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Janet Robin rips on the guitar. Her fingers dance over the fret board as
she lays down the melody for her catchy rock tunes. Heavily influenced by
Heart’s Nancy Wilson, on stage Robin uncannily resembles a younger, musically
braver Wilson.
Robin first picked up the guitar when she was six years old. Her older brother
had lessons at the music school down the street. Robin wanting desperately
to be like him tagged along finally convincing her parents to spring for
lessons for her too. Her first guitar teacher, the incomparable Randy Rhodes,
was a big influence on young Robin’s playing.
"He taught me everything I know," she said over a sandwich at Hollywood’s
Highland Grounds.
Rhodes’ influence encouraged Robin to seek out garage bands to play with
in her neighborhood. After playing in a couple no-name garage bands,
Robin answered an ad an all-female band had placed in The Recycler looking
for a lead guitarist.
"I thought that would be cool," she said.
Sixteen-year-old Robin auditioned and joined the pop-Metal band Precious
Metal on the eve of their major label debut on Mercury records. Robin would
spend the rest of her teenage years crisscrossing the US playing with them.
Despite the fact that pop-metal was in its height of popularity, it would
take Robin and her cohorts till their last tour to earn a tour bus.
Right about the time grunge sacked pop metal, Robin and Precious Metal parted
ways. She and former Precious Metal singer, Leslie Knauer, teamed up and
started writing songs. Within the first year of trying to make way with this
new band, Robin got a call to audition for Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham.
Buckingham wanted a guitar orchestra to back him on his solo work. Robin
had the right combination of musical chops and harmonies earned her a spot
in the Buckingham backup band for the next three years.
Playing theatres on their own and then opening sheds for Tina Turner, Robin
was exposed to the elite side of the music business. Buckingham, a notorious
perfectionist drove the band and himself hard. "Every rehearsal was taped," she said.
Buckingham’s commitment to his craft inspired Robin. She cites Buckingham’s
influence in her decision to "break out and sing on her own." "I watched
him every night," she said. Robin and Buckingham would eventually sit down
and work on some material together. "I was really honored."
Then, Buckingham stopped calling. Rumors abounded, but soon the news broke
that Fleetwood Mac was getting back together. After three years, the Buckingham
gravy train dried up. Despite the loss of a regular paycheck Robin was ready
to embark on her own career.
She bought a 4-track studio so she could record her own material at home.
Along the way she’s had to get a couple of part-time jobs to cover expenses,
but she’s never lost sight of her ultimate goal of making music. Seeing Ani
DiFranco at Luna Park encouraged her to create her own label, Little Sister
Records, in honor of the term of endearment bestowed on her by her older
brother.
Little Sister Records has put out two Robin albums 1998’s Open the Door and
2000’s Out from Under. Sold exclusively through janetrobin.com and live shows
Robin has still managed to sell over 3,000 copies.
A LA-area native, Robin says there is a burgeoning songwriter community in
Los Angeles. For the most part, she had to find a sense of musical community
out on the road.
Robin spends a good deal of time out on the road. When touring on the West
Coast she usually drives herself from town to town like a singing troubadour
of old. On the East Coast she’s been able to develop a following by teaming
up with local artists there and piggy backing on their crowd, winning fans
over on each outing.
Still, touring is a grind. Robin books all her own shows and from the road
that can be difficult. If it all works out as planned, Robin hopes to go
out and tour with Virgin recording artist Garrison Starr. The two met at
a songwriter’s night at the LA club The Mint.
Meanwhile, Robin is home in Los Angeles working on material for what she
hopes will be her third album. A couple of record labels have expressed interest
in her and Robin is just waiting to see where that takes her.
The new material, she says will explore the intricacies of relationships
and the pressure being true to oneself exerts on them. Robin, herself struggling
with the recent demise of a long-term relationship, no doubt will have much
to say about this.
Check her out at janetrobin.com
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