Kimya Dawson's solo contributions and selections by her former band the Moldy Peaches are featured on the mega-selling Juno soundtrack, making the once obscure singer/songwriter an unlikely new star. She's done phone interviews all afternoon in advance of a national tour that will bring her to the Cuban Club in Ybor City Saturday, . Dawson sounds unfazed by the litany of questions — many of which have surely been repeated. But her hubby and 15-month-old daughter are getting antsy and silly while killing time in the family minivan parked nearby. They're on vacation, heading from Washington state to Phoenix.
"They're all out there making fun of me for doing phoner after phoner," Dawson says with a laugh. "They have their fingers in their ears going 'blah, blah, blah.'"
Neither Dawson nor her family seems particularly impressed by Mom's new role as darling of the indie scene. The Juno soundtrack hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remains in the Top 20 more than two months later. Prior to its release, Dawson never experienced anything close to this level of commercial success with the Moldy Peaches or as a solo act. Life remains largely the same, though, for the singer/songwriter known for her quirky lyrics and talky vocal delivery.
"I mean the shows are getting bigger, that's pretty much it," she says.
Is that a good thing?
"Yeah, but I'll always play small stuff. Besides that, I still do everything the same. I got a booking agent to help with the tours, but that's just because I have a baby and don't want to spend all that time on the computer — I booked myself for five years. I can't be online and be a good mom."
Any new purchases with the royalty checks?
"I'm not a thing-buying person," the 35-year-old says after offering a chuckle. "What do I buy? Our car was totally dead, so we got a new used minivan we'll be paying off for a long time. Two days before the first check came my daughter got sick — I haven't had health insurance for 15 years — and we got huge hospital bills. Plus, rent. We didn't go out and buy a house or anything. It's not that kind of money.
"I bought my daughter some awesome bamboo velour diapers," she continues. "The way we live isn't going to suddenly change because maybe someday I'll make a lot of money from CD sales."
Dawson's first brush with fame came with the Moldy Peaches, which formed in '99. She and co-frontperson Adam Green shared singing and songwriting duties. The self-described "anti-folk" ensemble created a buzz in the NYC underground, released a few well-received albums and did a tour with The Strokes before going on hiatus in 2004. Dawson released her 2002 solo debut, I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean, on Rough Trade, the same label that issued The Moldy Peaches' self-titled debut the previous year. She insists that her bandmates were cool with the move.
"Well, I mean, there was no reaction," she says. "Moldy Peaches was a bunch of people who always did other stuff. We asked everyone to be in the band because we loved the music they were already making. Everyone has solo albums who is in Moldy Peaches; we all like each other's stuff. It wasn't like I was going behind anyone's back — all those worlds existed side by side."
Dawson's music is marked by distinctive vocals and idiosyncratic but touching lyrics. Her words unfurl fast, as if she were engaged in a late-night conversation fueled by ample amounts of caffeine and nicotine. She's not quite sure how her singing style developed.
"I guess I just have lot to say," Dawson replies with a laugh. "I think it's just the way my thoughts happen — plus maybe a little autism."
The singer/songwriter works plenty of subject matter into her music, surveying everything from politics to beer to self-esteem issues. She explores the latter on "I Like Giants." From her 2006 album, Remember That I Love You, it's a song Dawson identifies with on a personal level.
"I don't generally feel bad, and I know it shouldn't matter, but someone, when we were kids, told us you should dress a certain way, look a certain way, and that sticks with you," she says. "I know it's bullshit, but it exists; in this world it's forced on us."
Dawson, who relates to the tomboy-ish title-character of Juno, hopes her music can help liberate young women from the unrealistic images fed to them by fashion and cosmetic companies.
"I'll start to feel bad [about my self-image] and then tell myself it doesn't matter," Dawson says. "My songs are for everybody. It's my way of saying you don't have to feel bad."
This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2008.