This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. This episode is also available as video on YouTube. You can visit Nora Jones channel and be sure to subscribe while you're there. Hey, I'm Nora Jones and today I'm playing along with St. Vincent. I'm just playing along with you. I'm just playing along with you. Hey, welcome to the show. I'm Nora. This is Sarah. Welcome to our show. Yay. Today we have a singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, a person whose work keeps evolving, but she always sounds like herself. Grammy winning fellow Texan, St. Vincent. Yes. Also known as Annie Clark. We had so much fun because this is our first live podcast. That's right. We did it in front of an audience. Yeah, which was, you know, I'm used to, we're all used to performing live, but somehow talking live is hard for me. Yeah, it was a whole new thing. I mean, it was, you know, unfolding in real time with people seeing all the false starts and the music stand malfunctions. It was really fun. It was actually really funny. Yeah, we taped this at the St. Cecilia Hotel in Austin, Texas during South by Southwest and it was a blast. It was great. I love Annie so much. She's, she is someone who has evolved and changed. And I'm always kind of curious to see what she's going to do next because I know it's going to be interesting and beautiful and heartfelt. And she's just one of those artists. Yeah. And she talks about how that comes from her curiosities and those curiosities leading her down different paths to all these different projects that she pursues. I think that's super cool. Yeah. And she's just a great musician and a great hang. And, and then it was very fun. Yeah. And as always, you'll hear beautiful duets and one of them surprisingly written by a children's author. I was so surprised. Yeah. Oh yeah, you didn't know that? I didn't. Yeah. I've known that song since the Thelma and Louie soundtrack, but I never. Anyway, I'm not going to give it away. Go ahead. Stay tuned. Yes. Hope you enjoy the episode with St. Vincent. Hi. Thank you for joining me. Thanks for having me, baby. Thanks for joining us. This is my first time doing this podcast live. I'm usually someone who doesn't like to talk a lot on stage. So this is hilarious. But yeah, this podcast is special because we play songs together during it. That's, that's my party trick. It's a really good trick. Yeah. So thanks for joining me. Thanks for having me. Yeah, I think we should start with a song. What do you think? Okay. Um, we're just taking requests. So just yelling. No, I'm just kidding. Um, do you want to do melting? Yes. Okay, let's do it. This is one of my favorites. Thanks. Yeah.哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎 Hello on the dark side of the moon Jane lost it, crashed her COVID Ran into the tidied mallable The moon and earth are gone But I was a load of war It's just the melting of the sun It's just the sun I wanna watch you watch it burn So watch it burn, say Joanie, no phony Smoking reds with furries, saying the blues And my Marilyn shot her heroin, as she said it's better than abuse So who am I trying to be? A benzoyl beauty queen It's just the melting of the sun It's just the sun I wanna watch you watch it burn So watch it burn We always knew this day would come This day has come It's just the melting of the sun Brave Tory told a story, yeah well, Paulie said they couldn't catch the man Proud Nina got her peanut Singing Mississippi good god damn But me I never cried To tell the truth a lie Tell the lie, ever Gonna know what's spinning down Spinning down, and at a time Girl you can't give it now When you're down, down and out Girl the world's spinning round Spinning down, and at a time Girl you can't give it now When you're down, down and out Girl the world's spinning round And at a time Girl the world's spinning round Spinning down, and at a time Girl you can't give it now When you're down, down and out Girl the world's spinning round Spinning down, and at a time Girl you can't give it now When you're down, down and out Nora Jones everybody! Yeah, Annie Clark, St. Vincent! That was fun. That's really fun. I could do that all night. I think we should, we'll just loop that one. We'll just do it all night. You guys don't have anything to do for the next couple hours do you? You don't have like ten other things to see right? Nope. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Tell me about your guitar please. Oh, this whole thing. Yeah, so, oh, that's bad. Is that bad? I'm not going to tell my piano teacher from third grade. No, I am curious actually, like is it really, is it bad etiquette to set something on a piano? It feels like bad. If it's liquid. Oh. But I mean this isn't my piano. Okay, so I shouldn't sit on it. Jokes. Whoa! We can edit this out. No, we're keeping that. We're keeping that. We're keeping that. Thank you. No, this guitar. I designed this guitar and it's, yeah, thanks. It's with Ernie Ball and Music Man and Sussin Vincent signature series guitar. I love that you have your guitars. That's awesome. I do too. I never thought that that. I've never played one, one of yours. No, I mean one of your signature guitars. I've never got to play one. Nora, I'll give you one. Just ask. Yeah, okay. No, yeah. It's good. They're very ergonomic, which I think. Really? Yeah. But sexy. Like, yeah. For a woman. I mean if you have a, anyone who has breasts or a breast. A breast. That is gender non-specific. Totally, totally. Yeah, it's a good cut out for a breast. Yeah, I love that. That song is on the Daddy's Home album. Yeah. Right? And I love that song. Thanks. And I love all the, the shadows in it. I mean, it just makes me, it made me a little weepy today. Really? Singing through it, yeah. And I, yeah, love all those women. I know there's so many who came before us who just like, would just pave the way to make it easier for us. Definitely. And I love that you have Tori with Nina in that verse. That makes me so happy. