Weekend America

Weekend Soundtrack

"Southland in the Springtime"

Bill Radke

Michael Raphael

JUNE 23, 2007

The Vaidhyanathan Women

(Courtesy Vedana Vaidhyanathan)

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Vedana, why is "Southland in the Springtime" your weekend soundtrack?

Well I just moved up here to Chapel Hill last fall for graduate school, and this song always reminds me of my sister. And earlier, around March or so, when it became spring, I was listening to this song a great deal, because I was really missing her.

What are your memories of your sister and this song?

Driving across I-10 listening to this song, when I was 15, we were on our way to our cousin's wedding in Houston. And it was, she taught me how to steer a car and chastised me because I wasn't doing it very well. Well, she put her hair up, and we drove over those bridges, going across the bayous, heading toward New Orleans.

That's appropriate, this song is about a road trip, right? Heading back from New Orleans.

Yeah.

So how much do you love the southland in the springtime?

Oh, I think it's absolutely gorgeous to be down here in the spring. I love kayaking and hiking and canoeing, and you know its just amazing the way the weather changes, the way the flowers come out, the fact that I could walk outside right now and hear the birds singing. And as soon as dusk comes, I'll be hearing a million bullfrogs behind me.

When do you find yourself wanting to put this song on?

When I'm really feeling like I'm feeling alone. It just makes me feel safe to listen to this song.

Safe, huh? Why's that?

Because it reminds me of my family. It reminds me of the road trips. It reminds me of just spending time with my sister, and spending time with my family. It's very important to me.

Does your sister know that you still listen to that road trip song?

I don't think she does. I don't know if she knows just what memories this song brings to me.

Are the Indigo Girls still cool?

Well, I'm in graduate school for library science, so I don't particularly consider myself cool. So I have no idea.

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