L: Oh, Delaware, cool! Well thank you for wanting to meet me.

S: So, what got you into the business?

L: Well, into the music business, or just into music in general?

S: Music in general.

L: I always sang, since I was little, and wrote poems in high school. I sort of taught myself to play guitar lines to the poems and stuff. In high school it seems like everyone has more drama than any other time in their life. So that was the time in my life where I really leaned on music as a way to stay sane, I guess, sort of?

S: Yeah! I read up that you had some school issues, and you got expelled?

L: Yeah, I did and it was over something stupid that I did but it was sort of like the culmination of just a lot of negative things that had happened but it seemed like it was probably the best thing for me anyways out of, like, the four years of high school.

S: Why do you say that?

L: Had a lot of miscommunication with teachers, and the choir teacher in my school wouldn't let me be in choir. It was just kind of a crappy time. So, I'll talk about other things in my life for a while. I got kicked out of school.

S: No problem. So how's it different once you left school? I heard you went and got your degree from a different institution?

L: Yeah, I went to college for two years. I moved to Colorado, to Fort Collins Colorado, and I want to Colorado State and I was there for 2 years. I had intended to go all the way through but those 2 years I was in college I was just taking general courses and I really liked it but I knew that I wanted to play music. So, I was there for 2 years, I did a semester abroad in Paris and I was playing shows a lot in both cities, and when I got done in Paris I decided I'm going to move to LA and try to make it as a singer. That was about four years ago.

S: How was the different change? You've been traveling a lot. You grew up in Louisiana?

L: No, I grew up in Rock Island, Illinois.

S: Rock Island, Illinois, okay, and how is the difference between Illinois and LA?

L: Well, there's the simple things like the weather system obviously. It's warm and sunny all year round so I kind of feel like I don't have that winter, winter blues like I did in Illinois. So that's one kind of superficial difference, but I do think that there's more opportunities for singers/songwriters, kind of creative people, I think this is where you have to come in order to kind of make it happen on a large scale. So, it's different, and then I have a lot more opportunity, there's a lot more going on. I think there's so many people that, and I don't want to say anything bad about Illinois because it really was a cool place to grow up and there was a lot of good things about it but I think sometimes people there are just more nosey. I felt like I was having to doubt myself more, where as here it's sort of like people can survive without other people in their lives and you can sort of decide if you want to hang out with these people again and if you don't you don't have to. It's like, I think I have more choices and I've just been happier, I feel.

S: Well, that's always good!

L: Yeah!

S: So, I read on your MySpace page that you just got done opening for Lenny Kravitz?

L: I did!

S: How was that?

L: It was really cool. It was total, like total shock when I found out that I was going to be doing it. Someone who I'd worked with a couple years ago, he's managing Lenny now, so he called me out of the blue and just was like "Hey, you know, you're going to go on the road with Lenny as his opening act," and I was like "Oh my god." In my mind I couldn't believe it. So, I went and I did it. It was like 2 and a half weeks and it went great, but it almost felt like it didn't happen it went so quick!

S: So is Lenny Kravitz someone you listened to growing up, or just a big name?

L: Yeah! I listened to him. I mean, I haven't listened to him a lot lately because I think I don't even listen to very much music these days; I listen to a lot of NPR for some reason

S: (chuckles) Okay.

L: But yeah, definitely in junior high and high school, maybe even college too I think I had some of his CDs and I always thought he was hot and cool. I like that he seems more like a person who has a social message and he's not just some rocker who doesn't. I feel like he wants to make the world a better place and I'm all for that so I think it's kind of cool on that angle too. He's not just a musician but you can tell he genuinely wants to spread his message around and he sort of empowers people in making them feel like it's possible to live in a world where people like each other.

S: When you were on tour was it more of an isolated opening act, or did you get to hang out and talk with Lenny Kravitz and the band?

