THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Windy City Times: On the one hand, Performing Songwriter called you "fabulous" and The Chicago Tribune compared you to Tori Amos. On the other, you're a server at a Chicago restaurant. Ever feel a disconnect between your day job and your life's work?

Martha Berner: Of course. I've gone through different cycles, though. A music career requires flexibility, the most compelling reason to work in [ the food ] industry if you're an artist, or anyone living the life less traveled. I think I've learned to see all aspects of my life as part of the journey of getting there. And by "getting there," I mean happy. [ I'm ] enjoying the days, the hours and minutes that will one day make up my entire life.

WCT: What made you decide to make music part of that journey?

MB: It kind of snuck up on me. I performed in musicals as a teenager and played the cornet in band. I finally picked up a guitar at 17, and fell in love with it immediately. I took it everywhere, performing improvised songs for my friends at late night parties with the two chords I knew, mostly comic observations. I began writing more serious songs and was fortunate enough to have some very supportive friends who praised my musical efforts and encouraged me to keep going. So I did. About two years later, while living in the Virgin Islands [ and ] fulfilling the traveler in me, I just had a moment: it occurred to me just how passionate I had become about writing, singing and playing guitar. I decided I had to pursue it as far as I could.

WCT: I have a theory that writers are influenced by the landscape in which they grew up. How did spending your formative years in Wisconsin affect your writing?

MB: I grew up in a very small town with a lake and lots of trees. I spent the bulk of my childhood running around in the woods building forts and daydreaming. When I wasn't doing that, I was sitting on the beach gazing out at the lake or the sky, just thinking. The rural aspect of how I grew up nurtured my natural tendency to think a lot. Philosophy was my thing, questions of "Why this? or "How that?" My religious upbringing also influenced my passion for music. My parents belonged to a very small "hippie" church. My father played guitar, my uncle played the drums and, later, my sister was a vocalist in the church band. I grew up watching music be regarded as a deeply spiritual expression of life and love.

WCT: Besides religious music, what are your musical influences?

MB: I'm all over the place. As a child, [ there were ] The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, The Beatles [ and ] Led Zeppelin. Oh, and Music Machine and Kid's Praise albums"very popular children's Christian music. I went through a passionate Supertramp phase between the ages of 10 and 13. High school was littered with a range of bands like Erasure, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Indigo Girls, Ani Difranco, The Pixies, Nine Inch Nails and so many more. I've since gone through many others such as Tom Waits, Velvet Underground, Patti Griffin, Brandi Carlisle, Wilco. Ugh, the list could go on and on.

WCT: Do you think of yourself more as a writer or a performer?

MB: Both. Performing is such an incredible physical outlet. When you're really feeling connected with your audience, it's just amazing. I consider it a real privilege to be able to express myself through music and singing. And I love the writing process. It's like a puzzle"how [ do I ] say just what I'm trying to say? What melody and guitar part feel best?

WCT: What's your writing process like?

MB: It varies. Some songs come really fast; others have taken a whole year to finish. I think they always start with a melody and a few guitar chords. Once I'm hooked on something I really try and let my subconscious say what it wants to say. After that, I kind of hash through and then try and connect in a more conscious way and drive home whatever impact I want the song to have.

WCT: You're playing with a backing band for the first time on your new album. How did that come about?

MB: It has taken years to find these guys! I love them! Finding a great band is a lot like dating. You go out on a lot of dates and you might kind of like someone, or get along mostly or even really like them but know that something's missing. The chemistry you need in a band cannot be forced, it either is or it isn't. At first it was just that I had some gigs and needed a band. But we quickly gelled, started having a great time together and really had the same vision for where we wanted to take the songs.

WCT: What can we expect from the new album?

MB: This is the record I've been trying to deliver for so long. I couldn't be more proud of the work we have done to bring it to this place. It still has the essence of my previous records, the songwriting and vocal style; we've just taken the songs to a new level. The new album is, at times, a little edgier, a little more rock "n roll then my previous, but still retains songs with that definite singer/songwriter, acoustic feel.

WCT: What about your upcoming Chickago Social gig?

MB: The line-up is great. Daphne Willis is a local singer/songwriter, recently signed to Vanguard Records. We're friends and have done a few shows together. And, of course, Edie Carey and Melissa Ferrick" [ it's ] basically a whole bunch of cool chicks getting together and having a great time. At least that's my plan.

WCT: Speaking of plans, where do you hope to be in five years?

MB: Happily making records, touring, and running "Sing For Free Burma," a small non-profit that raises scholarships to help Burmese children go to school. It was founded in 2008 in Thailand with a few Burmese friends. We held a fundraiser/concert in Thailand last year, had lots of great press and the Democratic Voice of Burma aired it on television inside Burma.

Hopefully, I'll resume the project in fall with a tour. It's a bit unofficial, but definitely where I plan to be within five years.

See www.wantickets.com for tickets to Chickago Social. Martha Berner can be found on Facebook.