Interviews 2013+

[Hermesacat]

2013, AUG. 2, PARLHOT L'INTERVIEW ROCK!, MAZZY STAR INTERVIEW
(Transcript made from the audio file of the original interview conducted in English)

GOOD NEWS UPDATE: The original audio recording of the entire 50+ minute long interview is now available
as a downloadable MP3 audio file, along with a text transcription of the original interview, plus the
imperfect Google Translate version containing an English version of interviewer Sylvain's 6-paragraph
introduction (which is also findable in the prior post in this thread). The audio file (+ text)
is downloadable here:
https://www.4shared.com/zip/u0o-te96ei/ ... in_au.html
[later edit: I've also upped the interview to youtube, here: http://youtu.be/TJaFHGAEFiE ]

This interview is found online as French language text at this musician interview site:
http://parlhot.com/a-lirelivre/entretie ... asons-day/

The prior post found in this thread re. this interview was an imperfect English-to French-& back
to English Google Translate translation of the interview from the French text. This is, instead,
a direct transcription I made from the English language audio file of the original interview
recorded by and kindly provided by the interviewer, Sylvain Fesson. The http://parlhot.com
interview site is Sylvain's site. He has also kindly given the go ahead to allow the audio file of
his whole interview to be shared via this fan site as a downloadable file. Thank you Sylvain!

By the way, Sylvain is also a lyricist/vocalist in a music project. He says he works
together with a young musician from Belgium, Arthur Devreux. You can hear six of their songs at
Soundcloud, here:
https://soundcloud.com/sylvain-fesson/sets/sonique-moi
or at Deezer, here:
http://www.deezer.com/album/10028556
I like his songs, especially the last five of the six at Soundcloud, the "mellow" ones entitled
Le coeur du monde, La chance de vivre, La vie m'allait bien, Aux étoiles, & Violaine.
Of course, I wish I could understand the French language better. His stuff's worth checking out!
Also, here's his "About Me" page at his site:
http://parlhot.com/about/
Later update: Sylvain now has a youtube channel with videos of his music, here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9l2UL ... dL9O99BQyQ

Although Mazzy Star did at least 11 interviews in 2013, there are no recordings I know of
available of any besides this one. The only other interview recordings I know of are the
two radio ones, plus one TV one, & those three are all 20+ years old, and are shorter. So, we can be pleased we get to hear, thanks to Sylvain, a recording of this more recent interview, a rarity.

Although Hope's less talkative here than we might prefer, as David speaks most, she has some memorable things to say, and a few funny lines (sample: "Are you saying that I have the Devil in me when I sing?" -Hope). Hope also contributes lots of unexpected, welcome, friendly laughter to the discussion, responding to things David and Sylvain say.

In the transcript below, words in round ( ) brackets are my (Bob's/Hermesacat's) additions.
Material in square [ ] brackets were some of Sylvain's additions re. band history/facts, a few
of which I expanded on by adding some band factoids.

Regrettably, though I've tried to be careful, each I time look at my transcript and re-listen,
I still find new deficiencies every time: typos, band facts to be added, words missed or
gotten wrong, or word mysteries solved. Below is just the latest, least error-filled version.
............................................................................................................
2013, AUG. 2, PARLHOT L'INTERVIEW ROCK!, MAZZY STAR INTERVIEW
(transcript from original audio recording in English):

DAVID: Hello
SYLVAIN: Hello, David?
DAVID: This is David, yes
SYLVAIN: Okay. How are you?
DAVID: I beg your pardon?
SYLVAIN: How are you?
DAVID: I'm fine. How are you today?
SYLVAIN: Quite, quite good
DAVID: Have we got Hope on the line as well?
SYLVAIN: Sorry?
DAVID: Have we got Hope on the line as well?
SYLVAIN: No, I will call her later. If you're okay, we start the interview
just together
DAVID: We prefer to do interviews together, if it's alright with you
SYLVAIN: It's okay for you? We can do this alone? It's okay for you?
DAVID: Beg your pardon? I can call you back with Hope on the line, if it's okay with you.
Well, I could, I'll call you back with Hope on the line, okay?
SYLVAIN: Okay
DAVID: Yeah, alright. Just hang on, I'll call you back in a minute
SYLVAIN: Thank you
.......................................

