INTERVIEW: Andrea von Kampen stops in NYC on her Northeast tour
Photo: Andrea von Kampen will bring songs from her new EP to Joe’s Pub in New York City. Photo courtesy of Analise Schrader / Provided by Michael J. Media Group with permission.
Andrea von Kampen, the celebrated singer-songwriter, has a few goals for her March 13 concert at Joe’s Pub on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. One of them is to provide an uplifting time to audience members during difficult times, according to press notes. Along those lines, her fans can expect songs of protest and hope, including selections from her most recent EP, such as the song “Before I Buy a Gun.”
Recently von Kampen, who is originally from Nebraska, traded emails with Hollywood Soapbox and offered a preview of her Joe’s Pub concert. Press notes indicate she’ll bring her unique talents of storytelling, poetic lyricism and acoustic arrangements. Her last full-length album was called Sister Moon, and on it she explored the relationship between humanity and nature. Those songs should make an appearance, too.
Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can audience members expect at your Joe’s Pub concert?
This set will be part of my ongoing tour, Songs for Hope and Change. This particular run includes my trio, and we’ll be playing songs from my latest protest EP, Dylan covers, a Woody Guthrie song and other songs from my previous albums that fit the theme. There will be stories and, hopefully, a sense of community for the audience.
Do you believe music has the power to change the world?
Music is such a powerful tool for change. I’d like to think it can change the world, at least in some ways.
You have crafted songs in the past that explore nature and our connection to the planet. Why are these important themes for you?
Over the past few years, I have spent a lot of time deconstructing the views I grew up accepting as the status quo. That process has reshaped how I see the world and my place in it. I feel strongly that we are meant to care for the earth and tend to it, not destroy it for short-term gain. The urgency of that reality can feel overwhelming because, as one person, it is easy to feel powerless. Writing songs about it has become one small way I can contribute. Time is not on our side, and music feels like a meaningful place for me to engage with that responsibility.
What’s the music scene like in Nebraska?
When it comes to live music, I spend most of my time making music on the road, so I probably experience the music world more through touring than through the day-to-day local scene. Nebraska is a great place to live, though, and I care deeply about the community here. Omaha and Lincoln have both become really vibrant places to live over the past decade.
The recording world I have carved out here has been very rewarding as well. My engineer, James, and my brother, David, are my main collaborators on records, and having friends who play in the Lincoln and Omaha symphonies join us in the studio over the past decade has been incredibly special.
What are the qualities of another person’s song that make you want to cover it?
This can vary widely, but I’d say I need to love something about the song and feel I can express it in a fresh and different way.
What’s coming up in 2026 and beyond?
We’ve got lots of touring in 2026: this Northeast run, potential Midwest dates and a run in England in August.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Andrea von Kampen will play Friday, March 13, at Joe’s Pub in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
