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Interview: Rachael Yamagata (Pt. 2)
Interview: Rachael Yamagata (Pt. 2)
- Genre : More Music
- Type: News
- Author : Super Admin
- Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008
There’s a certain advantage to that, because I think for so many of us, it’s hard to divorce those classic albums from their nostalgic ties in our formative years—you know, “Ah, Zeppelin…it’s like I’m back in high school getting stoned again.”
[Laughs] Right, that’s so funny. In high school, I was listening to Les Miserables while sitting on a swing set wondering if I’d ever fall in love. It was a very different experience. [Laughs]
You got tagged with a Parental Advisory sticker!
I did!
Does that mean anything anymore? Does that keep you from getting sold in Starbucks? Does the label think it won’t sell as many copies to 14-year-olds? Are there any ramifications at all?
Well, I don’t think Walmart is taking me anymore. [Laughs] No. I’m such a fan of the particular songs that contain “the bad words” that I don’t regret them in any way. If anything, for me, I think it would perk people’s ears up to be like “What did she do that got her that sticker?” I don’t think people look at me in that way. I’ve never wanted to be the artist where my main fanbase is young girls who are looking at me in a pop vein. At 14, you know a lot. You have a much deeper perception of the world than I think people give you credit for; not to say they know everything, but I remember feeling like I knew a lot. So I don’t want to discredit 14-year-olds—but I don’t want the audience looking at me to be a Kelly Clarkson, because I don’t feel that’s where I’m coming from. If anything, I feel like a little sticker like that might give me a little cred. [Laughs]
A fair chunk of Happenstance had a second life with licensing for film and TV. Is that happening again with the new one? How much do you get personally involved—do you veto things?
Unless it’s something I really disagree with, I’ll let it go. Certainly with Happenstance, the songs had these universal themes that seemed to work with the stories they were doing on film and television. There were a couple that matched up really well. My only hesitation every now and then is that I don’t want to be known as the artist who only gets on TV and film. I keep maybe more of an eye on it now. There are a couple things floating around for this record. As long as there’s artistry behind it, I think it can be a really good thing. But I don’t go out and actively seek them. I’ll be excited to see what does happen. These are darker songs and there’s an intensity to them that I think might actually keep them out of placements. But if they do make it in, I think they might be really strong.
How do you feel about Happenstance in hindsight? Do you feel that the new record is quote-unquote better? Just different?
I think it’s enriched from Happenstance. I love what we did with Happenstance; I still love that record. I think there’s something more intense and harder than grasp about this record. If you have one magical listen with this, then that’s what I got out of it. I’ve gone through so much with rearranging sequences and wondering whether it would ever come out, but I knew I had one super, super solid listen by myself that broke my heart in the greatest way. For me, I feel like there’s a richness and risk-taking and poetry to it that’s new to me—and it’s because I went through different experiences and evolved in many ways. Before I learned to hate it because it’s been so long… [Laughs]… there have been times when I truly loved it.
I understand that you’re a night owl when you’re writing. Are you always on that odd schedule or is it a cyclical thing?
That’s when I’m writing, really—because I love mornings. I can’t sleep during the day most of the time. Even holidays—I like having my holidays when other people aren’t having them. I like separating myself on a time level, especially when I’m doing something creative. It’s
[Laughs] Right, that’s so funny. In high school, I was listening to Les Miserables while sitting on a swing set wondering if I’d ever fall in love. It was a very different experience. [Laughs]
You got tagged with a Parental Advisory sticker!
I did!
Does that mean anything anymore? Does that keep you from getting sold in Starbucks? Does the label think it won’t sell as many copies to 14-year-olds? Are there any ramifications at all?
Well, I don’t think Walmart is taking me anymore. [Laughs] No. I’m such a fan of the particular songs that contain “the bad words” that I don’t regret them in any way. If anything, for me, I think it would perk people’s ears up to be like “What did she do that got her that sticker?” I don’t think people look at me in that way. I’ve never wanted to be the artist where my main fanbase is young girls who are looking at me in a pop vein. At 14, you know a lot. You have a much deeper perception of the world than I think people give you credit for; not to say they know everything, but I remember feeling like I knew a lot. So I don’t want to discredit 14-year-olds—but I don’t want the audience looking at me to be a Kelly Clarkson, because I don’t feel that’s where I’m coming from. If anything, I feel like a little sticker like that might give me a little cred. [Laughs]
A fair chunk of Happenstance had a second life with licensing for film and TV. Is that happening again with the new one? How much do you get personally involved—do you veto things?
Unless it’s something I really disagree with, I’ll let it go. Certainly with Happenstance, the songs had these universal themes that seemed to work with the stories they were doing on film and television. There were a couple that matched up really well. My only hesitation every now and then is that I don’t want to be known as the artist who only gets on TV and film. I keep maybe more of an eye on it now. There are a couple things floating around for this record. As long as there’s artistry behind it, I think it can be a really good thing. But I don’t go out and actively seek them. I’ll be excited to see what does happen. These are darker songs and there’s an intensity to them that I think might actually keep them out of placements. But if they do make it in, I think they might be really strong.
How do you feel about Happenstance in hindsight? Do you feel that the new record is quote-unquote better? Just different?
I think it’s enriched from Happenstance. I love what we did with Happenstance; I still love that record. I think there’s something more intense and harder than grasp about this record. If you have one magical listen with this, then that’s what I got out of it. I’ve gone through so much with rearranging sequences and wondering whether it would ever come out, but I knew I had one super, super solid listen by myself that broke my heart in the greatest way. For me, I feel like there’s a richness and risk-taking and poetry to it that’s new to me—and it’s because I went through different experiences and evolved in many ways. Before I learned to hate it because it’s been so long… [Laughs]… there have been times when I truly loved it.
I understand that you’re a night owl when you’re writing. Are you always on that odd schedule or is it a cyclical thing?
That’s when I’m writing, really—because I love mornings. I can’t sleep during the day most of the time. Even holidays—I like having my holidays when other people aren’t having them. I like separating myself on a time level, especially when I’m doing something creative. It’s
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