PLAYGROUND BOSTON

All photos by Seth C. Drury!

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Following the lightning success on iTunes of her latest release Luminous, rising star Samantha Farrell was asked to contribute a track to a forthcoming holiday compilation. What she came out with is a cozy, sultry ode to Boston in wintertime. Now, in the holiday spirit,  she’s offering it to everyone for free! I asked Ms. Farrell to tell me about the song, and this is what she had to say:

“A few weeks ago, I was asked to contribute a song to a holiday compilation. At first I said no, as I feel like all the bases have pretty much been covered when it comes to holiday music. That, and I have a strong aversion to sleigh bells. But, then I thought some more, and realized that if I took the “it’s all been done before” attitude, then I could single-handedly prevent myself from doing anything. It’s a highly unproductive philosophy to have, especially in any creative endeavor…..

So, this is what I came up with. I missed the deadline for the compilation, but I’m happy to just be able to share it.

This song is about being hopelessly far away from home, wherever/whatever that is during the holidays. It’s awful, no matter what you celebrate…I moved to Los Angeles right out of college, and I was totally broke before Christmas and couldn’t afford to fly home….ever. I was totally alone, hot, and frying underneath the Southern California sunshine, wishing and longing to be home in Massachusetts, and in the city I was born in, Boston. I would have given anything to see snow, to be cold, to be home. I’ll never forget that feeling. They always say “write what you know,” so here is my version of a holiday tune inspired by our lovely city; it’s called, “I’ll Be Dreaming of Boston.”

(to download right-click on link below and select “save target”):

download: I'll Be Dreaming of Boston (4.27MB) description: by Samantha Farrell

Listen:

Samantha Farrell – “I’ll Be Dreaming of Boston”

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Samantha Farrell

A couple of days ago we selected Samantha Farrell’s “Another Second Chance” as our Track of the Week. Now we say, you must go out and see her perform live! Playing a self-described blend of “jazzy folk rock pop with a twirl,” Farrell’s stirring, sultry voice stands out impressively above her smartly crafted pop songs. Giving a preview of her goods at Lizard Lounge this past Monday night, Farrell blew away the hushed crowd with a brief but memorable two-song performance. As someone who isn’t a fan of the usual singer-songwriter proffering, I must say I loved every second of Ms. Farrell’s soulful exhibition. She’ll be back on stage for a featured performance this Sunday at the Burren in Somerville, with a supporting cast of January Broke’s Chris DeSanty (drums) and Cilla Bonnie (bass,vox).

Farrell’s latest album Luminous, produced by the late great LeRoi Moore (founding member of the Dave Mathews Band), dropped earlier this week on iTunes, and quickly received a warm reception on the pop chart. Featuring appearances from the likes of John D’earth (Dave Matthews, Bruce Hornsby) and Bobby Read, Ms. Farrell sounds right at home playing with the heavy-weights. Check her out at the Burren on Sunday night, so you can say “I knew her when…” before she starts selling out the Paradise.

Samantha Farrell

The Burren
247 Elm St
Somerville, MA 02144

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Samantha Farrell

“Another Second Chance”

Luminous

© 2009 Samantha Farrell

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