On All About Love, you manage the neat trick of sounding contemporary without pandering to trends. Do you personally choose the songs?
Well, I’ll be honest with you: no. My producer [Jurgen Korduletsch] brings the songs to me, and he asks me, “Do you think you’d like this?” He says, “I think these are going to be good for you,” and I listen to them, because he’s the man who’s making it happen for me. And I say, “Well, some of them.” There are some that he brings to me that I throw out. I pick the songs I think that would be appropriate, and we work together on it.
On this particular one, all the arrangements were done in Nashville with Nashville musicians, and I wasn’t there. I would have loved to have been there. It worked all right, but I’d rather have been there with him. As I do with everything that I do in life, I like to put my little input in every now and again. I like to have my finger on every project, but this particular one, [Jordan] did it on his own. And it worked out.
When there’s a song that’s suggested and you decide for one reason or another that you don’t care to do it, what kind of reasons figure into that equation?
If I listen to it, and I don’t think it suits my style, I just say, “It’s a ‘no’ on this one, but this one looks good.” I’m very particular.
When you sing a song that has already been a hit for another artist – which is the case with several of the songs on this new album – how much notice do you take of the style in which the song was cut before?
I just give it my own stamp. And it’s very hard to do, mind you. It’s very hard to do after somebody else [puts their] stamp and style on it, but I do.
I’m singing a lot differently now than I did when I first began; my style has really changed a lot, because I’m growing rather than standing still. And the way I read into a lyric now is differently than I did before, because a lot of things have transpired in my life that have been a bit hard. For instance, I lost my wife [Patricia, in 2021]. And so, when I read a lyric now, it’s a lot different. Her image always comes into my head and my heart. So it comes out a lot differently.
With regard to music, I sometimes think of method actors, even though that’s a very different thing from singing. They immerse themselves in the character that they’re playing. And I wonder if that approach would have value for a ballad singer. Your songs always seem to completely convey the mood that they contain. When there’s a session, do you do any kind of emotional preparation ahead of singing a particular song to get into that headspace?
I consider myself a thespian of song. Because I think you have to be. Like an actor, you have to read your lines the way it’s written. And like an actor, it comes through your eyes and through the expression of your face and your body language and all those things that go along with portraying your subject matter.
And that’s what I do on stage now. I live the part, and then you can see it in my expression. You don’t have to move a lot. An actor, if he moves like this, he goes out of the shot. And it’s the same thing when you’re on stage. You have to let [the audience] recognize your moves, and the more you are steady, the more you get across, I think. When you’re moving around, it’s for a different kind of song; not for a ballad, not for something you’re telling a story with.
Following on from that, do you ever find yourself overcome by the emotion of a particular song?
Many times, yes. As a matter of fact, I wrote a song for my wife about 30 years ago called “Everywhere I Go” [on 1993’s Yours – ed.] If you look it up and listen to it, you’ll understand what I mean with the lyrics, and it’s a wonderful arrangement by Bebu Silvetti. He did all these wonderful string arrangements for me – he did about six albums for me – and he did the arrangement for that particular one.
Since my wife has been gone, I sing “Everywhere I Go” in my show. I dedicate the song to her, and there’s many a night that I don’t get through it. It’s one of those things.
I would imagine that you take the audience with you on that emotional journey…
Yeah, I do see people weeping in the audience. And it’s something you can’t put on. It just happens, you know? There are nights when it won’t happen, but the majority of shows that I do, it does get me, because it was written for her. And it gets me.
You’ve been on stage countless times. To what degree are you able to get a sense of how the audience is reacting to your performance, and how does that factor into what you’re doing in real time?
Well, you can see the front rows. You can [see] what’s happening in the first few rows, and you can judge from that, what is happening throughout the audience.
Sometimes it’s rather surprising to the performer, like me, who sees the reaction of what takes place in an audience. Sometimes, when I’m singing a particular song, I can look down and see somebody reach over and touch the person’s hand and squeeze them, or put their arm around them. And it’s just amazing to see what transpires during a performance. It’s rather wonderful to think that you are responsible for that, actually.
There’s a new documentary, Engelbert Humperdinck: The Legend Continues. What can you tell me about it?
