Premiere Performance: Shara Worden, “We Added It Up”

On Thursday, January 27,Shara Wordenwill bring her synergetic mix of classical music, cabaret, and punk to Lincoln Center’s American Songbookseries — and we’re thrilled that she’s given us an exclusive sneak preview of a song she wrote for the event.

Worden is probably best known for her classical/rock project My Brightest Diamond and her collaborations with The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, and David Byrne.

Last Friday, she and the yMusic ensemble stopped by Studio 360 and premiered “We Added It Up”.

It’s a performance that showcases Worden’s syncretic style. She told Kurt the song was inspired by President Obama’s recent “shellacking” speech, in which he conceded midterm election losses, saying we need to “learn to disagree without being disagreeable.” The song draws that premise wide, picking up on its productive friction and extending it from politics to include lovers, atoms, and the idea that the world, itself, is held together by opposites.

Listen to Studio 360 this weekend to hear Kurt’s full interview with Shara Worden and another live performance.