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MLL:
Well no, I can play a lot more songs than I could at a gig, because some gigs I know that
there will be press or industry now, and I can't really play a shitload of folk covers.
Like I couldn't play a bunch of Lois songs, because it's too close. I do a lot of obscure
covers. But I'm only be able to get away when I'm on the street in front of a crowd not
aware of who might be by. I don't know, it's like this unspoken thing.
CB: You mean, once you're on stage if you covered too many
songs, you'd be accused of copping someone else's schtick, but on the street it doesn't
matter as much because everyone just wants to hear you play good songs?
MLL: Exactly. So now that I'm take more for real, they
expect me to be more professional and I can't do a lot of the dorky songs that I would do
if I were playing in the street.
CB: Do you try to take requests?
MLL: I always take requests! Joni Mitchell says that songs are
like children, and I feel sort of like a foster parent to these songs that I do. When
people start yelling out requests it's like, "Oh there goes Mary Lou marching down to
the B-side orphanage again."
CB: I think you're considered by most people to be a part of the
indie-rock scene, but it seems like your influences are much more traditional musicians.
MLL: I didn't listen to too much punk, I missed it. But I
listened to more of the less-noisy music. I think I might have enjoyed it much more if I'd
heard it when I was younger, not so much now. Guided by Voices are my favorite band, and I
was going to go home, but they invited me to tour with them.
CB: Are you touring with a whole crew and road manager and
stuff?
MLL: No, not this time. I'm travelling by myself, except
yesterday Guided by Voices drove me down from Portland. |
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CB: So
Rick Rubin sent you something, right?
MLL: Yeah, he sent me a metronome. I don't know whether to take
that as an insult big-time or as a friendly little... so yeah.
The other interviewer in the room with another zine: How did you and
Juliana Hatfield hook up?
MLL: It's weird, we both went to Berklee College of Music, and
we both had the same voice teacher.
CB: Is it weird having to constantly deal with A&R people
from different record labels?
MLL: It was weird at first, I was completely flipped out, but
now it's like, well, I really want to think about it first. And I wanted to see how this
record would do, how far Kill Rock Stars could get. The other bands on Kill Rock Stars
don't want to do any promotion at all. But with me, Slim has freedom to promote me however
he wants. We hired some independent record promoters, and we just wanted to see how far we
could get. So before I sign, I just want to see how far we can go without some big record
label pushing the record.
CB: Because when you're on a big label with a lot of money they
can create a buzz about you and make people want to hear music they otherwise might not
care about. In a sense, they can create a market for you.
MLL: Right. And these people we have helping us out are people
that the big record labels would give anything to get. They're really really good at what
they do. They do it because they believe in it, not just because they're getting a
shitload of money. They really like the music they promote.
Other Interviewer: So up at YoYo a Go Go in 1994 we saw you play out on
the sidewalk. Do you like playing outside better?
MLL: Yeah! Because I can do it whenever I want, and if I |
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