Constance Street

Album: Clear Pond Road (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Kristin Hersh named this song after the New Orleans street where she once lived. It is inspired by memories from her time on Constance Street, acknowledging loss but also finding beauty and hope in the past.
  • The unique culture and musical scene of New Orleans has provided inspiration for Hersh's songwriting for a long time now. "New Orleans is a very rich place, not as in wealthy but rich in experience, beauty and culture," she told Music OMH. "It's an island in America so it doesn't feel like America. If you get music, I think you get New Orleans."
  • "Constance Street" is a track from Hersh's autobiographical 11th studio album, Clear Pond Road. She recorded the record at Stable Sound Studio, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and co-produced it with the owner of the studio, Steve Rizzo.
  • In contrast to Hersh's direct 2010 autobiography, Rat Girl: A Memoir, Clear Pond Road paints a less literal picture of her life. Instead of traditional storytelling, the album relies on mood and imagery to weave a deeper, more emotional narrative.
  • So where is Clear Pond Road and what does it lead to?

    "My youngest son and I were the last two people in our family of six, and we were traveling around the world together a little bit, and certainly subject to the ripples on the pond," Hersh told Uncut magazine. "And we wanted to be stronger than that and more hopeful and more clear."

    "We were in a junk shop somewhere on tour and we both stopped in front of that Clear Pond Road sign and decided, 'Oh, that's where we're trying to go so we bought it and we carried it around and put it up and everywhere we lived – it's still in my kitchen," she continued. "When we achieved a bit more solidity and clarity we decided, 'Alright, this is Clear Pond Road and now I'm allowed to make this record.' It's probably a street somewhere, but I've never been there. I just have the sign."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

80s Music Quiz 1

80s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

MTV, a popular TV theme song and Madonna all show up in this '80s music quiz.

Chris Frantz of Talking Heads

Chris Frantz of Talking HeadsSongwriter Interviews

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz on where the term "new wave" originated, the story of "Naive Melody," and why they never recorded another cover song after "Take Me To The River."

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.