New York, NY: Folk rock icons Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, celebrate their long-standing passion for live performance on their upcoming release, Staring Down the Brilliant Dream, out June 29on IG Recordings/Vanguard Records. Capturing the Indigo Girls’ concert experience, the long-awaited follow-up to their landmark 1995 platinum live album, 1200 Curfews, is a two-disc package featuring 31 songs, each hand-selected by the Grammy-winning duo to capture the most memorable moments of their 2006-2009 shows.
For each track, Saliers and Ray have penned personal notes on how they wrote each song, what they remember about that specific show, and why — from among the thousands of performances they had to select from – these particular performances made the cut. The Girls also personally chose the photos, which were submitted by fans, for the special commemorative booklet included with the package.
This collection reflects the spontaneity of a typical Indigos’ concert and includes a mix of solo performances as well as numbers backed by their full band, plus vocal collaborations with such guest artists as Brandi Carlile and Jill Hennessey. It’s also a testament to what incredible musicians these women are and why they’re respected by their musicals peers as well as fans: Saliers’ lead guitar playing is spot-on and Ray proves her rock roots with her driving rhythm guitar work. Staring Down the Brilliant Dream encapsulates the wide range of emotions that fill their shows, from the Saliers’ anthemic, soul-searching classic, “Closer to Fine,” to the socially conscious combustion of Ray’s “Go.”
Through a career spanning two decades and countless concerts and tours, these CDs prove that the Girls’ commitment to excellence and to their fans — now spanning generations, genders and nationalities — remains as strong as ever. Staring Down The Brilliant Dream is a landmark release and labor of love by a duo who prove – tour after tour – that every show is special and every audience deserves their best. For fans, it’s a reminder of all the concerts they were lucky enough to catch, and a consolation for the ones they missed.
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