MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO a Notorious Perfectionist Tries Her Hand at Keeping It Simple
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MARCH/APRIL 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A Mark Seilger MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO A notorious perfectionist tries her hand at keeping it simple SHE’S SUNG WITH MADONNA AND Ndegeocello recently released not have to trust in getting punched in to John Mellencamp, played bass with the her eighth studio album, the confi dent fi x mistakes. Recording to tape was about Rolling Stones and Alanis Morissette, but and understated Devil’s Halo. It’s a the experience of getting something on Meshell Ndegeocello’s primary focus has back-to-basics set that she and her band the fi rst or second take, before it became always been her own solo work. Since recorded live to analog tape at L.A’s mechanical. For once I didn’t have some getting her start playing in go-go bands Phantom Box studio. “We recorded all in grandiose concept album or sonic idea in in Washington, D.C., in the late ’80s, the a room together and just laid it down,” she my head. We had already played a lot of singer, bassist and bandleader has rolled says. “I wanted to slow it down and get back this music on tour. During pre-production we through pop, soul, funk, jazz and R&B. to music that came out of my hands.” We tried to work out better song forms. Then we She made her national debut in the early caught up with Ndegeocello at her home went in and recorded most all of the initial ’90s with hits including “If That’s Your in upstate New York to discuss her new tracks in three days. Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)” and her album, her philosophy about the bass and duet with Mellencamp on a cover of Van her history as a self-confessed nitpicker. So you’ve tried a more detailed, Morrison’s “Wild Night,” but by decade’s modern approach? end began pursuing an increasingly What prompted you to make an analog My previous record, The World Has Made idiosyncratic path through her ever-expanding album this time? Me the Man of My Dreams [2007], was musical imagination. I wanted to be able to play the songs and done on Pro Tools and had a lot of editing ‘I’m starting to enjoy trying to write songs that are simple, songs you can play in a pub.’ 66 M mag 2_HBa.indd 66 3/22/10 4:35:53 PM MARCH/APRIL 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM and tricks. And the fi rst two records [1993’s and super-hippie: I have a gift. It’s a unique audience. Being up front is a little daunting Plantation Lullabies and 1996’s Peace gift, and I guess it came from my father. I sometimes, so I’d rather just focus on that Beyond Passion], took like two years each did all my practicing from 14 to 16. I can and try to sing to the best of my ability. to make. I worked with [producer] David hear stuff, and play it. I can’t rip and run; I’ll Gamson and we would nitpick and spend never be like Pat Metheny or Jaco Pastorius. He must be totally intimidated playing six months on one song. That’s fun, I love That’s not what I aspire to, but I can hear with you. that—I love Steely Dan, and I guess that bass lines and I think I play them well. So I’m totally intimidated by him! He’s inspired me to think like that. But after a I don’t practice that. What I practice is taking incredible. Everyone has a different while, after spending all that time and energy, a bass line and transforming it 20 different skill set. As a bandleader, I don’t want it wasn’t any more enjoyable. I made a jazz ways or having 20 different feels or tempos. you to be intimidated by me. I want to record [The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of I like to take an Elvis song and make it sound make you feel like you can express the Infi del, 2005] and I got to play bass reggae. I practice my imagination and styles, yourself, and when you hear something for two years straight, no singing. I got into and that has to do with listening. I try to listen in my music that excites you and what I could generate from my hands, a more to a lot of different music, and try to hone my you want to add something, come on. instant approach. The feeling of playing was ear to play whatever I hear. Music is not a competition. I like more fun than trying to make someone’s idea music: You get a bunch of people of a perfectly crafted R&B song. Do you have perfect pitch? and you’re all concentrating on one No, I have pretty good relative pitch, and idea, and I like that more than being You’re also a songwriter. How do I’m getting better. I have a bass player, competitive. I hated that about you know when you’ve written a and he has perfect pitch. He’s pretty much the jazz stuff. That was the most macho good one? a genius. music I had ever played. It definitely I once worked with [producer] Craig Street, who said that a good song can have just a singer and a piano player or guitarist, and it translates. That’s how you know it’s a good song. That’s how I started with “Lola”—which just started out as a guitar part and the words—and “Crying in Your Beer.” Who do you look to for inspiration for that kind of song? I really like [Pogues frontman] Shane MacGowan. He is lyrically and melodically an incredible songwriter. In that genre of music, the history of the music he comes from, Irish folk tales, it’s not about the beat and the weird bass tone. It’s about the harmony working with the melody and hopefully transporting your mind to make you involved with the lyric. That’s what I was trying to do. I think I can get better at it. This was my fi rst attempt but I’m really starting to enjoy that, just trying to write songs that are simple that you can play in a pub. Tell us about your songwriting process. Julie Hasse I use a little 8-track box or a little MIDI sequencing machine, and I usually sit at home and try to make beats, come up with ‘The feeling of playing was more fun guitar parts and bass lines. Sometimes I hear stuff all at once; I’ll have a really clear idea in than trying to make someone’s idea of my head. Other times I try to work out things that I’m hearing or feeling, and I keep demos a perfectly crafted R&B song.’ until I write melodies and hear lyrics. Do you still practice on bass? Wait, you have a bass player? led me to what I do now: just trying to write I’m trying to think of how to say this, I love my bass player. I’m not the best good songs. because it’s going to sound really Jungian singer-slash-player, because I focus on the –Eric R. Danton 67 M mag 2_HBa.indd 67 3/22/10 4:35:31 PM.