Antara and Chris Cheney joined host Tom Proctor on ‘Rocket Shop,’ Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9 FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/Antara.

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On Wednesday, September 22, Antara and Chris Cheney revisited their old stomping grounds at the Rocket Shop radio hour. A mutual hunger for live performance set the tone for a wildy inclusive and captivating hour in the presence of a tiny, socially-distanced audience.

The artists started off the hour with “Bumper Sticker,” an original song inspired by the bumper stickers Antara has seen on the road, as well as her own personal decals. It was a fun ditty to listen to, but it was clear the pair was having much more fun playing it for us. After a lengthy northeastern quarantine, they were eager to get back to interacting with the local community, especially in front of a crowd - no matter how small.

“We are starved. We wanna play. We wanna play music,” Antara said from behind her mask; which did nothing to hide her smirk of anticipation during mic check.

Cheney and Antara go way back -- all the way to Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire. Here is where they began their on-and-off musical endeavor, which was one of three duos Antara was part of through the years. Antara broke free only to rediscover the solo artist in her, releasing her first CD entitled Smile Girl in 2000. Her solo career took Antara to over 500 venues across North America, during which time she released three albums - with a fourth on the way! Even after her solo stint, Cheney and Antara remain closer than ever, thanks in part to a very musical quarantine on their end.

“Covid came with its sledgehammer and put the brakes on it,” Cheney said of the implications of the pandemic on the upcoming album. However, this unexpected and ironic twist of fate presented the artists with an opportunity to “nerd out,” if you will.

As the world came to a halt, Antara and Cheney were able to experiment with the gadgets and gizmos of their seemingly typical instruments (bass, acoustic guitar, and vocals). It was the perfect time to explore a shift from traditional acoustic guitar sound to something a little new and experimental. “A nod to our roots,” as they like to call it.

When interviewed by Rocket Shop radio host Tom Proctor, Antara identified herself as a “new folk artist.” When Proctor asked her to elaborate, she simply said, “I grew up on alternative rock and punk rock. I open my mouth, and folk comes out.”

“It's about folks. When folks step out, the music comes alive,” Antara says. “I don’t want to be pigeon-holed into any particular category.” For Antara, it is all about collectivity, and the individuals who make up a community. After all, what is folk music without folks?

“You need Cliff Notes to hang with my lyrics, because they’re so people-specific,” Antara joked as she reflected upon the various communities she has become a part of throughout the years. Growing up in Cincinnati, Antara felt like an “odd duck.” In early 1992, she relocated to New England and soon found herself becoming part of communities that made her finally feel at home. This is a concept that is present throughout in her lyrics and in her stage presence.

“I believe that women’s music and folk singing is a respectful foundation from which I’ve come. And, I live that existence every day; I am that community. But, I don’t feel the need to be a representative of only that niche. My music reflects who I am and the personal truths that I have experienced and can share…like a storyteller weaving a tale,” Antara previously shared when describing her music style. If it is not clear by now, the consistent theme in Antara’s life and music is that mysterious force that leads all of us to our next mate, our next song, and for some, our next destination: love.

“I moved here because of love,” Antrara says in regards to her move to Vermont. Cheney and Antara share a common admiration for Burlington, a city with very strong senses of community, shared ideals, co-ops, activism, pride, youth, wisdom, and most importantly, love. They have musical roots in the city from their years of gigging and just feeling at home in the community.

“This is the right vibe,” Cheney said about Vermont. “This is like home to me.” Antara and Cheney say they have several spots around the globe where they’ve met people, established roots, and begun to feel at home. A couple people here, a couple people there. Connect the dots and they have a continental trail that leads from one musical seed planted to the next. What is the secret to Antara’s longevity in both time and space, one might ask?

Antara: “Keep playing. Love music.”

You can visit Antara’s website at littleweirdgirl.com, though she is more true to her Facebook.

Text by Izzy Mousseau

Top photo by James Lockridge

Antara — 23 September 2020 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour