Soul Sister

Eliza Gilkyson isn’t afraid to express her passion, poetry and politics.

By: Susan Van Dongen
   Although she’s based in Austin, Texas, and grew up on the West Coast, singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson has a connection to Pennsylvania and New Jersey that goes back to the Revolutionary War.
   Generations ago, her "great-times-eight" grandfather, Gen. Jedidiah Hunter, fought alongside George Washington, even spending the winter of 1777 in Valley Forge with him. Ms. Gilkyson discovered a treasure trove of letters from Gen. Hunter to his father in The Huntington Papers, an out-of-print book she stumbled upon on the Internet. Intrigued by the language, the detailed reportage from the war and the young officer’s longing for home and family, she wove the letters into her song "Jedidiah 1777."
    "Send the cloth for a good waistcoat, I dream of your hearth and the fields of oat… I remain your son most faithfully, Jedidiah."
   It’s one of 10 beautifully crafted songs on Ms. Gilkyson’s 2005 release, Paradise Hotel (Red House Records). The album showcases the artist’s poetry and passion, her dusky voice and range of influences — from cowboy songs to Bach to the Waterboys. Ms. Gilkyson will be at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Titusville Oct. 28, for an evening of music co-sponsored by Concerts at the Crossing and WPRB FM’s Music You Can’t Hear on the Radio.
   Speaking from the road somewhere in the mountains of Colorado, Ms. Gilksyon says she spent years sifting through her ancestor’s letters, placing the song in 1777, when morale was particularly low in the Revolutionary Army.
   "Washington’s army was in Valley Forge and the British were occupying Philadelphia," Ms. Gilkyson says. "I was thinking about the courage it took to sustain that many years of hardship, going against the very wealthy Loyalists who were putting the British up in their houses. It was a very harsh time. I was touched by the one letter he wrote to his father about getting a good piece of cloth."
   When she’s not writing about her family, the politically charged performer isn’t afraid to tackle current events or make political statements through her music. "Man of God" is a good example, in which Ms. Gilkyson takes government and religious leaders to task for twisting the definition of "family values."
   The line "Jesus said help the poor and the weak, if he lived today he’d be a liberal freak," really jumps out at you. No surprise Ms. Gilkyson wrote the song around the time of the 2004 presidential election.
   "When I sing it now, I change ‘liberal’ to ‘radical’," she says. "I don’t like being manipulated in the name of religion and I do think it’s unfair for religion to be usurped by any political party. I have my own beliefs and I appreciate the freedom to explore them without being condemned. And I would wish that for anybody."
   But isn’t it sometimes challenging to sing "Man of God" in the "red states," especially Texas? You’d think Ms. Gilkyson might get some strong reactions — maybe even some threats.
   "I’m speaking to a certain group of people — not to everyone," she says. "There’s about one person in 100 that has a different opinion and, no problem, I respect that. But I do have a desire to encourage people like myself to speak their opinions and not get bullied into silence."
   Although it sounds like a gentle ballad in the style of an old-fashioned Mexican folk song, "Bellarosa" also carries a subtle political message. Sung in Spanish on the CD, the English translation is available on Ms. Gilkyson’s Web site. Inspired by the poetry of Pablo Neruda, Ms. Gilkyson muses on a perfect day spent experiencing the innocence and joy of her granddaughter. Then she wonders about her granddaughter’s life in the future, with the background noise of war and violence. She wonders about all the children growing up in these times.
   "When You Walk On" closes the album on an existential but uplifting note. In between, Ms. Gilkyson is joined by fellow Austin resident Shawn Colvin on "Calm Before the Storm." "We’re soul sisters," Ms. Gilkyson says. "We like each other a lot. She’s very supportive and it’s great to have someone like this in my home town."
   The daughter of songwriter Terry Gilkyson (who wrote the Dean Martin hit "Memories are Made of This"), Ms. Gilkyson recorded demos for her father as a teenager. Soon after, she began writing and recording her own material. In the late ’60s, she moved to New Mexico, raised a family and developed a loyal fan base in the Southwest and Texas. After signing with Red House Records, she released a streak of critically praised works. Land of Milk and Honey (2004) was nominated for a Grammy and Paradise Hotel has garnered Ms. Gilkyson numerous Folk Alliance Awards.
   It’s been a long time since the singer-songwriter was a "hippie girl" wandering around the Southwest with her guitar. At 56, Ms. Gilkyson has been working in the music business for about 40 years and has seen her best success in the last five or so.
   "I definitely have some miles on my tires," she says with a chuckle. "It’s ironic, but I’m enjoying it. I’m making hay while the sun shines."
Eliza Gilkyson will perform at the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington
Crossing, 268 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, Oct. 28, 8 p.m.
Tickets cost $20. For information, call (609) 406-1424. On the Web: www.crossingconcerts.com.
Eliza Gilkyson on the Web: www.elizagilkyson.com