We're going to be looking for keyboards when Lydia Loveless shows up in Ybor City for a re-do of a Hurricane-cancelled Bay area show.
The 27-year-old songwriter has been selling her gear online and amassing new tools for her pointed, and quite often poignant brand of rock and roll.
"God, selling instruments is a huge pain in the ass, but I'm kind of building up a little keyboard arsenal," she told CL during an early morning phone call from her new hometown of Morrissville, North Carolina. The morning yoga is done, and Loveless — who plays Crowbar with the Burke Brothers and Scott Harrell on April 24 — is trying to get to work.
IRMA, WE HATE YOU
UPDATE: Hurricane Irma forces Lydia Loveless to cancel September 14 show at St. Pete's Ringside Café
"I'm not touring or anything I've been trying to make myself actually have a grown-up schedule, right now I'm just writing songs so, actually trying to get on a normal schedule, and almost 9-to-5 it."
It's funny to hear Loveless talk about a 9-to-5 since she likes to joke about her shitty work ethic.
"I think all of my family has an amazing work ethic. I probably have the least work ethic of anyone in my family, but I guess when I also think about it, it's like you know I was never good at having jobs, but I have built a situation where I can work for myself so I try to remember to be really grateful and mindful of that, especially right now," she explained, "because I can have a really shitty job or no job because I'm not really good at jobs, so I'm just glad I'm in the situation that I am in."
Her dad ran a country music bar and Loveless' first band was started with her him as her drummer. In the past, she has had some small, unofficial bands with her sisters but nothing that has ever been notable.
On Tuesday, she brings Boy Crazy and Single(s) (a reissue of her 2013 EP plus other singles) and a very real, raw and notable album — Real, released in 2016 — to fans who've come to expect a very real level of honesty from Loveless, who hasn't yet started to remove herself from lyrics like "I don't know what all this drinking has been for," and "I don't want to disappoint you anymore" ("Heaven," from Real).
"It's part of who you are but I think theres different ways to sing about drinking. I think a lot of people think it's this glorification that it really never is," she said. "But you're also not going to be like every song is about rehab or drinking tea. You have to talk about what you have to, ya'know?"
For 20 minutes, Loveless and CL talked about her childhood, the journal she keeps, hecklers, Gavin Rossdale, and even SPAM lunch meat.
Have a look at our chat — and get more information on the show — below.
Hey Lydia.
Hey, how are you?
I'm good. Good morning, how are you doing?
Pretty good.
Awesome. Thanks for calling me, I appreciate that.
Yeah no problem.
You're up pretty early, is that normal? Or is it just a Cat's Cradle effect?
Oh, I've been up for a while [laughs] I guess when I'm not touring or anything I've been trying to make myself actually have a grown-up schedule, so I've been up for like five hours… Unfortunately. [laughs]
Oh. Damn. The yoga is done. Are you doing G.E.D classes as well? That was interesting to hear you talk about that.
Not anymore that was a while ago, but right now I'm just writing songs so, actually trying to get on a normal schedule, and almost 9-to-5 it. Sorry what were you saying?
Oh, no. I like that idea of a 9-to-5 I was actually going to ask you about your work ethic later in the interview.
It's usually pretty shitty [laughs] I'm working it.
I don't know, I mean you talk about the little journal that you had with all the little E's in it. Were you mimicking somebody or were you writing to work on writing?
[laughs] Yeah, I think I just really wanted the world to know my thoughts I guess.
That's awesome. So nobody in your family was a writer or anything like that? Your sibling pictures are awesome the area of [inaudible] was killer.
Actually my older sister was always a writer, my oldest sibling, so she's probably where I got that bug from.
Ok. What's her name?
Elenor.
Cool, so Elenor may be the inspiration. Hey real quick, I wanted to ask you, the last Cat's Cradle shows were solo, but this tour is a band tour right? Like Kesha covers and everything.
Yeah, this is full band, yeah.
Ok. Cool, and did Gavin Rossdale give you any songwriting advice for any songs the other day?
No. I barely spoke to him, it was really funny, my boyfriend's a magician so he was getting to perform for him and I was kinda just internally freaking out and almost hoping he wouldn't even see me but he leaned over directly to me and introduced himself and I was just on the verge of fainting and then he kinda made fun of me for texting during the magic performance and I was like, "Oh, I had to text my sister, because I had to tell you about when we were kids we weren't allowed to watch MTV," and I spilled out all this shit.[laughs]
Did he know who you were? Or did he think "Oh this is weird?"
No. He was super nice though.
That's awesome, yeah that's like a dream come true for so many people in your age bracket for sure. Actually, I think probably older than you.
Yeah, I think having older siblings definitely, I think I'm one of the younger fans. I was definitely the youngest person at the show except maybe someone that brought their child or something.