DAVID: Hello
SYLVAIN: So, everyone is here (laughs)
DAVID: Are you there Hope?
HOPE: Hi
SYLVAIN: Hi. Hi Hope. Hi David. So-
HOPE: Hello
SYLVAIN: Hope, you're in Ireland, and David, you're in Norway [he moved to Oslo, the capital,
in 2001. The period since 2001 has been a period during which Hope moved to Dublin, Ireland with Colm Ó Cíosóig,
famous drummer of the rock band My Bloody Valentine](I'd add, Hope and Colm
also live in San Francisco & London. Colm's also a member of The Warm Inventions, and Mazzy Star).
That's right...You hear me? Hi, can you hear-
DAVID: That's right, yeah. Where are you? Are you in Paris, or?
SYLVAIN: I'm in Paris yes, yes.
DAVID: Yeah, yeah
HOPE: I have a bad connection
SYLVAIN: You have a bad connection, yes
DAVID: (words garbled) Hope?
HOPE: (words garbled)
DAVID: Should I call right back then?
SYLVAIN: I can-
DAVID: I'll call you right back, okay?
SYLVAIN: Yes, next try
HOPE: Hello
SYLVAIN: Hello (laughs)
DAVID: Hello, yes
SYLVAIN: It's better?
HOPE: Fine
SYLVAIN: Is it better for you?
DAVID: Yeah, it's okay with me
SYLVAIN: Okay, we'll try to do this like that. Um, so, um, David, why are you-
HOPE: Yeah, that's better
SYLVAIN: Hope, I hear you very badly. Hope, can you hear me?
DAVID: Can you hear him?
HOPE: Yes
SYLVAIN: Okay, David I hear you. Hope, I hear you
HOPE: (words garbled)
DAVID: If you can talk closer to your microphones we can probably hear you both better, hm?
Yeah, okay, so what's happening?
SYLVAIN: So, I wanted to know David, why you are in Norway? Is it where you live?
DAVID: I also live in London
SYLVAIN: Oh, yeah
DAVID: 'Cause I have a few days in Norway. I come here to to work and get away from
London from time to time.
SYLVAIN: Okay, because you love to work in Norway. Is it better for you?
DAVID: Sometimes
SYLVAIN: Are you, do you have a special connection to this country, or maybe its music
scene?...Did you hear my question?
DAVID: Do I have a special connection to=
SYLVAIN: To Norway?
DAVID: Yeah, Norway's a, a cool place (words garbled)
SYLVAIN: Because I met recently, um, I think you know this guy, Sivert Hoyem, from the
ex-band Madrugada
DAVID: Yeah, yeah, I know him, yeah. He's a cool guy, yeah.
SYLVAIN: And he told me that Mazzy Star was a very big influence for him at the beginning
DAVID: Yeah, I saw him play in London, last year. He was really, really fantastic.
SYLVAIN: Maybe you're friends, no?
DAVID: Absolutely, yeah
SYLVAIN: Yeah. So, what the process of this new Mazzy Star album
after seventeen years, stuff like that. Was it a very old willing to make
music together again?
DAVID: We never stopped making music. We just stopped releasing things. We always
were making music all, all these years
SYLVAIN: Yeah, but you didn't want to make a record. You didn't want to record music
DAVID: We made records for ourselves
SYLVAIN: Yeah. Is it something very different for you to make music, and to record music?
DAVID: Well, well, we usually, we record our music live
SYLVAIN: Yeah
DAVID: Yeah, that's how we did it
SYLVAIN: And why did you record just this new record now, and not before?
HOPE: There's no reason
SYLVAIN: No particular reason
HOPE: No
DAVID: There's no reason for anything
SYLVAIN: Okay (laughs). Because, we know that Hope, you make two solo albums,
with two albums with The Warm Inventions. But you David, we don't know what you,
did you publish, what you published in music these past seventeen years. So, what was
your occupation, musically speaking?
DAVID: I'm sorry, can you, can you ask that again. I couldn't quite understand
SYLVAIN: I mean, the people know that Hope released two records but you David, what
did you do these last years, musically?
DAVID: Oh, I did a lot of music, and worked with different people, writing songs. I even
worked with Etienne Daho. We wrote, wrote some songs together. He's fantastic too
SYLVAIN: Okay. You know the guy
DAVID: Mm hm
SYLVAIN: How did you meet him?
DAVID: I met him through a friend of mine named Olivier Assayas, a film director
[in 2004, David wrote and produced the songs sung by the actress Maggie Cheung
in the film "Clean." David also plays himself in the film]
SYLVAIN: Okay. And you write stuff with him for his record, or just for you?
DAVID: We haven't released anything that we-. We recorded some things. We haven't
released any of it yet
SYLVAIN: Okay. And what did you think of the music that Hope make for her. Was it something
that inspired you to make a record with Mazzy Star again?
