A while back, I met with the iconic and vocally mesmerizing LP, on the eve of the release of her excellent album Churches. Had the pleasure of interviewing her virtually in the past but we finally met face to face.
She’s even kinder in person and joked about how you don’t think about this aspect of the pandemic – getting to actually meet folks in person you had previously met on Zoom. We hug, something we haven’t been able to do much for almost two years.
We sit in Gustavo Santaolalla’s beautiful home studio as we chat about this album, processing through music and more. LP is a true rock star sans the attitude. She’s the kind of person that you immediately vibe with – like a good friend you don’t see often.
She cracks jokes while I set up my equipment, playing with some of the plethora of instruments as she whistles sweet melodies.
Let’s talk about “Churches.” It’s a beautiful album. With the opening song ”When we touch” you really captured that longing we felt by being apart for so long during quarantine.
I was trying to conjure up what that would be like when that would finally happen. Not to give it away but I thought about even opening a show like that. Capturing what that would be like. I have a romantic vision of that moment.
First of all, Churches is a wonderful song. I felt it so much, such heartfelt lyrics – which you have a knack for. Now the album is called “Churches” too, why Churches?
I feel like the word is nice to say, it feels good on your mouth. Churches are beautiful, they’re really, but you never know what darkness lurks beneath…it’s like women. Just kidding…
(We both laugh boisterously)
Churches are rife with all kinds of mystery, and I feel like for me personally, what I picture is like everyone having their own church inside that holds all the things that they care about and that is dear to them, that it’s holy inside of them. I have that for me.
I believe and pray to God but as far as religion goes, I don’t want anyone telling me how to do that. But also, I don’t want to condemn religion because it’s gotten people through so many things. It’s such a comfort for so many people. I want that for them.
I always want people to be happy whether it involves me or not. I’m very “live and let live. Get your shit and go as long as you’re not hurting anyone”. I remember I had to cover my head going into Orthodox churches and I didn’t want to do that. It wasn’t in any disdain. That’s just not my vibe.
I love the concept of church you mentioned as it being personal and individual. When people go to churches, they are seeking answers, themselves – they might bring strife, struggles, pain and seek connection. This album came during a time when we were limited in connections, and you were able to put into your songs what we were all going through from your experience.
I tried to put myself in my own shoes but also in as many people’s shoes as I could. I can only tell my own experience, hoping that me showing my own experience that no matter what they’re like… completely opposite from me or whatever, that our experiences aren’t that different.
Even the last time we spoke virtually we weren’t sure if we’d be able to get back to live shows and what life would look like moving forward but now you just played Corona Capital. How was that? Getting back onstage in front of a crowd not just folks in cars…
Incredible, I mean it’s kind of like unbelievable. It’s almost like nothing’s changed while at the same thing feeling like everything’s changed. I have a renewed sense of appreciation for what live music is. It’s such a unique experience.
Talk about churches, you’re in that person’s church, you know. You’re in the church of Tame Impala when you go see them play. It’s just wild, you’re standing in proximity to a stranger you’ve never met, you don’t know anything about, and at the same time I love everything about this artist we’re all watching.
It’s like holy shit! Look at this whole bunch of people. It’s a wonderful experience. One that I suspect we miss more than we even think.
Live shows are a life-force for many of us and that synergy is one of a kind. With this album, we are able to connect with so many great lines you have in the lyrics that hit a special part. We had a time to reflect on our own so when we see someone else reflect, we connect with it. I do feel that there is like your own religious experience within it.
Yeah, I feel there’s been times I am singing a song and it makes me uncomfortable. The idolatry of it all. I am like am I okay? Should I be wearing a robe and sandals right now? What drove me to do this with my life?
As long as I keep it to we are all communing together so I feel like I am one with them all. I enjoy hanging out with them as I sing and I hope they enjoy it too.
As we talked in the past, that connection you have with your audience is because you are able to tap into those energies in your songwriting and then the song becomes their song, the soundtrack to their lives
Yeah, someone asked me about explaining songs and what they mean and if I should explain it to my own peril but when I do, I don’t think it sways anyone what it means to them. It’s just what it means to them. I don’t think I’d understand just how deeply I’d get interviewed at some point. You know what I mean?
