Daily Discovery: Cariad Harmon, “You Don’t Know Me Yet”

New York City based Brit, Cariad Harmon’s music should come with a warning label. Her irresistible melodies paired with an authentically pure approach to songwriting prove to be an addictive combination. Click HERE to see if Cariad Harmon is playing in a city near you this fall. (Photo: Thaddeus Rombauer)

 

ARTIST: Cariad Harmon

SONG: “You Don’t Know Me Yet”

 BIRTHDATE: August 14, 1978

 HOMETOWN: London, England

 CURRENT LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY

 AMBITIONS: To become a better musician, guitarist and songwriter. I’d like to be able to make a decent living from the things I feel passionately about, music and storytelling in one form or another. I’d like to end my days knowing that I left the world a little brighter than it would have been if I hadn’t been here at all. Oh, also I recently got a bee in my bonnet to bike across the United States. I have so far never ridden more than about 10 miles at a stretch but I think I’d land in California with some pretty great songs, and ridiculously strong thighs. I’d like to be in a position to help out my folks as they get older and floss more.

 TURN-OFFS: Small minds, small hearts, small talk.

 TURN-ONS: A big sense of humor, very little shame, kindness, compassion, honesty.

 DREAM GIG: “The Last Waltz” I mean come on…are you kidding me? Actual possible and not completely imaginary dream gig…opening for Lucinda Williams or Gillian Welch.

 FAVORITE LYRIC: Losing love is like a window in your heart, everybody see’s you’re blown apart, everybody sees the wind blow.

 CRAZIEST PERSON I KNOW: Possibly Ruben who works at my local pizza place “Best Margharita” in Brooklyn. He is the kindest person I’ve ever met and he’s out of his mind. No one can be that genuinely friendly to everyone, all of the time. P.S. the pizza is amazing.

SONG I WISH I WROTE: Anything from the Graceland record. I can’t even.

 5 PEOPLE I’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: My friends and I used to play a game called “Ultimate Hot Tub” where you have to pick the 5 folks you’d most like to hot tub with. It caused a lot of controversy because in this scenario you have to consider the social dynamic as a whole. I mean I’d love to get in a hot tub with Justin Timberlake but if you put him and Marc Maron in the same bath you’re asking for trouble. I think the same rules apply to “Ultimate dinner party”. If we’re sticking with living people then I’d like to sit next to Dolly Parton, talk life and music with James Taylor, ask a lot of questions to the Dali Lama, flirt with Jack Nickolson and end the evening after a nice chat with Michael Cera.

 MY FAVORITE CONCERT EXPERIENCE: I saw Gillian Welch and David Rawlings play at the Hammersmith Apollo in London a few years ago and it has really stayed with me. It was just the two of them, no bells and whistles, no opener, just great songs and musicianship. I came out of it feeling that I knew them both a little and I think it takes a special kind of performer to make that transference of energy happen. I recently saw this kid Parker Milsap open for Patty Griffin at Music Hall of Williamsburg too. He was so good, and it hurt a little because he is so ridiculously young to be writing such incredible songs.

 I WROTE THIS SONG: I wrote “You Don’t Know Me Yet” about that feeling you get when you are trying to impress someone and everything you say sounds completely idiotic. You open your mouth and before you know it, a total lie comes tumbling out about yourself and you wonder why the hell you can’t keep it together. Which is exactly the way I’d behave if I ever really found myself next to Justin Timberlake in the Ultimate Hot Tub.

It started as a fun little song and I wanted to write some light hearted material because my last album was so dark. Then I got thinking about the personal hurdles we all have to get over to be close to another human being. How much we all want to be loved, and how all of us are dealing with our own private demons and insecurities. When we’re in the thick of those feelings, it’s hard to imagine anyone else could really love us the way we are, and I think that’s where all of our ridiculous behavior comes from in the end. So I tried to put a little bit of that in the bridge in a way that wasn’t too heavy handed. I hope I managed it, 3 minutes isn’t very long!