Karen Elson Live on KCRW

Karen Elson’s entry into the music business was a tentative one. Even though she had been writing songs and thinking about making a record for 10 years, she felt saddled by insecurity, afraid that people wouldn’t take her seriously and listen with skeptical ears since she was a model launching a recording career.

Anyone who has heard her debut release “The Ghost Who Walks,“ particularly the title track, is glad she finally found the courage to share her music and push those fears aside. Karen discussed her path in an incredibly forthright interview with Jason Bentley, broadcast alongside a live performance of songs from the album.

Her voice is hauntingly beautiful and while most of her moody, bluesy songs are based on stories she’s crafted, a few are personal, including the highlight “Stolen Roses.” She called it “one of most honest songs on the record” in its description of her personal experiences of being a woman. Karen was inspired by artists like PJ Harvey and Mazzy Star and, of course, her husband Jack White, who produced the record.

Hear/watch the performance and check out the set list below. Watch “The Ghost Who Walks” here:

The Ghost Who Walks

Lunasa

The Birds They Circle

Cruel Summer

Stolen Roses

Milk & Honey

Pretty Babies

100 Years From Now