Spinnerette/Brody Dalle

Features • Wednesday February 4th, 2009 • 12:00 am

Brody Dalle is back. Calling from her bed at home in L.A., the punk vixen sounds beyond ready for her new baby, Spinnerette, to be welcomed into the world. It’s been a long strange path, with Dalle finding attention in the press for reasons both personal (her divorce from Tim Armstrong and subsequent marriage to Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme) and professional (the dissolution of The Distillers, allegations over who writes her songs).

But after it all, one thing is oddly apparent. Although Dalle has often earned comparisons to Courtney Love’s snarl, Dalle is far more grounded, having taken the one step the grungy blonde bombshell hasn’t: she’s grown up. Still as bad ass as ever, age has only made Dalle stronger and the music world is eager to welcome her back into the fold.

With the anticipation of Spinnerette’s full-length still in the air, Dalle chatted up SSv’s Natalie B. David to discuss the new album, the old band and even give a little bit of astrological advice. Read on.

SSv: Now, so the full-length album is supposed to be out in either February or March, so how ready are you for this album to see the light of day?

Brody Dalle: [Laughs] Oh, God. I’m thinking like ninth month of pregnancy, when your feet are swollen and you just can’t take it anymore. It’s just been such a prolonged experience. It’s been such a process. I cannot wait. I cannot wait for it to come out.

SSv: I know it’s taken years to get to this point. Was that deliberate to take it so slow or is that just how it turned out?

Brody: It just kind of happened, you know? I was gone for three years, four years so coming back into the climate was kind of like stepping on to Mars and going “Oh my God! Where’s the water?”. So the process of getting out of the label, finding a new label, going to different management, finding distribution because we didn’t want to do a 360 deal, putting out the EP… it’s a lot of planning and forethought and so much of it is really hands on so it takes up a lot of time and it takes a lot of time.

SSv: And you’ve been through a lot in the past several years, personally and professionally. Is it safe to say that Spinnerette is a more grown up Brody Dalle than the one we knew with The Distillers?

Brody: Well, I’m 30 now, so, if that gives you any indication. [Laughs] You can’t stop time. You can’t stop time from passing. And you become who you’re meant to be when you go through all of these things. I think that’s the beauty of getting older is all of the experience you have under your belt and how you use it and being able to reflect back on your past and see where you’ve made your mistakes and forge on, without all of the anxiety and awkwardness of your twenties. I’m so glad I’m 30 now. I can’t express. It’s good to be 30. It’s good to breach the surface and be out of it.

SSv: Yeah, I’m about to be 26 and I’m still going through that “Holy crap what I am doing!?”

Brody: I know, girl. The next four years are going to be pretty intense. You’re going into your Saturn turn and I don’t know if you know what that is.

SSv: No, I don’t.

Brody: It’s an astrological term. It’s basically like a period where you get poked and prodded, burned and drowned and hung and drawn and quartered and then you come out in one piece. It’s a really, really intense time. A lot of people die between 26 and 30. And I’m not trying to scare you, but you have to grow up. You have to. You have no choice and if you don’t, then you’re fucked for life.

SSv: Awesome. So I have a lot to look forward to! [Laughs] So when the Distillers disbanded was that at all because you were growing up?

Brody: No, when The Distillers disbanded, it wasn’t really even my choice. It was kind of out of my control. It was Andy [Granelli, drums] who made the first move and who was unhappy with The Distillers. You know? Unbeknownst to me. I mean, we all were. We all had pretty much isolated ourselves from each other. We all lived in different cities and we’d gotten ourselves some nasty habits out on the road and we had all fallen into, like, party jail. I think we just had become disillusioned with it all and the pressure was on for us to make a record and we had seriously just come off of two years of solid touring. And we were interviewing producers and we just could not get on the same page and wanted different things. It was just not working for anyone anymore, but there was also the safety and comfort of just having it that was hard to let go of, and the history and there’s a bond there. It’s like being married to three other people.

So it was really painful and it took me a long time to get over that, I think. Andy and I just kept going back and forth, back and forth. You know, we’d talk on the phone and try and get it back together, but we were big babies about it. And we’d be like “Fuck you!” “No, Fuck you!” and it really was like a breakup you know? And now we’re going to have coffee, like, next week. And he’s really happy where he is and I couldn’t be happier where I am. I’m really grateful that he made that decision. There wouldn’t be a Spinnerette if that hadn’t happened. And who knows what would have happened with The Distillers, so. It probably wouldn’t have been worth much of a shit.

SSv: So from the point when you knew The Distillers weren’t going to continue, when did you know that you wanted to continue in music and start up a new band?

Brody: Right after that I started jamming with Tony [Bevilacqua, guitar] and I jammed with a girlfriend of mine and I started demoing with Al [Johannes, bass]. I think that’s when that was. And then I found out that I was pregnant and that’s what I threw myself into. You get into such a different head space. A lightning bolt hits you and you have to change your life on the spot. That’s it. You don’t get any lead-up time. There’s no manual; there’s nothing! It’s just, that’s it! Now your life has changed forever. That’s how it is for the woman. For the guy they have time to prepare and get used to the idea.

