Making her first trip to Chicago, Kirsten Price will be performing at Martyrs', 3855 N. Lincoln, Fri., July 18. On her new single 'Magic Tree,' when the beautiful singer-songwriter seductively pleads, 'I want more,' listeners believe it. With innards as the album's cover art, Price's fantastic debut outing, Guts & Garbage, offers R&B ( 'Fall,' 'Let Me Go' ) , a classic soulful sound ( 'Freedom,' 'Bring Me Back' ) and upbeat pop ( 'All Right,' 'Red Hot' ) .
Sharing Sophie B. Hawkins's raw, earthy vibe and multi-instrumental talents, Price also has a big voice comparable to Joss Stone's. Windy City Times caught up with the British-born Brooklynite, where she reveals that women love 'Crazy Beautiful' and how she wishes Cliff Huxtable was her father.
Windy City Times: Your upcoming concert in Chicago at Martyrs' marks your first trip to the Windy City. What are you looking forward to most about visiting Chicago?
Kirsten Price: Unfortunately, when you are on tour one town just blends into another, and there is not a lot of space for exploring anything other than opportunities to catch up on work and sleep. It's not as glamorous as we like to think.
WCT: 'Magic Tree' is such a standout pop song. You recently filmed a new video for this one in Los Angeles. What can you tell me about it?
KP: The basic premise of the video is one of capture versus release, or enslavement versus freedom. One of my favorite parts of the filming process was jumping up and down on a trampoline against a green screen to simulate falling. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you too much about the actual body of the video because, as of this interview, I have not yet seen the first cut. We were on a very tight schedule during filming and I did all of my work in front of, rather than behind the camera. I am gagging to see how it turns out. Fans can view outtakes and behind the scenes footage at www.KirstenPrice.com .
WCT: Many have heard your outstanding version of Stevie Wonder's 'Sir Duke' during a Lee Jeans commercial. How did that come about?
KP: I often get called to sing on commercials, and this was one of the better calls. Ever since being forced to dance around to Songs in the Key of Life in a leotard in junior high, I have been a big Stevie Wonder fan. His work is so full of the most incredibly uplifting spiritual energy and indestructible joy. I always get such a great hit from him. Covering this song was a dream job and I worked with a great producer who made it way more effortless than it could have been.
WCT: What was it like opening for Sly & The Family Stone?
KP: I opened for [ Sly's ] first comeback show ( in 30 years ) at B.B. Kings in New York City. It was a wet dream, musically speaking, of course. Despite his limited output to date, Sly Stone is, to me, one of the most pivotal players in shaping the work of so many of my favorite artists.
WCT: Your song 'Freedom' has a '70s-soul-meets-post-Woodstock feel to it. Do you think you are an old soul born in the wrong era?
KP: An old soul born in the wrong era? Absolutely not. I think that it's a big mistake to live anywhere else but in the here and now. This is a particularly fascinating era in human history. The song 'Freedom' and my homemade video collage simply kick in people's ''70s-soul-meets-post-Woodstock' buttons because it deals with human-rights issues. These issues of civil rights and equality were right front and center during that iconic time in recent North American history. I think those issues are and should always remain very contemporary issues. Our basic human rights should always be front and center; otherwise we are all in very serious trouble.
WCT: I love the closing track, 'Possibilities.' There is a hint of the Portishead sound, with the synthesizers a hint of jazz and your vocal delivery during the verses. Guts & Garbage shows off a wide array of musical influences. Which artists do you look up to musically the most?
KP: 'Possibilities' is also one of my personal favorites. It's so thick and lush; the '90s Brighton feel is completely intentional. [ It's ] much more organic and involved than a lot of the other tracks on this album. With all artists—not just those of the musical variety—I look up to true artists that are inimitable and unique, innovators that do their own thing and challenge stereotypes.
WCT: I heard that 'Crazy Beautiful' is about the legendary leggy icon Tina Turner. What sparked that?
KP: Well, there is so much negative objectification of women in the mainstream media, especially in urban music, and I wanted to address that. The chorus lyrics are 'crazy sexy beautiful bitch.' This song celebrates raw female power and sexuality in a very positive, empowering way. Women go wild over it. It is a little bit of a cultural parody and it's a lot of fun to dance to. Tina Turner is one of my all-time favorite performers. She is a force of nature and, to me, she is the embodiment of all things strong, sexy, fabulous and female, so she came to mind a great deal.
WCT: The chorus on 'Bring Me Back' has the wonderful lyric, 'You bring me back like an old soul record on an 8-track.' Singing about a favorite mp3 does not have the same sense to it. What do you think the next generation is going to miss out on?
KP: Well, it depends on what their influences are growing up. Obviously, there will come a time when iPods and mp3s sound anachronistic and outdated—therefore very 'retro'. I always wished that I had a dad like Bill Cosby's character on the Cosby show with a basement full of old vinyl. Audio compression issues aside, we are shaping the next generation now, so it's all on us. There is authenticity everywhere; we just have to shine a light on it.
Tickets for Kirsten Price's July 18 concert at Martyrs' are available at martyrslive.com . Her debut, Guts & Garbage, is out now as a download and at FYE stores.
