I just finished my chores around the farm."

That quote, probably more than any other, defines what makes Cheri Knight unique. Imagine Madonna -- or even Jewel -- mouthing those words. You can't. But Knight's new album, The Northeast Kingdom, is all about the farm.

That last phrase is meant literally, not as in "I'm all about (fill in the blank)" which has become a trendy way to express enthusiasm. The songs on The Northeast Kingdom really concern life on her farm in Western Massachusetts. "All the songs take place within fifteen miles of Hatfield," she explains, referring to her home town.

"Rose on the Vine," "Black-Eyed Susie," and the title track, take their subject and images directly from Knight's garden, where she grows flowers and herbs that she sells at farmer's markets in and around Boston (she has also recently started producing herbal balms under the "Northeast Kingdom" label, which she sells from a table at gigs). The rest of the songs evoke the characters, landscape and back roads of the town. "It's really important that my albums have a sense of place."

So it's surprising to discover that the album was recorded in Nashville, with Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy producing. The album's warm twang and country lope are shot through with a crisp New England chill and the broad vowels and weathered grain of Knight's broad-shouldered vocals. The combination sounds like Loretta Lynn, if she had grown up in the Berkshires instead of the Appalachians.

Earle's involvement in the project came about by accident. Knight's manager had sent him a tape of another band, and as an afterthought, stuck a few songs from Knight's previous album, The Knitter, on the other side. Earle passed on the band, but when he turned the tape over he "heard one or two songs and flipped," adding that "I loved her songs, I loved her voice, I loved everything about it." He signed her to his E-Squared label, but instead of matching Knight with Nashville session veterans, Earle had Mark Spencer and Jimmy Ryan from her former band the Blood Oranges and drummer Will Rigby join her in the studio. The sessions went so smoothly, Earle describes his job as "make sure the tape's rolling and get out of the way."

For her part, Knight says that Earle had a lot more input. "I really learned a lot about recording from Steve," she says. "While he would let us try out a lot of different things --especially Mark, who was allowed to work on his guitar parts for hours -- if he heard something he liked, he let us know in no uncertain terms." Plus, he invited Emmylou Harris to join the sessions. "It was a real thrill," Knight says. "She had just one day before going out on tour, and came in and came up with the most beautiful harmonies. She just loves to sing."

To capitalize on the increased interest and wider distribution of The Northeast Kingdom (the Blood Oranges albums and The Knitter were released on the tiny East Side Digital label), Knight will be taking a band on the road. But it's hard to leave for any extended time. "On the farm, there's always something that needs to be done."

STEVE MIRKIN