Piece Comment

Review: At Home with Ani DiFranco


There are many times during a standard interview where you find yourself questioning the person who’s asking the questions. They go for that ‘head on’ approach which ends up usually diffusing the power of the interview itself. Rita Houston doesn’t make that mistake in this interview by allowing Ani Difranco to speak her mind. Her questions are open ended, and they allow the artist to elaborate on the topic so that it evolves into more of a personalized definition of the subject matter. It’s this type of intimacy that sets the stage, early on, so that the listener can embrace the full essence of the artist.

As the interview progresses you can almost equate the relationship between artist and interviewer, like two people sitting down at a coffee shop for some afternoon refreshments. It’s as introspective as it is entertaining, and provides the listener with an in-depth look at one of the nations most outspoken artists. The honesty found here, whether it‘s hearing Ani’s response to a question, or a lyric in one of her songs, is genuine. It’s after hearing pieces like this that one can truly take pride in the fact, that they have had their cake, and eaten every last crumb.