L: Well, I had decided that I was maybe going to go on the bus with them, but between me and my manager and stuff we decided it would be easier if I just flew from show to show because I didn't take an entourage or anything and a lot of people are like "Where's your posse?" I'm like "I don't have a posse, it's just me!" So I just flew from city to city so when I sound checked Lenny would always come and say "hi," and "you're doing great," and "how are you feeling?" You know, nothing, we never got a chance to get into too deep of a conversation but I was able to talk to him a little bit. Enough to realize that he really was a gracious host to me. He was like "if there's anything you need," or "are you having fun?" Whatever, like, he knew the play-list. But I didn't really hang out with him. I only met him five or six times.

S: Well, that's cool. It's good to know that a lot of celebrities and famous musicians are real people and down to Earth.

L: Yeah! I mean he definitely is. I do know he's really busy, so that's one thing like, even with me just starting out; I knew little bits and pieces from living in LA and some celebrities that I've met briefly, it's just so busy! They're like so ambitious to have so much to do like having a show all night, plus like a behind-the-scenes concert and like meeting the fans afterwards and taking them out to dinner! It's like, they really keep themselves, every minute of their life, with something going. It's pretty cool that someone can do that.

S: Is that the direction you want to go in towards or do you want to stay more low-key, concentrating on the music, or do you want to be a more promotional entity?

L: I would like for my music to reach a lot of people, and I would like to be able to have a second home, so I'm not saying I need millions and millions of dollars, but you know, yeah, it would be nice to have a couple of the things that I think would be cool: I want to have a farm in Iowa. Mainly I think that would be cool because I grew up on the Mississippi and it's so pretty there! I love to be by myself, so I really know that if I had a place that I could to be by myself in my garden and cook and clean, it sounds really boring, but I love that kind of stuff, and that's where I get all my inspiration and like writing and singing, when I'm doing my dishes!

S: So do you feel when you're performing do you feel that you're more or less presenting your music to your audience or do you really try to connect with them through your music?

L: I don't know if I consciously try and connect with the audience. I mean, they're a part of it for sure. I think I just get myself into a zone where it becomes like a, I shut myself from everyone in my life. If I have a really good show it's usually because I was able to clear my head and stare off into space and not really focus on anything, sort of just not be thinking about anything but my songs. That's usually when I give the best performance, so I kind of become oblivious to the fact that people are even watching me! But I do take the energy from a crowd into play for sure, because there's nothing better than knowing that a crowd's with you, and they're clapping and feeling it, kind of laughing, feeling like they're part of the whole experience.

S: Yeah. Do you have an experience that astounded you while you were on tour with Lenny, or in Las Vegas, or just playing around. A concert or a time you were playing, everything clicked and it was magical?

L: You know, I felt good about all my shows, and I don't really have a funny anecdote that happened. The tour ended up being uneventful because I was just running from show to show town to town, different town to different town, but my Chicago show I felt was really, really good. I was totally on and I felt really confident. I think I really felt confident the whole time, but sometimes I get nervous and I get "God, I hope I do okay," and then I forget my song, you know? In Chicago I felt super confident, and all my family and friends were there. My Grandma and my Grandpa, my aunts and uncles, Mom and Dad, all these friends that I've kind of grown up with, tons of people were there so that was really just, knowing, not being able to see them but kind of being able to hear them and knowing that they were there; knowing they were proud of me and kind of just how cool it was that I had lived in Chicago after high school. I just kind of would walk around and try to play at open mics, and to go from that and 6 years, or 7 years later to be playing, you know, opening up for Lenny Kravitz just kind of made my eyes well up, just like the, it did something my mind or something; "This really happened." I never thought I couldn't do it, but I'm amazed that things have been going so well, you know? It kind of buzzed me a little bit.

S: Well, that's what America's all about, the "American Dream."

L: Yeah, exactly!

S: That's always good.

L: Just staying positive. There were times that it was frustrating and I thought nothing would happen, but I still played because I had to, you know? So anyways, but Chicago is definitely a highlight. Family, I felt great, and it just kind of reminded me of how far I'd come.

S: I heard that you're working on a new album coming out.

L: Yeah.

S: In 2008?

L: Yeah, well, whenever it's done. The calendar's about 6 months, maybe, hopefully?

S: That's cool. Is it going to be a solo work album, or are you going to be featuring some other artists with it?

