Q: How did you get into music, and how did you take up your particular genre?
A: My mom is a piano teacher and also taught guitar when I was a kid. She gave me a guitar when I was nine. I don't think I have ever fit into a particular genre. My songs have always been influenced by the music I love, and I love so many different bands and writers.

Associated Press WHO: Kacy Crowley WHEN: Wednesday, Marcch 7, 10 p.m. WHERE: Red Room INFO: www.saindie.com/

Q: At what point did you realize that you could make a living with your music?
A: My motto as a kid was, "Somebody has to make it, why not me?" I always believed that I would be a singer/songwriter. Of course, I never thought about the logistics of making a living. I just pictured myself in the center of that life and worked towards it. It still surprises and delights me to get money at the end of a show.

Q: Who were some of your biggest musical inspirations growing up, and who are some of your modern-day musical influences?
A: As a teenager, I was obsessed with John Mellencamp. Besides him, I loved Rickie Lee Jones, Bob Dylan, Bette Midler, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Cat Stevens and Madonna. Right now, I'm obsessed with Califone, Wilco, Midlake, and I am still madly in love with Rickie Lee Jones.

Q: What has been the high point of your career so far?
A: Being introduced by Neil Young in front of 20,000 people at the Bridge School Concert. That could have been a dream.

Q: What has been the low point of your career?
A: The times when I let the “business” of music influence my art.

Q: How did you hear about S.A. Indie Fest, and how did you become involved in playing it?
IA: 've been playing at a soulful little venue called the Red Room, which is run by the organizer of (S.A. Indie Fest), and she asked me to be a part of it.

Q: What is your most memorable live performance?
A: My SXSW 1997 showcase. It was a sold-out room, and I felt like it was vibrating. It was the most energy I have ever felt between an audience and myself. I got my first major-label deal after that show.

Q: Have you ever been star-struck playing alongside any performers in the past?
A: Not yet, but I've been star-struck off the stage plenty of times.

Q: Could you detail a few of the tours/festivals you have played in the past and how they helped shape you as a person and a musician?
A: I've been lucky enough to play some amazing festivals, including Lilith Fair, the Horde Tour and the Bridge School Benefit. The greatest part of these events was that I was put in front of huge audiences that I could never have brought on my own. Performing in front of these big crowds confirmed to me that I am doing exactly what I should be doing, and that I will continue to pursue this dream until those crowds are there to see me.

Q: What can fans expect from you at S.A. Indie Fest?
A: I'll play mostly brand-new songs off my upcoming release. It will be just me and my little guitar that I once put my fist through. I'll probably say the F-word a few times and tell at least one embarrassing story about myself. Oh, and I'll for damn sure be wearing a cute outfit.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years, both personally and professionally?
A: I think I'll be 10 years older and doing pretty much the same thing I am now -- writing songs, playing shows, loving my husband, obsessing over some new band, trying to lose five pounds, trying to get a record deal, writing in my journal, calling my parents, making lists, complaining about the government and traffic, and praying for a snow day.

Favorite band/musician: (all-time) Rickie Lee Jones; (currently) Califone
Favorite author/poet: Anais Nin and Charles Bukowski
Favorite movie: "True Romance" and "Frida"
Favorite food: Indian food and Carvel ice cream cakes
Favorite pastime: Watching bad television and good French films, sitting at the back of the bar at Momo's checking out new bands
Favorite book: (As a child) "Where the Red Fern Grows;" (as an adult) "A Spy in the House of Love"