This summer, the Indigo Girls played a show at Manifold Recording in Pittsboro, streamed live on WUNC’s Last Motel with Eric Hodge. During their time on stage, they played a range of songs and also spoke about their lives and musical careers.
The Last Motel live stream features portions of this concert as part of the program rotation from now until Sunday, July 14.
Here are a few highlights from the show:
On playing with a symphony orchestra:
Amy Ray: It was total, full-on panic for the first one. But I think we’ve done about ten or 12 times. We’re still scared, but it’s just a different kind of fear now; it’s normal anxiety, you’re excited.
Emily Saliers: Now we don’t throw up all day.
On writing solo vs. writing for the Indigo Girls:
Amy Ray: It’s not totally separate. But when I start a song, I have a feeling about it. I can usually hear Emily in my head. Now, I’ve gotten to a place where, if I’ve made a solo record, I feel this urge to write Indigo Girls songs. I wrote "Share the Moon" while I was making a record called Lung of Love.
On the song “Share the Moon:”
Emily Saliers: I knew that I loved “Share the Moon” and that it was a special song, but people freak out over that song. I didn’t realize that people could freak out so much over a ballad. And it’s really nice because that’s one of my favorite songs Amy’s ever written. I think that Share the Moon has become anthemic for us, in a way—a quiet, quiet anthem.
On Amy rocking it:
Emily Saliers: Amy could rock it with a kazoo. She just rocks it. It’s awesome.
Emily on her restaurant:
Emily Saliers: It’s called Watershed on Peachtree. Our chef is from Louisiana, and it’s really good food. It’s farm to table, so we support all local farmers, growers, humane people who raise meat. And I eat there whenever I possibly can. It is a labor of love.
On Howard Johnson Hotels:
Emily Saliers: When I was a little girl, I hated breakfast food, but I loved fried clams and grilled cheese sandwiches and stuff. So when we went to Howard Johnson’s, I would ask them to make me fried clams as a child instead of breakfast. And also once a week my mom and dad made us soup and sandwiches for breakfast because I didn’t like breakfast food.
Amy Ray: Their hotdogs were the best ever, and they grilled the bun a little bit, too. I love their food. I don’t eat meat any more, but if they had a veggie dog, I’d be down with that.
On the possibility of an Indigo Girls Broadway show:
Amy Ray: You never know!
