Emiliana Torrini Interview on 14. May 2009After more nine months since the release of her last album "Me And Armini", we have made a little point with Emiliana on her tour, her thoughts on this album, and others things. Have a good reading!
Hello Emiliana, thanks for taking some time for our questions, and first of all, how are you?
I am happy thank you.
Let's talk about "Me and Armini" for a minute. It's been 9 months since the album has been released. Do you think it's your most important work yet, the one you worked on the most, the one that is the most "like you"?
No every record represents a time and place for me so it is not about being more important then the next. All of them are me just me at the time when i did them. I have changed in someways i hope but i have taken most of me with me. I am definitely learning more with each record, which is the most important thing to me as i still find making a record fascinating and mind boggeling. It makes me smile circles around my head and yet infuriates me like nothing else. The record that was the hardest in the making for me personally was "fisherman´s woman". It took a lot out of me. It was a looong difficult period. This record is more care free i guess, in the making of it i mean. Dan and i know now fully how each other opperates so things were easier. We were and are two friends hanging out for five days at a time somewhere where we choose to be this time oxford and Iceland and just wrote music 20 hours a day and cooked meals. I took the decision of just letting go, letting everything come out that wanted to. Before i would have been in the rink in my head.
You wrote this album pretty fast, is this always the case when you begin a new project - is everything very clear in your head - or do you sometimes need more time and thoughts?
I personally need to be in the right head space. The best is when i haven't been writing for a long time. When i feel like a balloon about to burst. Then i meet dan. We don't plan or know what we are going to do ever. We go in, hit record and pop goes the balloon hopefully and not my head.
What is your favorite song on your album (maybe you don't have any favorite song!)?
Yes i do actually. Me me me... I have a few (haha). My favorites are "Beggars Prayer" and "Gun". It changes when i perform. To be honest i haven't listened to the record for months now. It felt really slow when i heard it last compared to the live shows now. Felt like slow motion.
Fans have been wandering a lot about the singles's release process, why did you decide about a digital release only, and no CD singles?
It was a question of time. We were in a hurry. Either we would put it out that year or the year after. Ididn't want to live with it for 6 months and then put it out, work it and start playing. I would have been over it by then and wanting to do something else. So we decided to put it out as soon as and with that i couldn't spend hardly any time on artwork. I was just lucky billy und hells could do the cover picture so quick.
You've been touring since October, it's also your longest tour in your whole carreer, how does you feel about this?
Is it? It hasn't felt like that at all. I am really enjoying it. I thought i wouldn't, was dreading it. I have until january next year to see if i can do this kind of touring or if i will be rocking naked in the corner with my hair cut off and nails broken from scratching the bus walls. Singing kumbaya in tibetan throat singing style...
And we are curious, what do you listen to, what are the recent CDs you bought and enjoyed?
I am really enjoying dark horses (liza lindley-jones). She is unsigned as of yet and i lover her record. She was kind enough to give it to me when we met. We shared a rental car to get to a mutual friends wedding in the north. Also this girl on myspace called Kimberly Linn.
The music we listen to before going on stage is Blind Blake, a Caribbean calypso artist (trinidad). My drummer brought it and we are all hooked. My favorite song on there at the moment is "its love love alone causing edward to leave his throne".
We are even more curious, what was the latest movie you saw in the cinema (if you still have time to go!)?
I saw the "State of Play". It was ok. There are usually two guys that can be suspected to be the bad guy, the famous actor or the very famous actor, excluding the main actor of course... It usually is the very famous actor (haha).
I watch dvds a lot and saw an older film, a german one called "The life of others". That was an amazing film. That made me happy. Also "Owning Mahowny" i have seen that twice now it is the sort of -don´t do it!, nooo don´t do it!- movie. My next movie will be wolverine... I love movies like that, can't help myself.
Thanks a lot for your time, we wish you a great time on the tour road!
Thank you very much as well. Hope the summer gives you a bags of treats.
Interview by emiliana.nu www.emiliana.nu
Official Site: www.emilianatorrini.com
Photograph Wears the trousers @ http://wearsthetrousers.com
