AND THEN there was Feist, aka the chanteuse who sang with Broken Social Scene, who recorded that marvellous album called The Reminder. She’ll be here next year for the Laneway Festival (yes, you can get your tickets from Sistic now!) and we managed to get her on the blower for a chin wag.
(Interview by Serene Lim)
Hi Leslie, can you hear me?
Yes, hi. How are you?
I’m good. I’d start the interview by saying how excited I am that you’re coming for Laneway Festival. You’re one of the acts everyone’s looking out. You have quite a lot of fans here.
Hmm, I guess I don’t know that. I’m glad to hear that. I’ve never played in Singapore but I’m so glad for the opportunity.
We thought you might have come with Broken Social Scene when they were here (in 2007)?
I heard about it. My friends from Broken Social Scene told me they had a great time here.
So what can fans expect? You’ve got a great reputation for your live performances?
It’s hard for me to answer that. Expect the unexpected? We have a close-knit band and this is a rare chance to perform in Singapore. Yeah, expect the unexpected.
And now you have a new album Metals. It’s an album that took you a while to record. You took an 18-month break and you said you weren’t curious about music.
Yeah, time just passed, I had different priorities, I wanted to study different things, to write with a different vantage point. It was easier to come back after that.
So was writing the songs easier this time? How do you write the things that you do?
I try not to waste any words, and not sing about just anything. I don’t want to write just about the things I know. I also write about the things I don’t have the answers to. I’m like leaving clues for myself in a scavenger hunt.
Isn’t that hard? Is that why you’ve compared songwriting to “leaking blood from a stone”?
In a way cos I dig hard, dig deeply to find what I’m looking for. It’s one of those things …
As someone who’s been there, I’ve to say your songs really speak to lovers and the broken-hearted. Why and how do you think you manage to do that?
(laughs) You know, I guess ‘cos most of my pain is found in relationships and a lot of people experience it. The closer you are to someone, the more beautiful yet more painful it is.
So how are you feeling right now? How do you think you’ve changed over the years?
Hmm, right now? It’s like I’m comparing notes with my friends and we found that the older we get, the less and less we know. That goes back to what I mentioned earlier about leaving clues for myself. My songs are part of a puzzle, so I can fit them together when I’m older. I think when I see my songs from 2004 in 2047, I can understand myself better.
And once you piece them together you’d get the whole picture of your life? Or how you’ve changed?
In a way. And that would be the truth. I think it would be at least.
The truth is you’re pretty major right now. Even Hollywood stars like Shia LaBeouf listen to you. Do you know he was listening to Brandy Alexander to get into the zone for his emotional scene in Transformers and Michael Bay turned it off? And then they both got into a fight.
I didn’t know that. (Laughs) You can maybe use your magazine or newspaper to tell Shia LaBeouf that I’d sing to him in person if he wants the next time.
Do you find it funny that you’re in the midst of such a strange pop culture moment.
There have been so many strange things which have happened to me, I just see it as a divine comedy.
So what has been the strangest fan encounter or request?
I was asked to go to the NASA space centre to have a conversation with an astronaut. That was really strange. But it was like someone in space wanted to talk to me.
So you went?
No, I didn’t manage to as I wasn’t close enough. I think I was on the other side of the planet. I wish I had.
It would be cool if you did.
Yeah, it would.
OK my time is up, so I’d just end here. We can’t wait to see you here. Don’t have to go to NASA centre for this.
Laughs. Yeah! I’m looking forward.
COMMENTS