Steve Lillywhite: Ah, Steve Lillywhite here on East Village Radio and I am joined by, shall we turn the microphone up for Amy? Um, do we have that? Is Amy? Youāre on there? Hey, Amy Lee! Welcome to the Lillywhite Sessions!
Amy Lee: Test, 1, 2, 3⦠yeah⦠Hey! Howās it going? *laughs* Thanks for having me!
Steve: Here we are, yes, who wouldāve of thought? Umā¦
Amy: Everybody!
Steve: Everybody wouldāve thought⦠theyāre all listening, all those ten people now! Weāve doubled our listeners⦠so thatās wonderful, and um, Iām just going to play one more song and then weāll get down to chat.
Amy: Sweet.
Steve: Okay, this is the wonderful Damien Rice and The Blowerās Daughter.
(Music Break: Damien Rice ā The Blowerās Daughter)
Steve: There you go, itās nice and quiet now. This is Steve Lillywhite with Amy Lee and Amy, so, uh, I hear that youāre in town⦠youāre living in New York now.
Amy: Yes, thatās right.
Steve: Or more like Brooklyn.
Amy: Well, whichever.
Steve: Well, one of the two.
Amy: Yeah *laughs*
Steve: And uh, youāre here making a new album.
Amy: Yes, with you!
Steve: Oh, really!? Wow, thatās fantastic!
Amy: Yeah, in fact I think weāre headed there right after this.
Steve: Exactly! Thatās why Amy came here towards the end of the show cause weāre both going to jump in a taxi afterwards and head off to the studio where weāre gonna be starting to do some singing.
Amy: Yup. Tonight.
Steve: And, tonight, Iām so excited. Although, I have to say, even her rough vocals are sounding extremely, extremely good.
Amy: Ah! Iām ready to get rid of those rough vocal tracks, yeah⦠Iām ready to make it rule this time.
Steve: Make it rule, well, I think so far so good. I mean these people say to me āDoes it sound? Whatās it sound like? Do you have any ideas of how would you describe this record so far?ā
Amy: Itās really hard because I just feel like itās so many things at once. But, um, Iāve always felt that way. *laughs* Like every time we make a record, but I do feel like this record is definitely different even more-so than before, but in a really cool, good, true, way. You know, um, I think that thereās more influences from all over the place and honestly Iāve⦠in the creative process I had a lot more fun, I think than? I mean I had a lot of fun last time actually, making The Open Door was a great experience, but I donāt know⦠this is all the choices that you make when youāre writing. I feel like they were always about just what felt good and was really fun without thinking about any kind of consequences.
Steve: Right, you have a great new, um, guy youāre working with, like, Will?
Amy: Yes, Will, yes.
Steve: Uh, his, his name is Will Hunt, although there is another Will Hunt. So⦠*laughs*
Amy: Yeah, thatās right! Thereās two Will Hunts in the band now, so, we have to always stick with the difference⦠and much to Willās probably, I donāt know he probably hates it, hates it! Yeah! *laughs* But, um, we call him āscienceā as a joke because he does so many of these cool beats, you know, and sounds⦠heās really good at it.
Steve: Yeah, heās a, I must admit, you know, heās a young guy from Texas and his time will come. He is a very talented, talented guy.
Amy: I believe it. This may be that time!
Steve: Yeah! Oh, this will be his time and um, I must admit, Iām every excited by working with him and all of you.
Amy: Yeah, me too. Me too.
Steve: So, uh, Amy has chosen a wonderful track off the new Depeche Mode album to play.
Amy: Oh, yes!
Steve: And, um, weāll play that and talk about that afterwards, the opening song, calledā¦
Amy: In Chains.
(Music Break: Depeche Mode ā In Chains)
Steve: Hi⦠Steve Lillywhite on the East Village Radio.com so, thatās it, itās on the internet, itās not on the radio. Iām here with Amy Lee and we are opposite the funeral home. Did you know, Amy, that in England we donāt bury our dead?
Amy: Hey, *laughs* really?
Steve: We just burn them.
Amy: Awww.
Steve: Because we donāt have any room.
Amy: You donāt have the space, yeah.
Steve: We donāt have the space, so, umā¦
Amy: Well, New York feels that way. For sure, sometimesā¦
Steve: New York, yes! If anyone dies in New York, theyād probably burn you as well. But, there you go! Thereās nothing wrong with that. We all die at the end as you well know.
Amy: Youāre turning dark! Is that me rubbing off on you? *laughs*
Steve: No, no, no, no⦠so, um, so Amy! Someone has been instant messaging us about lyrics.
Amy: Yeah! Whatās the question say?
Steve: Inspiration, maybe? Or?
Amy: Um, I missed the question⦠theyāre just asking about inspiration! Where they come from, I guessā¦
Steve: Well, what was the question about over there? Yeah!
