and a producer and an arranger, and then still have a body of work that reflects one theme, so I’m kind of thrilled. [Margo intuitively alters her voice as she speaks, there are constant subtle changes in tone and timbre like she holds many characters in her head at any given moment — more on that later. When she hit the word, “thrilled,” Margo trailed off in an indulgent purr. I realized, it wasn’t just her singing that was captivating, she is always cognizant of the importance of a great delivery, even when simply answering a question.]
Arranging SM: That’s what makes your covers so great, you keep the song fundamentally the same, but there’s some kind of magic in your arrangement that makes the song all yours and brand new again. MR: Aww, that is the kindest thing I have ever heard about my work. Thank you so much! Wow! I am smiling ear to ear. I loved arranging those songs. On my previous album, My Heart’s Desire, I arranged “You Belong To Me” in a flamenco way, and I also did a version of “Wrapped Around Your Finger.” I’m not really a cover artist, but occasionally, I’m just so in love with a writer and a song . . . I just hope they don’t get mad, I hope I’m doing the songs justice. SM: Trust me, you are. Besides, it sounds like you have as much fun arranging as you do writing! MR: I do, I totally do! I get to be in awe of that writer. I want to know what they were thinking when they created it. I compare it to when a DJ for dance music takes one of my songs for a remix. [Margo is so thorough that she does not offer the original stem, but, instead, she provides a fresh vocal track that she sang at 120 bpm. Margo pointed out that she needs to recut the vocals because at that speed her phrasing and breathing change and she wants the vocals to sound natural at the accelerated tempo, too.] When I hear the track back, sometimes I’m like, “Wow, holy cow! I would not have done that, but I think it’s cool!” So, I hope that is something that a writer, artist, composer, or arranger hears when I do one of their songs. I hope they go,“Yeah, that’s pretty hip!”