Laura Veirs likes to party, folk-style

Laura Veirs

Club Café

Nov. 21

21+

$12

Tickets: (866) 468-3401

Inspiration comes from… Laura Veirs

Club Café

Nov. 21

21+

$12

Tickets: (866) 468-3401

Inspiration comes from odd places sometimes.

For folk singer Laura Veirs, inspiration for her newest album came from a simple box of peaches sitting on a table at a farmers’ market.

The words “July Flame” written on a cardboard sign caught her eye, struck a chord and inspired her to write what she believes is her strongest album yet.

“You’ll notice, actually, if you look at varieties of peaches and apples and fruits, that they’re really cool creative names,” Veirs said. She went on to write a song and album titled after those July Flame peaches.

July Flame, Veirs’ sixth album, has a light, airy and acoustic style casual and is carefree enough to fit right in with its namesake’s month.

“Well, it’s more stripped down in a sense. I kind of write the songs with acoustic guitar and vocals in mind rather than a band. That’s a difference, but it’s the same players that I’ve had for the last few records,” Veirs said.

Veirs hopes that the stripped-down, summery album that will drop Jan. 12 will bring some sunshine to the cold winter months.

“I think it’ll be nice because I think people, especially where I live in the Northwest, are hungry for the sun, and there is a lot of sun in [the album], so maybe it will light up the winter months,” Veirs said.

Winter or summer, Veirs is a bit of a homebody when it comes to recording.

Every album she’s recorded has been done out of a studio, and this time, July Flame was recorded from her own home in Portland, Ore., where she lives with her producer, Tucker Martine.

“It was really comfortable,” Veirs said. “It’s like walk down, make breakfast and record a track.”

Veirs said the comfortable atmosphere of home is more suitable to her and her music than the pressure of the studio.

“You feel like, ‘Ah, there’s a lot of money we’re spending on this, we better get it right’ [in the studio], and it wasn’t like that at all,” Veirs said. “It was fun. We have a cat, and he would run through the living room, and it was fun to have friends over and record the record, and it wasn’t high pressure.”

For Veirs, the final product of months of recording is just as personal as the recording experience itself. Art and music are transferred more like a gift than fiscal commodity, she said.

“Not that I think I’m this great gift to the world or anything, but when people respond well, they almost feel like grateful that I worked on that and did that and that my friends did that together,” Veirs said. “That’s how I feel when I experience great music or art.”

With that philosophy in mind, Veirs feels that those hours of hard work and pushing through songwriting blocks are ultimately worth the final product.

“It’s not just a selfish pursuit. It actually impacts people, and they like it, and it makes a difference in the world, and when I think about it, I definitely feel it was worth it,” Veirs said.

Pittsburgh folk fans can catch a preview of July Flame this Saturday at Club Café in the South Side.