Maia Sharp – “The Dash Between the Dates” (audio) (premiere)

Maia Sharp has had her compositions recorded by the likes of the Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Keb’ Mo’, Trisha Yearwood, and many more, but even more impressive is the body of recorded work she’s amassed on her own as a solo artist. A country/rock songwriter of grace and taste, she has an uncanny knack for subtle, simple poetry and an ear for a tremendous hook, all of which are on display on the title track from her upcoming sixth album The Dash Between the Dates, which will be released 16 October.

“‘The Dash Between the Dates’ is just a rhythmic, singer friendly way to say ‘life’,” Sharp says humorously. “My wife and I were having a glass of wine, decompressing, and she was talking about the recent death of her father. She said something like ‘he made the most of his dash between the dates.’ I told her I didn’t mean to be insensitive but could she please not say that phrase again to anyone until I had written a song with it. Finding the handle on a song about ‘life’ wasn’t easy. I used up a few weeks of my own dash looking for it. The breakthrough started with the second verse about people I had lost, most recently my little cousin Kevin ‘a flash in a troubled sky’, my grandmother LaVerne and my father-in-law Bing both ‘the guy behind the guy.’ It couldn’t be preachy or too vague or too specific. It was a lyrical tightrope. I guess it’s up to you to decide if I fell or kept my balance.”