DAVID: I thought The Warm Inventions were a fantastic band, um, but, um, I've always been
inspired by working with Hope
SYLVAIN: And what's new now with your collaboration with Hope because it's a long time
you make music together. What's changing now? Is it still the same alchemy between you
and Hope?
DAVID: I think it's, uh, still "maladie du coeur" (affliction of the heart?), forever
SYLVAIN: It's what, maladie-?
DAVID: Maladie du coeur
SYLVAIN: What does it mean?
HOPE: (laughs)
SYLVAIN: (laughs)
DAVID: Of the heart
SYLVAIN: Oh, of the heart. Okay. So, it's still the same connection
DAVID: Some connections never ch-, get broken
SYLVAIN: Okay. So, is there a special beginning with this album. Can you date a start of
this album? When did you begin writing it?
HOPE: I don't remember when we started it. There wasn't really a beginning
SYLVAIN: No?
HOPE: No
SYLVAIN: What did you want to create specially with this album compared with the others
It was a continuation, or do you have a precise idea where you want it to go?
DAVID: I think we just wanted to be together and make the music we always made and that
we- very personal for us
SYLVAIN: So, you write together in the same room, live?
HOPE: We do work together
SYLVAIN: Yeah. It's not a work by distance
DAVID: We write, like to write music in rooms that have certain colours in them
SYLVAIN: But do you write part of this music in Norway, and part of this music in
California, for example?
HOPE: We write when we're in the same countries
SYLVAIN: So Hope, you move to Norway sometimes, like David?
HOPE: Yeah. Sometimes we meet in Norway. Sometimes we meet in California, and
sometimes we meet in London
SYLVAIN: Was it hard for you to create these songs maybe more than before, or
it's still natural to find what a Mazzy Star mood is right now?
DAVID: Hope and I like to write songs together, that's what we like to do. And then we like
to play them, perform them live
SYLVAIN: Because it seems that your music is still the same, you know, and it's quite
strange because there is a long time process. I mean, for the listeners it
looks as if it takes a long time, but maybe it's different for you
DAVID: We write a lot of songs. When ever we're together we write songs. It's um,
always been that way
SYLVAIN: So, you had more than ten songs for this album, and you have to make a choice?
DAVID: We've written many, many, many songs, and we've recorded many, many
songs that we've not released
SYLVAIN: Okay. And why did you choose to publish first as a single this song called
"California?" Is it maybe a declaration of love to this country, to California?
HOPE: I didn't really hear the question
SYLVAIN: Why did you publish as a single this song "California?" So-
HOPE: Well, we really like it
SYLVAIN: Would you say that your music is very connected to California?
HOPE: Well, we're both from California. We both grew up there
SYLVAIN: And in your music there is some Middle Ages, sometimes, elements. Do you
listen to this kind of music, I mean Baroque music, Middle Ages music?
DAVID: Are you asking, do we listen to Baroque music?
SYLVAIN: Yeah
DAVID: We have a harpsichord we like to play but-
HOPE: Yeah
DAVID: We like to write music on piano and on various instruments. I mean,
the Baroque tradition is, it's kind of known for its complexity, but I always think
of it for its melody, and its simplicity
SYLVAIN: Yeah, beause your music is still, it looks very simple. I think it's not
simple to create, so I think, I mean, does the songs come simply to you, or is it
a lot of work on each song
HOPE: (words garbled)
DAVID: Every song is different
SYLVAIN: David, you play in many bands. There is these two bands, Rain Parade, and Opal,
and most people don't know these bands. What would you say about these previous bands
to the people that don't know these bands? What did you learn thanks to these,
adventures?
DAVID: Kendra Smith [was bass player with Dream Syndicate, and later worked with David,
singing in the bands Clay Allison and Opal, plus she contributed to David's 1984 Rainy Day
album project. Hope eventually replaced Kendra as Opal's singer when Kendra left]
was a fantastic musician and a huge inspiration to me, and working
with her was, uh, very important. And we were all friends, me, Hope, and Kendra, and
uh, we used to get together and play music and we had, uh, um, time to share our
ideas together
SYLVAIN: And Kendra's music. Is she still making music, she's still singing something?
