THE SONGS OF JONI MITCHELL
JESCA HOOP, LAIL ARAD, OLIVIA CHANEY
PERFORM THE SONGS OF JONI MITCHELL
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS RACHEL DADD & JULIA TURNER, JOSEPHINE ONIYAMA, RACHEL SERMANNI AND GIGI WILLIAMS ON SELECT DATES
Following a revered debut at The Roundhouse’s ‘In The Round’ Festival in April, ‘The Songs of Joni Mitchell’ will be performed in Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow in September 2024. Tickets for all shows go on sale here.
The show was conceived and curated by Lail Arad in celebration of Joni Mitchell’s 80th birthday. The success of the sold out Roundhouse show led to increased demand for further shows, leading to this newly announced UK tour.
Described as “a perfect celebration of Joni Mitchell” and a collection of “heartfelt and intricate performances” by Get In Her Ears, the show offers “a truly heartwarming ode to the music of one of the world’s most inspirational artists.”
The female-dominated line-up, all celebrated singer-songwriters in their own right, will perform intimate, stripped back interpretations of their favourite Joni Mitchell songs in a loving tribute to one of the greatest songwriters and musicians of all time.
Jesca Hoop, Lail Arad and Olivia Chaney, who all performed at the original Roundhouse show, will be joined by very special guests in each city: Rachael Dadd & Julia Turner in Bristol, Josephine Oniyama in Manchester and Rachel Sermanni in Glasgow, as well as Gigi Williams, a 2024 Roundhouse resident artist, on all dates.
With vocals and lyrics boldly at the forefront, ‘The Songs of Joni Mitchell’ showcases the magnitude of Joni’s repertoire through the new generation of artists she continues to inspire.
ALL MUSIC MAGAZINE TOOK SOME TIME TO HAVE A CHAT WITH CURATOR LAIL ARAD TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
ALL MUSIC / Lail, could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your journey in the music industry?
LAIL / Yes sure. I’m a London-born singer-songwriter… actually I just peaked at your next question and would like to answer the two together!
ALL MUSIC / What drew you to Joni Mitchell’s music and legacy? How has she influenced your own musical career?
LAIL / I was brought up on Joni Mitchell’s music by my hippie parents. Big Yellow Taxi was the first song I ever performed in front of an audience. I was 11 years old and wearing a yellow belly top from Gap Kids. Almost 30 years later I found myself singing the same song in front of a sold out audience at London’s Roundhouse. You could say Joni literally paved my way into a career in music, and is still doing so today. You could also say she paved every confessional singer-songwriter’s way… nobody was writing such deeply personal lyrics before she opened those doors for us.
ALL MUSIC / What inspired you to curate a Joni Mitchell event at The Roundhouse? How did the idea come about?
LAIL / I noticed, by chance, that Joni was turning 80 the same month I was turning 40. That felt like a good enough reason to celebrate! Once there was enough interest from other artists, which happened very quickly, I needed to find a venue that was as special as the songs. That’s when I approached the Roundhouse. It was their idea to curate the show as part of In The Round, their annual seated festival, which was just perfect for the intimate evening I was envisioning.
ALL MUSIC / You selected artists like Emeli Sandé and Kate Stables for this event. What was your thought process behind choosing these particular artists?
LAIL / My main criteria was that everyone on the line-up, as well as being amazing artists in their own right, was a bona fide Joni fan. I think that’s what made the event so special — there was a lot of love in the room. I also wanted the line-up to reflect the musical diversity of Joni’s expansive repertoire. The two names you mention, for example – Kate Stables and Emeli Sandé – performed vastly different renditions of Joni’s work, but both with such brilliance and conviction. I wanted performers who could bring their own distinct voices to the songs.
ALL MUSIC / How do you feel each artist will bring their own unique touch to Joni Mitchell’s music? Are there any specific songs or performances you are particularly excited about?
LAIL / I pre-empted your question! On the upcoming tour we have some members of the original line-up – Jesca Hoop, Olivia Chaney and myself – as well as new guests joining us in every city – Rachael Dadd, Josephine Oniyama, Rachel Sermanni, Gigi Williams. I’m literally excited to hear each and every one of their songs, and especially excited about some surprise collaborations.
ALL MUSIC / Can you share some highlights or special moments that attendees can look forward to during the event?
LAIL / It’s a very stripped back show, perhaps unlike your typical tribute night. There’s no house band or orchestra… we’re all performing solo, or as small ensembles. This makes for an extremely intimate evening. I don’t want to give too much away… Oh but we do have a choir in the Bristol show!
ALL MUSIC / What was the creative process like in putting together this event? Were there any challenges you faced?
LAIL / Multi-artist shows always have some logistical challenges, the Roundhouse was a big production with a lot of people involved. Though I have to say everyone was delightful to work with, on stage and behind the scenes. The touring version of the show then had to be slightly reimagined of course, but we’re very excited to travel with these songs we love so much, and see how they resonate in different venues and cities.
ALL MUSIC / How has curating this event affected your own understanding and appreciation of Joni Mitchell’s work?
LAIL / It’s been really wonderful spending so much time with the material, and discovering new songs – even albums – which I’d never paid much attention to, through other people’s choices. Her catalogue is immense and ever-evolving. You hear something knew on every listen.
ALL MUSIC / Lastly, do you have any future projects or events in the pipeline that you can share with us? What’s next for Lail Arad?
LAIL / Ahead of the Joni tour I’m taking part in some other fun shows this September — Dawn Landes’ Liberated Women’s Songbook at The Barbican, and a couple of nights opening for Jeffrey Lewis shows. I also have a duo project with my partner, JF Robitaille, and you’ll be hearing the new single later this year. Oh and I’m in the middle of a rewrite for my first novel, but that’s another story…
UK Tour Dates
Sat 21 Sep Bristol St Georges w/ Rachael Dadd & Julia Turner
Sun 22 Sep Manchester RNCM Theatre w/ Josephine Oniyama
Mon 23 Sep Glasgow Old Fruitmarket w/ Rachel Sermanni
CONNECT WITH LAIL ARAD
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
