Natalie Merchant - Leave Your Sleep

Described as "the most elaborate project I have ever completed or even imagined", the 2-disc Leave Your Sleep from Natalie Merchant arrives April 12 via new label home Nonesuch, ending a seven-year recording hiatus and, as part of the reawakening, taking her deep into a world of classic and contemporary poetry. Working with more than 130 musicians ranging from modern jazz masters such as Wynton Marsalis and Medeski, Martin and Wood to an eclectic and international array of players, Merchant and her collaborators create an array of songs based in traditional Chinese Music, Celtic folk, sea chanteys, Dixieland, reggae, rock, bluegrass, classical and more. The unifying thread to the ambitious Leave Your Sleep is lyrical: each of it's 26 original songs takes its verses from a poem, from wordsmiths famed and obscure, British Victorian masters to cutting-edge contemporary writers: Ogden Nash, e.e. cummings, Robert Graves, Edward Lear (even Mother Goose) to name just a few.

The genesis for the project came while Merchant took a creative break to raise a young daughter in a small New York town. Months of research and conceptualizing led to studio sessions with co-producer Andres Levin and the steady flow of musicians and collaborators. "The sessions were recorded in live ensemble settings to capture a fresh and spontaneous energy," notes Merchant. "They were some of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had making music." Finding what Merchant calls the "mood of a poem", Leave Your Sleep's incredibly diverse range of styles is anchored by the former 10,000 Maniacs singer's distinctive voice and transcendent songcraft. Highly recommended.

Artist Website    Nonesuch

Natalie Merchant - "The Man In the Wilderness" (recorded live for BBC Scotland) (original version from Leave Your Sleep) Watch the video here.

Natalie Merchant - "The Sleepy Giant" (recorded live for BBC Scotland) (original version from Leave Your Sleep)

For an excellent interview with Natalie Merchant -- and overview of her career and Leave Your Sleep -- read the feature in Chronogram here.