L: Well, it's going to be a produced album, so it's going to have some other musicians on it. It's going to have more of a full sound, not just me solo. It's kind of going to combine Folk and Rock styles, a little bit with some Electronica, but kind of like an organic hopefully merge of the two. It's too soon to say, actually, so I shouldn't even say that but yeah, I am trying to make my full-length produced album, which is going to be bigger with drums, base, guitars, and whatever. Violins, maybe? I'll try to see, I mean, maybe Lenny will play on it, I don't know!

S: That would be cool!

L: I met John Frusciante from Red Hot Chilipeppers, like once. He's nice, but I don't know him at all, I just met him, but I'm always kind of wondering when I meet these people, I'm like "I wonder if they will play on my album!" But I'm not sure, so I probably shouldn't even have said that. It'll be an adventure. It might take like 4 or 5 months. So, but it'll be out this year now that the tour is over.

S: Are you planning on touring America, or possibly going over to Europe?

L: You know, it's weird. That's up in the air, I can't really explain it. I mean, I think the first step's to get the CD done.

S: Yeah.

L: You know, in order to have something to leave people with and leave them out on the end and I probably would tour America if I already feel like I've got a buzz going. If I feel like I had enough fans here that would see me, then I would probably tour here for a while but there is talk of me going to London because my record deal is out of London, so it would make sense for me kind of to try to go over there in addition. So, at some point I'll be going to London which will probably lead to me going on an European tour but it takes such a long time it'll probably be 4 more years before anyone's even heard my CD. (both laugh)

S: Well, we got hold of your album that you put out with the four songs. It was really good! We listened to it in the office the other day. It's very diverse. The selection of music was really interesting 'cause it was like each song was its own musical scene. They're all so drastically different, it was really cool to have an artist come out with so many different styles that weren't just the same thing over and over again.

L: Oh, that's so nice to hear! Thank you very much! That was just a little, like an EP thing because I'd gotten so impatient with trying to wait and make the CD that I just rented this studio for two days and produced that myself and had some friends to come in and play. So that's really cool, thank you! I'm glad that you like it!

S: Yeah. It's just good to hear an artist that takes the time to make their songs and make quality music and not just put out product to have product.

L: Yeah! Yeah, yeah! Well, I mean that CD isn't super-duper professional sounding, but it sounds like me and it captures me so I'm proud of it.

S: That's the most important thing.

L: So, I'd like to do more stuff and get better as I go along, but I think the people wanted me to wait until I sounded like Ashley Simpson or something, who I think is great, don't get me wrong, but you know, it's like there's some equation of "put some drums here, and a guitar solo here." It's like they're trying to make every other girl that writes their own songs write the same thing, you know what I mean?

S: Is that what your current company's trying to do?

L: No, that's not what they're trying to do. I don't think anyone really tries to do that or thought they were trying to do that but right now I feel like I'm in a perfect situation because the producer I'm working with Paul Fox is awesome. He's produced a Phish album. Do you like Phish?

S: I've listened to a couple of them.

L: I like Phish, and I think they're a really cool band. I mean, they're not together anymore, but he's produced 10,000 Maniacs back in the day.

S: Okay.

L: He just does a really eclectic mix of artists and so forth. They all kind of have their own system sound, and I get along with him really well, we have a good line of communication, so I think I'm in really good hands now. My manager's amazing, my lawyer I feel like actually really does care what happens to me. I mean, a lot of people can't say that. A lot of people come out here and they get caught up with all these "oogy" situations, but I really like my lawyer, my manager, and my producer.

S: That's good.

L: I'm think it's a good thing.

S: You seem to be having fun, and that's always a good thing.

L: It's cool.

S: Yeah. So, I was reading on your MySpace that you're a fantasy fan-girl, that you were reading His Dark Materials and that you read Harry Potter?

L: Oh yeah! I'm totally nerded out over it. I never knew I was until recently, but then I started to read Harry Potter. It was like I got completely lost in it! I could not wait to get home, and read it. I felt like a part of it, like my life was like a piece of it. I couldn't stop. It was something I love. I love it.

S: Do you have a favorite book?

L: Well, I love Harry Potter and His Dark Materials. As far as which book in the Harry Potter series, it's just like any book.

