The Weepies co-founder and multi-instrumentalist Deb Talan has had quite a life.

Having started a band in Portland, OR with her friend Mark named Hummingfish, Deb wrote a lot of fun songs that people danced to ‘til they were all sweaty in that hipster/grungy/geeky Northwest kind of way. She then began playing solo in Boston coffee houses and opened shows for Catie Curtis (a songwriter hero of hers), before meeting up with Steve Tannen and forming The Weepies. Together, they played shows all over the country and the world, toured in a real tour bus, and made 5 records together, with many songs placed in loads of movies and tv shows.

Deb is also a survivor. She survived breast cancer through chemotherapy and relied heavily on marijuana for pain and nausea relief. (Legalize, for gods’ sakes, can we grow up as a country, please?) She has also struggled with mental health issues (childhood incest survivor, lucky to be alive, music has helped, and so have many blessed healers) and relationship issues.

She has a lot she could say these days. She prefers to listen. But playing songs for people is a close second. Music heals. Songs can be prayers. Deb Talan is some lovely damn proof of that.