Interviews
Dana Fuchs talk to Britsound
Interview with Dana Fuchs, May 2008
Dana was joined in the studio by her producer, co-writer and guitarist Jon Diamond.
Rob Quicke: I want to ask you a question, and you're probably asked this all the time, but at what age did you realize you had the voice?
Dana Fuchs: You know, probably about nine or ten. I'm the youngest of six kids, and my oldest brother and sister, they were just out of school and starting their own band, and I would help my sister. They were doing covers at the time and I would sit at home and I would pick out lyrics from tunes for her and I would sing them. And then one day my dad said, "why don't you go sing a song with them?" And I was nine or ten and I got on stage with them and the crowd loved it, so, you know, I knew that's what I'm doing.
Rob: You were nine years old and you were the youngest.
Dana: I was the youngest, yes.
Rob: Did you feel ever that you were, sort of, in the shadow of your brothers or sisters?
Dana: Not so much. My oldest brother and sister, they were very different style. Like, I always said my sister had the pretty songbird voice and I always had this...I sounded like I smoked cigarettes from the age of five.[laughter] So, I was just given this.
Rob: So you didn't have to go through years of self-abuse to get that voice.
Dana: I did that anyway, but it wasn't for the voice.
Rob: OK, so you started singing...so it was a real passion for you, it was a real love. At what point did you say, OK, I'm going to make a serious go of this?
Dana: You know, it was about that same age, nine or ten. I remember my dad...it was a rainy Sunday afternoon, and he was watching movies on whatever network television station it was, and that Billy Holiday movie, Lady Sings the Blues with Diana Ross was on and I sat down with him to watch it, and afterwards I said, "I'm going to move to New York, become a blues singer and a heroin addict, " and he said, "do you know what a heroin addict is?" But I did, I knew, I mean, I was so taken by that film and just thought, wow, I really wanted to be in these smoky, little bars, singing blues music and just having people moved that way, I mean, that was just my fantasy from that age on.
Rob: So, you knew then that you wanted to perform?
Dana: I did, and I knew I wanted it to start in New York.
Rob: Moving from Florida to New York, that was a big change. What age did you take that jump?
Dana: About 19 years old. I was working at a pizza place and this girl, her mother owned a place in Palasades Park, New Jersey, and they were getting ready to go up to New Jersey and I said, "can I catch a ride with you?" And I literally rode in the back of this car, and she and her mom fought in Italian for the whole two day trip and I rented a place from her mom in Fort Lee and spent nine months there and we'd come over to New York for auditions and stuff.
Rob: Did it happen immediately? What would you sort of now, at looking back it's easy to say with retrospect, what would you now say was the defining break for you?
Dana: Well, it probably wouldn't have had to take as long as it did for me to get going, but it was, you know, about five years into it when I finally was really getting a reputation doing the blues clubs in New York and that's when I partnered up with John, here, and we were playing rooms that had a built in audience and then they were responding to what we do.
But, it was still other people's songs. I was doing really, old, obscure blues and R & B. And at that point I said, I've got to get to the lower, east side and write my own songs, do my own music and so it was about at that time, about four or five years ago that I really started writing my own songs and all of the fan base that we built up in New York from the blues club's came with us to these original clubs. And between that we started to build a good following in New York and then I got the Love, Janice off-broadways thing which really stepped it up. And then recently the Julie Taymore film, Across The Universe. So, now I'm really, for the first time, getting out on the road.
Rob: Let me speak to Jon Diamond, here, who's in studio with us, the guitarist, and also toured with John Osbourne previously, amongst others.
Jon, do you remember the first time you heard Dana sing?
Jon Diamond: I actually do. I was doing a blues jam in a club and she stood up and she did Stormy Monday, I think. Right?
Dana: Yes. I didn't know the lyrics.
Jon: She didn't know the lyrics[laughter] and she sounded great and I recognized a great singer, but she really didn't know how to sing the blues, necessarily, but I gave her my number regardless.
Dana: And he told me he had an extensive blues collection at home if I wanted to come by.
Rob: Oh, that old number, that old line.
Jon: Yes, but, she had a fantastic voice and presence and that's when I heard her.
Rob: So, you started working together.
Jon: Yes, we started working..
Rob: You started recording. When did you start recording your first material together?
Dana: 2003, 2004. Well, we were always recording, we would go to Jon's and most of our first C.D. was done...a lot of the vocals were done in his studio apartment, and I literally sat with the seat down on a toilet to do the vocals!
Rob: That sounds unglamorous.
