Album Notes

"Life is not always as it seems," goes the old adage. As a songwriter, wife, friend, activist and teacher, Annemarie Russell works to bring that point home to anyone who will listen.

Her album, "Traveling with You," unravels the joys and the struggles of life, all with the deepest sensitivity to the fragile nature of the human existence. As a songwriter, Annemarie's writing reflects both the creative unhindered spirit of a child and the maturity of a woman struggling to make sense of the broken world around her.

Recorded at Jack Straw Studios in Seattle, Washington, the album showcases several fine Seattle-area musicians: bassist Ken Lysen, singer-songwriter Shannon Beck, guitarist and vocalist Douglas Haub, recorder player Sonja Naylor, mandolinist Steve Tapia, pianist Ben Brody, and percussionists Aaron Russell and Jon Anderson.

A seeker of justice and truth, Annemarie Russell's album speaks to listeners across the span of generations. With influences from the Indigo Girls, Joni Mitchell, Nanci Griffith and Carrie Newcomer, Annemarie Russell's lyrics tell stories spanning the range of human experiences. As she writes on the liner notes of "Traveling with You,"

"To accept the terms of life, I believe we must be willing to ask the hard questions and take risks that may sometimes end in permanent defeat."

The hard questions and risks are no strangers in Annemarie's life, and her passionate songwriting leaves no stone unturned in her quest for truth.