S: Oh, any book?

L: Yeah, I like 1984. I think what I really like, the one by George Orwell, I think I really just kind of like books that are kind of vaguely wrong. It kind of fits into that category too. Things like authority is not correct and people are going to have to join together to take the world back and make it a better place. I kind of like that theme. I don't know why, but I feel that that's going to be some time, maybe in my life time, you know what I mean? I don't know but, things right now are even like; with the presidential election, I've been more nervous than I have before. I feel like people could really, I don't know, become less apathetic and less wasteful and less, you know, I don't know. Hateful, fearful. It's just kind of a spirituality that isn't Christianity, I don't how to explain it, and that's how I've always felt.

S: Are those ideas going to end up being in your album?

L: Yeah, I think so! I mean, my songs are written from a place of total honesty. I mean, they're all about me and how I feel. I'm not like the other creative writer, in the sense that I'm just writing about some general thing. It's normally totally like from my mouth as my experience and totally about me. So, I think that things I'm writing about are the ways that I feel, and when I get scared, lonely, and worried, I write songs about those things. What I'm talking about is all included in it. So I think I touch on a lot of those themes in this album and probably in all my music to come. I'm kind of, not just political, I mean people would never thing I have live these high images. It's really some of this stuff comes from listening to NPR and knowing about Emma D Fern(?), how she was assassinated. I don't know, just wanting to figure out how people are connected and it's good to know about it anyway.

S: Well, music is definitely where to do that.

L: Yeah, definitely. But like, NPR is the only comment that I get to hear that because other news outlets don't tell you the whole story. They just tell you same things about the same couple of people.

S: Yeah.

L: But, oh man. Anyway, I'm trying to take the garbage out and the bottom of it just broke open.

S: (laughing) Oh, I'm sorry!

L: Oh, it's stinky because I made a pot roast and it was really, really good but there was some meat in this bag and I think it's going bad.

S: So, you're a good cook then?

L: Yeah, I love to cook, and I made a really good pot roast. Do you like to cook?

S: I actually do like to cook! I almost went to school for that.

L: I'm sorry, what did you say?

S: I almost went to school for that.

L: Oh, you did?!

S: Yeah.

L: Yeah, but I worry about that. It's like, there's always a time when I get a part of me, if I could go to school I might become a chef or something. It's so rewarding.

S: I just figured that some things I like to keep personal. I don't want to make everything a business or make everything work. Cooking is just something fun to do that I just happen to be good at. That's how I look at it.

L: Yeah, that's why I cook. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to go and figure out how to make money out of it because then it probably wouldn't be fun any more.

S: Yeah, and that's the hard thing about being in the music industry; you seem that you're having a great deal of fun working on your album and yet you're still able to be happy with it and not be all bogged down with the finances and all the industry bull crap that you have to deal with.

L: Yeah, I also think though that the music industry is the most powerful in one way. I think there's all sorts of ways that people are having success now and so I think the people that are in charge of the music business are having to give more credit to their artists lately. Like, they're meeting them halfway on important stuff in like a partnership and that it can be a good thing. I mean, it's just like writers and other things. It can do good things if you let it be, and when bad things happen you just have to accept it and move on you know? I mean, pick yourself back up. I don't know. The money situation right now, like, I'm doing okay. Like, at some point I might have some troubles again, but hopefully the albums successful, hopefully the label really pushes it. If that doesn't all happen at least I can say that I tried, you know?

S: True.

L: And I enjoy my life. I think the music's a big part of my life but it's not my entire identity.

S: Well, that's the most important part; just enjoy your life and do what makes you happy.

L: Yeah. But I do notice that the busier I get the more I can isolate myself so I want to work on not doing that, just making sure that I don't get so self-involved. More money doesn't relate to my family, you know?

S: Yeah. I also read up that you have a dog?

L: Yeah.

S: Are you a big dog person?

L: No. I always liked dogs, but before I had one I could kind of take them or leave them, but I got my dog two years ago and now I'm totally obsessed with him. (laughing) Any time I see anyone else's dog I have so much, well any animal in general, I'm just having so much more compassion towards all animals. You know? Like, I'm allergic to cats, but I love cats, and I'm not supposed to because my throat closes up and my eyes swell shut.

