Annie Clark a.k.a. St. Vincent

The Singing Lamb: So have you been in Toronto this whole weekend?

Annie Clark: Um, no; well sort of. We went to Hamilton yesterday to play; we played a show last night.

And then you came back here?

Mhmm.

That’s a tad random!

Yeah, well I’m flying back to New York tonight so it is a little random.

How do you like Toronto?

I really like Toronto. I haven’t spent enough time here but every time I come the crowds are great and really warm and I always manage to find good food! And actually, I have a number of friends who are from Toronto so I feel like there must be something in the air here.

Where did you eat?

I got taken to a place by Bob who works at my label; I don’t remember what it was. It was good though! It was around, oh what was that place I played at? Not Lee’s Palace but…

The Horseshoe?

Yeah, the Horseshoe!

It’s a good venue, but it can get a little stuffy near the end sometimes.

Oh yeah.

I don’t know if it was like that onstage but…

No! I walked offstage and my shirt was soaked in sweat, so yeah it was pretty hot up there!

How would you describe your live show to someone? Say, if you had to sell it to them or something.

Oh man, I hope I’m never in a position where I have to sell it! Or I have to pass out flyers on the street saying come see me play; I hope I don’t have to do that! I don’t know. Let me think about that…I have no idea, I’m sorry!

That’s okay! What’s more nerve acting: playing a show or recording an album?

Both are nerve acting in their own ways. Mostly live is just exciting and you get caught up in it. I don’t get terribly terribly nervous anymore, performing live, especially when I play with the band. It’s like you’ve got four other people who are there and are going to do their best and just kind of support you if you falter. But recording an album I think, there’s just generally a slow burning amidst pressure whereas it’s sort of like a rollercoaster ride. I think anybody who’s made a record will tell you that one day you’re in love with it and you think, “Ah, this is great and wonderful and such a contribution to music,” and then the next day you’re like “Oh my god, this is awful!” You’ve got to give the label their money back because this is bad! But you kind of trudge through it; it’s as much of an emotional exercise as much as it’s a musical one, I find.

How do you think you’ve grown from your last album?

I think I’m a better arranger, I think stylistically I’m a bit more refined. The first record was sweet and enthusiastic but a bit more theatrical, in sort of a cabaret way that’s not really where I am anymore and I think I’m a better guitar player than I was when I made the other record. Hopefully I’ve just improved upon everything.

Do you remember the first time you played a guitar? What was it like?

Yeah, actually. I just kind of fell in love with it, I couldn’t put it down. Because I’m such a fan of music before I actually picked up a guitar at 12, it was like unlocking some sort of mystery, like “Oh, this is how people do it!” I mean at the time, I was only vaguely approximating anything that resembled music but you almost can’t believe when you learn one of your favourite songs on guitar you’re like “What? This is how they did this?” and you’re still kind of like “It doesn’t sound exactly like they do!” but you also have the thrill of it that’s like you think you sound a lot better than you do and it makes you work and play and play more.

What was the first song you learned?

I think the first song I learned was one that my mom taught me, I think it was “Puff the Magic Dragon” because she was a hippie and she knew a few chords on guitar so she taught me that but the first song I think I learned in a guitar lesson was Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung”.

Cool! I read that your recent album Actor was inspired by soundtracks, especially Disney ones – what’s your favourite Disney soundtrack?

It’s probably a toss up between Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

Why?

Well both of those are fairy tales unlike, say 101 Dalmatians or something and I’m a sucker for that mixed choir and orchestra in a giant room sound. The heavy vibrato voices are very moving to me, so probably those.

Do you feel like you achieved that on your own album?

I think I did my best to approximate it. If I wanted to replicate it I would need a mixed choir and giant room and an orchestra! But next record…look out!

In your past two album covers, you’ve used photos of yourself. I was wondering if there was a reason why.

I think the idea was to not give a whole lot away about what the music should sound like or would sound like so I intentionally went for a placid, almost non-communicative facial expression. The third record’s going to be like a giraffe and a squirrel playing tennis though, it’s not going to be my stupid face on the goddamn cover – sorry, please don’t print that, don’t print the cursing!

That’s fine! Were there any other ideas for album covers?

Bowie always put his face on the cover, like Dylan, you know it’s always some kind of iconic photograph and I was just trying to emulate the 70s.

Well it works! And finally, if you were a singing animal what would you be?

I always liked deers. Deers? Deer…what’s the plural of deer? Is it deers?

I think deers only because there’s a band called the Dears…

I know, but isn’t that d-e-a-r-s?

Yeah…

Well yeah, I would say a dear.

Why?

I just like them! Bambi! Yeah, I have a soft spot in my heart for Bambi.

I don’t really remember that movie; I saw it when I was young.

I just remember the flames killing Bambi’s mother! Right? Didn’t that happen?

I think so!

Hmm, tragic. And Thumper! I loved that movie, actually! That was a good one. I’ve got to re-watch that. Check it out again! I’m sure it would be entertaining.

Definitely!

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