Well, I haven’t watched many documentaries in my life, but I watched this one because it’s about me! I did it a few years ago, and it was rather shocking, actually, because there were many touching moments in it that made me cry.
And I also was shocked at the fact that I must’ve been going through some trauma at that particular time, because I was 40 pounds heavier than I am today. It’s shocking to watch myself in that state, you know? When I look at myself today, I’m 200 pounds. At that particular time, it was in the middle of my wife’s illness and having to deal with doing my work plus the worry of what’s going on at home, you know? It was a hard time.
Are there any surprises in the film for audiences?
Well, they’ll see footage that they’ve never seen before about my children and growing up. They’ll see me talk about my life in a way that I’ve never done before. You see my humble beginnings, you know? It takes me back to the place where I first began, when I lived in a flat in Hammersmith, London. It had no carpet, no curtains, no light bulbs or lamp shades, and very [few] chairs to sit on. And it took me back to that era. I remember those wonderful days.
“The Hungry Years," you know, which I had joy in singing, and it brought all sorts of memories back. If you listen to “The Hungry Years” [from 1976’s After the Lovin’], which I had joy in singing, it’s really my life story. I feel as though Neil Sedaka wrote it for me, but he didn’t. He wrote it for himself, so he must’ve been going through the same thing in his beginning.
Plenty of artists who’ve had successful careers retire when they’re 20 years younger than you are now. What motivates you to keep recording and performing?
It’s the passion I have. I don’t consider my job as work. When I walk on stage, it’s just a passion. It’s not hard work for me, not at all. I just love what I do, so therefore the passion strengthens my whole being. I just feel good about it.
If I didn’t want to perform, I wouldn’t get that feeling. But I love it. I love the performance, I love the reaction. And my audience feeds me with the passion that I love to portray.
Engelbert Humperdinck In Rock On Magazine
Pink Martini - A TOAST TO THE WORLD’S RICH MUSICAL VARIETY
by Bill Kopp
Founded in 1994 by Thomas Lauderdale, Pink Martini has carved out a unique niche for itself in the world of music. The large and ever-expanding group combines many genres of music – from pop to classical to ethnic styles – and delivers it all in an exuberant, engaging and multilingual manner. A Pink Martini concert experience is a musical travelogue, taking the audience on a trip that celebrates the varied musical character that defines the human race. The band stays very busy, but in a brief moment between shows – and ahead of the group’s December 7 date at the Grand Sierra Resort’s Grand Theatre – band leader Lauderdale took time to chat with Rock On about the group’s vision, its past and its future.
If you had to describe Pink Martini in the form of a mission statement, what would you say?
Thomas Lauderdale: Well, I have said many times that I’d like to think that if the United Nations had a house band in 1962, we would’ve been that band. And I mean that in terms of aesthetics, and also in terms of the ethos of the band. So I guess that is sort of our mission statement. What we do is to bring people together through music by a band made up of people from multiple countries and backgrounds, both cultural and musical. Our music blends many genres and styles and even eras, and that comes through in both what you hear and what you see on stage.
Pink Martini plays shows both as a self-contained unit and accompanied by an orchestra. In terms of arrangement, how does preparation differ between those performances?
In terms of preparation, there’s a lot more that goes into it when we perform with an orchestra than when we do a regular Pink Martini show. At this point, we’re almost 29 years into the band; we have some original members and many others who have been with the band for many, many years. So we really do know what we’re doing on stage without a ton of prep for each individual show or tour, beyond soundcheck.
But when we perform with an orchestra, I have to get set lists in advance to the orchestra. They almost always have a librarian on staff to get the music ready for their musicians to practice. That’s actually very challenging for me, because I am usually really “in the moment,” thinking about each show based on what feels right and fun, how the last night went, and things like that.
When we are prepping for a tour, and I’m on a break in between, I’m wedging interviews (like this one) in between multiple shows and tour dates, trying to get things done for my own personal life or for boards that I’m on or other things. And then it’s back on the road. So the set lists get made before soundcheck. But when we perform with an orchestra, I have to think about the shows weeks before we’ve even left for tour.
That said, I really do love performing with orchestra. There’s something really special about that for both the audience and the band. Being backed by an orchestra really adds another dimension to our music.
