2005-04-02 WERS.org

Regina Spektor

INTERVIEW: Regina Spektor
PROGRAM: Coffeehouse

April 2, 2005

By Jinnie Lee

Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor entered our WERS studios in a casual yellow knit sweater and blue jeans with her curly brown hair falling naturally around her face. The petite and unaffected Spektor arrived in all smiles, despite the typical pre-spring Boston rain and dreariness looming through the station windows leading into the live mix studio where Spektor was patiently setting up. After much deliberation on which songs to perform, Spektor proceeded to rehearse and banter with Coffeehouse DJ John Paul on such topics like her Russian upbringing, her flourishing website, and the importance of non-commercial radio as Spektor is one of many live guests to have performed in our annual Live Music Week spring fundraiser.

Born and raised in Russia, and now residing in New York City, Spektor is currently on tour for Soviet Kitsch which allowed her to drop by WERS for a small Coffeehouse shindig. With much to say on her recent encounters with increased publicity, her thoughts on the Internet, and the process of being signed on to a major record label, Spektor offers a glimpse into her fast-paced world as a reserved and unwearied performer aimed for inevitable stardom.

I have noticed on your website that you have a link called Reginapolis, your personalized version of the game Tetris, which is pretty unique in terms of artist websites. How did that come about?

I was always thinking of the website and the Internet. I love the fact that we have it; we are so lucky and we take it for granted. If we had the Internet 20 or 25 years ago, there would have been no Cold War because you could text someone and be like “Hey, is this really what your country is like?” and they could be like “No, actually, it’s not.” Okay great, crisis averted! When I was not on any label, I would make home-made CDs and put them on the Internet and people would buy them in Croatia, the Netherlands, Japan, anywhere. When I would look at the addresses of these people, it would be so heartwarming. When I got the chance to make a website, I really wanted it to be a place where people can go to as a community. I have forum so they can talk amongst themselves and get together and it is such a pleasure to see it thrive because people are communicating across the Atlantic talking about different shows, politics and the different music they like. Spektris [the name of Regina Spektor Tetris game] was an extension of that. I wish I could put all my records on the Internet so people can listen for free if they do not have a chance to buy it or if they are saving up, whatever. I said there should be a game for those people who sit at their office, who want to go somewhere and play for 10 minutes and relax. So I gave them Spektris and they can play that on my website. The funny thing is when I first came to America and first found out about Tetris, it had Russian music and it was weird to me and thought it was so bizarre because I am from Russia.

It was a sign! So from working on the Coffeehouse last year, I know that we have had an advanced copy of Soviet Kitsch for about a year now. So why is the album being released just now and what was going on in the time between?

Soviet Kitsch was a strange putting-out process because I finished it right before I was invited to go on The Strokes tour and open for them. I made a whole bunch of copies and sold them on tour and self-released them. Then I ran out of those and labels started talking to me. And once labels get involved, you cannot self-release your album anymore and they won’t release it until the cows come home, as they say. Is that right? I’m so bad with American phrases! Anyhow, it has been a slow process. At first, Soviet Kitsch was going to be put out but the people at Sire Records, my record label, a division of Warner Brothers, were very cool and they did not want to just put it out so no one would notice it. They really petitioned for attention for Warner Brothers to put in the time and love into it, so that is why it has taken so long. But since March 1 st the album has been out so I am really excited. I have walked into a couple of stores and it has been there and it is so cool. I am on the shelf next to Britney Spears and Bruce Springsteen and there is Regina Spektor! It is really funny.

Speaking of opening up for The Strokes last year, I know you collaborated on a song with lead singer Julian Casablancas. Have you any plans to do more collaboration?

I have been talking to several musicians but I am so superstitious. I am like, “It won’t happen,” so I guess if it happens, you will know about it. But I do not want say it because if I say it, I feel like it will not ever happen.

That is understandable. So I assume you will be on tour for a while, but what will you be up to afterwards?

I am going to be touring for a long time. I am doing the national tour right now and then I am going to France and England. Then I am coming back to do more national so I will be doing that until the end of June, and what is it now, April? So it is a lot of touring. But after that, I am going to start recording my next record because I have so much material already.

And with your recent tour heavily underway, you have experienced your first couple of live television performances, notably on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” What were those experiences like?

I have just been learning quickly. There is no energy from the audience—an impenetrable wall—around the TV people so everything that you bring is your own. You have to bring all the energy in, literally, seconds to do it you do not have time to organically fall into a show or fall into a song. You come in right at the peak and it is really hard and different from real life. You have got makeup and lights all up in your face with big equipment. But I think it is also very wonderful. It will be wonderful once I know how to let go. I am such a sucker for direct human contact. I want to be in a club where people are close to me and I want to be feeling the two-way energy; it is what performers live off of and TV just does not give you that. But because of TV, you do not know where you are going to end up, you know? Someone in, I don’t know, in a trailer in the middle of nowhere can tune in and there you are as they are sitting on their couch and that is so cool. Conan [O’Brien] was very nice to me when I was on his show. You get there and someone asks you if you need anything. They try to make it homey and they make sandwiches for you. And they put your name on the door! I totally kept the label; I ripped it off because it was so cute that I stuck it on my bathroom door at home.

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For more information on Regina Spektor, visit www.reginaspektor.com. Soviet Kitsch is now available to own from Sire Records.