S: (laughing) Not so good!

L: But yeah, I'm into dogs. I mean, I'm into my dog. I like all dogs, for sure.

S: What kind of dog do you have?

L: He's a Lahpsa Apso. He's about 15 pounds and kind of looks like a, well, you know in the Harry Potter movies? (laughing)

S: Yeah?

L: You know Professor Flitwick?

S: Really? (laughing)

L: The little short guy, yeah, he looks like him.

S: Oh, that's awesome.

L: Yeah, he's got a little tiny beard, and he looks like kind of a tiny old man. But I love him a lot.

S: I just got a puppy. I got a Jug, which is a Jack Russell Terrier and a Pug mixed together? It's the cutest dog ever, it really is!

L: Yeah? I've never heard of that, a Jug?

S: Yeah! It has a little Pug tail and it has a Russell Terrier body, but it has humongous paws, and it's so cute!

L: Like, big fluffy paws?

S: Yes! It's my favorite dog ever. I love my dog.

L: How old is he?

S: 8 months.

L: Oh my gosh, I bet he's so cute!

S: Yeah.

L: And really little right now still.

S: Yeah, he's really little right now, and that's what makes it so cute, because his paws are fully grown but he's still really small!

L: That's so adorable! I'll give you my email address and you can send me a picture of him! I love that stuff!

S: Awesome!

L: (off phone) Byron, come here! (on phone) My dog goes into my neighbor's apartment. I'm standing outside and he's out. (off phone)Byron, come here! (on phone) Sorry. Okay, I'll just have to come out when he's done.

S: Okay.

L: Sorry about that. Yeah, getting him was interesting because I noticed that when I got him I had to move out of my apartment because I couldn't have a dog and I was very sad about it, but then it lead me to living in this house out in Topanga Canyon and then it kind of lead me around. I've just kind of noticed that having him, like every decision I've made, he's almost kind of like a sedative influence on my life overall.

S: Well it gives you someone to care for.

L: Yeah, responsibility like I kind of come home earlier than I was because I'm curious about what he's doing, so it's good.

S: So, for our readers, just a little something we like to do: Is there something interesting about yourself or something that you like to do that other people don't know about?

L: I, well, I don't know. I would like to have a, well, I'll tell you about this thing, it's not really that interesting but I really would like to learn how to define and establish myself without any help.

S: That's cool.

L: Yeah, and then I want one of those cabins on my property so that everybody could come stay on it. I mean, not like a commune in a creepy way but a commune like, one day want to live in a self-sustained community. It's like, I'm just afraid about the future and I'm going to keep singing but I have to think of the higher things that I want to do in my future.

S: It sounds like you've got a whole bunch of stuff in the future planned.

L: Yeah, sort of. My music I'm taking one day at a time so, I have time to think about things and drive myself crazy.

S: True.

L: Anyways, but yeah. I mean, I feel like I'm blabbing, so hopefully there's enough chunks of stuff in there to complete your story.

S: Oh, we have a good conversation here.

L: (laughing) Yeah. I had an interview the other day, and it was weird. I felt like I kind of didn't do good, but this is going a lot better.

S: Yeah? I'm glad you feel a lot better. We try and make it feel very comfortable, like a conversation. We're really not into the whole "this is the questions we're going to ask and blah blah blah." They're impersonal and I think the industry has enough of that as it is.

L: Yeah! I know. It's just like regardless of whatever you're talking about it's just like having a conversation.

S: Yeah! So, did you want to give me your email? I could send you a picture of him?

L: Yeah. And on my MySpace there's a bunch of pictures of my dog! I don't know if you do MySpace, but if you go to the pictures, he's very cute. So I look forward to seeing..what did you name him?

S: I named him Tucker.

L: Tucker? Aww.

S: Yeah. Just a good old country name.

L: Cool! Well, I've never been to Delaware, but if I make it out there we'll have to have beers or something!

S: Totally, definitely!

L: Okay, cool.

S: I had a good time talking to you!

L: Have a good day!

S: You too! Bye.