American singer-songwriter Amy Rigby came to live in Norfolk two years ago, with husband Wreckless Eric. Here, she talks about her latest memoir, Girl to Country, and upcoming gigs in Scandinavia, the US and North Walsham!
If you had to describe your life in one paragraph, what would you say?
I’ve been an artist my whole life: drawing, painting, writing, writing songs and making records. I’ve been a professional musician for over 40 years and am also a mom and stepmother and grandmother. I love films and books, Bob Dylan, cars and clothes; cooking and gardening by necessity.
Where were you born and raised and how have you ended up in Norfolk? Does it feel like home?
I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and grew up in a big family with four brothers, an Irish American dad and Italian American mom. I left at 17 for art school in New York City and lived in Manhattan and then Brooklyn through my twenties and thirties. I’ve lived in Nashville, rural France and upstate New York, and now live with my British husband in Norfolk. He lived near Norwich when we first met over 20 years ago and we always loved visiting and eventually felt the magic of Norfolk pulling us back to live here.
I’m still getting to know the area but find that when I’ve been traveling, even in other parts of the UK, I feel drawn back here. The light and landscape are calm and soothing, the people are for the most part sweet and gentle, and I can just relax and breathe.
Does living in the county inspire creativity, do you think?
There is so much natural beauty, space and peace here, it definitely leaves a lot of time and energy for writing, making music and art. It’s hard for me to judge as I’ve created in tiny apartments in cities with car alarms and police sirens blaring too. But I think there is something magical in the atmosphere and light of Norfolk. It can feel like a shield against the general harshness of the world.
Your most recent album was recorded by your husband, Wreckless Eric – how would you describe your working relationship?
Eric and I have been working together for 20 years now, and the new record we’re finishing up will be my third solo album recorded/engineered and produced by Eric. (We also made three albums as a duo Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby, all recorded by Eric in our various living situations, in France and then our house in upstate New York). I think we both respect and value what the other does and that extends to how we work together. It’s not always easy —making records is hard, exacting work—but it’s usually fun. Trust and belief that we’re working towards the same thing helps. You have to be prepared to risk making a total fool of yourself in front of people you’re working with, and I think being married helps me feel comfortable doing that.
How was your first memoir, Girl To City, received?
My first memoir Girl To City sold really well. My depiction of an artist’s journey in New York City during the last quarter of the 20th century seemed to resonate, even with people who didn’t know me as a musician. That era really captures people’s imaginations, whether they were living in dirty, dangerous, but creatively vibrant Manhattan, or just wanted to know what it was like back then. I’m blessed with a good memory for details: clothes, people and places; can almost remember every meal I’ve ever eaten! I also think my experience of falling in love with music came through in a way that reminded other fans how that sense of discovery feels. Wish I could’ve brought that book tour to the UK – the pandemic cancelled my tour here but a great thing about books is that they’re always new to people who haven’t read them yet.
Is your latest book, Girl to Country, a love letter to Norfolk?
No, that will probably have to be book four, or maybe five! Girl To Country focuses on my messy midlife: moving with my daughter from New York to Nashville in the early 2000s to find a publishing deal, tour and make records; screwing up relationships and (spoiler alert) eventually getting together with Eric. We’ve only lived in Norfolk two years so I need to gather a few more experiences before I can turn it into anything, though I do write about everyday life here pretty regularly on my Substack, Diary Of Amy Rigby.
You recently appeared at a Reel Connections event at the American Library in The Forum, with another American girl now living in Norfolk, Ali Smith. Is it good to stick together?!
It’s lovely to know another ex-New Yorker living nearby – we definitely have some friends and eras of the NY music scene in common. I also really appreciate the American Library having me in to share my books. The Forum is a wonderful community space and it’s nice to have that little corner that feels like home: the big map of America, books by James Baldwin, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Maya Angelou — the best of the US at a time when America looks like a sad, failed experiment. It gives me hope.
Where are you touring next, and are you touring here anytime soon?
My next gigs are in Scandinavia with my husband Wreckless Eric and a Norwich duo called Lassie; then I’m touring solo through the southern US, up to Michigan and back over to New York and New Jersey — lots of driving. My next gig after that (29th of January) is right here in North Walsham at our local, the Peasants Tavern.
Where can people find out more/get hold of your books?
Most of the info is at my website amyrigby.com. You can order my books and music directly from me there or at my gigs or stop into your local independent shop and ask them to get a copy for you. I’ve also recorded both books as podcasts available via Apple podcasts, Spotify etc (just search Girl To City and Girl To Country).
GIRL TO COUNTRY: A Memoir by Amy Rigby is out now. Visit amyrigby.com.
Featured image of Amy Rigby – by Burt Eke
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