Artist Profile: Kay Hanley

Kay Hanley, formerly of Letters to Cleo, is one of rock's foremost female vocalists and also an avid SONAR user. She has recently stepped out into the world with Cherry Marmalade, her solo debut, which boasts the most personal and potent performances of her distinguished career. In a Cakewalk exclusive, Kay discusses the recording and writing of this album; past experiences with Letters to Cleo; working with Babyface on the recording of the Josie & The Pussycats soundtrack; the current state of women in rock and the music industry; and more. Purchase Kay Hanley's latest release Cherry Marmalade

CW: How did you first get started with music?

KH: We had no TV when I was growing up and there was always lots of music being played in the house. My dad had a crazy eclecticism in his taste for music so I was surrounded by a wide variety from Elvis, to Showtunes, to Opera. And AM radio was also always present.

When I got a little older I started singing in school, and then that led to a band, but I never took my singing seriously. And now here I am.

CW: Cherry Marmalade is your first true solo album; did you approach making and writing this album differently than past albums?

KH: I approached this record very differently. When songs were written with Letters to Cleo, we would play them out before a live audience a number of times before we would record them. Over time they slowly evolved based on the kind of responses we would get from the crowds and how it felt to us playing them live.

With Cherry Marmalade only a few songs were premiered before a live audience before they were recorded, and in those instances they were stripped down sets at the Kendall Café. So most of the evolution of these tracks happened from our own responses to practice sessions and during the recording itself.

CW: Cherry Marmalade seems much more mature and personal than your past work. Any anecdotes you'd like to share about your experiences writing or recording the album?

KH: With a baby at home, the rehearsal and recording of this album turned into my social outlet and opportunity to get out and rock. Michael and I (Michael Eisenstein, Kay's husband and musical partner) would hire a babysitter and write the songs while drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. We spent over a year on this album and I always looked forward to rehearsal. We were psyched to get out and I think that has come through on the disc.

CW: What are your favorite things about working with SONAR? KH: I can boil my feelings about SONAR to one word: FREEDOM. Freedom to work at home on my music. Freedom from having to rely on other people to create my music, which is especially appealing now that my husband Mike is on tour. Freedom to experiment with ideas. SONAR is something to get excited about and it all comes down to freedom. In the past Michael has done most of the work using SONAR and previously Pro Audio. It's been used for scoring work and demo tracks. We've just built a home studio downstairs and SONAR is so deep I'm really still learning it. It's so exciting and it makes everything so much easier. SONAR will factor heavily into my next album. CW: Speaking of Michael, I see that about half the songs on Cherry Marmalade were co-written by your husband who was also a member of Letters to Cleo. Did your relationship develop as musical partners first, then an intimate relationship, or the other way around? KH: Actually both. When Michael auditioned for the band in 1991 we were riding an elevator up to our rehearsal space and I thought to myself 'Uh oh, you're in trouble here.' There was an immediate attraction and both relationships developed simultaneously from there.

CW: Do you find it difficult to balance a working relationship with someone with whom you also have a close intimate relationship?

KH: Not at all, because our relationship has always been that way. And in Letters to Cleo we all had intense personal relationships and that was part of our vibe.

Now that Michael is working with Our Lady Peace, it's been really difficult for me. They've broken up our musical partnership. He's touring with them on guitar and keys. Actually I think he's convinced the band to start using SONAR too. Seriously, I am really happy for him.

CW: What's the story behind the title Cherry Marmalade?

KH: It's kind of sexy and evocative don't you think? The title came from a children's book that's in heavy rotation with my daughter Zoe called Polkabats & Octopus Slacks by Calef Brown. It's basically a collection of demented poems with illustrations.

CW: What are your thoughts about the current state of women in rock?

KH: Things are a little better for women now than when I first started in this business, but not much. Actually it's not so bad in Pop or R&B, but in Rock it's still an uphill fight.

I remember when the Cleos were going for ads on Rock radio with Awake, Alanis Morissette had just broken big and the programming directors would not add our song because they said they couldn't have more than on woman in rotation at a time. I couldn't believe it. Here in Boston the fact that I was a woman had never come up. We have a thriving scene with just as many female fronted bands as male, so I was completely unaware of this issue.

