John Philip Shenale: The Glide Magazine Interview

As a producer, I understand that things are changing every album. And my relationship with Tori, from my historical point of view, is that she represents, for me, a complex, multi-faceted musical talent that always surprises me. And as a result, I love that situation because it’s always challenging and a new approach. It’s a constant question of how to handle the emotional fabric of the songs but still move forward. It’s always something new. And watching her create and invent really inspires me to do the same, so that’s where a lot of the impetus comes from. It’s always a psychological and metaphysical experience with her. She’s one of the deepest artists I’ve ever worked with.

We don’t get many chances to hear from John Philip Shenale, the composer and arranger behind so many of Tori’s orchestra-infused songs — and a major force involved in the creation of Night of Hunters. Glide magazine recently sat down with him for an extensive interview, which they published in two parts just as Sin Palabras was released last month. Click through the jump to check out the whole thing!

read more...

Tori Visits The Rosie Show This Week

It’s not obvious from the schedule on Rosie.com, but the page for the January 10th episode of The Rosie Show indicates that the segment featuring Tori taped back in December will be aired on January 10th, along with an interview with Darrell Hammond.

The Rosie Show is on OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network) and airs at 7 PM Eastern/6 PM Central. Hopefully the segment will be available to stream on Rosie.com after it hits the airwaves…

Thanks to Mitchell for the tip!

Beth Coulter, 1961-2011

Beth Coulter, a longtime Toriphile and avid member of RDT in its heyday, died New Year’s Eve of brain cancer. She was 50 years old.

Beth — or Bethey, as we knew her — was a ruthless optimist, always fighting for what was right. Even in her last weeks, she went up against the PA housing authority to convince them to let a homeless friend of hers become her live-in caretaker. Ultimately, she won.

Bethey was a historian and writer. A number of her stories and articles are available on her Web site, Fairy Blessings. There, you can read several pieces she wrote about Tori. She also wrote about a fellow Toriphile, Rachel Sinai, who was murdered in 2000.

Until yesterday, Bethey’s Facebook page was active and full of loving goodbyes from people she knew. Unfortunately, her page has been removed or made private since then. However, we caught a quote from Bethey that one of her friends provided, and we’d like to share it:

I would like to teach the world that it is but the end of one journey, and the beginning of an even greater journey. If people can face death with anticipation instead of fear, I will feel I have done what I was meant to. And I hope to repeat Steve Jobs’ final words…“OH WOW, Oh Wow, oh wow…”

Happy 2012 From Undented!

As 2011 winds down — and 2012 has already started for those out on the western side of the International Date Line — we just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy New Year and the best of good fortune in 2012.

2011 was a busy but Tori-filled year with the release of Night of Hunters, the ensuing tour and all the hub-bub and madness associated with it. We’d be lying if we said we weren’t looking forward to the quiet lull after a tour but, that said, we’re still looking forward to whatever 2012 brings — the 20th anniversary of Little Earthquakes, the premiere of The Light Princess musical (or whatever it ends up being named) and, if the rumors are true, maybe even some live shows.

Happy New Year y’all!

— Violet, Beth, Ruud & woj

Tori Wraps Up Night of Hunters

While we were off gallivanting about this past Christmas weekend, Tori posted a short note on the official Facebook to thank everyone for coming out on the Night of Hunters tour and wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season:

Hi Guys

We just wrapped up the last show of the tour in Dallas

I am really going to miss everyone of you that came out since started back in September

Me and The Fab Four had a blast…

Can’t wait till the next one, I miss you already

Wishing you all the best time for the Holidays this season

I better go Tash just found one of her gifts ;)

Hugs

t

We’re still wrapping up the tour coverage ourselves — very inconvenient of Christmas to come along just as the tour ended, wouldn’t you say? But we’re getting there as well…

Silencing the Screams

More than a few people have written to ask about Screaming in Silence, a CD slated to be released at the end of January 2012 on the All Access label. As reported by several music publications and described on several UK retailers’ websites, it is a recording of a 1992 concert at The Phoenix in Toronto, Canada that was broadcast on the CBC radio program Hot Ticket along with a six bonus tracks from two radio appearances Tori made in early 1993 as well as two b-sides: “Upside Down” and “Sugar.”

