Abra Moore's third album was in the can. No Fear was to be released on J Records in 2002, capitalizing on the former Poi Dog Pondering member's successful, Grammy-nominated 1997 solo record, Strangest Places. Then everything changed.

Moore started having second thoughts about the new set of songs, as the label positioned her towards a Michelle Branch and Vanessa Carlton-type audience. While both of those artists are successful and well regarded, Moore was writing songs and performing when they were in diapers. So No Fear sparked plenty of fear and anxiety and second-guessing. Moore and J parted ways, but the split occurred with no hard feelings and no legal tangles. "It was so sweet," she says. "They were so sorry, like, 'We're really good at doing this type of thing, and this doesn't seem to be what you're wanting to do. Here's your record.' Which is unheard of."

Moore began work on some new songs that would become the basis for Everything Changed, due March 9th. She was able to salvage some of the No Fear record ("It just went back into the spin cycle for a minute") to pair with the new cuts. "I thought some of those songs should live," she says, "but I also started writing new songs right away. I was really pleased at how well they worked together."

Moore kicked around one of the album's other songs, "I Win," as a title briefly, before settling on the spare "Everything Changed." "'I Win' had a nice ring to it," she says, "but 'Everything Changed' is a song I was closer to. It's just a live, me on the piano demo, but it really captured everything that's gone on for me. It just made sense."

And now Moore, who just got married in Hawaii, looks forward to making the most of her new musical start. "After six or seven years it's like starting over," she says, "which is exciting. That chapter's closed, but I'm ready to make another one."

Everything Changed track list:

I Do
No Fear
Big Sky
If You Want Me To
Taking Chances
Melancholy Love
Family Affair
Pull Away
The End
Everything Changed
Paint on Your Wings
I Win
Shining Star

ANDREW DANSBY
(January 29, 2004)