Gretchen Peters: Hello Cruel World (Proper Records) (From The Northern Echo)

Gretchen Peters: Hello Cruel World (Proper Records)

6:31pm Thursday 5th January 2012 in Country By Brian Clough

PETERS is no stranger to North-East audiences, having visited The Arc at Stockton, Durham’s Gala Theatre and The Sage Gateshead on numerous occasions previously.

Whether as part of the Wine, Women, and Song entourage with Matraca Berg and Suzy Bogguss or as a solo performer, she has built up a large North-East following.

She returns to The Sage Gateshead on March 1 and brings with her a new studio album, which goes on sale this month. Based on a year of experiencing the best and worst of life, this 11-track offering gives the listener a mix of thought-provoking empathy and shared inner feelings.

“Since I was a child I’ve had a creative urge knocking inside me and I’ve acted on it,” she says “Early on it was poetry, sometimes art, and sometimes as a kid, dance. Until I found the guitar I was interested in everything expressive. By then, words were a friend, but music was a tall dark stranger that I’ve been in love with, or stalking ever since.”

As a taster I will be playing a track from her album on this week’s American Connection Show from Saturday (log on and listen anytime) on euvue.co.uk.

• Tickets are available from The Sage Gateshead by calling the Box Office on 0191-443- 4661.