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From Musician to Mom
An Interview with Suzanne Vega
By Laura Paul
Her lyrics seem cerebral: poignantly fragile yet streetwise. A singer/songwriter of poetic and complicated songs, Suzanne Vega has always been a storyteller. Perceived by many as an "ice queen," she raised consciousness about children's rights and domestic violence in the 1980s with her song about an abused child, Luka.
"I think I've learned how to present myself to an audience in a more direct way," Vega says. "I think in the beginning I was and still am very shy and very private, but I think I've learned to relate to people more directly. And, some of it came from having a child. There is something about having a child that puts you in touch with a huge section of humanity."
Vega says motherhood has changed the part of her that remained distant and aloof, a part of her that inspired lyrics for songs such as Solitude Standing:
"Solitude stands in the doorway and I'm struck once again by her black silhouette, by her long cool stare and her silence. I suddenly remember each time we've met."
Taking time off to raise her daughter in the late 1990s, Vega now has 20 or so songs that are "percolating." A single mother, Vega writes her own lyrics. Her daughter, 8-year-old Ruby, is one of her best critics. Although Vega has not been the most prolific singer/songwriter in the past several years, it is easy for parents of young children to understand why.
When Vega was married to her former producer, Mitchell Froom, Ruby was an infant. Together they traveled to different countries, crossed time zones and still Vega found time to nurture and feed her baby.
That doesn't mean there weren't many difficult times. Vega recalls when Ruby was a toddler, they were on board a ferry in England and Ruby began pitching a fit after receiving a vaccination shot. Not the time to sit down and write a poetic song, she admits.
Still, Vega has learned much from her daughter, including the art of balancing motherhood and her music career, although at times "with great difficulty," she says.