You talk about you're trying to get into this songwriting thing, and I don't know if your diary and your songwriting are directly connected, where one needs the other, but has your diary or your dinner table eavesdropping given you anything substantial to start working on?
Yeah, I mean I think the past I was writing really directly from journals pretty often, these days I'm writing in a journal to figure out what I need to say because I know a lot of times people are like, "Oh you're too honest as a writer," but some darker and more painful shit that's really easy to avoid so, once I detect patterns in my journaling I can actually realize what I'm not being super honest about and realize actually tackle it, maybe I've been in therapy too long [laughs] I don't know, but it's an interesting way to inform my latest songs, just trying to do something a little different.
And you can't really write when you're in the depths of sadness, right? That's a completely debilitating state for you?
Yeah, totally. Maybe not even sadness but definitely depression can cut you off emotionally, so it's important to keep writing through that so you don't feel like you're walking around in a fog or whatever.
Right, right. I get that, I know you wanted a more organized approach to your song writing and recording, has that worked at all for you?
Yeah, I think it's helped me recently. I mean, I know I have a really slow process, especially in the current climate of churning shit out constantly. [Laughs]
Oh they ask you to do that in your industry too?
[laughs] Yeah. I mean maybe that's a personal thing I put on myself but definitely I'd like to try and be a little faster but I also trust the process, or at least that's what I'm telling myself right now.
Ok, and I think you've been shopping around for studios, do you know where you're going to land? Why don't you just buy a piano and build a home studio with the Nord Electro money? The reverbs door are cool, man!
We're going to P. Diddy [laughs]
Ok, yeah. P. Diddy is going to executive produce, that's why he didn't go to Ultra, right? Because he was working on your record?
[laughs] Yeah, God, selling instruments is a huge pain in the ass, but yeah, I'm kind of building up a little keyboard arsenal, so…
And you're getting really good at guitar, are you writing your songs so that is room for them to breathe and for you to play guitar?
Yeah, I think just right now if I'm writing something on piano, I try and keep it there because it doesn't always translate and I think this record is going to be really different in that sense. Where in the past if I've written something on piano, I've tried to turn it into a guitar song but the mood is going to be a lot different on this record, plus everyone in the band plays multiple instruments too, so I think it would help the song breathe more if I utilize other talents.
So does that mean the Synth 9 isn't showing up a lot?
The what?
The Synth 9 pedal.
[laughs] Oh, no, it is.
Ok. I just got bummed out, but that's good. It's there! And does the BDSM genius bar song, is that gonna be anything?
[Laughs] I wish, that was some odd skit I was working on apparently, where I, I don't even know what I was talking about, it's probably wildly inappropriate, it's something about going to the genius bar and the guy tells you "Oh you just dropped your phone again you dirty bitch," or something, there's a lot more recorded.
Oh. I kinda like this. That can go in your stand-up routine. I can't believe you haven't done stand-up yet.
I have actually done it one time, so I'm hoping to do it some more
Oh! When was that?
It was actually just a couple of months ago.
Have you ever thought about — I'm assuming you drive overnight — but doing a secret stand-up set in some of the towns that you do? Like an open mic or something.
Yeah, actually I have, but I don't know, I don't know how popular of an opinion that would be, but I definitely want to start doing it more, because it's definitely an outlet that is very hopeful to me.
So, with this screenplay, is it more of a comedy then? Do you think you'll finish that or is that just an exercise as well?
Yeah, I don't know if that'll ever get finished. I think I'm definitely someone who needs a partner in those sorts of creative endeavors, but I don't know, it's also just like, I use a lot of creative tools to distract myself from getting songs done, so usually when I start working on one thing I'll actually have a creative spurt musically so I kind of use it as a tool to do that, but I would to love definitely finish that some day. It's just, right now, probably not exactly what I need to be doing.
Does the movie have a name? For right now?
No, I was picturing more as a show, but I don't know. Hey Amazon!
Right on, well you have the documentary! I mean you're officially on IMDb, so…
Yeah! Got that sweet hook up, man!
I was reading a review and they were astounded by how normal you were in it. I don't know what they expected—
By how what?
Normal you were.
That's funny.
And they were like "Lydia Loveless. She's so normal." The review also mentioned that your marriage to Ben is on there, and it seems a little sunnier than it probably was, as good of a job Gorman did, do you feel like he kind of missed something there? Or are you glad it wasn't in the movie?
Yeah, I don't think it was necessary, I think he did send a final thing saying where it said at the end, "They are now divorced" or whatever, and I was just like that's not really necessary. I'm also a really private person, probably from being raised by libertarians in the country, but um, I just feel like people don't need every bit of information about you, necessarily just because you're creating something.
Ok. Which is kinda like a precarious situation for you because…
Yeah and then I make a movie about myself.
Yeah, with a title like Who Is Lydia Loveless?…
I guess something I do try to drive home with the movie was like, that wasn't my creative project, ya'know? It was someone else's. And a lot of times people are like "Why did you decide to do this?" I'm like "I didn't," Ya'know?
