Tori Amos - Interviews Archive

The Kevin & Bean Show (US, radio)
KROQ, Los Angeles (106.7 FM)
April 3, 1998

Tori Amos interview

This interview was conducted over the telephone.

Tori: Hey, you guys.

KB (Kevin or Bean): Saved by Tori Amos. Hello, Tori, how are you?

Tori: I'm really good. This is so weird. We just called the wrong number. Woke this man up.

KB: Oh, you just woke a guy up in Los Angeles?

Tori: Ya, I said, 'I'm looking for Kevin and Bean.' He said, "What?!?!" (laughter)

KB: Tori, where are you calling us from?

Tori: I am calling you from, um, a rehearsal studio that looks like a prison in Kings Cross in London.

KB: Well, it sounds like you picked a good one then.

Tori: Ya, I picked a good one.

KB: You've been living over there in England for a long time now, right?

Tori: Ya

KB: You love it?

Tori: Sometimes.

KB: Ya, why are you living there?

Tori: I don't know (laughter) Just one of those things, ya know.

KB: Just worked out.

Tori: I'm a nomad. A lot of my girlfriends are here. So I end up here because my friends are like, the most important thing.

KB: I see, sure.

Tori: So, I just follow them around.

KB: I heard that you recorded this new CD in like, a what was it, an old church, or castle, or something?

Tori: No. it was an old barn.

KB: In a, in a, a barn?

Tori: Ya... come on, come, which one, which of you... Bean?

KB: Ya, Bean's the farm guy... You know I love the pigs.

Tori: Not castle, Bean... barn, definitely a barn.

KB: Was it something about the acoustics that turned you on, or what?

Tori: Well, no it was cheap...we could afford it.. (laughter)... sorry, but... you know, I do Atlantic records, like so many records, my contract... I can't get a castle.

KB: I see what you're saying.

Tori: Well, the barns better anyways because, um, we just knocked the roof off and, um, extended it and made it a funny shape so that the acoustics are what we wanted.

KB: That's gotta be a weird process... to be an artist and trying to figure out how to make a barn work.

Tori: Ya, but you see, there are other people around that can figure that out.

KB: Oh, so I see, you weren't up on the roof with a hammer and nails.

Tori: I was bringing tea too the poeple on the roof... I know the job to have (laughter).

KB: Now, Tori, when you sat down to start working on the new CD, which by the way, is called 'from the choirgirl hotel' and comes out May 5th, you know, when you think cinco de mayo, you think Tori Amos, so this is perfect (laughter).......what was the goal? what things were you hoping to say with the new record?

Tori: Um...

KB: Here is another one, record company? Please enjoy it, scratch another one off the list? Only four more on my contract? (laughter)

Tori: No, I think it was really about rhythm and, I got inspired by the rhythm - (I couldn't make out what word she said there) and the piano was a little lonely, ya know, I've been out there playing on my own for so long. And I really wanted to have a conversation as a player with other musicians.

KB: So it is very much a full-band effort this time.

Tori: Pretty much, you know. It's, uh, everything was cut live with a drummer except one song, and um, my vocals and piano and Sam (?) were cut live with him and with a programmer and I loved the feeling of you know, things changing, and we'd be improvising, and things would change, like on the tape as you hear it, and I, I love the live side of things.

KB: And you're gonna tour with the band, too?

Tori: Gonna tour with 'em.

KB: Now that's what everybody's excited about and I find this hard to believe but is it true that you've not toured with a full group before?

Tori: Never, no.

KB: Wow.

Tori: Only at Sash. One time. Do you remeber that club? Sash? In the Valley... that's not there anymore?

KB: Hmmm, no, I don't.

Tori: Is it, what's that street? Cahuenga?

KB: Ya, on Cahuenga? And you played there with a group?

Tori: Ya, it was Y Kant Tori Read. We had one......we rehearsed for two years (lots of laughter from Tori) and played out only one time! (laughter)

KB: Wow, that sounds like that was worth it... that's a good use of time!

Tori: Well, ya, I know, the clubs torn down now.

KB: Ya, well now it sounds like, you know, you're trying to save money. It sounds like this could be pretty expensive to take a bunch of people out on the road like this.

Tori: (laughing) Why do you think I'm trying to save money?... Oh, 'cause I didn't buy a castle.

KB: Ya, 'cause the barn thing.

Tori: No, no, we're doing alright.

KB: But here's the thing, though, Tori, so you're putting together this fantastic live show, and I'm sure it'll be, you know, exciting in different ways than in the past when we've seen you, and you're bringing it to the El Rey that holds, what... like 1200 people, or something like that?

Tori: Ya.

KB: People are going just going crazy here, when they found out that you're coming to the El Rey. I mean, I'm sure you'll come back in the summer and do the Greek or something.

Tori: Ya, we're gonna come back, but that's the whole thing...you know, Sneak Preview means not like... five nights at the Greek.

KB: Right, not for everybody.

