As a follow-up to Kirsten Price's show at Crash Mansion (see previous post), she was kind enough to do an interview with me.



Background
BrooklynRocks: How do people find you on the internet vs. the porn actress with the same name? How often do you get confused with the porn actress Kirsten Price?

Kirsten Price: I have had very little trouble with anyone confusing me with that entity. Most of the people who are looking for me on the Internet are acutely aware that my specialty is hardcore rocking out, as opposed to hardcore anal sex. Those poor porn “actresses” have a very limited shelf life and they need all the action they can get! I think that Google should sponsor a chocolate Jell-O wrestling match between she and I. We can get our thongs on and slop it out for the name. Of course legally there is no contest because it is my birth name, not hers. But then who wouldn’t want to see us both in our bikinis on all fours covered in chocolate?

BrooklynRocks: How did you get from London to Ft. Greene?

Kirsten Price: By plane…and Taxi.

BrooklynRocks: Most of the musicians that I have recently met seem to be from Ft. Greene. Without any music clubs in Ft. Greene, is there much of a sense of community among the musicians who live in the area? Do you play/jam with any your neighbors?

Kirsten Price: Fort Greene has a long history of artists and writers. It is very fertile ground. I feel more of a sense of community in Fort Greene than in any other part of New York City, mostly because of the socio-economic and racial mix that is represented there. Unfortunately in the 7 years I have been in the neighborhood, it has become a little more self-conscious and started to become somewhat of a parody of itself. Mostly because people from other parts of the city have started to try to buy in to the “lifestyle concept” of the neighborhood without respecting what made it so magical and special in the first place. I work with many local musicians / rappers at home in my studio. My neighbors have long been constant source of inspiration.

New CD
BrooklynRocks: When is the new CD due?

Kirsten Price: My Debut album “Gut’s and Garbage” is hitting the streets on January 1 2008, but I think the live date for iTunes is earlier. December 13th. It’s called “Gut’s and Garbage” because it took a lot of guts to make and I hade to go through a lot of garbage in the process.

BrooklynRocks: I understand you had multiple major labels chasing after you – what attracted you to ‘Music with a Twist’?

Kirsten Price: The executives over at“Twist” were so exited about my music that they admitted to performing my songs at home in front of their bathroom mirror using a hairbrush as a microphone. I always preferred using the tennis racket as a guitar myself but each to their own. Plus, they were an independent linked to a major label with a niche market which made them instantly more attractive since we all know that major labels are, well, the devil.

BrooklynRocks: What was the writing process like? How many songs didn’t make the CD? I have read that you are an accomplished studio engineer – did you produce the CD yourself?

Kirsten Price: I am constantly writing songs, working on soundscapes. When I get trough the coal, I always find a few diamonds. For this particular project about 5 songs did not end up on the album. Other artists have picked up some of the songs we worked on.

It took a long time to find someone who could produce music the in the style that I wanted who was actually better at doing it than me. I worked with a lot of great producers, but they couldn’t perform well in the Kirsten Price idiom, which I describe as “Alternative Soul”. It is a very specific but seemingly random blend and it took a master magician to help seal the deal…Fred Sargolini.

BrooklynRocks: How did you hook up with Fred Sargolini? Were you a fan of MING+FS?

Kirsten Price: Honestly I had never heard of Ming & FS, but that doesn’t tell you much because I live under a rock. A friend of a friend dragged me reluctantly to his studio and I couldn’t be bothered with him when I first met him but I was VERY pleasantly surprised during the collaborative process.

BrooklynRocks: Did you expect “Magic Tree” to take off the way it did? How do you feel about reviewers/critics calling this your signature song?

Kirsten Price: I had no idea would prove to be such instant ear candy. Reviewers and critics can call it whatever they want. As long as they keep loving it the way they do!

BrooklynRocks: A lot of musicians have told me that they get completely sick of their ‘signature’ or hit song(s). Do you ever think you will get ‘sick’ of any of your songs?

Kirsten Price: Yes, I become nauseated by my own work all the time. But then I come back to it after a while, like my favorite pair of jeans or an old lover. The songs on this album have remarkable durability.



