Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this edition Suzanne Vallie offers the story of how her song “Keep Away” was born. Draped across a backdrop of summer memories, Vallie describes the track as one full of free spirited influence and thoughts of friends – two of the best things this world has to offer.

On “Keep Away”:

Originally, this song was a joke. I made it up on a drive to Duluth to make my friend laugh. But once I played it on ukulele, it turned pretty. It reminded me of lurid, spooky summers spent in South Dakota. When I was young, I’d watch the cars cruise in endless circles, going one town over and then back down Main Street. Girls hung their legs out the windows and the guys were 10 years older and spit out the windows. When Orion Treon (Plastic Chord) added guitar in the studio recording, I begged him to make it sound dirty like a tuned-up muscle car. When Dave Anderson and I did the mix, I wanted it to flirt like the girls who smoked outside Dairy Queen; funny, pretty, sexy, and a little scary. I dedicate it to Tanya G.’s homemade tattoo. She didn’t regret it. The world flipped her off first.

Suzanne Vallie “Keep Away” (mp3)

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This post is part of our 60-hour blogathon in support of music development and literacy within the Twin Cities. We appreciate you visiting the site – but before you go, we ask that you consider clicking the Donors Choose banner below and giving what you can to help enrich the lives of a number of local children through music and reading. Thank you. – Culture Bully

Also: (Suzanne Vallie @ 331 Club 10/18/2008)