In the late 1980’s, sisters SONiA (Rutstein) and CiNDY (Frank) began a musical partnership that continues to this day as disappear fear--, an acoustic folk duo, and disappear records, their own indie label on which they released their first three albums before being signed to Rounder. After releasing two more albums together, CiNDY chose full-time motherhood and SONiA began to experiment with an expanded palette of musical influences, including blues, world, rock and country. SONiA has won numerous awards including the Gay/Lesbian American Music Award for Best Female Artist of the Year (Almost Chocolate, 1999; Rounder) and for Best Acoustic Album (Me, Too, 2001; disappear records), and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Award for Best Album (disappear fear, 1994; Rounder). Of note, Santa Cruz Guitar Company has just named a guitar after her. BSA Vice President Adam Book had the pleasure of interviewing SONiA at Starbucks in Towson after a recent Maryland snowstorm.

A: Can you tell me about your CD that is soon to be released?

S: It's very exciting. It will be called "No Bomb is Smart" and will be my 4th solo CD and third studio solo CD, since my last CD was live. I'm working with a producer that I've worked with before and his name is Craig Krampf. He also produced disappear fear's self-titled CD. And that was exactly 10 years ago. We did it in Nashville - made it in 10 days. Craig really got the team of musicians together. It's very live, very real. Very Americana, very back porch, homegrown. Nothing is programmed - real fiddle, dobro, mandolo, drums, shaker, etc. Cindy and I sing on 10 of the 12 tracks. There is one cover song - a Phil Ochs tune. He's always been my hero. Basically, I think I got it right.

A: When will it be released?

S: Well, we're releasing it in Australia on January 1st and it's being baked in California as we speak. In the US the earliest it will be released is in the middle of April, because that's when we return from touring in Australia, New Zealand, Wakiki, and Fiji. I don't know what label it will be on, but it will be on a label in the US. We're about to sign a distribution deal with a company in Australia, so it will have national distribution in Australia and New Zealand.

A: Do you have a favorite songwriter? You mentioned the Phil Ochs cover song - is he your favorite?

S: Yes. Phil Ochs has had a profound effect on my life and my music. Especially because I never went to his concerts, never saw how famous he was - my love of him was not something that came from radio or my parents, it really came from a friend of mine who said "check this guy out." So it was so much my choice to love him and didn't seem like anyone else knew who he was. And the breadth of his work - he just seemed to look inside very deeply and say what he wanted to say regardless of many things. It really was very empowering for me to know that that was how I was going to do my music career.

A: Which song of yours do you feel is closest to your heart?

S: My songs for the most part come from my heart. This is true whether it's an issue that I feel passionately about that is political or an issue that's a very personal one, like my relationship or missing my sister or something that affected me in my life. In particular, in this CD I have a song that I write to my dad. He had to go through some very serious surgery and it really scared me. I can't really name just one song. But I would say songs from my new CD and some other ones like "Falling" or "Me Too" I feel real close to.

A: What comes first for you, lyrics or melody?

S: It depends on the song. The song "Opinion #33" I wrote out of a bass-line groove and then I built it up from there. Like "BYOG" I had the idea when I was driving somewhere across America and had my feet up on the dashboard. I thought BYOG - bring your own God - we do that everywhere we go and it was out of having that thought that the rest of the song appeared and I was able to wind that together but it was that lightning kind of thing - like that became the window for the other verses of the song. With story songs, sometimes it's images, you know, sometimes it's just something that I can't shake out of my head. Like the thing that Mary told me, "Me, Too" was her dad coming off the plane and they were literally throwing tomatoes and they were exploding so that the hospital sheets of the wounded Vietnam veterans that were coming off looked like it was bleeding. Now there really wasn't blood there but it made a very big impact to the American public and to the media - that American bloodshed - that we are putting our boys and girls there and we're letting them be killed. Exactly like what we're doing right now. Only now it's even more ridiculous. It's so blatantly against the wishes of the people of this country - and the world.

A: It's good to be able to express these thoughts in music.

S: Yes it is. We're lucky. Free press is so important.

A: Do you try to write every day or just when the muse hits you?

S: I can't say that I'm so disciplined or methodical that I do it every day. I would highly suggest it - for myself as well. I think it would improve my writing. (laughs)

A: Do you have a structured place that you go to write? A favorite location?

S: Yeah, usually a surface that's comfortable - a sofa or bed - sometimes on the floor. But usually in a sofa or bed that's away from other people. But I can really be anywhere. Like this song on my new CD that begins with "There's a chunk of blue gum stuck to the bottom of the bunk bed that I'm lying under." I woke up - we were in Melbourne, Australia - and a lot of us were sharing this room in a youth hostel. We took this mattress and put it on the floor and when I woke up I saw this big wad of gum on the ceiling that was almost fluorescent blue - and that became the first line of the song. And then everybody laughed and I ended up actually writing a lot of the song that day.

A: You've traveled all over the world and have performed in many countries. How do you see the state of the singer-songwriter in other countries?

