Jessica Pratt cracks open the sunny veneer of the California dream

The Los Angeles-based musician was inspired by the dark side of state's mythology in the making of her fourth studio album.

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On the surface, Los Angeles can seem like a sunny, glittering paradise. Palm trees, beautiful people and endless sunshine abound, but the California dream has a dark side, too. That's what Jessica Pratt was interested in while she was working on her latest album, Here in the Pitch .

The LA-based artist immersed herself in books about the state's seedy history, and she found inspiration in the work of experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger. In this session, Pratt talks about her fascination with the conflict of light and dark in California's mythos, and about how the real and metaphysical mix in her songwriting to create an atmosphere that feels like something between a California dream and a California nightmare. This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez.



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