Amy: Um, just from my life! I mean, honestly, Iām always writing about what Iām feeling and a lot of times the things that I feel like I canāt say. Like to people around me or even to myself. So, itās an interesting thing sometimes. Iāll listen back to lyrics, like a couple months later after recording them and writing them and then go, āOhā¦ā, like, I know what I was talking about. My subconscious was trying to tell me something. Itās really cool, itās just very therapeutic for me. I definitely just write what makes me feel better and then sometimes the sense comes a little bit later.
Steve: Right, right. And Iāve always said to new artists Iāve worked with, actually, I said āJournalists will always try and trick you, when theyāll always say āWhatās that song about?ā You donāt, you never need to explain your lyrics because you always just say to them āWhat do you think?āā
Amy: Oh, thatās good to hear! *laughs* Yeah, well, its art, you know. Thereās so many ways that you can interpret it, and I think, um, itās cool. I get all kinds of people saying that different songs mean different things to them.
Steve: Different things to different people.
Amy: And⦠I love that.
Steve: Thatās the thing, you know, I think sometimes when an artist is so specific about the meaning of a song⦠I just, quick story⦠I remember with U2, there was song off the Atomic Bomb album which Bono said was about his Dad, called āSometimes You Canāt Make It On Your Ownā. And I always thought that he should never have been so specific about this being about his father because, in fact, the song could really mean a lot more to people if they didnāt think of Bono talking about his Dad.
Amy: Hmmm. Right.
Steve: You know, it could just be about, you know⦠about whatever you think.
Amy: About whatever. Like something anyone could apply, yeah.
Steve: Yeah, yeah. So, anyway⦠that was that. Weāre now going to play a little more music which is a band that I had something to do with, that we all love. Uh, itās a band called MGMT. Who, uhā¦
Amy: Who Iāve been listening to a lot lately and I remember we were talking about that when we were talking about you producing the record.
Steve: Yes.
Amy: And I mentioned that I liked them a lot, and you were like, āOh, well, Iām partially responsible for them.ā Yeahā¦
Steve: I know, I know. I was⦠I had a conference job, um, an A&R man at Columbian Records and this band came in and one girl I was working for said āSteve. We really want to sign them. Can you talk to this band and give them the schmooze and I listened to the music and I said āYeah, we really need to sign this band.ā
Amy: Yeahā¦
Steve: So, you know, we brought them in and had a long chat and actually I bumped into them the other day at a Phish concert funnily enough and uh, yeah, their a great band and their new albumās coming out. But this is āElectric Feelā from their first album.
Amy: Oh, cool⦠one of my favorites.
(Music Break: MGMT ā Electric Feel)
Steve: Steve Lillywhite here on East Village Radio with, of course, the beautiful Amy Lee from Evanescence. Whoās actually on the phone with someone else, but there she goes⦠*laughs*
Amy: Sorry, sorry⦠I was on the phone.
Steve: She was on the phone!
Amy: We just got a call from Kuwait.
Steve: A call from Kuwait!? Oh, my goodness.
Amy: Yes. From Muhammad, who was very nice.
Steve: Muhammad from Kuwait. How are you doing, Muhammad? Iām going to play a song for you. Um⦠just to change it up and oh, make it different.
(Music Break: )
Steve: Hello, Steve Lillywhite on East Village Radio! I was just telling Amy that I did stand at the exact place where Jesus was crucified and I started singing that song. How cool was that? That I didnāt get struck down by lightning. There you go! Enough of that⦠*laughs*
Amy: There you go!
Steve: Um, yes, what can I say⦠but here I am, East Village Radio, Steve Lillywhite with Amy Lee and weāre on our way to the studio.
Amy: Good to be here.
Steve: But not after⦠not until another twenty-four and a half minutes goes by. Whoa, thereās the phone.
Amy: Weāre getting a lot of calls.
Steve: Weāre getting a lot⦠this is, uhā¦
Amy: My phone, guys, is kind of like not working now because thereās been too many tweets, so⦠ha-ha, itās totally fried.
Steve: Thereās lots, uh, really?
Amy: But I canāt really look at them for the next five minutes until they slow down a little bit.
Steve: Right, um⦠weāre going to play another Amy Lee choice⦠which is?
Amy: Oh, I chose⦠one of my very favorite songs from high school. It was sort of like my, one of my big anthems in high school is by Garbage, itās called Stupid Girl.
Steve: Ah⦠we love this.
(Music Break: Garbage ā Stupid Girl)
Steve: Steve Lillywhite here on East Village radio and the phones are ringing off, awww, this is so much fun here! Iām here with Amy Lee and weāre having fun, so⦠everyone wants to know, Amy, there was a fire at the studio, lets talk about that.