DAVID: She's singing right now, can't you hear it?
HOPE: (laughs)
SYLVAIN: (laughs) I can hear (laughs). And Hope, you already know David thanks
to Opal and Rain Parade?
HOPE: Yeah, that's how I met David. I was a, I was a Rain Parade fan. And, uh,
I was a fan of Dream Syndicate. So, when David and Kendra started to work together
it was a dream come true for a lot of people who were fans of Rain Parade and
fans of Dream Syndicate.
SYLVAIN: So, you meet them onstage, or thanks to the record?
HOPE: (laughs) I met them, I don't know how I met them. I met them, ah, I don't, I, I don't
really remember. I mean, I must have met them at a show, one of their shows,
and, um, we just, we just started talking about music, and I was working on my
own project at the time [Hope's duo Going Home with Sylvia Gomez] ,
and they were interested in listening to it. And that's how we became friends
SYLVAIN: And you David, you were searching a new voice to make music
DAVID: Was I doing what?
SYLVAIN: You were searching a new voice to make music, to make a band?
DAVID: With Hope?
SYLVAIN: Yes, with someone
DAVID: Well, Hope was so, writing such amazing songs that when we first met we
went really quite quickly into a recording studio and started to record, so, immediately,
basically, in, uh, Los Angeles, down in Venice, and we went into a studio and just
started to record, immediately [David recorded and produced an album for Going Home which was never
released]
SYLVAIN: And you never wanted to sing by yourself?
DAVID: For me to sing by myself?
SYLVAIN: Yeah. To explore your-
DAVID: I used to sing when I was with this band Rain Parade, uh
SYLVAIN: But it's not a real pleasure for you to sing more than that?
DAVID: I think, ah, I was intrigued by Hope's singing
SYLVAIN: In which way?
DAVID: Hope is very unpredictable, always, always surprising me with brilliant ideas,
and really interesting stories, and-
SYLVAIN: So, when you're composing music you already think about a way of singing
on it?
DAVID: I write music for Hope. I always think of Hope when I write music
SYLVAIN: And I think about the last Hope and the Warm Inventions album called
"Through The Devil Softly" and I thought it was maybe a good definition of your
way of singing, Hope. What do you think about that, the fact that going through
the Devil, softly?
HOPE: Are you saying that I have the Devil in me when I sing?
SLVAIN: Yes, yes (laughs). But softly (laughs)
HOPE: Well, the Devil's an angel, anyway, so, I suppose it's a compliment
SYLVAIN: It is
HOPE: (laughs)
SYLVAIN: (laughs)
HOPE: Thank you (laughs)
SYLVAIN: (laughs) Would you say that Mazzy Star is a psychedelic band that makes
psychedelic music?
DAVID: Do you want to define the term "psychedelic?"
SYLVAIN: What does it mean for you?
DAVID: No one's ever defined it. Nobody's ever adequately defined it. It has its
origin in language that's ancient. But musically, I suppose there's an implication
of a journey of some, some kind into a world you want to, you want to be in.
SYLVAIN: Yeah. And it's sometimes connected with drugs, and I don't know if you take
some drugs, and if drugs have an impact on your music. Does it have some?
DAVID: We believe in, in freedom
SYLVAIN: This new album is presented as "music for lovers and music for broken hearts."
Does it mean that for you there is a lack of music about love, and music for
broken hearts right now in 2013?
DAVID: Are you asking whether anybody has had their heart broken in 2013?
SYLVAIN: No, I mean, do people for you make music that speaks about that, because
I think people still have their heart broken?
DAVID: Sometimes music is so important because you, it really is important in people's
lives, especially sometimes when people are down, you know. I mean we don't make
music really thinking about having a dance party. We make music in a different way
HOPE: I wouldn't mind making music for dance parties
SYLVAIN: (laughs) You never try to?
HOPE: Uh, no, I, I don't think I can
SYLVAIN: It's true that your music is more, it's more for making love, for example
HOPE: Are you saying you make love to our music?
SYLVAIN: I think I already did, yeah?
HOPE: (laughs)
SYLVAIN: It's a good landscape to make love, but I think it's not surprising, is it?
HOPE: Um, no, that's what they say
SYLVAIN: Are you inspired by other musicians while you make music, or is your process
of creating music very isolated?
