1.
You are part of a dj duo called "Wanderlust".
Describe your style and how you perform together.
Wanderlust
is a project that grew from our living room. We would have people
over for cocktails and always put on a lounge CD or what is
known as nu-jazz or broken beat. People would always comment
on the music that we were playing. When we found Rosewood, we
decided it was the perfect venue to take the living room vibe
public. Patrick and I rotate on the turntables. He tends to
play a little more low key so he always starts and I improvise
my vocals on top of his sets. Then I get on the tables and build
off what he has started. Sometimes we trade fours (four records
on four records off) and try to create a different energy that
way. The music ranges from down tempo lounge to deep jazzy house
and a little bit of nu-step (smoothed out jazzy 2-step). All
the while, I pick the mic up and improvise whenever I hear something
- or when requested by someone at the bar - which is often the
case. It’s a very loose vibe and very interactive with
the people at the bar. Wanderlust is a way for us to express
a sound, a vibe and a lifestyle of good music, good friends
and relaxation.
2.
You have done several remixes
for artists including Everything But the Girl, to Robin S. and
Armand Van Helden. Are you working on any remixes right now?
I
have a remix of ”For the Music” by Colourful Karma,
featuring Tera Deva, coming out on Dot Dot Dot Records (a New
York Label). It’s great song and great vocals so I decided
to do it. But other than that, I haven’t really been pursuing
the remix arena. It’s changed since I started doing it
in the early 90’s. Back then, labels were looking for talented
people who could take original songs and make them more club
friendly. Now they are
looking for a name to sell their tired songs or promote their
new artist, or just sell a few records. It’s a bit of a
cop out, but obviously makes good business sense. For me, it’s
really all about making original tracks right now.
3.
If you could remix any song, with no concern for rights, what
track would it be, and what style of music would you mix it
with?
I
really like the Nora Jones “Don’t Know Why” on
Blue Note. I heard it on MTV or VH1 and thought it was a beautiful
song and would lend itself nicely to a nu-jazz feel. Because
of it’s extremely sparse instrumentation, it would be very
easy to dump into the computer and have a go…I actually
purchased the CD with this in mind.
4.
You are currently working with a few people for a live act.
Who's involved, what do you guys call yourselves?
Sutro
is the name we have settled on at the moment. It’s myself
on keys and vocals, my boyfriend and Wanderlust partner, Patrick
Hinds on guitar, Jared Matt (of Charles Atlas) on lead keys,
and Keenan Wayne on stand-up electric bass. The drummer is at
large, but we have a couple of people in mind.
5.
What type of sound are you guys aiming for, and when can we
expect your first performance?
We
were originally aiming for a nu-jazz sound but as we have been
playing together, it has morphed into more of a Zero Seven vibe.
All of us come from different musical backgrounds (jazz, house,
indie pop) so it’s our intention to allow the music to
unfold organically and see what we come up with. Once we bring
a drummer in, it will shift in yet another direction I’m
sure. We have set a rather ambitious goal of having our first
performance be the last Tuesday of October at our Wanderlust
night at Rosewood. From that point forward, we intend to play
live the last Tuesday of every month.
6.
What is your most favorite memory of performing, and then, on
the opposite tip, your least favorite memory of performing?
My
most favorite memory of performing was while I was still in
school, studying jazz at Seattle’s Cornish College of the
Arts. I was selected as a guest student vocalist to perform
with my teachers. It is the first time I had had the pleasure
of singing with such an incredible group of musicians. They
laid down a solid foundation for me which allowed me to really
express myself freely. I was singing God Bless the Child and
when I came out of the bridge all of these notes just started
coming out of me - I had no idea where they were coming from.
It was such a rush! What’s really cool is that we recorded
it and the magic was even there on the recording. That was the
first time I really knew what it was to “sing”
Least favorite - I was performing with a well known jazz trio
here in San Francisco. I was hired as the guest vocalist and
they were the “house band” . I don’t think they
were feeling it. They were used to being the featured band.
Anyway, that energy transferred to the stage. It was the complete
opposite of the situation above. This group had no interest
in laying
down a solid foundation for me. I would count off a tempo and
they would just start playing in whatever tempo they thought
it should be. It was a struggle just to get through each song
- two whole sets!
7.
If you could give struggling musicians advice, what would it
be?
Spiritually
- enjoy the process. You can always be struggling or always
be growing. Mental discipline, determination, set goals, follow
through. Physically - Go to music conventions that represent
your genre. Network, network, network! The people you meet today
are the people who will be in positions to help you tomorrow.
Learn the business. Practice your art - take lessons if possible.