When I start explaining what things are about, people are like -especially on the Lost On You era-, everyone was like “aww…someone broke up with you. That’s so sad. You poor little thing.” But the reality is you might be an asshole and I’m like, “welcome late to the party!”.
I am an asshole; I mean we’re all assholes. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, but I am not running for Person of the Year or anything. I am an artist; shit happens, you know?
I am a very flawed human, like everyone else, and at the same time -I’ll tell you-, I am awesome too. I should be able to feel like that. I write about it, and I am not looking to gain anything except respect for myself. If you enjoy it, that’s the gain for myself, even if I hear about it or I don’t hear about it.
And that’s what people ultimately connect with. You will go to a dark place and this album does have things you’re sharing that you’re processing but also, you’re putting it out there.
Exactly, I am processing often. I am like my first therapist. I have a song on the record called “Rainbow”. When I was writing it, I was writing about my ex and people close to my story would pick that up, but also I realized that even in our relationship, in its worst, had a lot of triggers from the hard relationship I had with my dad, you know?
I was like this beautiful woman who I was dating at the time and my dad? Oh god! What a boner killer, you know? But I remember that there was a familiar hurt that would come up when we used to have our difficulties. I figured it out, really felt it when I was writing “Rainbows”.
I was like, “oh, shit!”. I am amazed at the power of songwriting, is like excavation or therapy for myself.
And in listening to “Rainbow”, I thought, well you can’t see a rainbow unless you weather some storms…
And I say is it worth surviving and say maybe it is worth surviving. It’s also a little bit like myself and like people coming out. The struggle it is to be like “here I am! This is who I am”. At the end of the day, it’s a nice little bop.
Every song had its own essence and you produced with your own collaborators, people you’ve ben working with…
I went for some different folks like Lawrence, who we will be doing more songs for the next album. Dan Wilson who’s this great Grammy-winning producer who had his own hits as well. It was an amazing couple of days and to hear his story as well.
One of the things I love about you are your visuals in your videos. The video for “One Last Time” is surreal, where was that filmed?
The Paramour…
Oh, the Paramour Estate in Silverlake…!
That video fucked me up. First of all, it was like overstimulation, when I have had almost no stimulation. I’m in a mansion with a beautiful wife, my friends are all here and I was like, “this is not my life at all!”
I felt like I stepped into another dimension. I remember the next day thinking “did I dream that?”. I was in that house for so long that I felt like F. Scott Fitzgerald or something, you know what I mean? That place has quite a story, like what a couple in the 1920s. She got into an accident then suddenly died. It was so deep.
Going back to this concept of churches, I feel like this album provides a sanctuary for folks, even myself just reflecting on different things.
I hope so, that’s the idea. Think about all the records you’ve listened to throughout all of your life. Sometimes I’ll hit 23rd and Broadway in New York City, where I came up, and I can’t get a record out of my head that was in there.
I think it was like Bleach by Nirvana or stuff like that. Any record that I was graced by like Jeff Buckley as I’d be in the Lower East Side. There are so many records that are tattooed in my heart as far as where I was, so for me to put one out, I don’t know what people will think?
I think this record will forever married to the pandemic. Hopefully, not the bad parts of it only. Were there good parts? Well, I used to think that one of the darkest parts of my life was in 2014 but now I know, it took me about a year or two to figure out how it’s one of the best times I wrote some music that changed my life. That’s the thing, it’s the planting of the seeds this time. Now we are going into some Springtime bloom.
And you are about to embark on a large world tour…
Yeah, I’m really excited.
Again, congrats on the album! There’s a lot of imagery that expands on the idea of church, like angels and even to end it with a poem…
Not to get too (hums like an angel)… I felt like I was receiving it. I feel like every artist has an experience like that or wants to or learns to. I think even lyrically this is a bump up for me. I was on fire every time I wrote a song.
Thank you so much for your time and I’m glad I finally got to meet you!
You look even better in person!
You can experience Churches live, along with the rest of LP’s repertoire this Saturday May 21st, 2022 at the Greek Theater – a fabulous venue for an almost religious experience with an icon in the making.
Join the church of LP, if you will, and be in awe of her enthralling presence and captivating voice.
