Chances are you haven’t heard the name Pieta Brown, but you may have heard of her dad, the legendary Iowa blues/rock/country musician, Greg Brown. Among other things Greg has earned national recognition in Americana music and even found himself nominated for two Grammy awards along the way.

Pieta, a folk singer now hailing from Iowa City, is out to make a name for herself with a little help from her father and fellow legendary Iowa musician, Bo Ramsey. Her self-titled debut, released on the Iowa City based Trailer Records, is scheduled for a June 4th release.

This weekend Brown will be performing live at the M-Shop. She recently took some time out to tell the Iowa State Daily about having a nationally known musician for a father and the role that music has played in her life.

TF: You want to just give me a little personal background on yourself?

PB: I was born in Iowa City and I lived out in the country ’til I was about five or six, and then I moved out to Birmingham, Ala. with my mom. I lived there until the end of junior high then I moved back to Iowa. Music was always been a big part of my life because of my dad obviously. I was in and out of college in my early 20s, I’m 28 now. I’ve always been obsessed with writing and music but didn’t start playing guitar until a couple years ago.

TF: Growing up around music as much as you did with your dad, what made you decide just a few years ago to start playing guitar?

PB: Well, I think it just came from the writing; I’ve considered myself a poet for a long time and I was just trying to figure out what to do with all that. I was sitting around talking to my dad one day and he showed me his guitar and I starting playing it and just got obsessed.

TF: What kind of stuff did you grow up listening to and what are you influenced by?

PB: I would say that old country and blues is a big influence on my writing and music. I grew up listening to that from my dad and really loved it; it just spoke to me I guess. I love punk rock and rock `n’ roll, too, though. I just love music.

TF: Tell me about the new record.

PB: Well, what could I tell you about it? Bo Ramsey, who has played with my dad for a long time and has been one of my closest and dearest friends, co-produced it with me. I’ve had a lot of fun making it.

I made it up in Pachyderm Studios, it’s in a little tiny town in Minnesota about an hour outside of Minneapolis. My dad played banjo on it and my little sister sang on it, so it was kind of like a family affair. I learned a lot and that was probably the best part about it.

TF: How do you personally describe your music if someone asks?

PB: [laughing] I tell them to go ask someone else. I guess it’s just uh, gosh this is such a hard question to answer. It’s just my songs; it just sounds like me. It doesn’t really sound like anybody else. I think if you know my dad or my dad’s music you can hear some of that in there, but I also know some people who are surprised it doesn’t sound like him.

TF: It is probably inevitable at first that you will be overshadowed by your dad. Do you see it becoming a problem being referred to as “Greg Brown’s daughter” instead of just as Pieta Brown?

PB: No. I’m proud of that and I’m proud of my dad. We’re really close and I feel lucky. I don’t really worry about that stuff too much, I just try to stay close to the music and go with that.

TF: Your dad has been pretty successful with two Grammy nominations and whatnot. Does that put pressure on you to live up to his accomplishments?

PB: My dad is so laid back about all that stuff and is so indifferent to it; that’s been a big influence on me, too. I care more about my dad’s pride and reaction than I do about all that other stuff. And I think you have to in order to keep doing all that stuff cause it’s tough out there in the little music world, especially these days.

TF: What are your goals as a musician?

PB: I just want to stay close to the music and stay in that place where things are really fresh. Just keep on fighting I guess, that’s kind of how I see music.