Matraca Berg

“The Dreaming Fields” video

Crystal Hochhalter — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:56:50 +0000

The new video for “The Dreaming Fields” was first started by Jack Spencer, the well-known photographer known for his haunting landscapes and startling portraits. His best known work is The Lost Boys. I was a huge fan of his work and approached him about shooting a video. I was startled when he said yes. Many of the beautiful wide landscapes are his. He unfortunately had some pressing business to attend to and had trouble getting back to finish the piece. His protege, assistant, John Morgan, generously volunteered to finish the video. Much of the old footage you see is John’s own family. I wish I had that much of mine, but it occurs to me with every viewing it could be anyone’s family. The kitchen in the scene was so similar to my granmother’s I cried.

The Berg family farm was sold when my grandparents were too old to run it. It went through a couple more sales and, because it is so difficult to keep a small family farm running, it is now being sold off in parcels. I heard a rumor the old house is being torn down. I am going to try to talk the owner into letting me walk through one last time before it goes. The time I had with Inga and Elmer Berg and my family were some of my favorite memories as a child. Farms are magical to a little one. This is tribute to their hard work and their love. Well done Jack, and John..

Saturday, May 5th

Crystal Hochhalter — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:24:54 +0000

Thursday, May 3rd

Crystal Hochhalter — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:10:12 +0000

“The Dreaming Fields” video

Crystal Hochhalter — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:53:06 +0000

The video for “The Dreaming Fields” has been released on YouTube! This is from her latest album titled The Dreaming Fields.
You can download the whole album here: http://bit.ly/qBM5U8

Video Directed by Jon Morgan.

Thursday, March 8

Crystal Hochhalter — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:55:29 +0000

“You and Tequila” Certified Platium

Crystal Hochhalter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:12:11 +0000

“You and Tequila” has been certified platinum. This achievement marks the second single from his platium-selling Hemingway’s Whiskey album to reach this status.

“It’s thrilling to know that Deana Carter and Matraca Berg’s beautiful song has reached so many people,” Chesney said.

The song is also responsible for multiple ACM nods including Single of the Year, Song of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year, as well as two Grammy’s for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Country Song.

You can read the MusicRow.com article here.

Saturday, February 18

Crystal Hochhalter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:00:35 +0000

ACM Nominations & Critics’ Poll

Crystal Hochhalter — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:45:47 +0000

Matraca received some amazing news this week…

ACM NOMINATIONS
“You And Tequila”
Recorded by: Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter
Written by: Matraca Berg & Deana Carter

Nominated for: Single Record of the Year & Song of the Year!

NASHVILLE SCENE’S
12th ANNUAL COUNTRY MUSIC CRITICS’ POLL

Matraca was mentioned twice in this recent poll:
Best Album: #10 Matraca Berg The Dreaming Fields
Songwriters: #2 Matraca Berg
You can read the full results of the poll HERE.

January 22, 2012

Crystal Hochhalter — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:37:55 +0000

It is January 22. Almost 10 p.m.. and we are waiting for tornadoes to sweep through middle Tennessee. Tornadoes have always been almost a totem in my life. I lived in Indianapolis for a short time as a child. I’ll never forget the first dark, bruised heavy sky that warned of the terrible storm that was approaching. My cousin Timmy was visiting from Nashville and my mother knew something might be coming and told him what to look for so he could get us to safety. I remember I was riding on my big wheel…then Timmy running to me and turning me the other way to see the dark tide of cloud approaching our home. Next thing I remember was the whole family crowded under the stairwell. Dad had a flashlight. I was crying. My little brother Eric, who was just a toddler, patted my arm like everything was going to be fine. He still does that..sweet little brother. My sister, was fearless as always. But we were all very quiet. Very still. I heard a distant roar..but it went by quickly and missed us by about a quarter mile. We were lucky. To this day, I have tornado dreams. It is usually when I feel my life is out of control, or something bad is coming. I can say with much relief, I haven’t had one in a long time.

So many great things have happened. I have been nominated for a grammy with Deana Carter for You and Tequila, my stepson and his wife Dorian had a big ol boy named Declan James Hanna, I am writing with the coolest girls to come through Nashville in years, Angaleena Presley, Ashlee Monroe, Kimberley Perry, Mary Steenburgen…life is good. I still can make a living doing what I do and that means a lot. Times are hard in the music industry. Piracy is destroying so many of my friend’s livelyhoods. I wish people understood who was really hurt by this. Most of us aren’t wealthy or even close, but we contribute a great deal. Then there are the young ones who are having a much harder time even getting started. It makes me sad. I love the access of the internet…but wish there was a way to get people paid. It’s just a few cents per play… it needs to add up. Or the music dies.From the bottom up. It’s just a matter of time.It breaks my heart. Storm is coming for sure if they can’t figure out how to protect intellectual property. Art makes life worth while. For me anyway. I don’t want to miss out on the next Bruce Springsteen, or Harlan Howard.

The wind is screaming outside my window…I need to go check the weather!.

Love and peace to all of you, M

“Dreaming Fields” makes Engine 145 & Performing Songwriter’s lists

Joey Luscinski — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:57:22 +0000

Engine 145 named “Dreaming Fields” #3 in their Best Albums of 2011 list:
It had been nearly 12 years between Berg albums. The Dreaming Fields was more than worth the wait. “You and Tequila,” co-written with Deana Carter, got the lion’s share of attention in 2011 thanks to Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter’s recording, but it’s just one in a collection of 11 stellar songs; from the piano-laced title track about the death of the family farm (which also appeared on Trisha Yearwood’s Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love) to the bluesy, hard-edged other woman tale “Your Husband’s Cheating on Us,” Berg proves why she’s one of the best singer-songwriters in country and roots music. Oh, Matraca. Don’t ever leave us again.

“Dreaming Fields” made it on Performing Songwriter’s 10 Favorite CDs of 2011 list:
Matraca Berg is one of Nashville’s finest and most respected songwriters, and this is a shining showcase of her work wrapped in her gorgeous voice. The Dreaming Fields is Matraca’s first release in 14 years, and is a complete delight. She’s simply one of the best. (Matraca Berg’s The Dreaming Fields was featured in Performing Songwriter’s Be Heard Jukebox.)