Tuned inTammy Rochelle will host two local shows before heading out to tour and help othersBy Aniesa Holmes
• Daily News Staff
For more than a dozen years, Tammy Rochelle has shared her music with the world, but the Jacksonville native says there’s no place like home. “My family is here and I love the coast. It’s the feeling of home that you can’t replace no matter where you go,” she said. The folk-rock singer/songwriter headed for Nashville 12 years ago to pursue her dream as a musician and has since turned it into a worldwide mission. She splits her time between North Carolina, Tennessee
and wherever her music leads her abroad.
Before she heads back to Europe to kick off her two-month summer tour on May 24, Rochelle will give two shows to local fans on May 15-16 in Emerald Isle and Bogue. “The huge audiences are thrilling and vibrant and the more people, the more energy you have,” she said. “Smaller venues are more intimate like you’re hanging out with friends and you have to look people in the eyes and you have to be real. It’s a little more intimidating but I love it just the same.”
Rochelle has independently released four albums since 2000 and toured in fi ve continents including performances at the 2000 World’s Fair and the World Cup Kickoff events in Germany. “Starting Today” is her latest release and she is also recording her acoustic album titled “Tammy Rochelle -The Living Room” at her home studio. “It’s like dancing alone in your room and you can record at home you don’t have the pressure of a music engineer and musicians,” she said. “That part has been so much more rewarding because I can express myself more.”
Since her 2000 self-titled debut, Rochelle’s music has served as a timeline through her life, exploring heartbreak and emerging womanhood with a spiritual side of hope and redemption. Her style of rock, folk, bluegrass, reggae and blues mixed with exotic and traditional instruments have shaped Rochelle’s style and helped her build her own inspirational brand.
“(It’s) a journey to find who you are,” Rochelle said. “I’ve been writing a lot more Americana-driven music with a touch of bluegrass — it’s like coming back to my roots. The characteristics in my voice are more mature, and my voice has gotten stronger.”
Rochelle looks forward to rekindling her romance with the crowds in England and Germany this summer. She will also have a guest spot on the U.K.’s BBC radio to talk about her new album and other endeavors.
“The more you go into Eastern Europe they’re more humble and happy to have good music and be appreciative,” she said. “It’s not bad to get to see sites in Europe and I only travel on train. It takes longer but you get to see the countryside and meet interesting people.”
Rochelle is also an abstract expressionism painter and jewelry maker. Since last May, she has created 60 paintings andbeen featured in art shows in Wilmington and Nashville. “I saw a video of (Mitchell) performing live and I thought she had the coolest earrings,” she said. “So I went to beauty store to buy some beads and I made some earrings like hers ...” Rochelle will present her jewelry collection during her concert at Beans-N-Screens Café in Emerald Isle on May 15.
“For me it was very exciting to present a new side. It’s another way to get out the beauty that I’ve seen and bring joy into other people’s lives,” she said. Rochelle has gained inspiration from singers like Paul Simon, Carole King and Joni Mitchell. She also admires their sense of style.
When she isn’t performing on stage or showcasing in an art gallery, Rochelle finds time to give back through organizations like Compassion International and World Sports Missions in Kenya. During her visits, she helped raise money to provide food, clothing and education to poverty-stricken families in third world countries.
“I guess that’s another part of the music industry, to use those abilities to help other people …,” she said.
“Starting Today,” is available at www.tammyrochelle.com and www.cdbaby.com.
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