Amy: Yes, okay⦠well, I was in a different room. I was in the library and playing the piano, um, I think I was writing a little part and yeah. And then, Derek, our wonderful assistant, busted in the door and goes āThereās a fire in the building! We got to get out of here right now!ā and I was like āUm, okay!ā So, I⦠*laughs*
Steve: Well, Iāll tell you, Iāll tell you what happened because we were in the control room and the technical guy from the studio came in and said āLook guys, there is a fire in the studio.ā So, um, of course, the first thing we did, which was really, what youāre not supposed to do was pack up our laptops. *laughs*
Amy: Right, right. Well, it was more than that because everybody started packing up, okay, I didnāt. I bailed on everything because I smelled something right before and I thought āHmmm, it smells kind of like a fire in the fireplace.ā But it smelled kind of good to me at first? So, I didnāt think about it, we have a fire place at our place, so I was kind of used to it. Um, and then I ran out, and went āOh, no.ā Ran back in the room which is what youāre really not supposed to do and I got my laptop, and my phone, and my stuff and then ran out. And then I heard, or I remember, Will ran back half way through or whatever and got the hard drive. So, that if all else was lost we would have the album. *laughs*
Steve: The hard drive, right. Well, yeah and, in fact, I, um, I was told that I shouldnāt use the elevator and go down the stairs. And I went down the stairs and walked through a lot of smoke. But, I was two minute ahead of you and this just shows how fast fire does travel. Because you tried to go down the stairs but you couldnāt.
Amy: No, we couldnāt. Yeah, and we could not. Thatās where it was coming from!
Steve: Yeah, yeah, so they had⦠it was actually from another building that shared the same fire escape.
Amy: Connected stairwell, and all that.
Steve: And the same stairwell, but you know, the firemen came and who knows whether it couldāve spread but they did their job.
Amy: They were great. Yeah.
Steve: Because, uh, there was a lot of smoke, butā¦
Amy: Well, I talked to the firemen after and I said āHow often do you guys do this?ā and he said āThis is our second one today.ā And it was only the middle of the day⦠I think it happens a lot in town, so.
Steve: Right, it does. But you know, there you go! So thatās for everyone who wanted to know about the fire.
Amy: So, weāre fine! Everything is fine from the fire⦠still smells a little smoky, but⦠weāre on track. *laughs*
Steven: The albumās [fine]⦠*laughs* It does! *laughs* We are on track. Iām going to play a song now, that I recorded, back in the day with a band called, um, The Lars.
(Music Break: The Lars)
Steve Lillywhite: Steve Lillywhite, East Village Radio and uh, that was The Larsā āSon of a Gunā, off the album āThe Larsā, it was their only album. But in fact I did an interview last week for the box set, which is very strange, very strange. Ah, but anyway, Iām here with Amy Lee. ā¦and how are we doing?
Amy Lee: I just picked a song, last minute, so⦠heās plugged it in for any second. Well, you can talk if you want. Talkingās cool.
Steve: [she picked a song, alright] Well, weāll talk, we have fifteen minutes to go, uh, the weather here in New Yorkās a little bit gloomy. But, uhā¦
Amy: *laughs* I like it that way. Thatās the most inspiring to me definitely.
Steve: Yes, yes, Amy⦠my sensible (?) opinion.
Amy: *laughs* Whatās that supposed to mean!?
Steve: *laughs* Oh! I donāt know!
Amy: Well, itās like youāre supposed to be inside and itās raining or whatever andā¦
Steve: Well, yeah, the great thing when youāre making an album, is that you donāt want to be tempted by āOh, the weatherās nice. I wanna go outside.ā You wanna go āOh I wanna go in andā which is⦠yeah!
Amy: *laughs* Yeah⦠and just hunker-down in the cave and get creative and read.
Steve: Which is why I always thought the best music came from, um, from places that were not great weather.
Amy: Right.
Steve: You know, becauseā¦
Amy: Oh, right. Like Seattle!
Steve: Yeah, like Seattle, or London, or Manchester.
Amy: Yeah, mhmmm
Steve: You know, although L.A., you know, all that sort of⦠although I have to say I love the Beach Boys as well, you knowā¦
Amy: Hah⦠totally.
Steve: Um⦠what can I say? So, Amy, would you like to introduce this next song?
Amy: I just picked a song off my iPod. It is Tear Drop by Massive Attack. Itās probably⦠it, it is my favorite song of theirs.
Steve: Fantastic. Here we go!
(Music Break: Massive Attack ā Tear Drop)
Amy: Hah, somebody said that?
Steve: Someone just tweeted: letās, we donāt want to hear songs, letās justā¦
Amy: Talk Amy, nobody wants to hear your song.
