Catching Up with Singer/Songwriter Mary Bue

Singer/Songwriter Mary Bue (Photo Darin Back)

This weekend I noticed that Mary Bue was performing at Sacred Heart later this month to launch her newest album The World Is Your Lover. It seemed a good time to reach out and catch up. She produced her first album in 2000 and has been a productive songwriter and steady performer ever since.

Her cover of "Desolation Row" on the album Bringing It All Back Home to Duluth Does Dylan, a compilation by local musicians that should be in any Dylan fan's collection, never gets old. As a performer she has an impressive resume. She's gained a notable following wherever she goes.

EN: I last interviewed you when your album Holy Bones was released in 2015. Since then you moved to the Twin Cities, but you're still making original music. Bring us up to date on the past three years.

Mary Bue: Wonderful to connect with you again, Ed, and I greatly appreciate your love of music! The Holy Bones era was a very pivotal time. I switched genres from playing mostly piano-based tunes to more grungy electric guitar indie rock vibes -- and even had a symbolic funeral for my keyboard! Ha! Now I've (sort of) returned to center and have found room for both.

I moved to Minneapolis in 2016 to follow an opportunity to open a yoga studio. It truly just fell into my lap -- a small space near Powderhorn Park which I called Imbue Yoga Studio. This was the catalyst to move down here, although I had been feeling the itch to move for awhile (I'd been back in Duluth since 2011 after a four-ish year stint in Seattle). I signed the lease for the yoga studio in February 2016. In March I broke my shoulder attempting to snowboard for the first time. In April I acquired the studio and my ex-husband and our friend Bob Olson started remodeling. April 7th my band went down to Nashville to record The Majesty of Beasts on some studio time I won from a Battle of the Bands scenario. In May, I moved and ... filed for divorce. June 11th Imbue Yoga Studio had its grand opening. In three months, I broke a shoulder, recorded in Nashville, moved, divorced, and opened a yoga studio. It was a wild time. LOL.

The yoga studio kept me sane in the midst of a very intense and emotional whirlwind. I met, worked with, and practiced with wonderful, caring, spiritual friends and teachers. I cried on the floor a lot, pretty exhausting. Musically, my band had blown apart, but I decided to still release the EP we recorded, The Majesty of Beasts. In it I had (finally) shared a song-story about a sexual assault which happened to me in 2006. I announced the song was coming and then BAM, #MeToo movement took off shortly after. Zeitgeist. I'm not sure why I waited so long to tell that story, but damn, it was apparent that I surely was not the only one, of course. Unfortunately. Horrifyingly.

Magically, around the time that I opened my yoga studio, I was notified that I received a three month Artist in Residence award to spend three months at the Helene Wurtlitzer Foundation of New Mexico to work on my craft. Of course I accepted, even though that was only six months after opening the studio. But how could I not? Music is my heart... and that experience in New Mexico changed my life.

Musically, I moved through a number of sweet band incarnations during this time, met a lot of music heroes I'd been following (for example, I took a few guitar lessons with Adam Levy who I'd been listening to since I was 14 in the REV 105 era) and then I met my former manager, Mike Buenting. He heard me supporting Tina Schlieske's (Tina and the B Sides) show at Icehouse for the holidays and was very genuine and almost apologetic for not having ever heard of me since I'd been doing music for so long. We agreed to work together and then he set me up with a new band formation to record some new songs. I wasn't entirely sure how this project would go, but I had a lot of songs in the hopper that never really fit anywhere, and had just written the title track The World is Your Lover and the writing in Taos on artist residency provided quite a few downloads from the universe while hiking along the Rio Grande River gorge (like Shit Storm--video and single were just released in July).

