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MUSIC Songwriter Eliza Gilkyson tackles social issues, politics Songwriter tackles social issues, politics Comment By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings Follow @@VickieAldous DailyTidings.com By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and activist Eliza Gilkyson isn't afraid to tackle even the most politically incendiary topics — from school shootings to childhood sexual abuse. Yet she always tries to explore the emotional, human elements of hot-button issues. "I almost cringe when I hear the words 'political' and 'message music.' I really try to make great poetry," Gilkyson says. "The times we're in right now interest me. There's a sense of cascading crises. I write from the emotional standpoint of how that feels. It's the way I process the world we live in. I write about grieving and flares of hope." The Austin, Texas-based artist is bringing her blend of folk, roots and Americana music to Ashland with a performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Unitarian Fellowship, 87 Fourth St. The concert will feature songs from her newest album, "The Nocturne Diaries," which received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album. Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased online at stclairevents.com , at Music Coop, 268 E. Main St., or by calling 541-535-3562 . Tickets will be $28 at the door, $10 for ages 12 through 17. Kids 11 and younger get in free. Gilkyson wrote "An American Boy" after a troubled young man shot more than two dozen children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012. She says the song is not specifically about that incident, but about the rash of mass killings across the country. As a boy builds a bomb he plans to detonate at school, the song opens, "I posted pictures on my Facebook site, A shooting star in a long dark night, A lonely kid beneath the basement light, With thunder in his hands." "I wanted to write from the point of view of the killer," Gilkyson says. "It's so easy to write them off, but these are our children. It's an epidemic. How did he get this way?" In "Not My Home," Gilkyson tapped into a friend's childhood experience with sexual abuse to tell the story of a girl who wonders, "Why don't they notice something's wrong? Why don't they ask me if there's something different going on? I'm living in a danger zone. This house has secrets that no one should ever have to bear alone." Gilkyson portrays the girl's strength and resilience, writing, "Someday I'll walk out my front door, I won't come back here anymore, I'll live the life that's meant for me." "In this way, I painted a way out for her," Gilkyson says. "She knows she will get out." Another of her songs addressing contemporary issues is "No Tomorrow," about turning off "the harsh glare of the flat screen blue light" to reconnect with a loved one. "I do think we need to balance our time spent in front of the screen," Gilkyson says. "I spend so much time in front of my computer I have to make myself get up and go for a walk outside. There's a real difference between face-to-face contact with nature and loves ones versus experiencing everything through a tiny screen." Taking a step back in time, Gilkyson has crafted a new version of the song "Fast Freight," which was written by her father, also a songwriter. In the song, a woman who was once a drifter riding trains across the country fights off her yearning for travel and freedom in order to stay with a "good hearted man who thinks the world of me." Gilkyson's adult son — who collaborates with her on harmonizing vocals along with her daughter — was the producer for the new version and also created a music video. Gilkyson credits him with giving the new version its eerie, atmospheric feel. While many of the songs on "The Nocturne Diaries" explore the dark side of life, Gilkyson ends the album with the gentle ballad "All Right Here" about a singer at peace with her life. "I wanted to remind myself about the joy in the little things. In the music industry, unless you're everything, you're nothing. So many people with lifelong careers are under the radar. There's a sense that you're not successful yet if you're not a household name," says Gilkyson, whose songs have been covered by Joan Baez, Rosanne Cash, Bob Geldof and Tom Rush and used in films, PBS specials and prime-time television. "This song is a reminder of what's really valuable. I wouldn't trade my life for anyone's." Gilkyson will devote her first set at the Ashland concert to songs from her "Dairies," then play audience requests from her past albums during the second set. She will be accompanied by guitarist Nina Gerber. "Every night, I have no idea what will happen. It will be spontaneous," she says. "We will laugh and cry and go into the unknown." Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings Follow @@VickieAldous DailyTidings.com By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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