Steve: Aww, well, you know, if you wanna hear⦠I mean, thatās why we didnāt play any old Evanescence because basically if youāre listening to thisā¦
Amy: Youāve heard it.
Steve: You can listen to it whenever you want.
Amy: Sure.
Steve: So⦠Amy, we talked about the fire, we talked about lyrics, um, what about touring?
Amy: What, what are you saying? Oh, theyāre askingā¦
Steve: Ah! The stomping! Well, thatās about me, thatās nothing to do⦠Steveās stompingā¦
Amy: No, it was pretty funny! Well, thatās us in the studio. I mean, I wonder if they know what we were doing.
Steve: We were doing some, some stomping, uhā¦
Amy: A stomp track.
Steve: A stomp track.
Amy: To, like, effect and filter and make into a really cool, like, beat.
Steve: Right. And I was stomping, we had to stomp on the beat. Now, I realizedā¦
Amy: *laughs*
Steve: As I was, see these are all these thoughts that are all gonna happen within a split second, but as I was jumping up I realized Iām a little ahead of the beat⦠so I need to hold, I need to slowā¦
Amy: I need to defy gravity and stay in the air longer and that doesnāt work. *laughs*
Steve: Exactly! Thatās what I was trying to do! And all these split second decisions happened in my mind that actually ended up me, falling over, and uhā¦
Amy: It was priceless.
Steve: I did say we should send that off to Americaās Funniest Videos and we could earn $250.
Amy: Well, I was saying, they should have a show called um, Americaās, well, not Americaās, just like Funniest Celebrity Videos type show⦠[it'd be pretty lame]. But no one would ever approve of anything.
Steve: No, exactly. But, I want everyone to see me falling over.
Amy: Yeah, itās pretty good.
Steve: That was awful.
Amy: I, I plan on tweeting more videos from the studio soon.
Steve: Yes, there will be more videos! Amy has been doing a fantastic job with her Flip cameraā¦
Amy: Oh yeah, I have! Iāve been documenting pretty well.
Steve: Yeah! So⦠have you worked out how to edit them and that?
Amy: Sort of. It just takes a long time⦠I have to, like, take it from that camerea and put it into the program. Anyway, itās boringā¦
Steve: Into another program. Okay⦠so thatās good! So, um⦠just hearing that last song, I thought Iād play this one.
(Music Break)
Steve: Itās Steve Lillywhite here, on the Lillywhite sessions, with the special guest, Amy Lee and weāre coming to the end of this part of my career⦠and your career! And the next part of our careers will start about in a half an hour.
Amy: *laughs* Do youā¦? Yup, itās been an honor, a pleasure, thank you for having me on the show.
Steve: Awwwā¦. well, hang on!
Amy: It doesnāt have to end here!
Steve: Letās not be too soon cause we have another minute and ten seconds to go!
Amy: Oh! Okay!
Steve: So, uh, where are you going now, Amy?
Amy: Well, I think⦠Iām just gonna get in the cab with you and weāre gonna go to the studio *laughs* and make some more awesome sounding songs
Steve: Oh, right! Weāre going to go to the studio⦠*laughs* Yeah! Weāre going to start singing. Do you have any ideas on how you would like to start?
Amy: I think I want to start on āYou Got A Lot to Learnā.
Steve: Right, so youāve just given away a song title. *laughs*
Amy: Right. Right, I guess. Thatās cool! I was prepared for it when I, when it came out of my mouth.
Steve: *laughs* Yeah, so thereās a song called āYou Got A Lot to Learnā on the album.
Amy: Yes.
Steve: Excellent.
Amy: Special drums by Quest Love.
Steve: Oh! Iām excited to hear that!
Amy: *laughs*
Steve: Now, it sounds fantastic, as I know cause⦠I⦠record it. *laughs*
Amy: Sounds really cool so far.
Steve: So, itās really good and, um, that should be a nice, nice one to get started.
Amy: I think thatās, I think thatās the vibe of the day. I think thatās what Iām feeling.
Steve: Thatās the vibe of the day! So, again, thank you very much⦠it was a pleasure to have you on the show and for the last 23 secondsā¦?
Amy: Ahaha! and 20⦠19ā¦okay!
Steve: Oh, got it! Limping across the finish line here. *laughs*
Amy: Thank you, everybody for calling in and twittering me. Everybodyās been so sweet andā¦
Steve: Yeah! And there will be lots of, uh, juicy updates!
Amy: Definitely, definitely.
Steve: Of the video and any sort of kind, so, uh, keep listening and thank you so much.
Amy: Stay tuned! *laughs*
Steve: Iāll be back next week, okay.
Amy: Okay.
Steve: Bye⦠bye! 3⦠2⦠1ā¦!
Amy: *laughs*