The Indigo Girls are set to be joined by a rhythm section and a violinist when the duo —Emily Saliers and Amy Ray — perform Jan. 11 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts.
The concert is part of a mini-tour in Western Washington. Stops in Bellingham and Tacoma precede the Edmonds show.
“We love the Northwest and our fans in the region,” said Ray, over the phone on Dec. 30 from her home in Georgia. “My partner is from Seattle and we spend a lot of time there.”
The more intimate setting of the Edmonds performing arts venue is something she is looking forward to as well.
“Stadiums can be great places to perform,” Ray said. “But with a smaller audience, you can actually look at people and see their responses. There is a different flow to the show. For us, we get a lot out of the concerts in places like Edmonds.”
The set list will include Indigo Girls classics from the start of their careers, Ray said.
“It’ll be all over the map, from the beginning to recent recordings.”
Salier and Ray went to high school together and ended up at the same college. The duo’s rise in popularity began in 1989 with the release of their self-titled album, which included the song “Closer To Fine,” and went on to win the best contemporary folk recording award at the 1990 Grammys.
Their album “Beauty Queen Sister” was released in late 2011. The 13-song collection features the Indigo Girls’ signature storytelling. Recorded in Nashville, the album reunited the duo with producer Peter Collins, who worked on 1992’s “Rites of Passage” and 1994’s “Swamp Ophelia.”
A few years ago, the Indigo Girls had some of their classics scored for performances with symphony orchestras, including one with the Seattle Symphony in 2012.
“We got the songs orchestrated, then we started doing the concerts,” Ray said. “We’ve done 15 symphony shows so far and we have about 10 orchestra concerts during the first part of 2014.”
In addition to the Indigo Girls concerts, Ray is touring in support of her new solo album, “Goodnight Tender,” which has a traditional country, Appalachian kind of sound, “including gospel, bluegrass and Southern rock,” Ray said.
Most of the initial tour dates are in the Southeast states.
Indigo Girls tours in 2013 included fundraising shows to benefit political and social causes the duo supports, Ray said.
“We are inspired by a lot of folks who have accomplished much and we speak our minds in support of what they are doing for other people and the Earth,” Ray said. “However, we also have a lot of fans who could care less about our beliefs and who just like our music. And that’s great.”
The Indigo Girls show starts at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds.
Ticket information is available by calling 425-275-9595 on weekday afternoons, emailing boxoffice@ec4arts.org with your request or ordering online at ec4arts.org.
You can find more about the Indigo Girls at www.indigogirls.com.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
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