The multilingual nature of Pink Martini show is a key to its appeal. Was singing in many languages part of the original concept, or is that something that developed later?
You know, I am glad that you also think that it’s key to the appeal. I feel that very strongly. It was not something I explicitly set out to do, but I also have never shied away from songs beyond the U.S., outside of what’s currently popular and is in other languages than English. In fact, I have always gravitated towards songs in other languages, songs from other cultures, songs that are almost completely unknown in the United States.
Of course, our biggest hit “Sympathique” is a song in French. I have always loved the romance and sexiness of French music. Even before I started the band, I took French in high school and college, and I loved Edith Piaf. So to the extent that we are a multilingual band – and I think we’re up to 26 languages at this point – that has certainly evolved over the last three decades. But it has always been part of the fabric and the DNA of Pink Martini, and of my musical aesthetic.
Other than personnel changes, how has Pink Martini changed in the years since you began?
In some ways now we are getting back to one of the roots of band. I originally envisioned Pink Martini as a sort of variety show inspired by the brilliant Paul Reubens, who passed away recently. I absolutely loved Peewee Herman’s Holiday Special. It was a total variety show of various characters, and that was something that I wanted to emulate in Pink Martini. In fact, I got the Del Rubio triplets, who were in Pee Wee’s special, to join for some of those very first thrown-together Pink Martini shows. The band moved away from that as we became more professional and developed our own repertoire and style, but I’ve brought just a bit of that variety show feel to certain shows in recent years. And that’s been really fun for me.
In your experience, when people come to a Pink Martini show, what surprises them the most?
I think the incredible Edna Vazquez and Jimmie Herrod consistently blow people away. The fantastic China Forbes is still our lead singer, and she’s the main draw for a lot of people, as she absolutely should be. As is the whole Pink Martini experience.
I think the other thing that people consistently say is that while few of the songs are in a language they speak or understand, they still love it. A lot of audiences – particularly in America – are not exposed to music in other languages. But they’re always surprised how much they still enjoy it. Even if you don’t speak French, Farsi, Hebrew or Arabic, it’s there for you. The music is truly a universal language, and people come away from concerts feeling that.
What do you find most rewarding about the group?
The opportunities that it has given me to see the world, to meet incredible and interesting people, and to do something that I love. I respect and love everybody in the group; their contributions are amazing as well.
Pink Martini In Rock On Magazine
Avoiding the so-called sophomore slump, Kesha’s second proper long playing album, 2012’s Warrior received positive notices for its eclectic and stylistically wide-ranging character. It sold briskly, going Gold within months of its release. Between the releases of Animal and Warrior, a Kesha EP and remix album both appeared in stores; with so much product on the shelves, Kesha was essentially competing with herself.
Perhaps as a result of that surfeit of released material, it would be nearly five years before Kesha returned with a third album. But she was in no way idle; the Warrior tour took her to some 60 cities on four continents. Taking only a few months off, Kesha launched another tour of concert venues, including more than 40 dates.
A few weeks after that tour’s last date, Kesha released Rainbow, an album conceived and recorded over the previous three years.
Her crossover appeal would be underscored by the album’s roster of musical guests: members of soul singer Sharon Jones’ backing band (Dap Kings Horns), Eagles of Death Metal and Dolly Parton all made appearances on the record. The album soared to Billboard’s #1 spot on the day of its release, and critics seemed to appreciate the album as much as did Kesha’s loyal and massive fan base: the record would receive a Grammy nomination. Two tours – a two-part run as a headliner and another tour co-billed with rapper Macklemore – followed in short order, keeping Kesha busy late into 2018.
Less than a year and a half later, Kesha released High Road, her fourth studio album. Focusing more than its predecessor upon classic rock, country and pop styles, it sold well, giving the artist her fourth Top Ten album. With a planned concert tour cut short by lockdowns associated with the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic, Kesha turned to promoting her newer songs by emphasizing television appearances and music videos. She returned for a modestly-scaled tour in 2021.