Dana: It was pretty unglamorous.
Jon: But it sounded glorious.
Dana: It sounded glorious, it was a lot of fun up until two in the morning in his bathroom with headphones on.
Rob: Now, the second C.D. you've just released, is recorded live in New York City.
Dana: That's right.
Rob: For your second release, why a live record as opposed to another studio album?
Dana: You know, because we've been in the studio, in fact, I have a studio album in the cans, but I just felt like the live thing captures the essence of us so much and if this is going to be the first statement I make out there, then that's who I am.
You know with a studio album, it's really hard when you're so used to being a live act, and then that's where you really get most of your inspiration and energy, from the audience and doing it so improvisationally, it's kind of hard to capture that in the studio. So, that's going to be the next, real mission for me. I'm not even sure the C.D. I have now in the cans is going to be released anytime soon. I think, I still have to find that next recording.
Rob: You know, that's kind of interesting that you say that, because for many bands in this day and age, actually recording material and tweaking it and making it sound pretty good, is a heck of a lot easier than actually performing it live. And it seems to be the other way around for you. Do you view it more exciting to perform that way rather than doing studio work? What do you get more of a kick out of?
Dana: You know, I really love doing both. But live...it's definitely more exciting, I would say that. The studio is more challenging, and that's so much fun in a different way because it's literally like you're putting a puzzle together and everything's thought about. And live, it's completely antithetical of that because you're on stage and whatever spits out of my mouth, and it changes nightly, is inspired by whoever is in front of me in that moment. So, I run with that, so that's very exciting and in the moment.
Rob: By your own standards, are there some nights where you think that it wasn't as good a performance as other nights? I mean, are there some times when it doesn't work, or does it pretty much work all the time for you?
Dana: Well, heck, I wouldn't be as so bold as to say it works all the time for me, however, I've been playing live for so long and now we've done so much just even a duo without the band, which was really scary at first, that we don't have those nights where it's like, "Oh, God that gig was horrible." I had a lot of those. You have a show where you go, "it wasn't my best but I'm not going to lose sleep over it tonight. I'm not going to cringe. People may not have noticed anything I am freaking out about, " you know.
Rob: But I mean like on the DVD that you now have out, there's an extra section of acoustic performances just you two together. Again, it's not really something that most people can really pull off. It takes incredible guts to go out there and do something so stripped down.
Dana: Absolutely. I remember the first time we did it and I was terrified. A lot of people that were coming to the gig were used to the band and it was wild.
And so I have my percussion and I have a little thing I stomp upon and Jon's got the harmonica strapped around him. And I was like, "Are people going to respond to this?" But then I got inside the songs so much more. And a lot of our die-hard fans said, "Wow, I really heard the lyrics to that tune tonight," it had a whole new meaning. And then you can play with nuances of melody lyric tempo in a more intimate setting and it's just a whole different thing. But, it still rocks.
Jon: It is harder for me though. It's much easier with a band.
Dana: Oh, it's much easier with a band for me too. Yeah. It's more pressure this way.
Jon: But it's fun; I like it. I knew that it was going to sound good the first time that we actually did it because it's just like practicing in my living room. I said, "Well, this just sounds really good. If we just do what we're doing here on stage it'll be the same thing."
Rob: Let me ask you then, if you don't mind me moving on to "Across the Universe." Do you remember the first time that the idea was mentioned to you and how did you get involved with that film?
Dana: Julie Taymor was looking for a singer in New York to just do a demo for a tune that had nothing to do with the film. It was for another film that she still hopes to someday make and it was the "Goddess of Death and Destruction." So, she'd written this song that vocally was very WAAAAGH!- that craziness. And she thought, 'I should call the producers of "Love - Janice" and you know get a singer recommendation. So they gave her my name and unbeknownst to me I had a show that night. Jon and I had one of our first acoustic shows. The next day I got an email from Julie saying, "I'd love to meet you. I was at your show last night. I love your voice. I want to hire you to do this demo."
So, I went in to do this crazy song for her and her partner, Elliott Goldenthall, who's the composer on most of our film music. And as I was recording this song that day, it was really a challenging tune to sing and I had to really put my whole body into in. Julie was laughing and she said, "Can I video you doing this?" And I didn't know she had it in her mind she was going to use that to say, "I think, I got the girl for this film." But afterwards she asked me a lot of questions about myself and said, "I have something in mind for you." And then it was almost a year later she called and turned out she actually wrote that part for me, which was crazy to find out.