DAVID: We're inspired by many things, and very often it's ah, different things, you know.
And, and music is obviously a huge part of that, yeah
SYLVAIN: So, do you hear some new stuff that inspires you recently, new bands,
or maybe old bands that you just discovered?
DAVID: I was driving from London to Norway the day before yesterday night. I had, uh, I listened
to Francoise Hardy in my car and it was very inspiring
SYLVAIN: Which band, you say?
DAVID: Francoise Hardy
SYLVAIN: Francoise Hardy, okay. So, it's an old singer
DAVID: She's wonderful, and she's a very nice person. I met her once. She's very, very,
very inspiring
SYLVAIN: You seem to have a real pleasure to hear French music because we were talking
about Etienne Daho. Now you're talking about Francoise Hardy
HOPE: Yes
DAVID: We have a, a friend in London, her name is Charlotte, and she has a band called
le Volume Courbe. Absolutely brilliant. We saw them play at St. Pancras Church recently
[July 10, 2013, opening for My Bloody Valentine, the band Colm O'Ciosoig (of The Warm Inventions
and Mazzy Star) is drummer for] (I'd add, le Volume Courbe's 2006 album, "I Killed My Best Friend,"
had contributions from David, who played guitar on a song, Colm, who played drums on two, & Hope,
who played glockenspiel on one)
SYLVAIN: What's the name? Can you spell it?
DAVID: Yeah, le Volume Courbe
SYLVAIN: Okay, I don't know
HOPE: Her name is, um, Charlotte, Charlotte Marionneau
SYLVAIN: Okay
DAVID: She's from Brittany
SYLVAIN: Okay. And you have your own label, Rhymes of an Hour. Is it made for
producing other bands, or just your own music as Mazzy Star?
HOPE: We would love to release other people's music on our label
SYLVAIN: So, what's the obstacle?
HOPE: Everybody's welcome
SYLVAIN: (laughs) And you never had an idea to produce one band, a precise band?
HOPE: Who, David, or me?
SYLVAIN: Both
HOPE: Or both?
SYLVAIN: Both
HOPE: That's a really good idea, but I, I don't think anybody's asked us as
a team to, to produce
SYLVAIN: People don't come to you
HOPE: No, it's a, a good idea but-
SYLVAIN: What about the live show, is it still important for you to make music on stage?
HOPE: It's difficult for us to be onstage but it's important to play the-
SYLVAIN: Why is it difficult? Because you're not used to?
HOPE: Sorry?
SYLVAIN: Why is it difficult for you to play onstage?
HOPE: Well, it's difficult. I mean, it's not a, it's not a normal thing to put yourself
on a stage in front of 300 to 2,000 people all the time, you know, it's just not
normal human behaviour. You know, it's, it's a bit frightening
SYLVAIN: Yeah. Was it one of the reasons that makes you a very, because you're quite
anonymous as Mazzy Star. Mazzy Star is a cult band but for a little audience.
So, would you say your relationship with the live shows don't allow you to be more
well known?
HOPE: I think that, um, like I said, it is difficult but it can be enjoyable, you know
SYLVAIN: Is it difficult for you also David to play onstage?
DAVID: I think that, um, there's a lot of um, a lot of our music is very acoustic and to
project that sound in a, in, in a concert is, is very fragile
SYLVAIN: Yeah. But you made some concerts one year before. Do you like that?
Was it a good experience?
DAVID: We were, we actually, we played in St. Malo last year [at the Route du Rock Festival]
It was nice, yeah. Really nice, yeah
SYLVAIN: And what other musicians that make the band Mazzy Star, except you,
David and Hope?
DAVID: There's other people that are, are very important to us, Suki and Keith, and,
very important to us
SYLVAIN: They also participate to the process of this album, the writing of this album?
DAVID: In the recording
SYLVAIN: Yeah, okay. Just the recording
DAVID: Hope and I write all the songs together but everything changes when you start
to play with other people. It's a, it's a transformation, and it's, um, part of the
whole process, really
SYLVAIN: And I mean it's quite a stupid question but does it happen sometimes
that you create a song by beginning with the lyrics, or is it still the music first?
HOPE: Usually, music first. The music usually inspires the story
SYLVAIN: Okay. And it's quite strange because most of the bands that try to reinvent themselves
album after album, and it seems that Mazzy Star always do the same album. What do
you think about that?
HOPE: I think if it's not broken, why fix it?
SYLVAIN: Excuse me, what do you say?
HOPE: I said, if it's not broken, why fix it?