S: In Australia it is very similar to here - you have certain community radio where they'll play anything and then you have your sort of semi-commercial stations that tend to be biased but in directions that are more liberal, you know, like college stations or NPR, that tend to have favorites but they're not the corporate favorites. And then you have your corporate people - Madonna is as big in Australia as she is here. And sometimes truly some of the other nations of the world will carry artists that aren't very popular here.

A: It's good that demand for American music is high in some other countries.

S: And I think that we have a disposable society whereas in other countries when they find something that's good they don't throw it away as fast. We could learn from that.

A: Yes, it seems in America it's all about this year's model, the next big thing.

S: Yeah, we're very flash-in-the-pan here, very fickle. But that's the roller coaster of fame. Look at Rod Stewart. He still sells big. But he's not being loved probably by 16-year-olds. Instead by 50-year-olds. But that's still a viable market. Maybe he's not on the cover of "Teeny Bop" magazine but he might be on the cover of "Musicians Over 50" (laughs). I don't know - you know what I mean, there's niches and all different levels of fame.

A: I guess as a songwriter you have to look at things at different angles and come up with things that people don't normally think of. I always find it hard to be fresh and not write the same things over and over again.

S: But there's a place for everything in music. Even boring cliches have a place. If it's got a good beat - or some ear candy to it. It depends on what you're trying to do. It's not all about being profound or anything.

A: Sometimes you can try so hard to write something but when you just let go it comes.

S: So true.

A: Can you imagine what you'd be doing if it wasn't music?

S: Paint. That's what I do when I'm not doing music. Like when I'm off the road I'm making paintings. Oil and acrylic. A little bit of watercolor. Sometimes I mix the mediums, which is taboo, but of course I would do that - because I would have to do that. I'm getting more into oil and I really love it but it's a much longer process.

A: Is your work abstract or more realistic?

S: (laughs) Well, let me tell you a story. I think that I paint something somewhat realistic - it's the way I see things. But then I did a completely abstract painting and I called my father and told him I just painted my first truly abstract painting. And he said, "I thought all your paintings were abstract." So, it really depends on the eye of the person.

A: Do you have any advice for beginning singer-songwriters - those who want to make it as independent artists?

S: Run away! (laughs) Seriously, I'd say the biggest thing is to follow your dreams. Because life is too short to do something you hate. But also be humble and grateful that you can follow them. I'd also suggest to write about what you know. And trust your instincts.

A: That's important.

S: Yeah, because sometimes if something's coming up and "I'm gonna make you a schtar" (corporate big shot voice) - it's like "yeah" (Valley girl voice). But I think there's room - I'll quote "The Little Prince" from which I learned one of the best lines I could discover in a book. In the book he says that there's enough sand in the world for everyone. There is. I believe that's true and that says a lot.

A: It can be overwhelming when you see how many singer-songwriters are trying to get their piece of the pie. It's so easy to doubt yourself.

S: Yes. I've always said this about the Baltimore and Maryland - the music scene here is like crabs. Once someone is this much acceptable, someone tries to pull them back down into the bucket. That's what crabs do. Whereas in Atlanta there's not that. In Atlanta there was a sense of community where people were really cheering each other on. Maybe there's a shift and I think the BSA is about that - it's about building a community and helping each other because that's how you win. You win by helping each other and giving what you can and being, you know, cool. I think we have a very unique sense of art here in Baltimore - not only our music but in other areas - like John Waters. There's a lot of creativity here that's really special and highly marketable. I think if we don't collapse on ourselves and don't act like crabs, then the world and certainly the US can get a glimpse of that.

A: That's a very nice sentiment.

S: So I've said my peace. (laughs

A: America seems to be a theme in a lot of your songs, and Baltimore in particular. Are you proud to be an American?

S: I'm proud of the ideals of our country. I think the ideals are really good. And I think it's important to be awake. And I'm completely outraged by, as I think many of us are, by the manipulation of the 1% of the wealthiest people in this country that are running it and running the media.

A: Unfortunately.

A: You've been pretty open about your sexuality in your music. How do you feel this has affected your career - positive, negative, neutral?

S: I think I've probably been weaved into a corner at times - I know I have been. And that's unfortunate for people, for everybody. But you can't make the world spin any faster than it spins. So I just look to be in the moment of my life without bitterness. I feel a lot of love and I love my life. I feel very, very lucky and blessed. I just hope to leave really good art that will stand the test of time. And I hope to be judged in 50 years or 100 years for my work and not just what is the flavor of the week in People magazine. I do really feel that way.

A: I'm sure your work will stand up over the years.

S: Thank you. (knocks on table; laughs)

A: You are like a role model for young gay and lesbian artists who are just coming out.

S: Thank you - I guess that's probably very true, because a lot of people talk to me about that sort of thing. And I've won more GLAMMYs (gay and lesbian version of the Grammy Awards) than anybody. Like the most GLAMA-winning artist there is. (laughs)

A: Most Glamorous. (laughs)

S: Very glamorous, oh yes. I'll say that for the boys. (laughs)

A: Well, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Sonia.

S: You're most welcome.