Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
May 24, 2021
After living in Los Angeles for most of her life, musician Maia Sharp moved to Nashville, where she settled in with the city’s songwriting community. She has collaborated with a diverse range of artists (Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Keb’ Mo’, Art Garfunkel, The Chicks), but the singer-songwriter-producer said some of her most meaningful work has been with Songwriting with Soldiers. “I take brief road trips two to three times a month to work for them,” Sharp said. “(It’s) an incredible organization that pairs a professional songwriter with veterans, active-duty service members, their family members … to turn their stories into songs.” Sharp’s latest album is “Mercy Rising.” She stays in touch with her fans at maiasharp.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Q: This pandemic has made everyone think differently about how we spend our free time. How have you dealt with not being able to travel easily?
A: I’m one of the lucky ones who lives in a neighborhood that fits me so well that I can take a staycation and truly relax, if I flip that switch in my mind. I’m just a few blocks away from a large, protected park in Nashville, where I can recharge when I need to.
Q: Many artists have told me that they’ll never complain about having to travel for work.
A: I definitely have a running list of things I used to not appreciate that I now welcome. I’m starting to fly again for work and though I still don’t love flying itself, I’m distracted from that discomfort by the excitement of just getting out there again and making music with other humans in the same room.
Q: If you had travel plans for 2020 and had to cancel, where were they to?
A: New York, where I co-teach the New York University Summer Songwriters Workshop. That trip was canceled but, fortunately, the workshop went virtual in 2020. And Modesto, California, where I was scheduled to open for Bonnie Raitt. That trip was postponed to this November.
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: The north shore of Kauai (for) hiking. My favorites are the Na Pali Coast trail and Waimea Canyon. There is nothing like that clean, tropical air. I feel my body chemistry change when I walk off the plane in Lihue – like I already know I can completely unplug and recharge there.
Q: What untapped destination should people know about?
A: My favorite destinations all center around nature, which brings me to my untapped destination. Lake Elowin Resort in Three Rivers, California. It’s a quiet, rustic spot about 45 minutes down the hill from the giant redwoods.
Q: Why Lake Elowin?
A: My family started going to Lake Elowin when I was very young, so I have years of fond memories. I always loved it. I still do.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A: That I need a hybrid of organized and free. I want to know exactly where we’re staying, what services it has to offer, when we’re getting there and then no plans. Once I’m settled, I want to be able to explore off the clock with no schedule.
Q: If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A: Aspen. I love the snow and that post-ski day exhaustion … and Scotch.
Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?
A: I’m embarrassed to say I don’t. I can pick up the understanding of languages. I get a good idea of what people are saying, but it takes me a long time to speak it in a way anyone would care to hear.
Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: Nashville, Portland (Maine), Greenville (South Carolina), Los Angeles, Tokyo.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: Protein bars and a travel guitar.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A: A slow, decadent breakfast with a crossword puzzle.
Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A: It’s all about the hotel or cabin rental. Where am I going to stay, and will it be everything I need when I come back from the unplanned excursion totally exhausted and depleted?
Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A: The best is watching the waves crash outside the Fogcatcher Inn in Cambria, California, and swimming with sea turtles in Maui. The worst was the summer after my freshman year of college on a bus ride from London to Newcastle filled with smokers and, I’m pretty sure, exhaust from the bus itself. Fortunately, once the nausea wore off the next day, Newcastle was an interesting place to be.
© 2021 JAE-HA KIM
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