SYLVAIN: Okay. But what do you mean by if it's not broken?
HOPE: (laughs)
SYLVAIN: (laughs)
HOPE: I mean we enjoy the music that we, we write and play, and, um, the same people
writing the songs, us. Um, I, I, I'm not really interested in changing it
SYLVAIN: Okay. We have no revolution (laughs)
HOPE: No
DAVID: No evolution? Or revolution?
SYLVAIN: Revolution
DAVID: There's always a revolution
SYLVAIN: In which way?
DAVID: Personal freedom
SYLVAIN: Yeah, to maintain your freedom. And I saw the artwork of the new album, this
cat, black cat, and this purple landscape, and it makes me think of a mix of the
artwork of "So Tonight That I Might See" and "Among My Swan." Was it your idea
to make this maybe kind of connection? Because this cat, it makes me think about the
white swan of your last record
DAVID: Do you know how many cats live in Paris?
SYLVAIN: Do I know what about the cats?
DAVID: The cats in Paris
SYLVAIN: No
DAVID: Must be a lot of cats, huh?
SYLVAIN: (laughs)
HOPE: (laughs)
SYLVAIN: There is a lot of cats everywhere, no (laughs)? You think especially in Paris?
DAVID: No, I think, uh, when I'm in Paris I often see cats on buildings, walking on the land,
and they're part of the landscape. It's the same thing in California. I'm looking
out of a window right now. I see a cat walking on a wall
HOPE: I, I wish I could see a cat right now
SYLVAIN: (laughs) You don't see a cat (laughs)
HOPE: I haven't, haven't seen one
SYLVAIN: Do you know this guy in Calfornia, Jeff Martin?
DAVID: Who?
SYLVAIN: Jeff Martin. He makes music as Idaho. Do you know this guy?
HOPE: I, I've heard, I've heard of it, is it a band?
SYLVAIN: It's quite a band, but it's mostly a one man band
HOPE: Well, uh, uh, it sounds so familiar to me. Doesn't it sound familiar
to you David?
DAVID: Yeah, it does Hope. I think we might have, yeah, it's, so you
like that, huh?
SYLVAIN: Yeah, it's a way of making music. Because, I mean, it came from the same period
than you, I mean the '90s. But his way of making music was never really connected
with the '90s, and I think maybe you know the guy and you feel a connection with him
HOPE: I have a memory of it but, I, I'm not a hundred percent sure
SYLVAIN: Okay
DAVID: Send us a copy
SYLVAIN: Okay, I will, I will. But do you feel yourself as a band from the '90s, or not at all?
DAVID: We're a band from Los Angeles. We don't know, we don't know what, what, uh, what this
"'90s" means, hm? But having said that, I can say there was a lot of interesting experimental
music going on around us and, which we were very inspired by, bands from Los Angeles like, um, a band
called X, and a band called Gun Club, and Green on Red, and fantastic bands, absolutely mind blowing
SYLVAIN: And how do you feel by releasing a new album. Is it strange for you to come back like that,
and to make new music for maybe new people? Was it part of a challenge, this kind of return?
DAVID: I don't think we think about that sort of thing too, too much. We really just kind of do
our music
SYLVAIN: So, for you there is no special challenge to come back?
DAVID: We never left. We just, we lived in the shadows, that's where we live, that's where
we're comfortable
SYLVAIN: And do you, does your music allow you to make a living, David, or do you have another work?
DAVID: I, I, I'm a musician, yeah. That's what I do, and so does Hope. We're just musicians.
SYLVAIN: But it's hard to be just a musician because you have, like all the people, you have
to earn money, and it's hard to earn money thanks to music, no
DAVID: I think if you made music for money you would do something very different from Mazzy Star
SYLVAIN: And you never were obliged to make music to earn money
HOPE: No
SYLVAIN: No. What is the Mazzy Star album you are the most proud of?
HOPE: I'm proud of all of them
SYLVAIN: In the same way?
HOPE: Yes
SYLVAIN: And it's the same for you David? Or, do you feel that there is one special album in which
you have found something precisely that you were searching, maybe in the sound, stuff like that?
DAVID: The moment that Hope and I started to write songs together I was happy. And every album is
different, and the, the songs just, uh, they have a, what we would call an intrinsic value for us.
And I'm, I'm very happy that other people like them sometimes. So, we're just going to do our own
thing, you know. That's all we've ever done, and that's all we ever will do
SYLVAIN: And do you think that you succeed to create something with Mazzy Star that you
