Actress/musician Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey, both members of the band Uh Huh Her, made headlines recently when they were ejected from a Sept. 26 Southwest Airlines flight after sharing a kiss. Windy City Times talked to Hailey about the band's musical evolution, The L Word's impact and breast cancer awareness.
( Note: Windy City Times was instructed to steer clear of any questions regarding the Southwest incident. )
Windy City Times: Hi Leisha, how are you?
Leisha Hailey: I'm good, thank you.
WCT: The name of your group, Uh Huh Her, was taken from a 2004 PJ Harvey CD. Does the name have any special meaning?
LH: At the time we were a three-piece girl act and the name suited three girls. We took it from PJ Harvey hoping that she would be okay with that.
WCT: And was she?
LH: We never heard. [ Laughs ]
WCT: People know you from The L Word, but did music really come first for you?
LH: Well, it depends on how you look at it. I studied acting in New York, but I never pursued it professionally, so I started a band while I was in acting school and ended up getting signed three years after I graduated. So a music career sort of came first.
WCT: Your new CD is entitled Nocturnes. How does it vary from your debut CD, Common Reaction, in terms of progression and sound?
LH: First of all, Camila, my bandmate, co-produced it with Wendy Melvoin from Prince and The Revolution. So she brought her flavor into it and it's definitely more rock-driven. We have live drums on every song and Common Reaction was more synth-based and more electronic, so Nocturnes is more raw and organic.
WCT: You and Camila are in a relationship. Is it a delicate balance being in a relationship and working together?
LH: I don't really want to focus on that, but everything is great. We've been working together for years now.
WCT: Do you want to keep the music and acting separate, or is there a way that you would combine the two?
LH: Like a Purple Rain?
WCT: Yes, something like that.
LH: I am a creatively open person, but it's not on the front of my brain right now.
WCT: You titled this tour the Keep a Breast Tour. Is it about bringing more awareness to breast cancer?
LH: The Keep A Breast Foundation is a non-profit organization geared towards teaching teenagers mostly, about the prevention of breast cancer, and ways to a healthier lifestyle so it wont ever happen.
WCT: Have you or Camila ever been touched directly or indirectly by breast cancer?
LH: Both Camila's grandmothers had breast cancer.
WCT: You're playing the House of Blues in Chicago Oct. 19. Would it be Uh Huh Her's first time in Chicago?
LH: Oh no, we've been there many, many times. We love that city.
WCT: Do you miss doing The L Word?
LH: Of courseit was the highlight of my life.
WCT: Do you think the show, where lesbian characters were in the forefront, will have an impact on future TV shows?
LH: Sure I hope so. There are a lot of female-fronted shows now and I think we're just a part of something bigger. I hope we had an influence on something like that.
WCT: In 2008, you were the spokesperson for, Olivia Cruises, a travel company which sells cruises and resort vacations marketed towards lesbian customers. Are you still involved with them?
LH: They are a great company! I'd happily do anything with them again, but I'm not currently their spokesperson.
WCT: What was your role as a spokesperson?
LH: I did ads and I was on the cruises a couple of times.
WCT: Do you consider yourself to be an activist?
LH: No, not at all. I sort of shy from that. I live my life and hope that I make a good example out there, but in no way do I think of myself as an activist.
WCT: What is on the agenda for, Uh Huh Her, after the tour ends Nov. 6?
LH: Our first single is called "Another Case," and we will have a video for that as well as three other songs. And we already have them finished. We'll roll them out as the songs are ready to be released.
WCT: What is the best thing about being in Uh Huh Her?
LH: I get to travel with some of my closest friends, make music and meet people all around the world. It's an amazing honor to be in a band, especially this one.
Uh Huh Her is playing the House of Blues in Chicago Wed., Oct. 19. For more info go to www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/chicago. To find out more about Uh Huh Her visit www.uhhuhher.com .