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Musician Paula Cole will be performing Saturday night at The Stone Mountain Arts Center. This show kicks off a string of shows that will carry Cole and her band well into spring. We spoke via telephone a few days ago about what she’s been up to since the release of 2010’s “Ithaca” album.

OK, so what’s going on?

I’m kind of in a writing phase and I’m setting up a home studio and planning on recording. I’m not on label now which I think is the future anyway and I’m going about it differently. But I am a producer so it suits me to go about my work as I’ve always done which is independently. Writing, maybe touches of co-writing then cultivating and choosing the songs for the album, which I’ve always kind of done anyway. I’ve always had my hand in the birth of albums as a producer so it really suits me and it suits the more entrepreneurial side of myself to be focusing on making my albums myself.

The fan base is smaller and more loyal than it was back in the 90s and it is a way for artists to kind of own the pie and do it themselves and go direct so that’s what I’m teaching myself and focusing on. It’s kind of daunting on one hand and I might need to do a Kickstarter campaign at some point for help. It’s fascinating isn’t it, that this is becoming part of the repertoire of how artists make albums.

So anyway, I’m focusing on maybe clusters of songs, just going about it that way, a few songs here and there. I’m shaping up a few songs right now so that I can record them soon and that will all be self-funded and at some point I’ll need to probably have a fund raising campaign in hopes that people will support me and help me get the album out.

When you were up and coming, I imagine the big thing was getting signed but what do you think about that idea now for up and coming acts?

Getting signed is only if you’re going to be putting millions of dollars into marketing so you have to be kind of be poised to be a multi-platinum artist otherwise what’s the point? They take such a large percentage of the pie that they {the label} really are a marketing arm to your career and you hope to make money elsewhere. That’s just the financial aspect of it. They do connect you with other levels of, you know, photography and they have an artistic say in it and frankly I’m looking forward to it being humbler and more self-directed and that’s just my reality now.

Do you think we’ll hear a couple of new songs on Saturday night?

 I’m not sure yet. I’m still wondering myself and I haven’t made up my mind yet because part of me wants to keep it very tight to the vest. I am going to be doing songs that I was asking folks on Facebook to request. I kind of looked over the requests and took from them the things that I felt I could do well so I’m gonna be putting in different songs that I don’t normally play in response to the feedback from fans.

Speaking of which, I was going to ask you about Facebook. How do you feel about it and the connection to fans it brings?

I’m a reluctant introvert and I’ve been that way for too long in my life. Now I’m appreciating, I’m coming around to the immediacy of just dialogue. Occasionally something negative comes in and my feelings get hurt because I just wear my heart on my sleeve. For the most part I think its necessary. It’s like oxygen to a reader. If you’re gonna do this you need to be involved with your folks.  You really get a better sense of them because its uncensored unless, I don’t know you’re Ashton Kutcher and everything goes through a publicist. I think in general you can really feel the tone, the personality of formerly untouchables. It’s wonderful.

So who are you into? Is there anyone you’re excited about or going through a phase with whether they’re new or old?

I am going through a phase and it’s probably gonna shock you (laughing)

Nothing shocks me anymore; we’re past all of the shocking stuff.

You know who I’m so into right now is Bob Seger. Isn’t’ that so funny?  His singing is soulful, he reminds me of Tina Turner.

If you could just delete “Old Time Rock n’ Roll” from his catalogue…

Right exactly. But “Night Moves” and “Against the Wind,” there’s fantastic singing and it’s just really soulful.

If U GO:

WHEN: 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 27^th

WHERE: The Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Road, Brownfield

HOW MUCH: $45

INFO: stonemountainartscenter.com

About the Author

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Aimsel Ponti has been obsessed with - and inspired by- music since she listened to Monkees records borrowed from the town library when she was six years old. She's a huge fan of the local music scene and interviews an act every week for "Making Noise" which runs in the Press Herald GO section. You'll also find her out and about absorbing live music like a sponge and roaming around local record shops and flea markets.

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