I went in and did the audition like everyone else. I sweated it for a couple of weeks thinking, "I haven't heard anything," you know, and "did I get it?" And didn't tell anybody and she forgot to tell me. That was the funny thing. The casting agent kept calling me in saying, "This isn't a callback for you. We just have to see if we can find a tall enough Jo-Jo," the guy who plays my boyfriend. But I didn't know I had the part. So, I finally said, "What do you mean this isn't a callback for me? You guys keep calling me and everyday..." and he said, "Well, you already have the part. Didn't Julie tell you?" And she called me at home laughing again saying, "I forgot to tell you that."
Rob: What was your gut reaction when you saw the script and you sort of read how the film was going to play out; particularly with the Beatles music?
Dana: I knew. I knew it was going to be amazing. And that was before we sat down in a room with Julie rehearsing. Before she told us when the walls were going to peel away and when the boys were going to be traipsing through this mini Viet Nam jungle, stomping out the rice fields. And you know, the bus ride with Bono. Before we knew all of crazy visuals that were going to happen. I just thought the script was so amazing. And the characters, you know...even though a lot of people said they weren't as developed in that film, they were all so relevant to the time, the story and way they used the lyrics of the Beatles to make it sound like that's what the song was written for.
Rob: Out of all the songs that you sung on that film, which one would you say is your favorite? You know, which one did you enjoy the most?
Dana: Probably "Helter Skelter."
Jon: Yeah.
Rob: That song just tears the roof off, doesn't it, when you do it live?
Dana: Yeah... People loved that. We've been doing it acoustic, too. [laughs]
Rob: And is that-how does it work acoustically? Is it sort of different dynamic or you still just go for it?
Jon: Well, we go for it. We just do it a little funkier. We always do it with a kind of a groove anyway. But, that's what I'm emphasizing since we can't get all the roar of electric guitars.
Rob: Tell me, what was it like recording music for a film as opposed to live performance? I mean, you know when they say, "OK, we'll start filming" and "cut." Was it easier to perform that way or did you find it difficult for you to get in to the music?
Dana: I was really surprised about that and it wasn't difficult at all. It actually felt really natural because Julie was great at creating the right environment and she wanted us all singing live. And I particularly said I didn't want to use any ear monitors. I wanted to really imagine I just had a floor monitor. And for the scene where we did "Why Don't We Do it in the Road" and I'm swigging whiskey and... that was at seven in the morning! I, you know, I was wishing that was coffee, but..! And so it was really interesting that when you have the right people and the right formula behind you-I really believed I was in a nightclub at that point and I was surprised that it really felt that way.
Rob: And even on the rooftop at the end of the film?
Dana: Oh, God, that was one of my favorite moments. I just got chills, as you said that. That was really...that was a beautiful moment. That was one of our first scenes shot in the film because it was starting to get cold.
We started it in September and we had to get a lot of the outdoor stuff out of the way. And I loved that day. It was just those two days. We were on the roof for two days. It was awesome.
Rob: Why do you think the movie worked so well? I mean, obviously it's down way to the songs of the performances of them. But, the songs are just as fresh as ever; aren't they?
Dana: They really are. You know, I think, a lot of that had to do with the way Elliott Goldenthall and T-Bone Burnett produced the soundtrack. And you know, I think, Julie brought in a lot of new talent and we were all terrified, you know. This is the Holy Grail of music. You better do it right. [laughs]
Rob: I bet that was a bit intimidating.
Dana: It was.
Rob: Was it intimidating hanging out with Bono and Joe Cocker? I mean, these guys are e living legends, so to speak. Did you meet?
Dana: Oh, yeah, in fact I was probably the biggest U2 fan of the cast. And Jo-Jo and I both huge Joe Cocker fans. But, with Bono, I spent a lot of time with him because we had a lot of scenes together. And they knew that. So, they put me in makeup with him every day. So, I was this close, you know, sitting a foot away from him. And the first day, first few hours, I could barely speak. I mean, really I just was tongue-tied.
Rob: So you were like fan yourself?
Dana: Totally. And then I finally said "I'm sorry. It's just, you're Bono." And then we broke the ice and started talking about a lot of interesting things. He's really into Bob Dylan and the fact that he'd seen a documentary about Hitler being a cocaine addict. [laughs]
Rob: Let me ask you though. your performances on the movie are really standout and there's always a sort of physicality to what you do. You get into the music don't you? Is it something that's just instinct and it just happens or is it part of the performance?
