Petaluma songbird resonates with original style

Singers have it tough. One of the biggest challenges for the artist who has yet to become a household name is finding their own truly individual sound. Most singers (famous and novice alike) find themselves unwittingly channeling, impersonating, or “doing” a version of some singer from yesteryear’s hit parade. Joe Cocker was a Ray Charles nut. Tom Petty idolized Bob Dylan. Celine Dion is basically a clone of Barbara Streisand, Susan Tedeschi has taken virtual style lessons from Bonnie Raitt, and the list of derivative singers goes on and on. Here in Petaluma, we are lucky to have Amy Hogan, a distinctive vocalist/piano-player who is refreshingly unique and forging her own songstress path.

As Oscar Wilde said, “be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” I fully agree and when I asked Amy about that, she said establishing her own identity is important.

“There are so many singers out there who try in vain to sound like the singer they idolize,” she said. “It has always been important for me to go out of my way not to emulate anyone else. People have tried; but they’ve never been able to pigeon-hole my style or my writing genre.”

The Pennsylvania native has developed a pure, crystal-clear voice and a graceful presentation that’s thankfully uncluttered by affectation. She said she’s grateful for the venue Petaluma provides her.

“I love what Petaluma is able to offer me,” she said. “I feel very fortunate that I can live where most of my gigs are no more than five minutes from my front door. I really don’t have any eyes to go on the road; but I can easily picture flying to New York, for example … doing a couple of nights and then flying home to my family.”

She said the most important aspect to her is her music’s potential to “enhance the life” of her listeners.

“If my songs make someone laugh, recollect, smile, dance, or even cry, I feel I am giving a gift,” she said. “What could be better?”

I’ve been trying to get out to one of her local shows for almost five years, but we always seemed to be working on the same nights. I decided to check out her website and review some of her tunes and live nightclub video footage in the comfort of my home. Overall, I give her music five stars.

“Let Me In”

Hogan’s arpeggiated piano background serves as a feather bed for this haunting melody. The lyric is a largely existential and overtly plaintive request from one lover to another to open up. The stark solo piano accompaniment is proof that the music axiom “less is more” can be used as a production strategy to great effect.

“The In Between”

Hogan’s angelic voice soars over a repetitive and warmly-mixed acoustic guitar lick. The words beg not to be left in love’s limbo land. With triple the budget, this one would cry for a much larger production, complete with lush orchestra and a full gospel chorus.

“I Believe”

More blues-based in the chord set up - I keep expecting a soulful horn to jump in to do the call and response with Hogan’s perfectly-in-tune melody. This track is a good one to prove Hogan’s ability to avoid genre type-casting.

“Permanent Thread”

Here, a Bruce Hornsby-esque piano intro sets up a soaring melody. Hogan teases the listener with just a whisper of vocal harmony on selected phrases. The mix has the piano just a taste too high, hiding some of the phonetics; but if you let her, Hogan’s voice will deliver you to Cloud Nine … a good place to be.

“Goodbye Leopold”

This one has the potential to be a standard, and to be performed by a wide array of artists. She has captured some Billy Joel chord progressions and pairs them with a lyric that definitely approaches the drama of lovers parting from a different angle.

Check out Amy Hogan’s music and upcoming show itinerary at amyhoganmusic.com.

(Sheldon Bermont is a longtime Petaluma musician. He can be reached by email at smb@sbermontwriter.com.)