News: WE Video and Q&A

Dylan told us about a two-minute video of Tori talking about the recording of “Big Wheel” on the WE.tv video player. (WE is an American cable network for women. ) A quick search of the site reveals a Q&A with Tori about American Doll Posse and, you guessed it, a link to Epic’s ADP contest.

---

Q & A with Tori Amos

WE tv recently had the opportunity to have a Q & A session with pianist and singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Here’s what happened…

WE tv: You’ve been performing since you were a young girl. What would you say is the one lesson you’ve carried with you since your early performing days?

Tori Amos: Make sure you know where the photographers lens is at all times. (I got caught out in Australia, knickerless, at soundcheck. It was over 100 degrees and I thought my skirt was long enough to cover all angles. Whoops)

WE: How did American Doll Posse take shape?

TA: The music knocked on my door, so to speak, firstly. Once I began to recognize that there were many different musical styles, structurally, I could hear that the songs were not just coming from the voice of one woman.

WE: What was the first song you wrote and how did it set the tone for the rest of the album?

TA: The first song I wrote for the album did not make the album. But that’s okay. If she hadn’t kicked the doors down for the others then the project might not have been what it is. She was very important and the other girls have a lot of time for her. Maybe she’ll show her face.

WE: What was your main inspiration for American Doll Posse?

TA: I have incredible faith in womankind to stand up, be heard, and confront the obvious mistakes that have been made and that are affecting all of us. By observing American women of all ages I began to understand the many different perceptions that they have of these troubles times. It seemed to occur to me that the old Beatles song that perfectly says, “I get by with a little help from my friends,” could be applied to this specific situation. Then I thought in addition to this we could call on the expertise of some very old friends indeed. And my mantra became, “I get by with a little help from my ass kicking goddess friends.” To conclude, some of the women in the Greek pantheon became the psychological foundation for the Posse.

WE: How has your sound developed from the Under the Pink and Little Earthquake days?

TA: You have to continue to explore the benefits that technology can bring and then know how to apply it to your work without it necessarily becoming the center of the work. I have quite a flirtation going on with the multitude of knobs that stare at me from all those pretty boxes that sit in the studio. Once you know what they can do, once you know what they shouldn’t do, then you can apply them in an articulate fashion.

WE: What are you doing differently now that really impacts how your music feels and sounds?

TA: Believe it or not when I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant and on my way to becoming a beached whale, I began to really love the feeling of being in a woman’s body. Consequently, after Natashya was born, and sleeping, I was able to investigate being in this woman’s body without being a beached whale and I discovered all kinds of things.

WE: Who are your main musical influences?

TA: For this particular album I was referencing a lot of late 60’s, early 70’s male-dominated rock. That music is a good place to pick up a dose of testosterone.

WE: What is your writing process…do you write the music first or do the lyrics inspire the music?

TA: Usually the music always appears to me first. There are instances when words are attached to a specific melody and then I work around that framework piecing the puzzle together.

WE: How do you spend your downtime? What’s your favorite “non-musical” activity?

TA: Anything beach oriented. I am a sun worshipper. If I’m near the water I’m a different person.