Joanna Newsom: Why Andy Samberg’s Emmys Date Looks So Familiar
Seeing Joanna Newsom walk the red carpet at Sunday’s Emmy awards with Andy Samberg might seem downright surreal for longtime fans of the musician. After all, many of them will recall the warbling, childlike vocals on Joanna’s debut album The Milk-Eyed Mender — long before she was accompanying the host of one of the most highly publicized nights in television.
Despite Newsom’s undeniable songwriting ability, her music was difficult to spread to others because it was so hard to get past her voice — at its worst cloying, but at its best rawly emotive. Still, Joanna became a critical darling of sorts, and when she released Ys, a 55-minute collection of 5 songs partially scored by the legendary Van Dyke Parks, it was one of the highest rated albums of 2006.
It was around that time that Samberg became smitten with Newsom — through her music. Around the time of their engagement, a friend told US Weekly that Andy was hooked and started frequenting her concerts. According to the friend, Joanna is equally impressed by Samberg’s comedy.
“He had the biggest crush on [Newsom]… She respects what he does with his songs. She’s so proud of everything that he has accomplished. They have great chemistry.”
Joanna and Andy began dating around 2008, long before Sandberg was pulling high profile gigs like hosting the Emmys. It was after that that both of their careers skyrocketed, with Newsom releasing her most successful album to date Have One On Me. Shortly after, Samberg landed his acclaimed role on Brooklyn Nine Nine. Last year, Joanna made her acting debut in PT Anderson’s Inherent Vice. PT also directed the music video for newest single “Sapokanikan”
Although Newsom has always been notoriously tight-lipped about the relationship, Andy has been known to gush about his wife from time to time. The majority of the compliments are related to her talent as a musician, with Samberg telling Nylon that the work she does is “important.”
“Her songs do the thing that’s my favorite thing that art can do, which is be full of beauty and yet melancholy at the same time. ‘Cause that’s what life is, really: beauty, and also melancholy.”
Joanna Newsom and Andy Samberg married in Big Sur, California in September 2013. She is set to release her fourth album, Divers, on October 23.
[Images via Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]