didn't succeed to create before?
DAVID: Everybody has a story to tell, no matter how, how big or, or small they are. Walk down
the street. Everybody has a story to tell. And most stories are so interesting because
everybody's interesting. Every human being is interesting. Some are psychotic. Some are
beautiful. The wide range of people in this world
SYLVAIN: And what about the future gigs you're going to play. Do you already know them? The tour
you're going to make with this new album?
HOPE: We're planning to play shows in November, yeah
DAVID: Our first show will be on Halloween. We like to start our concert tours
on Halloween 'cause then we have pumpkins
HOPE: (laughs)
SYLVAIN: (laughs)
DAVID: We like to make, we like to carve pumpkins
SYLVAIN: Onstage? (laughs)
DAVID: Onstage. We do that, yeah
HOPE: (laughs)
SYLVAIN: Will you tour alone, or will you tour with another band to do the first part, opening?
DAVID: It's really fantastic when you have other bands with you, you know. Over the years, we've had
some fantastic bands playing with us, like Acetone is a great band and-
HOPE: Entrance Band
DAVID: Entrance Band, yeah
HOPE: Unison
DAVID: Mm hm, yeah
SYLVAIN: What? Excuse me?
DAVID: This band's a French band, uh, Unison
SYLVAIN: Unison, okay
DAVID: They opened, they played with us in London last year. It was fantastic. So talented,
those people, just so incredibly powerful
SYLVAIN: Yeah, it's a duet, I think, Unison
DAVID: Mm hm
SYLVAIN: Yeah, it's also a duet, I think, Unison, it's a duet, that's it? They make noisy
dream music, stuff like that?
HOPE: Yeah, I think a lot like, ah, Cocteau Twins meets My Bloody Valentine. It's good
SYLVAIN: Yeah, I know this band a bit
DAVID: So, you're in, you're, you're in Paris but it's the time of year though when most people
go to, ah, go away for holiday, in August?
SYLVAIN: No, Paris is still quite full of people (laughs)
DAVID: I'm not sayin' it's empty. I just think it's, it's so warm there this time of year. It's like
Los Angeles where we come from
SYLVAIN: It's too hot (laughs)
DAVID: Where do you live in Paris?
SYLVAIN: I live in the suburbs
DAVID: (words garbled)
SYLVAIN: Do you know Saint Ouen?
DAVID: Yeah, I do, yeah
SYLVAIN: It's in the north
DAVID: Why are you talking to us? You should be sitting in a café with your lover
having a glass of wine
SYLVAIN:: No, but I wanted to talk music with you (laughs). And in 2009, I made an
interview with you Hope about your last solo album. So, I was quite interested to
continue the discussion, you know? Even if it's hard thanks to this skype technology
HOPE: Okay, we've chatted before?
SYLVAIN: Yeah, we did it on the phone
HOPE: Oh
SYLVAIN: It was by phone
DAVID: Just met your old friends, huh?
HOPE: Yeah, oh, now I remember. Your voice sounds familiar (laughs)
SYLVAIN: Oh, really? (laughs) It was four years before (laughs)
HOPE: (laughs)
DAVID: Tell us some good music to listen to that you've heard recently in Paris
SYLVAIN: In Paris. You have a girl that makes good music. It's instrumental music. Her
album is called "334 Distance," and it's very good music, instrumental music
HOPE: What is it, 334?
SYLVAIN: "Distance"
HOPE: Distance?
SYLVAIN: Distance, yes
HOPE: Like space
SYLVAIN: Like space, yes, distance. Her name is Alice
DAVID: Okay. Well, we might be playing in Paris in, ah, in December, so, if we play, then
you're invited to the show, and come and say hello
SYLVAIN: Yeah. Do you already know the place
DAVID: We're not sure yet, it's, uh, being organized now, but, uh
HOPE: Do you have a, do you have a place in mind you could recommend?
SYLVAIN: Um, yes, there is la Maroquinerie. It's a good place to play. Do you know?
HOPE: What, what is it called?
SYLVAIN: La Maroquinerie
DAVID: Can you-
SYLVAIN: (spells it:) M-a-r-o-q-u-i-n-e-r-i-e
DAVID: Okay
SYLVAIN: Maroquinerie
DAVID: Where is that?
SYLVAIN: It's near (French name), do you know (French name) in Paris?
DAVID: Mm, yeah
SYLVAIN: It's (location in Paris)
DAVID: Okay, yeah, maybe we'll play there since you've given us a high recommendation
SYLVAIN: Yeah (laughs). You will play as a full band?
DAVID: Yes
SYLVAIN: Okay, great. So, I hope I will see you there
DAVID: Yeah, well, well, just let us know, well, uh, contact us, and we'll, uh, say hello in person
SYLVAIN: Okay, I will. Thank you
HOPE: Okay, okay, thank you
SYLVAIN: Thank you David. Thank you Hope. Bye bye.
HOPE: Okay, bye
DAVID: Bye
SYLVAIN: Ciao

