The rest of the songs on the album [Mortal City ] have spare arrangements on them. Steve [Miller], really loved that. He'd just come off of a project with someone who basically had to mask the fact that there were no songs there with production. He said, "Oh, my God, you have real songs here!"

The only I would say is a little different is when I know my parents are in the audience. That's never going to be the same as another concert.

I would encourage people to bridge broadly and creatively in their communities, not just because that creates the most fun and resiliency, but also because it creates the most points of access for people to be part of the community, which is what democracy is at its best.

The kind of organic wave, the way that waves move, and I'm not just talking about feminism, the way that a social movement might rise like a wave. It's harder to build any kind of wave now. Things are important to you and then they recede within a day. That's the only thing that keeps me from believing that there's going to be any one organic big wave; although the Americana (music) thing has been happening for a while.

But where do we come up with this notion of a woman in which the less space you take up, the more you're worth?

I just think the reassurance and the steadiness and the hands-on kindness can make a huge difference.

But if you're looking to be spooked by really tall trees then you've got to go to Washington State.