Feldman help you in your career?

Lucy Kaplansky: I sent my album around to a bunch of record labels. Nobody I wanted to work with was interested. Then Bob heard it and really went crazy over it. I remember his quote was “This is the best album I have heard in years.” He really believed in me. He more than anybody is responsible for me having this career.

Lucy’s Website: http://www.lucykaplansky.com

Lucy on myspace: www.myspace.com/lucykaplansky
Red House Records: www.redhouserecords.com

Lucy Kaplansky’s Upcoming Shows:
2.15.2008 Stone Mountain Arts Center Brownfield, ME
2.16.2008 The Grand Auditorium Ellsworth, ME
2.22.2008 Canal St Tavern Dayton, OH
2.23.2008 Molly Malone’s Covington, KY
2.24.2008 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH
2.29.2008 The Crimson Moon Cafe Dahlonega, GA

For a complete tour schedule visit Lucy’s Website: http://www.lucykaplansky.com