Music
Press
"Ten gentle rainy day love ballads, beautiful in simplicity and telling in their honesty. Blomquist envokes the likes of Jewel and Patty Griffin as she combines dreamy acoustic guitar melodies and soulful vocals behind sugary songwriting. Like a conversation with an old friend, Blomquist's music is gracious, forthcoming and in my opinion absolutely worthy of a listen." - Josh Orendorf
"...I popped in the new CD by Treva Blomquist only to discover a richly, well-imagined finished product, full of musical dynamics and rich tones. Blomquist shines in this acoustic format, which gives her pure, but powerful vocals room to move with ease through the aural landscape. And did I mention the range on this CD? Blomquist's voice glides easily across the six-string landscape from the pure, sweet pop of "I Could Get Used To This" (possibly one of the absolute sweetest musical confections since the early 70s) to the more driving feel of "Nothing Left To Give" and "What's A Girl To Do?" As a writer, Blomquist is definitely not a one-trick pony. Unusual chord structures and serious guitar licks keep the movement flowing, saving this CD from falling victim to the predictable monotony of most acoustic works. The wide emotional range is just one more component of this ultimately listenable offering. This artist is more than ready for a bigger stage and just one listen lets you know that she's got the goods. This stripped-down gift of a CD lets audiences into the intimate world of a true song crafter who has been blessed with the ears and vocal chops to complete the package." - Cathey Stamps
"With the countless female folkies strumming their confessional poetry in coffee-houses and festivals up and down the land, it’s often difficult distinguishing one chirping songstress from the next. ...the fact is precious few have the voice or the stories to set them apart from the rest.
(Plain Vanilla Me) has two remarkable qualities; namely, wonderfully understated guitar playing and a warm, intimate, lo-fi production. That combination makes this perfect for a Sunday morning; interesting enough to hold your attention but subtle enough, like incense, to just scent the silence.
Her guitar playing (with contributions from Ben Gortmaker and Andy Metz) often references Nick Drake, particularly on ‘Nothing Left to Give’ and the songs themselves have a fragile Patty Griffin quality which gives them that same sort of endearing vulnerability. Blomquist’s voice is mellow, almost conversational... for many, particularly those into Jewel or even the Cardigans, “Plain Vanilla Me’ could be your flavour of the month."
Date review added: Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Reviewers Rating: 7 of 10 stars - Robin Cracknell
'Americana Tonight!' Celebrating One Year; Kevin Welch To Headline Anniversary Show
NASHVILLE, TN (June 20, 2005) - Americana music - that hearty stew of roots, rock, folk and twang - celebrates its finest hour, make that its finest three hours, every Wednesday night within the cozy confines of The Sutler, 2608 Franklin Road. The venerable Nashville club is home to the AMERICANA TONIGHT! Series, which will toast its first full year of musical excellence with a special anniversary event at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 20, featuring the incomparable Kevin Welch.
First-year highlights have included sets from established performers such as honky-tonk hit-maker David Ball, witty popster Amy Rigby, Texas songwriting icon Walt Wilkins, Grand Ole Opry regular Elizabeth Cook and veteran troubadour David Olney. Meanwhile, there have been success stories such as that of frequent guest TREVA BLOMQUIST, who came to the show through an open audition night and six months later was named a New Folk finalist at Kerrville. Other lesser-known, but no less talented, artists have expanded their fan bases by performing on the show - a fact that is not lost on savvy managers and record-label personnel seeking exposure for their artists. - http://somuchmoore.com/press_releases/at06202005.htm
"...a Seattle transplant to Music City. She performs in a folk soprano with jazz tinges around its edges. Her CD is titled Plain Vanilla Me, but she sells herself short. These are melodies of depth, and her guitar work is exemplary." - Robert K. Oermann
"The term ‘acoustic’ has become somewhat of a misnomer as of late, becoming a gimmick for MTV artists and therefore losing cred with real fans of the genre. But that’s where Seattle singer-songwriter Treva Blomquist really gets it right with 2006’s PLAIN VANILLA ME. There is no flowery arrangement; no layered guitar or bombastic vocal effects – just guitar and one vocal naked and untethered. PLAIN VANILLA ME successfully captures Blomquist at her most basic and organic, lyrics painfully confessional and music unadorned and soaring in a style more than a little reminiscent of early Joni Mitchell. An unrestrained and starkly beautiful listen, Plain Vanilla Me is an all too infrequent homerun for folk purists and ‘new acoustic’ fans alike." - Shael Risman
MUSICARES BENEFIT SHOW: In a country whose government shows little concern for health care for the masses or support for the arts, MusiCares provides a lifeline for musicians struggling with medical, financial or personal emergencies. To aid the cause, Gypsy Girl Productions, a.k.a. Nashville artist manager/promoter/booker Jen Ross, has organized this fundraiser. Treva and the Suits are folk-rockers at the core, though the song "Everything" on their MySpace page reveals a grittier, bluesy edge. - Jack Silverman
"Her smooth, pure voice caught our ear at an open audition in 2004 and her rock solid performance on an earlier show left no doubt that we were witnessing an exceptional craftperson at work." - Americana Tonight - Mark Wehner
"... the focus (is) directly on Blomquist's vocals... showing a range from quiet singer-songwriter style to an edgy bit of Blues to a light touch of Jazz. The Nashville-based Seattle native has written or co-written all the ten cuts, too...
