It was a hot and humid night at the Royal Oak Music Theater — unusual conditions for the
unseasonably cool weather found on almost any other night during August 2004.
It was my first interview for Detroit online radio station, Auralgasms.com, and after a
couple of kinks in the program, Charlotte Martin was able to join me for a quick but intimate interview.
How are you doing?
A little frazzled but I’m ok. I was a little worried that my piano was broken — for about 20 minutes. So I was sitting there thinking someone is going to have to call Yamaha.
I just have a few questions I’d like to run by you.
Go for it
One of the things that I thought was the most interesting was that you are a classically trained vocalist. I was wondering now that you are finding success as a singer-songwriter, what are some of the benefits from having your training and maybe some of the challenges?
Some of the benefits are that I can sing without warming up and I don’t need to practice unless I am learning songs that I have written. Other benefits are that I don’t get tired.
So, some of the challenges?
Some of the challenges of being a trained vocalist?
Or were there any?
You know, when I made my first record, it was sort of insane because I thought I sounded like really bad dinner theater. It was just bad, because I had to make a transition. I don’t sing opera anymore. I just can’t. It’s two worlds. Vocally. I’ve been singing in smokey clubs and it just takes a lot to sing opera.
Do you miss singing opera?
I do sometimes. It is very difficult to do it right. My repertoire by my senior year was sort of intense. But my songs are pretty challenging to sing. They require a lot of volume and a lot of air and a lot of dynamics. I have to stay in pretty good shape. I don’t smoke...about the worst thing I do is drink wine, but I don’t think that’s bad either.
Speaking about your music and where you came from, your Web site lists The Cure, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode and Joy Division as strong influences in your move to a singer-songwriter. Have you found any new talent these days —
Snow Patrol.
Anything else?
I really love Interpol, their first record. I love Interpol. And I love Iron and Wine. I’m like obsessed with that right now.
Since you are traveling with the “Chicks with Attitude” tour, I want to know how you define ‘attitude’?
It changes every day. It depends on what kind of mood I’m in. I guess...today my attitude is a bit sad. I’m a bit sad, and I’m a bit in love, and I’m a bit confused. A bit sad. It changes every day.
Many people, including yourself, have described your music as honest. Was there a particular moment where you decided that your songs were going to be inspired by honesty and what you experience.
You know, I think especially with On Your Shore, the process of writing that was sort of a way out of the depression of being alone and having my first record shelved and making a big move out to Los Angeles and thinking my career was going to go down the toilet with One Girl Army. And I still didn’t know anyone in LA. I felt like a failure and I felt gypped and I felt confused and very untalented and very lost. And then the first song I wrote that made it on the record was “Every Time it Rains”— I knew I had to write that personal to make sure that I could pull myself out of whatever I was in.
I was going to ask you a little bit about your new album, On Your Shore, and what you hope first time listeners will take away from the experience or even listening to you tonight?
The record is very layered on every level. It’s layered lyrically, it’s layered metaphorically, it’s layered harmonically. I tried to make the songs as riveting and simple as possible, but once you get into the songs there is a lot going on.