While it would be wonderful if such a recording was officially released and it’s comforting to find out that some folks feel there is a market for such material, we have been told that this is not a sanctioned release and is completely illegitimate.

That said, this radio broadcast was widely bootlegged and traded by Toriphiles back in the day so one shouldn’t have too much trouble tracking down a copy if one puts their mind to it…

Seattle Times Interview: Extended Edition

It’s not that they’re smarter than anyone else. It’s because they understand the form. They’re listening to it from an emotional level, they’re not listening to it as playwrights saying, “Well, is this an active part of the story?” You’re not getting a dramatist talking to you, you’re getting musicians who are understanding the emotion from the rhythm, the chord progression, the melody. Music is the language to musicians and everybody working on it.

For those of you who enjoyed Paul Pearson’s brief article on Tori in the Seattle Times on December 9, Paul has a treat for you: he has posted the uncut version of their Q&A on his blog. Head on over to see a much richer version of their conversation.

Here I Will Carry, Carry, Carry You

Last night, the Night of Hunters tour drew to a close, ending the trail that began in Helsinki at the end of September, wound through Europe, darted to South Africa and crossed over to North America on the stage of the Verizon Theatre, neatly tucked between Dallas and Forth Worth in Grand Prairie.

For the last show, Tori and the Apollon Musagète Quartett mixed things up a little, adding a few extra slots to the usual structure of the shows on the tour: an extra song with strings in the main set and a longer encore. Songs performed with the quartet featured “Father Lucifer,” “Edge of the Moon,” “Precious Things,” and, nodding to the holiday season, “Holly, Ivy & Rose.” While no new songs with the quartet appeared, the sols sections were brimming with the unexpected: “Daisy Dead Petals,” “Parasol,” “Garlands,” “Curtain Call,” and a cover of The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road” all came out to say hello.

The full setlist is up in the Tour section. Many thanks to @RebekahScott, @marmylayde, @alfredarossy, @treethirteen, and @mayes48 for the updates from the show!

If you were at the show and care to share your thoughts on the culmination of the tour, please do so using the form at the bottom of the setlist page — we’d love to hear from you!

A heartfelt thanks to Tori, the Quartett and and the road crew for making these shows happen every night! It’s hard work and we appreciate it! We only caught a few of the shows of the tour but they were quite magical.

And finally, just as importantly, a heartfelt thanks to all of you for the e-mail, tweets, concert reports, videos, photos, and community. Without you, Undented wouldn’t be what it is and we truly appreciate all that you bring to it!

Every Desperado and Sharp Shooter In The West

The penultimate show of the Night of Hunters tour, at Austin’s Bass Concert Hall, is in the books! The setlist featured a couple tour debuts — “Sweet Sangria,” “Black Dove (January),” and, performed with Apollon Musagète Quartett, “Smokey Joe” — as well “Butterfly,” “Carbon,” “Our New Year” (with the quartet), and “Little Earthquakes.”

Thanks to live updates on Twitter from @treethirteen, @meghanlcoulter and @alfredarossy, the complete setlist is already posted in the Tour section. Check it out and, if you were at the show and care to share your thoughts about it, please post a review to share with the site and the world.

The final show of the tour is Wednesday night in Dallas — see you then!

Tori Visits The KGSR Music Lounge

Tori stopped by Austin radio station KGSR today and performed live on the air in their Music Lounge. KGSR has kindly posted the video on their website so not only can you listen (if, like us, you missed it when it was aired) but watch it too! Technology!

The session included performances of “Winter,” “Upside Down,” “Edge of the Moon,” and “Star of Wonder” and an interview segment by KGSR deejay Kristen Kurtis — who got her photo with Tori like any good fan!

They’ve also posted a photo album from the session (which we’ve shamelessly reproduced below).