.................................................................

[Hermesacat]

I see Emma has newly edited her earlier posts in this thread that had links to 2013 interviews she found. She's now posted entire text from all those articles. Great job, Emma! Thanks.

I'll do the same with the one other 2013 interview I posted links to page scans of here earlier, the NME one, & will add its text here soon [later update: the text of the 2013 NME article has been added to my prior post about it]. I'll add more interviews to the Hope S. & the W.I. intervs. thread soon too [later update: some more have been added]
The Mazzy Star "archives" here keep a-growing!

[Hermesacat]

The journalist responsible for the excellent 2013 Uncut mag Mazzy Star interview/article, Michael Bonner, has recently re-posted the same article at his Uncut mag blog here:
http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/the-view-fr ... ture-67963
The original article was/is available at Uncut's site for subscription/purchase only (plus a free version is findable in this thread, thanks to Emma). The new blog version is free access. It's a different format as he includes fewer photos than the mag version, but adds relevant embedded youtube videos instead. The blog one contains the original article, but lacks the discography & the artists-influenced-by-Mazzy-Star sections added as extras in the original mag.

Bonner also links to a useful playlist he researched & assembled from youtube videos of Paisley Underground bands:
http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/the-view-fr ... st-19008/4
As can be gathered from his 2013 Mazzy Star article/interview (imo, one of the best Mazzy Star articles ever), this journalist is diligent when it comes to research. He's also apparently better than most at successfully persuading the reticent pair to open up more in an interview.

[Hermesacat]

This post has not much purpose or content except by writing it it will restore this Mazzy Star interviews thread to page 1 of the General Discussion section. Since it hadn't had any new posts added for a long time, the thread got pushed onto page 2 where it was hard to find. All the interviews threads ought to be easy to find on page 1, imo. This new post will put it back on page 1.

Since Mazzy are doing a few gigs this year (2018) and releasing the "Still" e.p., with luck they will do a few new interviews too.

I believe there are four different threads with interviews here. To find them, look for the word "interviews" in the subject line.

[Homeostasis]

Hey Hermesacat,

Is there any way you could re-upload the October 2013 issue of Uncut? The one with the 70,000 sales figure for She Hangs Brightly in the UK? Or, if you don't feel like uploading, even just respond with the page number that the Discography section ("The Prettiest Star") appears on. I had used it a source for SHB's sales on the band's discography page on Wikipedia, but another user came along and removed it.

The ridiculous thing is, I actually purchased that damn magazine myself (for 9.99) digitally at a French website called LeKiosk back in 2013, but the website won't let me access my purchase. And their customer service is absolutely awful (no help in letting me access what I paid for; they just keep asking for specifics on what the problem is while telling me to change browser... but I've been as specific as I can about the magazine not loading off their server, and have tried every browser imaginable). Their rep won't even respond to my e-mails unless I translate what I've written into French.

Never purchase anything from LeKiosk...

[Emma]

Hey Hermesacat,

Is there any way you could re-upload the October 2013 issue of Uncut? The one with the 70,000 sales figure for She Hangs Brightly in the UK? Or, if you don't feel like uploading, even just respond with the page number that the Discography section ("The Prettiest Star") appears on. I had used it a source for SHB's sales on the band's discography page on Wikipedia, but another user came along and removed it.

Homeostasis,
I can't provide you with the Uncut issue as I lost my own copy when my hard drive died. However, if you look at the screen capture I posted in the Interviews thread, you can see the page number of "The Prettiest Star" section (page 26).


Hopefully, Hermesacat will be able to send you a copy of the full Uncut issue if you need it for further reference.

[Homeostasis]

Hey Hermesacat,

Is there any way you could re-upload the October 2013 issue of Uncut? The one with the 70,000 sales figure for She Hangs Brightly in the UK? Or, if you don't feel like uploading, even just respond with the page number that the Discography section ("The Prettiest Star") appears on. I had used it a source for SHB's sales on the band's discography page on Wikipedia, but another user came along and removed it.

Homeostasis,
I can't provide you with the Uncut issue as I lost my own copy when my hard drive died. However, if you look at the screen capture I posted in the Interviews thread, you can see the page number of "The Prettiest Star" section (page 26).


Hopefully, Hermesacat will be able to send you a copy of the full Uncut issue if you need it for further reference.

Sorry Emma. I saw that Hermescat created so many of the archival-based topics on the forum and, in my rush to post, assumed he was responsible for this one too. But please tell me I wasn't being incredibly dopey, and that the page number wasn't at the bottom of the scan the entire time? If it was, I doubly apologize. If not, and you've taken the time to expand the scan, thanks for being so helpful. I've been able to re-add the sales figure to Wikipedia now.

[Emma]

. I saw that Hermescat created so many of the archival-based topics on the forum and, in my rush to post, assumed he was responsible for this one too. But please tell me I wasn't being incredibly dopey, and that the page number wasn't at the bottom of the scan the entire time? If it was.

No problem. The Interviews threads have grown so much that it can be difficult to locate the information they contain.