Mary Bue with her Gibson. (Photo Darin Back)

I was introduced to and began working with producer and bassist Steve Price (The Suburbs, Rex Daisy, former instructor at IPR), Jeremy Ylvisaker (who has played guitar with Andrew Bird, Haley, Jenny Lewis, John Prine to name a few), Richard Medek on drums (who drummed on Kevin Costner's rock albums! And plays with Molly Maher, Erik Koskinen, Chris Koza). We knocked a fourteen song album out in 4 months. I did TWO kickstarters to pay for it (ughhhhh!). Brought in the stunning cello of Julia Floberg (Delphia Cello Quartet), Shannon Frid-Rubin of Cloud Cult, my first touring partner Crystal Meisinger sang harmonies on Shit Storm, Stephan Kung of the Suburbs played trumpet. Both Adam Levy and Alan Sparhawk were special guests. Essentially, this was the album of my life. My life's work. So much love and money poured into this beast.

During the recording, I decided to close my yoga studio. It was making "negative money" as I like to say (with a sad, wry smile). I had always said, "if I close the studio after three years, I'm going to Bali. If I stay open after three years, I'm going to Bali."

So, I booked a freaking trip to Bali. I've been wanting to go for 15 years. More about that later. (Oh, and India, too.)

For the last three years, to return to your question, I've been making the world even more of a lover. Really getting intimate with it. Failure. Success. Relational, business wise. Taking risks. Crying on the floor. Stopping to smell the flowers as much as my monkey mind will allow. And really, feeling pretty damn good, considering.

EN: Covid-19 has put unexpected restraints on musicians this year. Dylan's Never Ending Tour was put on hold for the first time. How have you adjusted? And how are other musicians you know dealing with it?

Empty airport, Osaka Japan.

MB: I was traveling from late December 2019 to March 21st 2020, to India and Bali. I had to come home from my travels two weeks early due to USA issuing a "level four travel advisory" which basically said get home by whatever means possible or prepare to stay. Part of me wishes I would have stayed in Bali! But there is much to love here. My last minute flight re-book took me through Osaka, Japan. NO ONE was in the airport. It was very, very end-of-times.

Since returning home, I've been okay. I actually had a really wonderful two year relationship that ended mutually upon my return. So not only was I back sooner, but really alone-alone. I had to self-quarantine for two weeks after my trip, and then the stay at home order was issued. I went EIGHTY days without really seeing anyone except my neighbors or people out walking. Then I finally eased up for social distance hangs.

I feel so grateful to my meditation, yoga, mantra, and running routines. While I was in India, I received a certificate in Nada Yoga--the Yoga of Sound--where we explored the power of vibration, cleansing techniques to deeper experience sound, and deep discipline with which to listen and also practice (instruments, and voice). I fell in love with the sitar. I took 28 days of sitar lessons, bought one, and brought it home. I found a teacher here in Minnesota and am still taking lessons.

I had a feeling there would be a shift for me musically before I left. I couldn't put my finger on what it would be, but it felt like I wanted to perform fewer shows for awhile. I got my wish... but it has been financially not so happy. I lost quite a few well-paying shows. Many of my friends are struggling. Performing is a huge part of our identity. I've been performing my songs since 1998. I feel okay though, with the shift, and again, grateful to have other practices to balance it out with.

I'm not a huge fan of the live stream home concerts, mostly because I am not sure how it sounds to the audience. I did a show with Gaelynn Lea (thanks SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME, friend!), but my sound was shit! So I don't like that possibility of mortification... although that is a vestige of prior performing humiliations from my youth. I am so excited about live streaming from Sacred Heart, though! Eric Swanson will be at the helm mixing for us and oh my GODDESS I am so looking forward to performing with my band again, even if only the tech crew are in the room and everyone at home watching from their couches.

I truly do not know what the future holds for performing musicians, but I so look forward to hearing live music in a room with other people again!!!

EN: City Pages awarded you with Best Songwriter for 2020, which is pretty high praise in a major city filled with musicians and songwriters. Was this based on your 2017 release The Majesty of Beasts?