Touring
BrooklynRocks: You have shared the stage with an interesting assortment of people. How did you end up on the bill with Sly & the Family Stone? Do you think you share a fan base?

Kirsten Price: Their booking agent approached me. Sly has not been actively present on the music scene for almost 3 decades but his legacy produced many of the artists that have influenced me the most and I am wetting myself with the opportunity to open for him. My music is very eclectic and I have been discovering that fans of all types & stripes are irresistibly drawn to my material, so I doubt that Sly fans will prove to be any different.

BrooklynRocks: You had a really enthusiastic crowd at last Saturday’s show at Crash Mansion. Is there such a thing as a “typical” Kirsten Price fan?

Kirsten Price: Crash Mansion is an intimate low profile spot. I like it because it’s off the beaten track and it doesn’t smell of piss and beer. It’s good to keep playing shows that the kids can afford to come to. We can’t all afford to fork out for 3 cocktails at Joes Pub or B. B. Kings. It’s also good to be at a venue where my fans can get really up close and personal. As for what constitutes a typical Kirsten Price fan I have no clue.

BrooklynRocks: Getting back on the subject of touring, what is the “weirdest” act you have been paired with?

Kirsten Price: A Brooklyn based female gymnastics troupe at a big festival somewhere in the Midwest this past summer. I can’t remember where, the summer festivals blended into a big homogenous experience for me. I just remember that they were staying in the same hotel as me (a really nice one). They invited my band and I up to party with them after the show. The Go Go Girls in Seattle last month were pretty F-ing weird too.

BrooklynRocks: Is there anyone (living or dead) that you would like to work with and/or tour with?

Kirsten Price: Prince Rogers Nelson

BrooklynRocks: How often to you play out in the NYC area and what’s up with the European dates in April?

Kirsten Price: At the moment when I am in town I play New York City on average about once a month. I am doing a little mini tour in April starting off in my hometown in the UK then visiting Milan and Rome. These will be small one off exclusive intimate acoustic gatherings that I will be playing with one of my favorite friends and artists, Z Star. You can find her by visiting my My Space page: www.myspace.com/kirstenpricemusic

BrooklynRocks: What do you do when you are not touring? (Do you have a day job?)

Kirsten Price: Krishna! Allah! Buddha! A day job? That’s a trick question right? In the 21st century it’s hard enough wearing all of the hats an artist has to put on, I hardly have time to pee, let alone make music! As well as various other projects, I am currently working on my second release, scoring a T.V. show and writing a musical for the stage. I guess it would be better to describe it as a “24 hours a day job”.

NYC Scene
BrooklynRocks: Are you a fan of the NYC music scene? Do you go see bands play around town? Is there anyone within the current scene that you are expecting to break out?

Kirsten Price: I am a hermit and get very bored at live shows unless an act really grabs me by the (metaphorical) balls. I have been going to see The London Souls a lot. I am expecting them to break out any second if they haven’t already.

BrooklynRocks: Any favorite places to play?

Kirsten Price: I sold out Joe’s Pub in November. The sound there was incredible. It was a real treat. I think I am scheduled back there sometime in February 2008. I can’t wait.

Social Media
BrooklynRocks: What do you think of the whole MySpace phenomena? Do you interact with many fans through MySpace?

Kirsten Price: I am on MySpace every day interacting with my fans and doing business. I used to think the whole MySpace thing was garbage until I was bullied into setting up a page and the work just came flooding in.

Final Words
BrooklynRocks: What advice would you give someone trying to break into the music scene?

Kirsten Price: Trust your gut.

BrooklynRocks: What advice would you give someone moving to Brooklyn?

Kirsten Price: Well that depends on why they are moving to Brooklyn and which part (it’s a very large, diverse place). One piece of advice I would give to any current Brooklyn resident is this… When you encounter someone who looks down their nose at the borough of Brooklyn please pretend that they are right. Please do not tell them indignantly what a special magical place it is because then they will all want to move here and that would not be a good thing.
-----------------------------------------------------
Kirsten's next show is opening for Sly & the Family Stone's shows at BB King's on December 7th.

Links:Kirsten Price's MySpace Page