Success and Harmony

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Shawn Colvin toiled for most of the ‘80s in clubs and cafes on the East Coast. She eventually stepped up to the majors in 1989, releasing three solid but commercially unspectacular albums for Columbia Records.

Now, financial success, too, has come in the name of “A Few Small Repairs.” Bolstered by two hit singles (“Get Out of This House” and “Sunny Came Home”), the 1996 album has turned into gold, selling 556,000 copies nationwide, according to SoundScan.

Has Colvin, who appears Monday night at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, finally hit a home run?

“It is different for me, with the one song [‘Sunny Came Home’] doing so well and all,” said Colvin, 40, during a recent phone interview. “I’m getting faxes [from Columbia] saying the song’s No. 10 . . . no, no, it’s up to No. 4, and so forth. . . .

“I’m still trying to find a context for it, though. For years, I’ve operated without the benefit of hit singles, so, in a sense, I’ve got no real perspective on this type of success.”

“A Few Small Repairs” is primarily an autobiographical account of Colvin’s bitter divorce in 1995 from Simon Tassano, the ex-Richard Thompson tour manager. Themes of romantic turmoil and fighting for freedom lie at its core, typified by “Sunny Came Home,” a dark narrative about a heroine who returns home one day, gathers up her kids, and then, just before splitting, sets the house ablaze.

The heavy mood is leavened somewhat by Colvin’s warm, silky voice and some appealing melodies, with mandolin, violin, cello and acoustic guitar adding a folksy flavor. And one life-affirming song, “Suicide Alley,” argues against self-destruction.

Personal experience may inform Colvin’s songwriting, but the issues and emotions she addresses touch a universal nerve.

“I don’t go into writing a song thinking I’m gonna speak for anyone other than myself,” said Colvin, a South Dakota native who now lives in Austin, Texas, with her fiance, photographer Mario Erwin. “[But] I do try to impart some wisdom without that touchy-feely kind of thing. People have told me how much they can relate to what’s happening in these songs, so I think some experiences are shared ones.”

Colvin’s emergence as a respected singer-songwriter came neither overnight nor easily. She has supported her musical career with a day job waiting tables, and fought depression and alcohol abuse throughout the years.

“It’s been a growing process, that’s for sure,” she said. “My confidence tended to revolve around my live performances because I felt putting on a good show has always been my strong suit. As a songwriter, though, I’ve been very insecure.”

“I had been making a living performing for 15 years before I even made my first album, so writing and recording was a very new and intimidating experience for me. It’s taken a lot of time to build up enough confidence to establish myself as a front person.”

A collaborator, John Leventhal, helped Colvin uncover her self-esteem. A record producer, songwriter and musician, he became Colvin’s writing partner and co-producer in 1990 on her debut “Steady On,” which earned a Grammy for best contemporary folk recording. They worked together again on “A Few Small Repairs.”

“After my first record, we were exhausted and needed a break from each other,” she recalled. “But between the two of us, we have a lot of sources to tap into. Corny or not, we’re both very proud of how [‘Repairs’] turned out.”

They also had good timing.

“I don’t think I’ve made a huge break from [folk-based] songs, there’s just more of a subtle pop ingredient working now. I felt some of these songs had a chance to get played on the radio, and I guess my hunch was right.”

*

For two weeks last month, Colvin joined Sarah MacLachlan, Tracy Chapman and others on the nationwide, all-female Lilith Fair tour. It finished as a top-grossing multi-act festival of the summer, behind only Ozzy Osbourne’s metal-driven Ozzfest.

“I think the [all-female] idea was something people were maybe afraid to do in the past,” Colvin said. “This tour sent a commercial message to radio and promoters out there that this concept and the music will succeed, that not everyone is interested in just another Lollapalooza or punk or rap festival.”

Lilith Fair also extended something new to its participants.

“Just to hang out with some of the great performers was fabulous,” said Colvin. “We put together a version of the Band’s ‘Arcadian Driftwood’ where all us girls sang together. And when Sheryl Crow was on the bill, she joined me on accordion to play our slightly twisted version of ‘Do Right Woman.’ The whole experience was such a blast.”

* Shawn Colvin appears Monday night at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. Kerry Getz opens at 8 p.m. $25-27. (714) 496-8930. She also appears with Duncan Sheik Tuesday through Thursday at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga East, Hollywood. 8 p.m. $31.50 (213) 851-7441.