Keepsake (Compass), Elizabeth Ziman’s fourth record, began when her landlord was considering jacking up the rent and she had to move across the street into a tiny apartment, far away from her recording gear and the baby grand piano on which she loved to write. Or it began when she started keeping a dream journal, writing down snippets of visions in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning on awakening. Or it began when she started leafing through old journals and diaries, little half-finished snatches of lyrics and couplets and freewriting, and tried to see if she could shape them through to some kind of completion. Well, who’s to say where anything begins or ends? But for Ziman, who records as Elizabeth And The Catapult, Keepsake was definitely a milestone record—the end of one thing, and the beginning of something else. Ziman will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FvFhtN9slQ
Ziman: I always love me a good dystopian novel, but this one is especially satisfying in light of everything we’ve been experiencing in recent years with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The story takes place in the future, where a Google-esque company promises their employees benefits depending on how much of their personal life (and selfies) they’re willing to share with their bosses and fellow employees. (If you’re an artist like me, who promotes to your fans by feeding them bits and pieces of your life on Facebook, this premise will feel eerily familiar.) Are we heading toward a world without privacy? I hope not, but it’s possible. Hold onto your secrets, everyone!