Dana: It just happens. It's just the kind of stuff I'm singing, I feel like it takes being physical - I remember one of my first shows someone said I reminded them of Joe Coker the way I moved. [laughs]
Rob: It is a very similar style where you can see the emotion being expressed in the way you move your body.
Dana: For some reason coming from that gospel soul R&B blus background, when you're interpreting that and then you've got a driving force behind you like Jon's guitar then it just happens.
Rob: Jon does she scare you live? [laughs]
Jon: No. Not at all except she's got a very long arm span [laughter] so sometimes she e can smack me or more dangerously impale herself on my guitar strings...
Dana: Which I have. [laughter]
Rob: The movie was hugely successful and there is an authenticity about your performances that you don't find every day.
Dana: Thank you.
Rob: Has the film really helped your career?
Dana: I would say so. A lot of people are saying "Why aren't you a famous recording artist right now?" but it's not like that in this day and age but for me I just see how it's opened me up. Now it's just a phone call away to get a show anywhere in Europe. We're getting all kinds of festivals booked in Europe for the summer and fall.
It's just turned people on to what I do. Because they were like "Oh, who's that girl?" And I got so many notes on my email and MySpace saying "I saw you in the film and then I found out you really are a singer! So I want to come see you." And then they buy our music and they come to a show.
Rob: Do you think that sort of shocks people when they realize you are really, delivering the good yourself and this is who you are?
Dana: Yeah a lot of people are surprised by that.
Rob: How much of that performance in the film was you being you? Was it most of it basically?
Dana: It was me totally.
Jon: I can say that too. That's Dana. And that's why Julie wrote the part for her because she saw this person and she goes "Oh. All I have to do is put this person in the part and that's who they are."
Rob: So what are you going to do next? Obviously you've got the momentum. What's the future and what plans do you have?
Dana: Right now we want to hit the road. I want to be performing in front of as many people as possible, getting my music out there. Starting with this live CD then the next mission will be to make the right studio recording and just keep with more and more and shows, expanding the fan base and being out there doing it!
Rob: When you perform do you ever have to hold back sometimes. I've spoken to a couple singers before and they say sometimes they can get so much into the performance that they'll pay a price later like the next day they'll lose their voice or whatever and if they're on tour they could obviously just ruin the rest of the dates by getting into it too much by giving it 100%. Is that a risk for you? Is that something that you think "I'd really better just keep a little bit more control over this"?
Dana: I've thought that at times then Jon and I had this conversation recently as we're getting these shows and they have me five nights in a row and then a day off and then five nights in a row and I thought, I know by now even if I say "Oh I better not go too far" if I'm caught in the moment there's no way to control that so fortunately I have an amazing voice coach. When we were making the record I could sing at any hour and keep going and they called me 'the machine'!
I think, if you know what you're doing there's a freedom and really exercising that muscle to a degree where you don't have to worry about holding back. Because I can't... I said OK tonight I'm not going to go that crazy and the crowd is there.
Jon: Yeah. Dana always goes 110%. The result for us is probably that we need to do three shows in a row and take a night off. Better that because she's not going to hold back.
Dana: I prefer to do four and have two days off if I'm doing five maybe give me two to three days off.
Rob: Is there ever a moment in your performance where you're playing in front of an audience when you can see it in the audiences that we've got something going on here that's magic. When you've really won over an audience. You know that moment when a gig becomes truly amazing?
Dana: Absolutely. You know when you can see the audience, we've been doing these theater tours and that's been something to get used to where I can't see the audience as much so I just have to try to feel them. But, when we're in these small and more intimate settings and you see the crowds there are times when it hits and it's a surge. I've sung with tears rolling down my face just being so moved by the audience and moved by what Jon's playing. There are times when I know they're just feeding on what Jon's doing and going for crazy for him.
Rob: What do you think Jon? I mean how much of what you do on the guitar adjusts to what's going on out there in the audience?
Jon: I'm more feeding off the other musicians and off Dana and just feeling the music. I find that personally for me if I focus too much on the audience, I can sense they are enjoying it but if I start thinking about it, it actually screws me up. I'm sort of in the music and I feel if I'm there, then they're going to be along with me. It's a simpler thing than trying to think about what they're doing. I mean obviously if you see people reacting to a certain thing you might step it up or go with that.
Rob: Well, final question then. This is a really tough question but in five years time ideally where would you like to see yourself?
Dana: Selling out stadiums, large theaters, have a couple more great selling recordings, five more albums at least. Really...doing this as much as I want to.
Links:
http://www.danafuchs.com