So when I was pregnant, I didn’t play any music at all. I couldn’t. I didn’t feel it and didn’t want to have anything to do with it. Your guitar was like an inanimate object in the room and I didn’t pay any attention to it. But when my daughter was born, it was just like a flood. It was a flood and that immediately I started demoing and writing and getting excited again about music. So that was 2006. Wow. A long time ago. But that’s how it started, you know? And I was looking for a way to record my music besides my GarageBand on my computer. You know? To really let something breathe and see what direction it wanted to go into.

So Josh [Homme, QOTSA] was like go into it with Al. He’d love to do it. And it was like kismet. And we got along like a house on fire, though we had already been friends, but this changed the dynamic of our relationship. And I don’t know there was something about the way we worked together. It just flowed. And we both loved each others ideas and it just happened that way. There’s no questioning anything. I don’t know. It just worked.

SSv: Well, I read in a few places where you said that you wanted Spinnerette to be more “art focused.” I was wondering what you meant by that.

Brody: Well, when I think of art, I think of something that is outside of the box and just a really passionate form of expression. Um. And I don’t know. I just want it to be provoking and thoughtful and of course, music does these things anyway. But I guess that’s really what I meant. And I guess I wanted art to be part of it, like graphics and pictures and drawing. Images to also play a really big role in it, and really tie the two in together, more so than ever before. Because I did all of the Distillers artwork up to Coral Fang, and Tim Pressley, he did that cover. And that was the cover that got us into so much hot water. And I loved that. I really loved that it brought that kind of attention, you know? But, yeah, that’s what I meant by that. To have it all intertwined and blah, blah, blah.

SSv: So to have it not just the music, but the whole package?

Brody: Yeah, it’s the whole package.

SSv: Now, as far as writing goes, you said that you have a lot more creative control now with Spinnerette. How does that change your approach to songwriting?

Brody: It hasn’t changed it. It felt like I didn’t before because I was required to try and write a “hit” and that doesn’t work for me. I don’t think it really works for any artists, people who write music because they have to or because it’s what they love to do, because they’ll die if they don’t. That works for songwriters or hit machines. In terms of how I write, it just hasn’t really changed. I always do what’s comfortable for me, usually. I do the lyrics and that’s how it goes.

SSv: Now the EP is already out digitally, but I was wondering how does the full-length expand the sounds that we hear on the EP?

Brody: Well, I guess, as varied as the EP is, it is as much as the record. You know, you kind of get a taste of everything. It’s just expanded on. You know? It goes in a pretty consistent direction on the record, which I think we touched on with the EP. The differences between “Distorting a Code” and “Bury My Heart” and then “Ghetto Love” is a really good representation. But when they’re all together on the record, there’s a real connection there.

SSv: You’ve mentioned before that you were able to walk away and get out of your record deal with your album. What prompted that and why did you feel that was the right thing to do?

Brody: They told me that Spinnerette was not enough of a departure from The Distillers. [Laughs] Which really, really threw us for a loop. I don’t get that. And then I think really what it came down to for them was a monetary issue. They just couldn’t be the economic support for someone like me. I think if I had let it be called The Distillers, which is what they wanted, I’d probably still be there. But who knows, really? So that would be part of it, and I just, the ugliness of it. The fakeness of that sort of relationship and being part of this big machine that I felt totally disconnected from prompted me to walk away.

I think the unknown really attracted me. It was exciting but it was terrifying at the same time, so to walk away was really liberating and just really felt like starting fresh. Cleaning the slate. And starting over and not being marred or taxed or have just unreal expectations like there was before.

SSv:And it’s a better time now than it ever has been to be an independent artist. I don’t think the major labels have as much to offer their artists anymore.

Brody: No, they can’t. They just don’t have the same stronghold. They don’t rule the roost anymore. They want too much for the support that they can or are willing to give. Being independent right now is the best thing that you can do, you know? If you’re a certain size. It depends. Some people think being caught up in the machine and being a part of the machine and getting your art out there as far and wide as you can is one of the positive aspects of being on a major label is the exposure that you can get you know? As opposed to being on an indie and it being more word of mouth, you know? So I guess it depends on where you want to be. And I like being in the “discovered” pile. Because you never know what will happen either. Things can catch on like wildfire if the wind is right. I’m just really comfortable being here.

SSv: Well, you have been getting a lot of attention and a lot of positive reviews, so things seem to be working out for you so far.

Brody: Yeah, the wind is blowing in the right direction.

SSv: One of the things that I noticed when I was preparing for this interview and reading other press about Spinnerette is that nearly everything I read mentions that you’re married to Josh Homme [Queens of the Stone Age]. Do you ever get tired of that or do you just not care?

Brody: That’s my life. That’s who I am married to. That’s my husband and my best friend. That just goes with it, I guess. People are just kind of explaining who I am and just a little bit about my life. It’s when they start to question who writes my music that it really bothers me. Or when they compare us. I mean, you can’t pit me against my husband. You can’t compare our music. I mean, you can, but those things bother me. As far as saying that’s who I’m married to, I’m not fussed by that. Just don’t ever, I don’t want it to be misconstrued or abused, you know?

SSv: And, I read where you said that you want a career like Dolly Parton. What is it about her choices and her career that you’ve been inspired by or that you’ve learned from?

Brody: I think it’s more just like her longevity. I mean, she’s had tons of hits. And I’m not judging in terms of that, but as being this prolific, prodigious writer. She’s just always been there, just been so consistent. When I talk about Dolly that’s what I’m talking about, you know. I want to be writing until I walk out of here.

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