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Imogen Heap When we first spoke to Imogen a year ago (read the interview here), she had just launched her incredible album, Speak for Yourself, on her own label, Megaphonic records, after over a year recording in her home studio. Now, at the start of summer 2006, Sony have re-released the album, and here's hoping it will reach an even wider audience. Despite her insane schedule, we got chance to catch up with her briefly, and it seems that things are really moving fast for the hugely talented songrwriter/ producer/ multi-instrumentalist...
PIXELSURGEON: Hello again Imogen. How are you? We hope you’re feeling good. We spoke in August last year, and not that people weren’t listening before, but it seems that since then, the world is really catching on to your music in a big way. Have you also noticed a change?
Certainly have. From things like my bank manager finally returning my calls and actually being helpful and constructive, to the telephone gas salesman realizing he’s talking to that girl that wrote that song he loves, which his mate just introduced him to.
You actually started working on Speak For Yourself in December 2003, and now it’s been re-released by Sony. Does it feel strange to still be talking about it as if it’s new? Or don’t you mind having to do all this?!
It strangely still does kinda feel new to me. The journey is in progress now and there’s always something new to talk about, or some b-side that needs to get written. I never put on the album myself to listen to, so every time I hear a song on the radio or whatever I get that feeling of….”Oh. This is good, what’s this” just for a second until “D’oh! It’s me, hey that doesn’t sound half bad!” Plus I’ve been touring the album and it’s taken on a whole new life live, so it’s always evolving even now. I don’t get fed up of it in the slightest. I love the album dearly and want to give it the best chance in life possible!
You hadn’t really played the album live much when we last spoke to you. How did the hotel café tour work out?
Oh my. I’ve still got this scar on my leg from staggering around in my 4 foot glitter stilettos and topping over into a shrub somewhere in Portland! It was such a laugh. I was the only girl on tour and I was totally spoilt rotten! I’d do it all again in a flash. Actually I didn’t think touring could get any more fun until this last tour! My oh my.
And the whole live experience in general – has it made you look at the songs on your album in a different light? Have some of them evolved over time, away from the recorded version?
Ah. Yes…there you go. Exactly like I said. You read my mind. They are still changing and churning. Sometimes it’s the sweet little accidents that happen on stage that inspire a new part!
You took a big risk; re-mortgaging your flat and going it alone, ignoring the record labels that were chasing you. Presumably now you’re ecstatic about how it’s all worked out for you? Is there anything you would have differently?
I probably wouldn’t have spent so much money on the video to Hide and Seek but I was rather excitable at the time! Other than that, not a thing. I’m really happy with everyone who’s working the album, the team, the word of mouth, the live shows, the films and TV it’s been and going to crop up in. Everyday there’s a fresh piece of good news. I’m loving the ride.
Let Go, your Frou Frou track was used by Zach Braff in his Garden State movie. Is it true that he’s using Hide and Seek in his next project? Have you actually met him?
Yes it is. Indeed. It’s called The Last Kiss. I met him on the hotel café tour. He walked into the dressing room at the Elray in LA while I was pruning my hair and I opened my arms and gave him a big hug, saying “It’s so nice to see you!” I felt like I’d met him already, and that I was greeting an old friend. He probably thought I was a bit mad! He was very sweet though and we were both just being really silly saying how we loved each others work so much. It was funny. I dedicated Let Go to him that night.
Last time we spoke you said you definitely deserved a holiday. Have you had one yet?!
No…but I am going to Tanzania end of June for 9 days with the director of this film he’s asked me to score! We’re going to get me inspired! (I’m already 100000% inspired just by being asked but I’m not going to tell him that!) So that should recharge me for sure. I’ve never been to Africa.
Have you made a conscious effort to work on a body of new material yet? Or has it just been about the b-sides for the singles?
Film score first, with a few b-sides here and there. I’d like to release an album around the end of the year with all the bits and pieces I’ve done since the start of the album that aren’t on it. Like the Six Feet Under song, the new b-side; Speeding Cars, Can’t Take It In - the Narnia song I wrote…there’s quite a few now! Then after all that lot…I’ll be dying to get back into the studio for the next solo album.
Speeding Cars is the new song you’ve put together for the Goodnight and Go single. Perhaps you can tell us a little about that?
I just love it so much. I think after all that noodling in the studio for that year I just wanted to do something more piano based. That’s how I started off after all as a wee one. I felt I’d neglected it a little for all my new toys and thought it was time to give it some loving. The lyric and melody of the line; “run with me through rows of speeding cars” was the starting point. I came up with the idea at some point after the making of the album, and just sketched it down into Garageband for a quick reference. I always like the line and was looking forward to finding the rest of the song to accompany it. I hadn’t written a song for a while and it just poured out of me. Which was handy as I only had a few days in-between other things to get it done. I think it may even be up there with Hide and Seek for me as one I am most proud of.
We saw you on Channel 4 Music the other night. Have you been doing lots of TV? Didn’t you also do the David Letterman show?
Yup also Jay Leno… It’s really been kicking off! Feels like a really good time for me so I’m trying to squeeze in as much as possible while the going’s good!
You’ve got one of the biggest Myspace followings. That site has become totally synonymous with the music industry, and it’s certainly helped lots of musicians get their music heard. We hate how ugly the site is, and how us designers are being used less and less to create band websites (!), although hypocritically we’re on there too! Do you have any thoughts about what it has done for/to the music industry?
Well mainly it’s just given unsigned artists to a place to flourish and put up demos at no cost. Get people talking about you without leaving your bedroom. It’s soooo important. I feel very lucky in time for this album to be coming out now. Also with iTunes too for the same reason. Record companies are coming in at a much later stage. Quite a lot of the time once the record is almost finished and ready to go. They’ll pick it up and continue to build on something that has a small fan base. Development deals are almost unheard of. I think it’s a really positive thing. It leads to bands getting a much better deal too as they have already done a lot of the groundwork.
So, what’s coming up next? What projects have you got on the backburner right now?
There’s the film score, a project called The Margate Exodus that I’m doing along with Brian Eno, Rufus Wainwright and Laurie Anderson among others! A performance dance piece called Pool (No Water) that is choreographed to Speak for Yourself (I’m not doing any of the dancing!!!). Then I’m touring in October, recording b-sides, touring the US, UK, Europe and fingers crossed Japan again! Erm… that’s enough for now!
Well, many thanks for your time again Imogen. We’re still listening to the album regularly, and are really pleased to see how far your music has travelled since last summer. Good luck, and keep on keepin’ on!
And big thanks to you guys too!!! Speak again soon!
Main photo © Ryan Obermeyer
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