Hello everyone!
I once again had the pleasure to sit down with Tori. This time we met in Vienna and it was considerably more stressful than two years ago in Graz, cause she had a very tight schedule. Luckily, I had my dear friend Julia, who is a photographer, with me. Please follow the original link to see the photos in all their glory: http://pressetext.com/news/090509001/
Once again, I would like to offer you a raw English version of the interview. Note that English is not my mother tongue and that this is not the way I would like to see it published in a magazine or newspaper. I spent hours to get the German version right and it would be lovely if you check out the link above anyway, since any click on it counts here at work.
Interview with Tori May 2009 in Vienna
Martin: While the major labels take
action against illegal downloads, many artists shy away from the controversial
discussion and maybe even offer free downloads as a counter measure. Are the
artists to lose out on all of this?
Tori: The
possible danger is that if the public is naïve enough to think that when you go
to a wine tasting you can put the bottle of wine in the bag. If you start doing
that the vineyard is going to shut down. There has to be some kind of exchange.
If you’re going to take a song, you need go give back - if you value it.
Martin: You could argue, though, that
more people will show up at your concerts, if they like the music they
downloaded.
Tori: That
doesn’t keep the records going. That only keeps the petrol in the buses and the
crew paid. To me, this is about respect. What if I came into your house and
start putting shit in my bag? Wouldn’t you think that I’m crossing a line
there? Where is my respect for your home?
Martin:
But do you see a way out of this?
Tori:
Consciousness. It’s not about rules. We’re talking about something far more
serious here. This is about a generation trying to find a way to show value. If
I’m taking from an artist and all I do is taking, then this is an unhealthy
relationship and I’m a parasite. I don’t like the idea and I don’t think the
public likes the idea either. At the same time it’s also about being respected
by the artist. Neither side can take each other for granted. The artist has to
make sure too that they are giving enough and acknowledge for the fact that
everyone worked hard to be able to buy this ticket or special package. This is
something every artist has to develop with the public. I think it’s a very
individual thing.
Martin: During your last US tour you put
recordings of many of your concerts online for sale shortly after they
finished. Did that pay off and are there any similar plans for this tour?
Tori: It
went very well. So, we’re planning something again, but it might be Europe this
time. It’s a very involving thing, cause you have to work with the venues and
promoters.
Martin: The new album turns out to be
quite diverse in style.
Tori:
Because the compositions were so diverse, it sort of set the blue prints for
the building. Early on, Mark and I were hammering out concepts for
arrangements. Then Mark and Marcel were hammering out sonic direction, so when
all the players came in, they would be working within the blue prints. After
having done American Doll Posse, for which I needed to have a more of a band
kind feeling in production, something like this was encompassing twenty years
of my composition style. Even though it wasn’t going back to “From the
choirgirl hotel” it grabs styles from each period of my career.
Martin:
Apparently, the role of the piano on the albums has changed quite substantially
over the years. Where does she stand nowadays?
Tori: In
making records, you have to grow and there is the composer side of the self
that will not battle with the instrumentalist, but say ‘look, I have to compose
things that are not just designed for the piano anymore’ and that’s the side
that has been more blossoming in the record making process.
Martin: Your early albums seem to mirror
your personal experiences and emotions in a different way than albums like
“American Doll Posse” or “Scarlet’s Walk”, in which you take on different
characters. As an artist, do you feel more detached from your private self than
when you were younger?
Tori: I’d
say that as a composer the process is similar in the sense that the experiences
have to be there in order to write. Sometimes I don’t see, how people cannot
see that. There is no way I could write the songs unless I knew them first
hand. But talking about the details and the ‘whys’ and the ‘whos’ is just not
going to keep you in a 20 year career and keep you having a personal life. It
gets ravaged. I think I allow a lot and so much of me is out there in the open
– completely. But how it is applied to my personal life just isn’t up for
discussion.
Martin:
Do you compose differently now than you did ten, fifteen years ago? With some
of the new songs, it’s quite hard to imagine you composing them at the piano.
Tori: Yes,
definitely. Songs like “Police Me” or “Strong Black Vine” might start on an
organ. Within the process it gets tracked, so Matt and Jon can get their
performances. But sitting back, listening back, we would find out that the
keyboard doesn’t sound right or the composition doesn’t really offer enough
room for the piano being the central character. But that’s fine. She’s always
there and I’m always working things out with her as a conspirator. At the same
time, the relationship between her and me is so secure that now I feel I don’t
have to force to have the piano on everything.
Martin: In the “Little earthquakes”- and
“Under the pink” era you were known to be a harsh editor, trimming down the
albums to roughly 12 songs. All of your latest releases clock in over 70
minutes with 17, 18 tracks…
Tori: Yes, but
then you got the b-sides, which have always been some of the favourites of the
public. You don’t get that anymore. So if you’re working with a 12 song record
nowadays then there was so much music being edited out that was worthy.
Despite, I’m a very harsh editor more so. Cause you don’t know what doesn’t
make the record!!!
Martin: So, you’re saying that nowadays
you rather put one or two songs more on the album, even if they don’t fit too
tightly in the overall concept?
Tori:
That’s right. Absolutely.
Martin: Thank you so much.
© Martin Jan Stepanek, pressetext.austria
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