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"Lauren Hoffman"

by: Mélanie Fazi
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When she released her debut album 'Megiddo' at the age of 20, Lauren Hoffman was not what you might call an absolute beginner. She got her first bass at 11, spent her teenage years playing with different bands, left Virginia for New York where she had a friend named Jeff Buckley, and worked as a nude model for art students, before her first album finally came out in 1997. This may explain the impression of maturity that prevailed on 'Megiddo'. This was not the work of a young talented artist - age did not really matter here. 'Megiddo' was a startling collection of catchy rock anthems (such as the well-known 'Rock Star') and hypnotic ballads, with dark lyrics and a gloomy, bluesy atmosphere. Something like a cloudy sky before thunder, heavy with threat.

In June 1999, a few months before the release of her second album 'From the Blue House' (which you can find reviewed in this issue), Lauren was kind enough to answer a few questions over the Internet. If you want to find out a bit more about Lauren, her records and her past, everything you always wanted to know about her but were afraid to ask is available on her own website.

Could you introduce yourself and present your musical background in a few lines?

Hello, I am Lauren Hoffman and I play music. (that's a really hard question to answer...)

You belonged to several bands before you started your solo career, but had you ever been involved in the recording of an album before Megiddo?

No, but I had worked on September 67's demos for their album 'Lucky Shoe'. We worked at the Sound Of Music Studio and that was my first real studio experience.

What did you learn from the 'Megiddo' experience that was helpful to the recording of your second album?

I worked with a lot of very talented people on 'Megiddo' - David Lowery, John Morand, Ethan Johns, Jon Brion, Johnny Hott, etc. I learned so much from them. I couldn't have made my new record on my own if I hadn't had that experience.

What are the advantages and inconveniences of beginning so young?

I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to start so young. A lot of people wait half their lives to do what they love. The inconvenience would be finding myself thrown into situations that I haven't had enough experience to be ready to handle. But I love the challenges, and I'm learning all the time.

You wrote your first songs when you were eleven. What kind of music did you play then?

Well, actually, my first songs were very dark and angry. I wasn't a happy adolescent - as you can also tell from a lot of the material on 'Megiddo'. And I wrote mostly strange imagery about my feelings; trying to put my confused, existential, teenage pain into words. But I also wrote a rather traditional blues on the bass that I still might revisit one day - it wasn't bad...!

You recently said that you had lost your love of music for a little while - how did that happen?

I think it was because of the industry-machine and the pressures I felt to be something I wasn't, and to value things I don't necessarily value.

What are the most pleasant and unpleasant things you have read about yourself in the press?

I don't know... I would be curious to know what some of the French press said about me, but I don't know much French. People have said very very nice things, and other people have said some NOT very nice things, but I try not to take any of it too seriously!

When 'Megiddo' was released, the press often compared you to PJ Harvey. Did you find that accurate or rather irritating? Do you think there are any common points between your music and hers?

I found it extremely flattering because I am a fan of PJ Harvey's music. I don't know if our music is much alike, but I have listened to her music fanatically since 'Dry' came out, so maybe her influence is more obvious in my music than I thought.

What is your best memory related to a concert?

Of my concerts, the shows in Paris and Brussels for the Les Inrockuptibles festival were a lot of fun, the audiences were very attentive, but also enthusiastic. And I loved my band - Johnny Hott and Scot Fitzsimmons - they were fun to play with, both extremely skilled, but still capable of understatement. However, I recently played a solo-acoustic show at an all-women's college in Oakland, California, and I think that that was my favorite. Playing alone can make me feel like I'm really connecting with the audience. Also, my sister sang some harmonies at that show and I love it when she sings with me.

Is your sister into music too?

She plays African drums and sings, but so far she's never written any songs. She has a beautiful voice and I love it when she sings with me. She sang the backing vocals on 'Fall Away' off 'Megiddo', and on 'Heavy Scene' on my new record.

What kind of music are you interested in?

I love music - all kinds. I am always discovering new stuff to get excited about. When I was making 'Megiddo' I listened to a lot of PJ Harvey, the Cure, Billie Holiday, Radiohead, Soul Coughing, Jeff Buckley, Bauhaus, Black Sabbath, Sparklehorse, Nine Inch Nails, Bjork, Led Zeppelin, the Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen... Then, when I was losing touch with music, I started listening to Elliott Smith, and Tori Amos, and Jill Sobule, and they are probably the main influences on this new record. John Lennon is probably my favorite song-writer of all time.

Are there any artists you would like to collaborate with?

Yes! I love to work with other artists. I sometimes sing harmonies with 'Rid Of Me' from start to finish and wish that I was really singing with PJ! I know a bunch of Elliott Smith songs. But I'd also love to collaborate with people who are unlike what I do - like, sing on rap record, or play guitar in a punk band. I love to work in the studio, and I would like to become a better producer and record all different kinds of music.

Talking of PJ Harvey, is there one of her songs you'd like to cover?

Actually, as much as I love her music, her songs are so personal and so intrinsically hers that it wouldn't feel right to cover them. But if I did, it would be hard to choose one, I love so many of them! I'd probably do one of the faster ones like 'Dress', 'Me-Jane' or 'Snake'. I like her feminist, sarcastic, bible-quoting lyrics on 'Snake'.

Have you ever attempted to express yourself through other forms of art than music?

I wanted to be a dancer when I was ten years old and I took classes for years... I like to draw, and I used to act in plays when I was young. But I prefer to go to museums and plays and movies than try to do those things myself. I do love to write, and making my web-site felt like artistic expression.

Can the Internet be a useful tool for an artist, in the sense that it helps you promoting your records and keeping in touch with fans?

Yes, but I don't know if it's going to change things quite as much as people say. I find it to be a great way to connect with people directly. For example, it was very easy for us to have this interview because of the internet. And, yes, it allows me to keep in touch with fans, which is great!

'Rock Star' deals with the attitude of fans obsessed with singers. Have you ever experienced this kind of feeling yourself, or is it something that frightens you?

The whole "rock star" phenomenon frightens me. Celebrities are treated with such an odd mixture of reverence and spite. Rarely are they simply respected for their work, or allowed to be human. I don't really want to be a 'rock star' and that is partly why I left Virgin.

What are your projects for the near future (album release, tour dates...)?

I will hopefully be releasing my new record, 'From the Blue House', in France either in late September or early next year, and then I will come over and play there, too. In the meantime, I play regularly in Virginia and New York and am working on my record label.