Sexism is a reality in any field and there's no point dwelling on it. There are so many bigger problems in the world to focus on and I just try to look past that one.

CW: You've had a major label experience when you were with Letters to Cleo, and now you're with an independent label in Rounder Records. Are there any pros or cons to working with an independent rather than a major?

KH: Being with a big independent like Rounder, their strength is distribution. People can find my record everywhere. I think independents are better than majors about getting your record into smaller stores and niche markets. Independents are a great place for bands who are already established with a big web presence and that have their tour booking figured out. If you have your stuff together and don't need guidance, an independent is the place for you to go.

On the other hand, majors have more money. I like to say "I was always well fed when I was with the Warner family." They have the money to put behind and break your album if you can get them to do it. They also have the lavish expense accounts for expensive dinners. I've heard people say that they just charge those dinners back to the artists, but I figure with major label accounting practices you're never going to recoup anyway so you might as well order the filet mignon.

CW: Speaking of major labels, they've been crying foul in the press lately about peer to peer networks and rampant internet piracy. As an artist, what are your thoughts on this new technology and its affect on your intellectual property? KH: It's so hard. That's not an issue I can be absolute with on either side. On the face of things, if people are getting and listening to my music for free, using this technology to get around having to pay for it, it's theft, plain and simple. On the other hand record labels have been robbing artists blind for years so [expletive deleted] them! The cat is out of the bag. It's not a matter of right or wrong anymore, it just is. Someone smart and technology savvy is going to have to figure this out. This situation is just bringing to light the ugly issues of how artists get paid and the ongoing exploitation of art.

CW: Can you tell us what it was like working with Kenny"Babyface" Edmonds on the Josie & The Pussycats album?

KH: Ohhhh, it was so great. I learned so, so many things from Kenny and gained a new perspective on my art.

I know you're going to find this hard to believe, but the biggest thing I learned was that I am a singer. Let me explain. I never liked the sound of my own voice when it was played back to me and as a result I never listened to our albums, or listened critically to what I was doing.

This all dates back to an experience I had when I was a kid. Here in Boston at the Museum of Science they have phones set up so that you can hear your own voice. When I went there as a kid, the voice I heard in my head was much deeper and fuller than what I had heard played back to me. The trauma of that experience stuck with me until I was an adult.

Babyface taught me that I "in fact do possess a lovely voice." He taught me to appreciate and use my talents. No one had ever challenged me before. I would just get on the mic, yell and hope I hit the pitch. He made me a better singer and I will use that for the rest of my life.

CW: And what about Babyface the person?

KH: He's the wealthiest person I've ever met. He literally has hundreds of platinum albums to his credit. You would think that a guy like that would have a huge ego and a jaded attitude, but he was just the opposite. He was not jaded in the least and he's so kind.

You also would think that at this point in his career, he has nothing to learn. But he had never made a rock record before Josie and he was so obviously stoked to be doing a record with all organic sounds. He's been doing R&B for so long which is mostly electronically generated that it was like an epiphany to him how straightforward rock music is. It was like just plugging in the guitar and hitting record blew his mind. I think he found the whole experience to be very inspiring.

Kenny Edmonds is the real deal. This man lives to make records. It makes him so happy. He's all about the music. I know people who barely have their first album out who are already jaded, and they could learn a lot from this guy.

CW: Do you have any advice for our users who are trying to make it?

KH: Go to accounting school, I mean it. Run for your life. Get away from the music industry and don't look back. [laughs]

Actually, don't take yourself too seriously, cause if you do you're headed for a heartbreak.

And get smart about the business aspect of music. Let's face it; plenty of people who end up in bands are dumb about their careers. How many episodes of Behind the Music do you have to see before that gets driven into your head? Pay attention to what's going on. There are many things that I would do differently if I knew then what I know now.

CW: What are you working on now?

KH: I'm creating a human life. I'm giving birth to my second baby in 6 weeks and I'm so excited.

CW: In closing, do you have a personal philosophy about music?

KH: In the words of the immortal Viv Savage "have a good time all the time."

Purchase Kay Hanley's latest release Cherry Marmalade Visit Kay Hanley's website. More artist stories.