I wanted to ask you one more question about Real because I feel like you've moved on in your life, and I think you're in Morrissville now, and you write so much and I think you're finding peace in your new home and stuff, how much of that is coming off in demos or the new album?
Sorry, can you say that one more time?
Am I safe to assume that you found a new kind of peace or anonymity in the woods—you're not in the woods, woods out there, it's not like your parents— but how much of that comes out in the new stuff?
No, not like that. I think it gives me a lot more time to craft songs, so um, I guess — I don't think subtle is the thing I'm going for — But I guess I just feel like I'm in a different place lyrically than before, where I wanted to lay everything out there. I kind of want to have a little bit of pullback, not necessarily like change my style, but sort of work on it a little more. [Laughs] I don't know if that makes any sense, I haven't found any peace whatsoever.
No, it does. I feel like it's unfair to ask songwriters about the songs they're writing before they even get a chance to properly demo them and stuff like that, but I also know that it's kinda weird to talk about an album that you put out in 2016 which is about a thing that never really closed until even after the album came out. You were talking about inappropriateness earlier, and I wanted to go back to that. Your audience, like a lot of the songwriters in the alt-country realm, as bad as that label is, skews heavily on male, and that's been the case for a while in the genre but you've been on the road for a while, I wanted to know from your perspective, am I an asshole for thinking that the guy who is screams stuff like "I love you Lydia" or "Marry me Lydia" is an asshole? Like that's an asshole move, right?
[Laughs] It kinda is, it depends on the context, I went to see Norah Jones recently and someone yelled "You turn me on!" and it made the guys who scream "I love you Lydia," seemed so much more ok. So I don't know. It's a fucking wild world, man.
Would you forgive those guys if they gave you a box of Pilot Precise Extra Fine, black, I'm assuming.
I don't know maybe.
Maybe?
Maybe some introspection would be cool.
Ah, ok. That would be better right? No gifts please. Can I ask you about "Heaven" from "Real" where you sing that line "I don't know what all this drinking has been for," and "I don't want to disappoint you anymore." — I feel like you’ve evolved from that hard-drinkin’ persona or whatever the press projects, but that line in particular cuts pretty deep, You’ve mentioned hating the person you were on “"Can't Change Me," hating the person from that song but how much do you still feel connected with that person in “Heaven,” and do you feel like you are running from your past still on the new stuff? Have you removed yourself from Real at all? I know you still gotta play the songs but…
Yeah, I don't really remove myself from lyrics, it's part of who you are but I think theres different ways to sing about drinking. I think a lot of people think it's this glorification that it really never is. But you're also not going to be like every song is about rehab or drinking tea. You have to talk about what you have to, ya'know.
Right on, and let me know if I'm over-reaching here, but you seem open to talking about it. What are the payouts like on streams of a Justin Bieber cover?
Oh, I have no idea. [laughs]
Oh they're that huge? Earlier you tried to downplay your work ethic, but you seem to work a lot, from my assessment, from my afar distance, you chocked that up to not wanting to work at McDonald's, but do you think you learned to work really hard from your parents? It's interesting to hear the libertarian thing, like was that a family thing or is it that you really don't want to work at McDonald's?
Yeah, definitely, I think all of my family has an amazing work ethic. I probably have the least work ethic of anyone in my family, but I guess when I also think about it, it's like you know I was never good at having jobs, but I have built a situation where I can work for myself so I try to remember to be really grateful and mindful of that, especially right now, because I can have a really shitty job or no job because I'm not really good at jobs, so I'm just glad I'm in the situation that I am in.
I'm glad that your dad had that band that you were able to join, because your job worked out. I think we're approaching the 20-minute mark so I think I might only have one question left. I'll ask you two if that ok?
Cool.
Why does Jay Gasper talk so much?
Does he?
I feel like you guys were talking about that he talks a lot in the movie.
Uh. I don't know. I don't remember that. He's a funny dude.
Ok. So it's good?
Mhm.
And were you lying to that little kid in that interview when you told her that you love to eat liver? I thought it was cruel.
That I love what?
That kid that interviews bands, you told her that you love to eat liver?
Oh yeah. I do. I will eat literally scraps of shit meat. So that's kind of my thing.
Nice, ok. So you like SPAM?
I do.
Right on. Spam, eggs and rice, man. Grew up on it.
Yeah, it's the shit.
Cool, well is there anything else you want to add before we get off the phone? I guess you have a long day of songwriting. What do you at 5:00? Like when you clock out?
Oh, I just buy a bunch of cocaine and starting doing it promptly.
Right on, from your mailman, right?
Mhm.
Awesome, [laughs] all right well thanks for your time and I hope you have a good day.
Yeah, thank you, have a good one.
See ya.
Bye.
Bye.
This article appears in Apr 19-26, 2018.