Kristin Hersh - Throwing Muses - An American Cult

The Sweetness of a Star

by Magda Di Genova

I pick up the receiver… Mmmmhhh… something doesn't add up here… is it really that simple? I pick up the phone, dial a number and chat with Kristin Hersh? I mean… zero-zero-one… like calling mom to say I'd like spaghetti with sauce for dinner? …nine-two… or Lara to find out if she's heard the new Staples record? …five-five-eight… or Camilla to ask if she's tried the latest snack cake?… six-four-one… Bhò… Yeah, see, it's not even ringing. You can't just sit here, dial a number and talk to Kristin Hersh! …Ok, wait: it's an international call… Alright, I'll wait, but look, it's not ringing here. I'll wait one more second and hang up… There, it's ringing… See, it's ringing?… What do you mean it's ringing?! …It's ringing?! …It's ringing.

Hello?

Um… um… Yes, good morning… My name is Magda Di Genova, I'm calling from Milan and I have an interview scheduled with Kristin Hersh…

Kriiiistiiinn! Your interview!

Hello?

Kristin? Good morning, this is Magda, Onda Rock. We had an interview scheduled.

Hi Magda, it's a pleasure to meet you.

The pleasure's all mine, believe me.

Before we start the interview, can I just say your new hairstyle looks absolutely lovely on you?

(laughs) You know what? Actually this is my natural look: I simply stopped dyeing and straightening my hair!

Ok. Let's start by talking about your new album, "Learn To Sing Like A Star". I get the impression you've been through a period of major changes: you've changed your hairstyle (you've gone back to your natural one, but it's still a change), the album has a very different sound from what we were used to, and even the title strikes me as a call for change: "Learn To Sing Like A Star".

It took me four years of "separation" from my solo career to form 50 Foot Wave, and when I came back to my "main gig" I realized a lot had changed. During this time it's like I haven't been living anywhere in particular: I work as much as I can and I'm "reworking" my solo career.

Right, your solo career. This record, though, sounds more like a band record. Even though you play pretty much everything except drums (played by David Narcizo of Throwing Muses) it's a long way from the acoustic, intimate atmospheres you'd accustomed us to.

When I make a solo record, I spend a lot of time fiddling around with instruments. Sometimes you might hear: "Kristin, what are you doing with that instrument?" "I'm tuning it: I want to play it!" I guess for this record I got a little too carried away.

I think that's the main reason why this record sounds more like a band record.

The previous record was very quiet and atmospheric, even though I had Andrew Bird and Howe Gelb playing with me. It's a very "sulky" record if we want to compare it to this more recent one.

Kristin…

Yes?

Why do you want to learn to sing like a star? To make more money? (I can hear her smiling) Because if that's the case, I don't think that's enough: you need to buy a pair of hot pants and shake it under a shower! (Kristin bursts out laughing)

No! The title's a joke. I pulled it from some stupid email I got, you know, spam. It was referring to that ridiculous TV show, "American Idol" (more or less the American version, all pomp and glitter, of our own "Amici"). The title is nothing more than a joke.

Throwing Muses played a few shows last year.

Yes. We played in the major American cities and I opened the shows with my new band, 50 Foot Wave.

It was amazing. I wasn't sure how I'd manage to play two shows in the same night, both so intense, and I wasn't sure about pairing the two bands either: I didn't know if they sounded too similar or too different. I really had no idea what to expect, but I had a great time and it turned out to be a successful tour.

It's nice to discover that, after twenty years, we can still go on tour.

Being part of a band again (in your case, two bands) — did that influence the sound of this record in any way?

I think I've gotten used to that sound, and anything else wouldn't have satisfied me.

How did you write the songs for "Learn to Sing Like a Star"? I know that in the past you used to write a lot while on tour.

I imagine that's what happened this time too, because I'm constantly on tour. I think a lot of songs just needed the right opportunity to get recorded. It surprises me that they don't all end up being about being on tour all the time! (smiles) They'd all be incredibly sad country songs!

In the lyrics you write you've always exposed yourself in an absolute way, almost embarrassingly so for the listener. How does that come so naturally to you? I've also wondered whether songwriting is, for you, a kind of therapy.

I suppose it is, but... I also like to think that I write songs that speak to everyone, not just about me. I'd be disappointed in myself if I thought I was simply publishing pages from my diary and asking, that way, for other people's interest.

Have you ever thought about — or been asked to — write your biography?

Yes! Just this year I've been approached by half a dozen writers wanting to write my biography with me, but the only thing I've ever written is a blog, and that's a totally different thing from a book. I could never write anything until I learn what "writing" actually means. But if there are people out there who want to write books about me... (laughs) ...that makes me happy!

Would you supervise what gets written, in that case?

Oh... Nooo, I don't care what they write! (laughs again)

Some time ago you admitted to having encountered sexism in your career, and that it led you to refuse all promotional activity.

Yes. Very often I've seen all promotional activity as a... necessary evil, but you can't be a musician without selling your music. At some point I forgot that and used the record industry to help me sell my music: I wanted to be able to play without necessarily starving to death, and that's why I hated doing promo.

Now, instead, I appreciate the opportunity I'm given to talk with people like you, who are enthusiastic, and to talk with them about music and things we both love. With people who want to be good writers, good radio DJs... I've come to realize there's a good record industry, not just the big, fat, greasy one run by rich people.

I'd also heard you were developing an mp3 download project. What was that about?

Yes, it's a project that started years ago and it's a perpetual work in progress.

The 50 Foot Wave EP is available for download in the "Free Music" section of the site and has been downloaded more than a million times. It's kind of like having a secret "hit record" (smiles).

I've always thought that music is primarily a human need for expression, and that the market only comes second.

You know, you can earn enough from live shows. That way you can make a decent living as a musician.

Kristin, how do you manage to be constantly on tour and balance your career with family life? (Kristin Hersh has 4 children!)

It's a very tough lifestyle, but I've never been lazy. For me, everything I do matters: my children matter, my songs matter. That's a great enough reason to be here.

None of it feels like a burden to me, because everything I do is something that matters to me.

One last question.

Will there be a new Throwing Muses record? ... Which, put like that, makes it sound like it's all I'm waiting for, I swear, Kristin: I really love your solo albums!

You're so sweet!

Yes, there's a new Throwing Muses record on the way: we're working on it right now. On our website we're asking our fans to tell us how they'd like this record to sound.

Wait... You're asking your fans to tell you what they'd like to hear?! Doesn't that limit you? I find that... sorry, but I find that a bit too convenient... Do you really follow the input of the people who'll buy the record when you're writing it?

No! (laughs)

Thank you: that's exactly what I wanted to hear. Now I'm relieved!

(08/02/2007)