News: Tori Interviewed on Studio 360 (September 15, 2006)

Tori made an appearance on the PRI radio program Studio 360 on September 15, 2006 where she talked with host Kurt Anderson about myth and motherhood and mentioned that there will be a “big world tour” in 2007. As it says in the program description:

She speaks in delicious metaphors. She’s funny, self-aware and she doesn’t hold back her opinions. But has singer—songwriter Tori Amos really been around long enough for a career—retrospective box set? She tells Kurt Andersen why women need to learn about mythological archetypes, and how becoming a mother has changed her.

The program originates at WNYC in New York City where it was aired today but is carried by many other public radio stations across the United States over the next week or, if you are feeling impatient, just stream the interview on the web. It is also available as a podcast.

Thanks to Paul for this transcript!

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Studio 360 – Interview with Tori Amos
September 15, 2006
(Transcript)

(Cornflake Girl plays)

This is Studio 360, I’m Kurt Anderson. The other day, I happened to hear a Tori Amos song, from her second album, Under The Pink. What was amazing about it was that the song didn’t feel like music from 1994. It just sounded like Tori Amos.

I can really think of only a handful of artists like that, whose music follows its own singular, timeless trajectory. Amos is just about to put out a 5 CD retrospective covering her entire career, including some demo tapes, B-sides and a few new songs, and I am delighted to have her on the show today. Tori Amos, welcome to Studio 360.

Tori: Hi there.

Kurt: Happy recent birthday, which I know because we share the same birthday, as it turns out.

Tori: Do we?

Kurt: We do, except you’re much younger. Um…and…and…speaking of your youngish-ness, why at barely 40 do you put out a career retrospective box set?

Tori: Umm…I was approached by Rhino Records and when you get an opportunity to pull your work together while you still can hear (both laugh), you have to grab it and go.

Kurt: And as you sat down and listened to all this music, what did you think of your early songs?

Tori: Well it’s sort of like a time machine. This box set, for me, is similar to the Tardis. Where you go in, in Doctor Who and you’re able to travel. Just within moments of hearing a song, I’m back to that moment in time. (Kurt agrees) And I have always loved that about music, I don’t know if you felt that way (Kurt agrees again), you can immediate go to another place in time without leaving your chair, and I did find that when…when I was coming through these.

Kurt: I am with you on time travel. I think one of the reasons critics, fans, like what you do so much, is because you have such a kind of easy fluency with metaphors. Do you ever feel that fans misinterpret your lyrics as time passes?

Tori: Oh, I don’t know. I don’t get involved in all that, but I will tell you this. I think that what happens is, as you know, I play a lot with feminine archetypes. And I think that what people are relating to is, or resonating with, is that in them, they recognize the Kali or recognize the Rhiannon, or the recognize the Butterfly Maiden or whatever…Corn Mother.

Kurt: Give me an example of a song that has those varous illusions.

Tori: All of them do, but an easy one…lets say Father Lucifer. I was working with Kore becoming Persephone where she’s raped by Hades. And so, within her relationship with him, breaking away from the mother, and becoming a woman. This integration of the Dark Prince within yourself as a woman.

(Father Lucifer plays in background)

Tori: And so many women have written me letters about going after a guy, the bad boy. And wondering why they’re always chasing the bad boy. And it seems to me, anyway, is what you’re really trying to do is awaken the Lucifer within your own being. And this song made me realize that, you know, Lucifer can wear a high heel.

Kurt: Uh huh. And you live in Britain now. Do you find that that’s in a general, cultural sense of how women are regarded and how sexuality can be expressed, is that a better place for you to live than the United States?

Tori: Well the Brits are tricky, I mean you know, (Kurt laughs) they have their own issues. I think (Tori laughs)…I think that going to Europe always helps. Because when the women allow themselves to be sensual and also intellectual, instead of haing trying to choose a camp. And with all of my records, I think the music is really about trying to find the feminine mysteries that we don’t seem to have in our cultures or in our schools. How do we become from adolescents to women, and even going through the menses, we don’t have these rites of passages unless you really research it. And um…you know, you go back to the Exorcist. I remember seeing that movie, thinking, “boy, this poor girl! She’s just having issues with her period and needs a shag. Why did they bring a priest in? He can’t do anything for her. Where’s Robert Plant? He could help her out!”

Kurt: And at age 10 or however old you were, that is what you thought when you saw the Exorcist?

Tori: Sure! But I’d already had a period by the time I was age 10. I mean I guess in some ways I think I’ve been an old woman since I was born! I didn’t feel like I really had a child-like childhood. And maybe that is because of when you are playing Bartok at 5, you are thrown into different emotions that Disney just doesn’t cover.

Kurt: Right. In the earlier part of your career, you wrote a lot about the frustrations of relationships and just to remind our listeners, I want to play the first song from the new CD set, which is “Leather”, and, of course, first appeared on your album Little Earthquakes in 1992.

(Leather plays)

Kurt: That’s Tori Amos singing “Leather”. Do you think about the handful of tough, lovely, piano-playing female songwriters that have followed you like Fiona Apple, and Norah Jones, and Regina Spektor. Do you think you sort of, in some measure, paved the way for those artists?

Tori: Well, what I do know, is that in 1990, when I turned in Little Earthquakes, it was rejected because this girl in the piano thing was dead “with Carol King.” So, I had to sit there and fight to have the pianos left on the record. They wanted to erase them, and I am not mentioning any names, because one of these people did work with one of the piano players you’ve just mentioned. But at the time, in 1991, he said this piano thing is not going to work. And we got into a pissing match, and this is where I think I have a questionable reputation, because you have to be willing to fight with these guys. And taking your piano off the record, really matters. Now, I am sure if you talked to some of these other women that are playing the piano now, that they didn’t come up against that. And I think that, I am glad that it happened with me because I am just the type of gal that will have a pissing match with a corporate man in a suit, you know I love that sort of thing.

Kurt: (laughs) Um…you are an amazing live performer and you haven’t been doing that much. Do you miss that?

Tori: Well…yeah. I’ve been busy. So I am going to do it next year. Big world tour, starting 2007. Um, I do it every other year. It’s sort of like, um…for me, there has to be a regeneration period. I think I live a life more akin to Greta Garbo now. I know this sounds crazy, but I’m very much a recluse. But I do, um…

Kurt: But Garbo speaks! Here you are!

Tori: (laughs). Can you believe it? (laughs again) But I run from this social lifestyle…

Kurt: Yeah, I can imagine.

Tori: ….when I tour, I have this love affair with the whole audience. And you really get to have that social side of you fulfilled in the touring phase. But when I’m not touring, I run away from all that and immerse myself in music.

Kurt: Do you have any plans to release new music soon?

Tori: In 2007.

Kurt: Yeah? So 2007 is the…is when you leave your reclusive Garbo life-cave and come out in the world again?

Tori: And put the high heels on, yeah.

Kurt: I look forward to it. Tori Amos, thank you.

(Suede plays)

Tori Amos’s new box set, “The Collection,” will be in stores September 26th and you can learn more about her on our website, studio360.org.