ELLE INTELLIGENCE MUSIC TRUST US recognize and could compare to the original. Like THIS MONTH’S I would never in a million years attempt to cover “Natu- BEST MUSIC ral Woman” by Aretha Franklin. What changed your mind? In the past two years, I’ve starting listening to heavier metaly, harder rock stuff. I just fell in love with Audio- slave—the songs are so spiritually driven. And I was going, “God, this is great songwriting.” I was listening to Tool. Tool? Really? OUR UNSUNG HEROINE They’re great! You know? They’re coming from that Jolie Holland’s voice beguiles like something similar place that I came from, which is more blues- from an old 78, and it’s based rock stuff with those real in-depth lyrics. a shame she’s not as When did you start writing this record? lauded as she should be. On her third record, There are a couple of songs that we put on Little Honey The Living and the that were really old songs. I wrote “Circles and Xs” right Dead, she channels the folky, sultry blues Joni after I first moved out to L.A., sometime around 1985. Mitchell trademarked ’Cause sometimes that’s what I’ll do—is take old songs and conjures her that aren’t finished and, you know, what my dad [poet own stunning takes on lost lovers and sly Miller Williams] refers to as cannibalizing, where you approaches. take bits and pieces from stuff. “Little Rockstar” touches on the self-destructive nature of young artists. Is this about Amy Winehouse, by chance? Her experiences certainly inspired the song. When I
Bride-to-be look at an artist like Amy, I feel for her. I haven’t had the Lucinda Williams whole paparazzi thing, but I understand the whole, like, just wanting to check out. Are all of your songs autobiographical? HOW SWEET All of them. All of my secrets are out. On World Without AXE MURDERESS Tears, I had about three or four songs that were about Marnie Stern is back with This Is It, I Am It, IT IS this one guy I had been with. He was a lot younger. Of So Is That…, a second course it didn’t work out. He was a bad-boy bass player. record full of shredding Lucinda Williams, the reigning queen of alt country, Blah, blah, blah. I wrote “Fruits of My Labor” about to rival Eddie Van Halen and the sort of floored us with last year’s West, a record so emotionally him, and “Over Time.” Bless his heart, he said, “All of prog-rock intricacy raw, we thought it would be years before she could open my friends are giving me shit.” usually associated with What’s your writing routine like? hooded druids. But those veins again. But the grande dame of iconic song- Stern drowns it all in writers is back with this month’s Little Honey, a rock- I’m not real disciplined in terms of, “Okay, I’m going to sunny, unabashedly infused wallop that proves unrequited love isn’t her get up and write from noon to four every day,” the way girlish abandon. All of $BOEJDF3BJOFZ the virtuosity without problem anymore.— Flannery O’Connor did. My dad tells me the story of any of the “Hot for when—she was kinda his mentor—he took us to visit Teacher” BS! Tell me about the title, Little Honey. her when I was four years old. And she saw us through There’s a line in the song “Rarity” where I sing [actually the blinds out on the porch. Her housekeeper came out singing], “They’ll call you little honey and write you a and said, “Miss O’Connor will be with you soon. She check/ Seduce you with money and fuck your respect.” hasn’t finished writing yet.” And Tim Easton, who’s a singer-songwriter, he was in At 55 you’re engaged to your manager. Are you happy? the studio with us one day and he said, “God, I love the We’ve been together going on four years, and we’re still way you sing that little honey part.” And we were really all goo-goo gaga. Everybody told us, “Oh, that’s just struggling to find a title. We were thinking about call- part of the honeymoon stage, it’s going to go away.” We MANIC AT THE DISCO ing it “It’s a Long Way to the Top.” The AC/DC song. pride ourselves that it hasn’t. Friendly Fires are a trio You do a blues cover of it on the album. Are you an AC/DC fan? Have you guys planned the wedding? from the UK who’ve released a self-titled Well, I’ve become one. This was another idea from We don’t have a damn thing planned. My stepmom debut of addictively Tom [Overby], my fiancé, who coproduced. I was al- said, “Honey, you have my permission. If you all want catchy, sometimes ways a little timid about taking on a song that people to end up getting hitched in Vegas, that’s okay.” cheeky disco-pop. They’re barely in their twenties, but they’ve already got a handle 5)&3&$03%5)"5$)"/(&%.:-*'& on Elvis Costello–style ²8IFO1BSMJBNFOUHPU"SF:PV&YQFSJFODFE<> CZ+JNJ)FOESJY XFTBXIPXGBS concision and bite (see QTZDIFEFMJDDPVMEHP"OEJUXBTTUJMMCMVFT*NFBO +JNJ)FOESJYJTTUJMM MJLF UIFCMVFTJFTU±GSPN “Photobooth”) and know how to update 3PCFSU+PIOTPOBMMUIFXBZVQUPOPX*KVTUCPVHIUUIFBMCVNCFDBVTF*LOFXIJNBOETBXIJT that for the skinny-jean GBDF
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