Brown: She was born Myra Ellen Amos, but once this singer/songwriter changed her name, Tori Amos fell into a class of music all her own. She is known for her unique style. Tori Amos found her own niche and took musical chances, and now 13 years, nine albums, eight Grammy nominations later, Tori's loyal fans have seen the pieces that make up, as Amos her self puts it, the woman we call Tori.
And Tori Amos, good morning to you.
Tori: Hey, how are you?
Brown: So, I want to talk about your new album and the concept behind it, for "The Beekeeper," because it's about a beekeeper taking the listener on an emotional journey, right? Explain that to us.
Tori: This woman, call her Tori, has these different relationships in her life, and each song is really each one of these relationships.
Brown: And the album coincides with the release of a book you wrote, that was supposed to be about the making of the album but then turned into a book about your life. How did that happen?
Tori: I started having a conversation with Ann Powers, who was a critic. She's one of those people who, if she critiqued your record and gave you a bad critique, you wouldn't want to come out from under your piano for days. But--so we didn't start out as friends. We started out as acquaintances and professional ra-da-da, and then, now she's one of my dear friends. And we began this conversation about two women who have survived the music business, but we come from very different perspectives. So she asked me questions from Seattle, and I was in England answering them through cyberspace. And that's--that--that's how it began.
Brown: And you're about to start a tour of smaller venues, which seems to me--because your songs are very intimate, you really want to listen to the lyrics. Do you like doing that, the smaller venues?
Tori: Well, I like both, I must be honest. But the smaller ones I like when I'm just out with the piano and the Hammond organ, this time I'm taking. So it's a solo female experience, and then in the summer we'll be in the amphitheaters with--with the guys.
Brown: Well, we're going to have our performance now. You're going to sing "Sleeps With Butterflies."
Tori: Yes.
Brown: Ladies and gentlemen, Tori Amos.
(Tori Amos performs "Sleeps With Butterflies")
Brown: Tori Amos. We'll be right back.
Brown: That was beautiful.
Tori: Thank you.
[transcribed by Lucy]
t o r i p h o r i a tori amos digital archive yessaid.com
