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Singer-songwriter and piano prodigy Vanessa Carlton has been touring like mad in support of her latest effort "Heroes and Thieves," but the grind doesn't show in her voice, or her quips. Both are sharp, whether she's talking about abusive piano teachers or her hero, Stevie Nicks. Carlton is a thousand miles away from "A Thousand Miles," her 2002 hit single composed before she broke up with Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins, joined Irv Gotti at The Inc. (also home to Ja Rule and Ashanti) and found heaven on earth in Nolita, her New York hood that informed much of "Heroes and Thieves." She's matured nicely in a turbulent time for the music business. So what's next? How does hanging with Stevie Nicks and becoming cinema's next Philip Glass grab you? It grabs her just fine, thanks.Vanessa Carlton and Irv Gotti. An unlikely match?When I first met him, he was very exuberant and optimistic; he's a very musical guy. He made some great calls on the music. He preferred the stripped-down demo for "Home," instead of the more heavily arranged version. That was refreshing. For the first time, it wasn't this horrible battle between label and artist. But labels are becoming obsolete; for my next album, I'll probably do something more boutique.You've got to adapt, right?Record deals don't mean anything now. The old paradigm doesn't make sense for any artist, unless you're Coldplay or someone like them. But I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. I'm living this record on the road right now. But I do know that I want to get a project together for scoring films. I'm interested in a few different genres. I love Philip Glass' work; I'm inspired by him.Is piano is an intimidating instrument to learn?Yeah, the austerity of the piano—plus the classic cliché of the old biddy piano teacher hitting your hand with a ruler—makes it hard. But I hope to open the door for kids who might become interested in it. The problem is that a lot of teachers make the mistake of introducing the instrument through the worst pieces of music. Well, that and beating students with sticks.What do they introduce that sucks so bad?Scales. That's the thing: old-school piano teachers aren't musical at all. A lot of them are in their 80s, and they just give you a book of scales. Sure, that's something you need, but you also need to be inspried by what you're playing. My mother used an amazing canon of music, ranging from Erik Satie to classic TV melodies, like the “Cheers” theme. You know, little earworms that kids like.Like "Nolita Fairytale," which seems to be one of many "Heroes and Thieves" tracks about your New York neigborhood. "Nolita" is an autobiographical snapshot of my past two years. It was musically inspired by Gershwin, and the majority of the record was written in New York. A lot of the lyrical inspiration came from these long walks I would take with my dog around the city. It's the most domestic I've ever felt, in terms of having a home.You've worked recently with Stevie Nicks, in concert and on your album, and even called her your mentor.I also call her my fairy godmother. She's one of my dearest friends; I've known her for four years now and I'm lucky to have someone like her as a mentor. I aspire to do things the way she did them, because it's difficult to be a chick singer-songwriter. We're like circus freaks, you know? She's helped me to formulate my own theories and come to my own conclusions about the life I want to lead. We both share alternative views of domesticity, and the conventional traditions of marriage and so on. Stevie has chosen to live in a wonderland every day. She's from a different dimension.Did you meet her through Lindsey Buckingham, when he played on your last album?Yeah, they were at Skywalker Ranch [where Carlton recorded her 2004 album, "Harmonium"], editing a television show they had done. I didn't know if he knew me at all, and I wouldn't have assumed that she would have wanted to be a part of my record. But she came in and hung out.Speaking of different dimensions, did you run into more “Star Wars” or Vanessa Carlton fanboys at Skywalker?Neither, but I did see a lightsaber in person. That was a beautiful place. I liked all the cows and preserved topography. Out of nowhere, little droids would show up with homemade cookies and muffins.
Is piano is an intimidating instrument to learn?Yeah, the austerity of the piano—plus the classic cliché of the old biddy piano teacher hitting your hand with a ruler—makes it hard. But I hope to open the door for kids who might become interested in it. The problem is that a lot of teachers make the mistake of introducing the instrument through the worst pieces of music. Well, that and beating students with sticks.
Thanks for posting ! What does she mean by "doing something more boutique" for her next album ?
Nolita Fairytale music inspired by Gershwin. hm....I didn't know that.
Quote from: "SadAsBlue"Nolita Fairytale music inspired by Gershwin. hm....I didn't know that.I second that 8O
