Legendary Singer/Songwriter Janis Ian Releases The Light at the End of the Line On Vinyl Overseas
“The Light at the End of the Line reflects her rich harmonic palette
And her ability to distill life’s complexities
Into concise and striking imagery and metaphor.”
— the U.K.’s Arts Desk
LOS ANGELES — A lot has happened since legendary singer/songwriter Janis Ian released The Light at the End of the Line, her first record of all-new material in 15 years. Released on her own Rude girl Records label in January 2022, the critically acclaimed album earned Ian her 10th GRAMMY nomination, as well as a nomination for Artist of the Year from International Folk Music Alliance. Ian will also be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at IFMAs, and is sitting on best-of critics’ lists.
To celebrate the one-year release, Ian has inked a deal to release the record on vinyl for overseas distribution. The wax version is in stores and online NOW via Rude Girl Records, distributed by BFD / The Orchard.
Of the vinyl offering, Ian says, “Remember, you audiophiles - every vocal track on this was recorded at a live show or is a ‘first-take’ vocal. If you hear the occasional breath or spit sound, that's why. We did as little as possible. No vocal limiting or compression. Enjoy!”
The Light at the End of the Line has been met with overwhelming critical, fan, and industry praise, called “profound,” “beautiful,” and “elegant”. Rave reviews around the globe, from The New York Times and NPR to The Guardian and Pop Matters. Among the best-of lists the record has landed on are the U.K.’s Arts Desk, Australia’s Rhythms Magazine, and America’s A.A.R.P. The Magazine, where writer Jim Farber opined, “Ian’s swan song offers a worthy, and moving, goodbye.”
“With more years behind me than ahead, I’m grateful and astounded at so much recognition. The GRAMMY nomination brings me full circle: my first nomination was in 1967, also for Best Folk Album. This marks my 10th, in eight different categories, over six decades. A Lifetime Achievement award from the International Folk Music Alliance is a huge honor in the folk community; I’m truly honored. It’s a bittersweet moment, given everything that’s happened this year with my ability to vocalize – but a grand one,” says the 71-year-old artist.
While 2022 was mostly a year of highs, it did draw one devastating low. After contracting a non-COVID virus that May, Ian was left with career-debilitating vocal cord scarring. “My intention had been to finish up my final U.S. tour this past fall, then play major venues in Europe, U.K., and Scandinavia, ending with a run at Dublin’s National Theatre finishing May 31 [2022]. Unfortunately, I had to cut the tour short when I contracted this weird virus. I won’t ever be able to sing the way I did again, so this album is truly my ‘last’. There will be no more tour dates,” she explains.
As she “rewires” her career, Ian is busy giving back to her fans with a variety of creative projects, including an archival donation and possible duets compilation album. “I’ve donated my entire archives to Berea College, a school that embodies much of what my work stands for,” explains Ian. “I chose Berea over larger institutions we’d spoken with; there were also a few universities and colleges that wanted my archives, and would have paid a pretty penny for them. I chose Berea because instead of building a 50 million dollar sports space, they concentrate on building 50 million dollar students – all students attend tuition-free!”
The archives date back to her grandparents’ immigration paperwork when they came to the U.S. from Russia and Ukraine. Including more than 250 boxes – everything from poetry, songwriting notes, lyrics, and journals dating back to age 10 to financial statements, tax returns, papers covering contract negotiations and actual contracts, gold and platinum records, videos, correspondence with other well-known artists – they’re a treasure trove for anyone interested in the times and life of a legendary artist.
The impressive haul also includes such rare items as correspondence with authors (among them Pat Conroy), artwork like a wonderful drawing by Joan Baez of the two performing onstage, and her father’s 1937 Martin D-18 guitar. “I received no money or other consideration for this donation. My only stipulation is that everything eventually be made available to the general public, not just to academics,” she adds.
Additionally, she’s planning an album of previously recorded duets. “My friend Jeff and I are sitting on hundreds of archival tapes; from live shows to alternates to work tapes. When I began thinking about a duets album, I thought, all I have to do is assemble what I’ve already recorded with other people, get permission, and voila! I’ve gotten to work with people like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Mel Tormé, and Chick Corea; it would be great to have it all in one place,” Ian told Songwriter Universe last week.
Meanwhile, Ian vies for Artist of the Year award at the 2023 International Folk Music Awards (IFMA) on February 1 in Kansas City, Missouri, where she;s being honored with the Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Award, and is up for Best Folk Album at the 65th GRAMMY Awards on February 5 in Los Angeles, California.
In recognizing Ian for the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Folk Alliance says, “Janis Ian is a music icon whose songs and performances have resonated with the public for over five decades. Much of her music has poignantly focused on social issues, as Ian is a pioneer of both confessional singer-songwriters’ music and social protest. Her first hit, ‘Society’s Child,’ written when she was just 14, spoke empathetically about interracial romance, and her indelible song ‘At Seventeen’ remains the anthem for ‘ugly duckling girls’ maligned by false beauty standards.”
“Her music defies easy categorization,” they continue, “with albums like Stars and Between the Lines becoming classics in both the adult contemporary and folk rock idioms. Ian was also a pioneer of artist-run labels with her Rude Girl Records and, after coming out with her groundbreaking 1993 album Breaking Silence, she’s been a beacon for LGBTQIA+ awareness in the folk community.”
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