On July 26 the Waterville Opera House will host "An Evening with Maine's Finest Female Singer-Songwriters" presented by Waterville Main Street, Der Simonian Consulting and Hardy Girls Healthy Women. The four artists performing that evening are Rachel Griffin, Marie Moreshead, Ellen Tipper and Anni Clark.

In a recent telephone interview from her Portland home, singer-songwriter-pianist Rachel Griffin talked about her music and especially her latest CD, "I'm Up To No Good." As it was released in 2004, one was wondering if she was working on something new.

"I am, I'm starting a new album, recording it in July, and it should be out in, hopefully, February of next year," she said.

Does it follow along the same lines as "... No Good," sonically speaking?

"I think it's a little bit sillier," Griffin offered, "there's probably going to be a few funny tunes on it. There's going to be a few spiritual tunes on it, too," she added, "and there's a song that's going to be on it I'm very excited about -- it's called 'Mother Teresa Said,' and it's quotes about peace."

That particular song was written "quite a while back, actually, on the night that Bush bombed Iraq. I wrote down the (melody) but I was speechless so I just went on the Internet and found tons of quotes about peace and I used everybody from John Lennon to Buddha and Jesus, and it's been a real hit at shows for a long time, so I'll finally be putting that on (a CD)."

The singer-songwriter talked a bit more about the album she's currently working on, including on major change.

"It's going to be with a band, which is very different from the last one, which was solo piano," Griffin explained, "and that (CD) didn't have a producer or anything, (where) this one has a producer and a label, so it's going to be probably a lot bigger of a deal."

Her 2004 CD was recorded, basically, in one take ("I recorded 23 songs and chose those 14 to release," she explained), so having a band and a producer is an exciting prospect for Griffin.

"I think it'll be a nice change to have a rhythm section on the new CD," the singer-songwriter-pianist offered, "but 'I'm Up To No Good' was just me and my piano, and people seemed to like the acoustic quality of it -- and it was a very cheap album to make! It sold more than the first ones I made, it was the first CD to really get out there."

For the Waterville Opera House show, Griffin will be playing solo, it's a performance style she finds easy and natural.

As the singer-songwriter is currently preparing for her new album, she's cut back quite a bit on public performances.

"I'm taking time off for the album to keep my voice in top shape," was her explanation, "and I'm writing a lot for the album, too. I'm writing like a song every few days -- basically what I'm focusing on now is polishing up. I'm trying to get organized for that whole process."

Lucky Clark lives is Sweden, Maine.