MB: Thank you so much and I am deeply, deeply aware of the weight of this honor. In the write up, the author said that the Majesty EP was "near perfect" (jaw drop!!), however my publicist sent City Pages my new album which is releasing Aug 21, so I'm pretty sure it is based off of that, and perhaps a deep dive into my last twenty years of work? I can't really say. It was an absolute shock and surprise and it's been only a week now and I'm still reeling. So grateful. So floored. So delighted.

EN: What are some of the themes you've been addressing in your newest album The World Is Your Lover? Is your upcoming Sacred Heart concert essentially an album release?

MB: The album is bookended with two rather apocalyptic numbers, Shit Storm and The Riverman. Shit Storm was one of those downloads from New Mexico... this low-to-high grade anxiety that the Earth is OVER IT. Fleeing the disasters, both natural and human-made. Watching Lake Superior turn into a desert before my eyes (a true story vision ...). The Riverman talks about the River Styx ... how one must have a coin under their tongue to give to the Riverman to cross to the other side. In between these little ditties are a whole lot of drama. Complex love gone wrong. Tons of longing and hope. Some real desperation in there. I like to find solace in the Anne Lamott quote: "If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better." Ha! The title track is very positive, though. A forgiving realization; a letting go of shackles, a purging of the past.

The Sacred Heart show was purely serendipitous! I wasn't planning on having a release show until October 23rd (Hook & Ladder Theatre & Lounge in Minneapolis with Turn Turn Turn & Alan Sparhawk supporting). However Sacred reached out and the day they booked us for was the day after my album officially releases! So, yes. It is the Duluth album release. And very fitting, since that venue is so special to me.

EN: Briefly, how long have you been teaching yoga? Can you tell us more about the retreats in Bali, Taos and Grand Marais.

MB: I've been teaching yoga for 11 years now, since 2009. I received my training in Seattle at Whole Life Yoga Studio with Tracy Weber. Tracy sold the studio a few years ago, but I just heard one week ago that it is closing. Heartbreaking! Another casualty of COVID. Been grieving that. But yeah, the yoga community and my master teacher Tracy is still in my life. I got further training here in Minneapolis at Yoga Center Retreat (formerly Yoga Center of Minneapolis) and then an additional 200 hours at Nada Yoga School in Rishikesh, India this past January.

I launched a small "Creativity and Yoga" retreat side-hustle just last year in 2019. I have chosen these three locations because they are extremely dear to my heart. Grand Marais is in November, at Naniboujou Lodge (it is tentative if they are opening this year due to the virus). Taos will be in June 2021. The 2nd Bali, Indonesia retreat is coming up in late February 2021, fingers crossed they will let Americans enter Indonesia! I am 100% there if so. And you all are welcome to join!

I have a deep love of travel, yoga, exploring creative practices -- writing, painting, poetry, music. Why not combine them all? And my past experience in running a yoga studio, albeit briefly, and like hundreds of years in food service has really sharpened my skills and heart to serve and offer luxurious, hospitable, friendly travel adventures. This truly feels, also, like my life's work. Both Grand Marais and Bali sold out. But then, COVID ruins the party again and things have had to be postponed. It's all good. I trust that we'll get a handle on this and travel will, hopefully resume with new caution, and awareness, and a deep reverence for how precious life is and how much there is to explore, learn, and love. We cannot take anything for granted ...

EN: Where can people learn more about you and follow your career?

MB: So much lives on my website marybue.com. I also have a Patreon -- Patreon is a "membership" or "fan club" where people subscribe with a monthly rate for different rewards like vinyl, yoga classes, and exclusive posts (patreon.com/marybue). I'm also quite addicted to instagram (@marybuemusic).

My music lives on most major streaming platforms, YouTube, and bandcamp.

EN: Anything else you would like to add?

MB: It's been a pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to ask these questions. I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. The music is revealing enough!


Related Links
MaryBue.com
Five Minutes with Singers/Songwriter Mary Bue
Bringing It All Back To Duluth Does Dylan -- Inspired Local Musicians Step Up Their Game