Tori: Sneak Preview. It's sort of like this is just a peek. And I've never played with a band before, so I'm a little nervous and I wanted it to be intimate and I didn't want to sit there and to see all those people and just go, oh peep, and you know, fart. That would be horrible! (laughter)

KB: That would be horrible. That's something that people don't expect from you much.

Tori: Well, you know, but, you wouldn't believe it, but I'm very introverted and yet when I....John, what? you guys..(talking to some people with her in London)... people in this room are giggling. You know, I am, and the thing is when I get in front of the piano, like, Satan takes over.

KB: We've seen that, yes. You are really one of the few performers that when you start performing, it is... uh, a religious experience... you are possessed... it's great.

Tori: It's great, but you know, the hard thing is like when you're walking somewhere, someone will look at me and go, 'Oh, well you don't look like your picture.'

KB: Right.

Tori: But you know, oh, okay.

KB: Tori, you know what? You're not at all giving yourself enough credit because you are charming in person and we have had you on the show a bunch of times, including doing a live show with you in the morning, remember at the House of Blues, and you're great with people, I mean.

Tori: Thank you... where were you when I was thirteen? (laughter)

KB: I mean, maybe on the inside you feel like, oh my God, I'm not pulling this off or oh my God, this is an uncomfortable situation, but you're, you are on of the... I'm not joking, I'm not just blowing smoke up your ass here, you are one of the people who really does make others feel comfortable and that's a real, uh, that's really to your credit.

Tori: Well, thank you guys. I think the thing is, I feel, I mean I'm always standing around feeling silly, so um, you know...

KB: Okay.

Tori: I pick it up in other people, too. (laughter)

KB: Now this El Rey show, how much are we allowed to say here. I guess we're allowed to say tickets ar going on sale this weekend but we are going to announce tomorrow morning, Tori, at 10:00 o'clock.

Tori: Right.

KB: So tomorrow morning at 10:00 we'll tell you when the tickets go on sale and all of the other information you need and this the the only place you're gonna hear it. And I understand, I don't know if this it true or not, but the word that got to us was that the reason the tickets didn't go on sale today was that you were afraid that a bunch of people were gonna skip school and hang out, camp out, waiting for tickets.

Tori: Well, I'm just trying to give people a chance, you know, the people that love music to get there. There are no tickets for... it's not a schmooze-fest, you know, for just the industry. I mean, what I really wanted was to get to the people that love the music and so, um, we've really tried to make sure that the poachers... we tried to outthink them so that they... they are probably digging their butts off right now, going, 'That girl thinks that she can outsmart us.' But we've tried to outsmart them, find ways to get to the people.

KB: Well, that's something that's really appreciated, because when half the seats at some shows go to the scalpers who are charging five/six times what the ticket price is, that doesn't do anything for you as an artist, that's for sure.

Tori: Let me ask Johnny (talks to the guy in the room with her in London) Johnny, do you think we outsmarted them? We think we did.

KB: Ya, you can cut 'em out for the most part if you really try. Well, I think you got a good plan. We know what the plan is and I think it's gonna work, so...

Tori: You think it's gonna work?

KB: Ya, I think it is.

Tori: See, tell the listeners that we do have a plan to outsmart those people so that they don't get depressed before they start.

KB: Right, there is a plan, and Tori wants you, the fine Tori Amos fan to get these tickets. Now, Tori, we're also going, with your permission, gonna give away one pair of tickets to a hard-core Tori Amos fan at the El Rey.

Tori: Fantastic.

KB: (say that the show is on May 6th, we take caller 20 for the tickets, etc.)

Tori: But you guys, you can't give it to the boy who called me a frog-face when I was nine. If he calls you up.... you have to make sure its not him, I swear to God... that's not fair...

KB: We'll check on that. We'll try to screen him out. (laughter)

Tori: If you give him those tickets... I'm still smarting over that one. (laughter)

KB: Okay, Tori, do you think you'll have time when you come back this year to come in and see us? I hope so.

Tori: Oh, I always come and see you.

KB: I know you do. Tori - I think she got the 'F' word on our station last time she was here if I recall correctly. (applause)

Tori: No, I didn't! I got another word. Don't you remeber? You should remember that word, boys, of all people.

KB: Was it the 'S' word? No, it was the 'P' word.

Tori: It was the 'C' word.

KB: Ohhhhh... the 'C' word. That's right. Nicely done, Tori. So we'll catch up some more when you come in. One more thing though, 'cause everyone want to know...how's married life? You diggin' it?

Tori: It's good.

KB: You like it?

Tori: Um....

KB: Wow, that's overwhelming, Tori. That's throught the roof! (lots of laughter)

Tori: You know, come on, some things you got to be shy about.

KB: Alright, we understand. Well, we were very happy to hear the news and we hope you're happy, too.

Tori: Thanks, guys.

KB: Okay, we're gonna see you soon then.

Tori: Okey-doke.

KB: Okay, Tori, bye-bye now

Tori: Bye!

t o r i p h o r i a
tori amos digital archive
yessaid.com