It'll be interesting to see where she goes next. In the meantime she's been compared to Joni Mitchell and to Jewel. Fans of both those women will likely find things to like here." - Kerry Dexter, Sr. Contributing Editor
Discography
These Fading Things - June 2011
As It Should Be (EP) - August 2008
Plain Vanilla Me - May 2006
Notable radio airplay:
WRVU Nashville, WRLT Nashville, Public Radio East (NC), various Belgian stations, Last.FM, Pandora, WDVX Knoxville, RisMixLive, Moozikoo Radio
Photos
Bio
Treva Blomquist
Wondering how to pronounce "Treva"? click here: http://tinyurl.com/ys6u2x
"...melodies of depth, and her guitar work is exemplary." - Robert K. Oermann, Music Row Magazine
"There are no weak links on this album (These Fading Things), and that’s a rare statement to make these days. The disc ends as strongly as it begins... It’s been a while since I have heard an album that has so many strong possibilities in so many genres. Consider me sold!"
— Chuck Dauphin, Nashville Music News
Treva Blomquist treats her listeners to exquisite stories on life and love on her latest release, These Fading Things. The album is a narrative of a life lived in forward motion: moving past a broken relationship (On Your Own), past the wrong side of life (Chasing After You), and into the beauty of letting it all go (Live A Little). Both encouraging and questioning, the songs lend an achingly beautiful balance to the trials and joys of life. Her sweet, mournful voice instills a longing to the words that prove she's taken these lessons to heart, and the honesty and integrity in Treva's songwriting gives it an accessibility few artists can match. Listeners will find themselves spellbound by her tender soprano and heartfelt lyrics.
The album title is taken from Chasing After You, Treva's favorite track on the album: "Can't always tell from the outside, but there's a mess inside of me, rising from the worth I've placed on all these fading things..." She explains: "I was thinking about what drives change - it's often the idea of trying to find something lasting that will bring us happiness. So we chase after things: careers, relationships, love, people, a bigger house, more money, etc. We think that if we can just get them, they will make us better. But in reality, they just get old and fade away. Hence the title of the album - These Fading Things."
For Treva, forward motion took a literal turn two years ago when she and her husband Josh, along with their two dogs Bella and Winston, moved from Nashville, Tennessee to Conway, Arkansas. The pair quickly put down roots and Treva turned to songwriting and touring full time; son Zach arrived soon after and a new chapter began for the family. From a full-time position with the Nashville office of the GRAMMYs to mom and songwriter, Treva has settled into a new groove, echoing the themes found on These Fading Things. "It's all changed for the best, and my priorities have shifted, but it's a new normal, and I absolutely love it… Here in Conway, I've been able to slow down, breathe, live each day and feed my soul."
On These Fading Things, Treva is backed by an impressive list of Nashville musicians, including her band The Suits: Ben Gortmaker on backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, Drew Wilson (Space Capone) on bass, Brad Odum on drums and percussion, Hitoshi Yamaguchi on cello and Eric Quarim on keys. The decision to use additional musicians on the record was a mutual one between Treva and her co-producer, 5-time Grammy nominee Erick Jaskowiak (Crooked Still, Alison Brown): "I had a few songs that I had recorded with The Suits that were never officially released, but it wasn't enough to fill out the whole album. So for my newer material, I hired some studio musicians and booked two days at Compass Sound Studios. Erick helped me a lot with selecting musicians for the album." In addition to producing, Jaskowiak also mixed the album and provided backing vocals on Slow It Down.
Compass was the birthplace of 2009s As It Should Be, also recorded with The Suits and produced by Jaskowiak. This time around, some of Nashville's finest studio musicians pitched in, including Drew Wilson (The Suits, Space Capone) on bass, Rob McNelley (Dolly Parton, Lady Antebellum) on electric guitar, Ian Fitchuk (Mindy Smith, Landon Pigg) on drums and percussion, and Jeff Pardo (SONICFLOOd, Matthew West) on hammond B3 and piano. Treva found the process of working with them a breeze: "We laid down the basics for each track and ended up recording a total of 10 songs in those 2 days. It was great working with them - they are really professional, and had great input on each song."
After taking care of the instrumentation, the album still lacked one important detail: Treva's vocals. She decided to go old-school and set up in a friends garage, joined by Gortmaker on acoustic guitar and Yamaguchi on cello to add a few finishing touches. On working with the two, Treva says "I love working with Ben, we have worked together so long that working with him just feels like home… I love the playful cello Hitoshi added to "Live A Little" and the beautiful long lines he added to "You Don't Believe".
Well-crafted lyrics and solid musicianship are the common thread tying together These Fading Things, which ventures farther outside the folk realm than Treva's previous efforts. The album opens with the contemplative You Don't Believe, a beautiful reflection on a failing rel
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