Behind the scenes, protracted legal battles between Kesha and her former producer Dr. Luke consumed much of the artist’s attention. But turning the turmoil to her creative advantage, Kesha wrote the songs for what would become Gag Order, her pointedly-titled fifth album. The last to be delivered under the terms of her original contract (signed when Kesha was a mere 18 years old), Gag Order is no tossed-off, contract-fulfilling trifle. Conceived more as a work of personal expression than a commercial enterprise, Gag Order sounds like the album Kesha felt she had to make.
Critics tended to take into consideration the circumstances surrounding the creation of Gag Order, and the reviews reflected that nuanced view. Characterizing the album as “a twisted ball of fury and sorrow,” Allmusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine lauded the artist’s “keening performance.” But in the same review he suggested that Gag Order “delivers catharsis without much consideration for the audience.”
But discussing the album’s context – Kesha’s accusations of abuse at the hands of her former producer, and a judge’s dismissal of the case on technical grounds – Alex Hopper, writing for American Songwriter, called Gag Order “a natural next step… an effort that takes big risks to find equal rewards.” Even the notoriously critical Pitchfork gave the album a positive review, underscoring the confessional and visceral qualities of the album. The review quoted an an example from “Fine Line,” the album’s closing track: “There’s a fine line between what’s entertaining and what’s exploiting the pain / but hey, look at all the money we made off me.” Many critics noted Kesha’s skill in writing about personal matters while (due to legal constraints) doing so in an oblique manner.
Despite the album title’s implication, Kesha has gone on the record to discuss it. In fact, the artist went so far as to pen a manifesto of sorts for Nylon. Published in April 2023 – just three weeks before Gag Order’s release – the artist explained the motivation for creating such a nakedly forthright record. “Without the darkness there is no light,” she wrote. “So I let my darkness have the light. I can’t fight the truth. Life is difficult and painful. It is for everyone.” Elsewhere in the piece, she asserted that “an artist doesn’t exist to make others happy. I believe an artist gives voice, motion, color to the emotions we all have. The good emotions, and the unmanageably fucking miserable ones.”
But discussing the album’s context – Kesha’s accusations of abuse at the hands of her former producer, and a judge’s dismissal of the case on technical grounds – Alex Hopper, writing for American Songwriter, called Gag Order “a natural next step… an effort that takes big risks to find equal rewards.” Even the notoriously critical Pitchfork gave the album a positive review, underscoring the confessional and visceral qualities of the album. The review quoted an an example from “Fine Line,” the album’s closing track: “There’s a fine line between what’s entertaining and what’s exploiting the pain / but hey, look at all the money we made off me.” Many critics noted Kesha’s skill in writing about personal matters while (due to legal constraints) doing so in an oblique manner.
Despite the album title’s implication, Kesha has gone on the record to discuss it. In fact, the artist went so far as to pen a manifesto of sorts for Nylon. Published in April 2023 – just three weeks before Gag Order’s release – the artist explained the motivation for creating such a nakedly forthright record. “Without the darkness there is no light,” she wrote. “So I let my darkness have the light. I can’t fight the truth. Life is difficult and painful. It is for everyone.” Elsewhere in the piece, she asserted that “an artist doesn’t exist to make others happy. I believe an artist gives voice, motion, color to the emotions we all have. The good emotions, and the unmanageably fucking miserable ones.”
For her efforts, Kesha landed her fifth album on the charts yet again, albeit in more modest fashion than before. While Gag Order stalled on the mainstream Billboard 200, reaching only #168, it may well have found her a new, more discerning audience, one less concerned with singles and open to more serious, album-length work. The album climbed to the #14 spot on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums chart.
Against the backdrop of Gag Order’s raw and honest lyrical content (weeded to dance beats and with production by Rick Rubin), Kesha announced the upcoming Gag Order Tour in May. But after reaching a settlement with Dr. Luke in June, by September Kesha had re-branded the tour in more upbeat fashion, dubbing it the Only Love Tour. Serving up anthemic smash hits like “Tik Tok,” “Your Love is My Drug,” “We R Who We Are” and “Die Young” alongside new tracks from Gag Order, concert dates showcase the Kesha of yesterday and today, and provide a glimpse of where this compelling artist is headed next.
Kesha plays the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino on November 25.
Kesha In Rock On Magazine