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks. And I love that there's this version of everybody's gone to the moon. Oh, yes. That's where, I don't know, that was a reference to the first line. Okay. Yeah. Not to get in the weeds, but yeah. No, but I love it. There's a lot of little tricks in the lyrics in this out, the song. So it's beautiful. Thanks. Yeah. It's cool. And do you play any other instruments or mostly guitar? Well, yeah. But you dabble, right? I dabble. You know, the piano makes no sense to me. And I don't know why I should have stuck with, to all the children in the audience. I'm sure many, like just stick with piano lessons because it will help you out so much. I did the amount of things I do to avoid having to play piano. It's like, I'll go to great lengths to avoid playing it because I'm not good at it. Yeah. Yeah. I know what you mean. Yeah. Tell my kids to keep with it. I will call them right now. When did you start playing guitar? I was 12. Really? Yeah. And what did you, like what started you? Did you, were you told to take guitar lessons or? No, I was, I was, I took violin first, but then I was like learning how to play like Pearl Jam and Peter Frampton. On violin? On violin. I was like, why don't I just play guitar? That's fun. And then my uncle's an amazing jazz guitar player named Tuck Andress. So, um, yeah. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tuck and play. Cool. Yeah, yeah.哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎 But I was asleep for most of it. Okay. You're funny. And you grew up my fellow Dallas girl. We're both from Texas. We're both from Dallas. Dallas girls. Yeah. How many y'all are Texans? Oh wow. Anybody from Dallas? Nice. What part of Dallas did you grow up in? A little place called Lake Highlands. Okay. Yeah? Cool. Okay. Lake Highlands you're representing. Nice. But you went to the Cool Arts High School. I did. You went to the Good One. I did. I went to Booker T. Washington, the Performing Arts High School. But I grew up in Grapevine weirdly. I know. Wait, what was Grapevine back then? It was tiny. It was a little tiny town. Yeah. And then I, I think I grew up there until I was maybe fifth or sixth grade. And then anyway, yes. Did you move closer into the, cause like how did, I'm thinking of the commute. We're going to talk highways real soon. No, no. This is getting into the weeds. But yeah, we moved to Dallas just so I could go to that high school. You did? So wait, where did you live in Dallas? I lived like close to the high school. So I lived kind of near downtown, but not downtown. Like, Oklahoma? I lived in Oklahoma. Okay. And it was great, but like, I didn't have a lot of friends in my neighborhood cause we really just lived there to go to the school. And most kids were from all over the city. So. I still think that's, there weren't that many kids in Oakland. Yeah, exactly. It was fun. But yeah, Dallas representing. God damn right. When they asked me to do this podcast at South by, I said, yeah, but we have to have somebody from Texas. Otherwise, I don't, I don't know. And then I was so excited when you said yes. Oh my God. Would have said yes anytime. I'm just so stoked. I'm glad it's here. Yeah, I'm glad we're Texans together. Do you want to play another song? Let's do it. All right. I would like to play another one of your songs from that album that I love so, so much. I love the vaudeville of just like that. Full Charlie Chaplin. This is a good one. This is at the holiday party. Yeah. All right, you're gonna let me accompany you. Hell yeah. Will you give me a tempo so I don't mess it up? Yeah. Mm.哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎 Holiday party Red wine lived a little early Reminiscing goddess laughing And that's when I saw your face cracking Pills and jewels and speak Your Gucci purse of pharmacy Pretend to want these things So no one sees you not getting Not getting what you mean Need Need You Can't hide from me Yeah, but oh oh oh Oh Are you still working on your screenplay Did those lights go out on Broadway Think if you can just keep spinning You won't miss what you've been missing Pills and jewels and speak Your little purse of pharmacy Re-eye behind these things So no one sees us not getting Not getting what we need Need Need You can't hide You can't hide from me Hey, baby, oh You can't hide You can't hide from me You can't hide You can't hide from me No, you can't hide from me You can't hide, you can't hide No, you can't hide from me You can't hide, you can't hide No, you can't hide from me You can't hide, you can't hide No, you can't hide from me You can't hide, you can't hide No, you can't hide from me哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎哎 I love that one. I'm gonna scoot here. I'm gonna pop a squad. Yeah, nice. I'm so short. I can almost not see you over the piano. I'm here. Yay. Hi. I really admire you and I'm really happy to know you. And I really, I just think it's so cool. You're always dabbling in different things. And I think, I think that's great. Do you have just like ideas in the middle of the night and you're like, I'm gonna do that? Or is it just a combination of stuff coming to you and you saying yes? Is it like everything? I feel like you architect a lot of things that are very interesting. It feels like you're very much creatively thinking about big picture stuff. Not only music, but like the surrounding creative, this is a run on sentence, but you know what I'm saying. I so appreciate it. Thank you, first of all. I think there's a part of me that sort of walks through life with a healthy disassociation where I'm like, I don't know what happens if I try this thing. Like it could be a terrible, like not saying yes to life is like a great thing, I think. I think as an ethos, as an artist sometimes. And then sometimes you just have to be willing to like fall in your face and for things to not totally land, but like, I don't know, even if it doesn't land, it's like funny. You know what I mean? It's so fun, right? And you always get somewhere. You get somewhere and you learn a lot in the process. So I think I have said yes to a lot of things. You know, one part is like, yes, I feel passionately that I really want to do this. And then there's another side I think that's like, I'm just curious like what's going to happen if I just stand in that room and see, you know what I mean? Like see what happens? Yeah, I hope I answered your question. Yeah, no, I think I kind of knew the answer because you seem like an open musician. And so, but you also seem like you have a lot of really interesting conceptual ideas about things artistically. So I think the combination is kind of the perfect thing. And that's what it seems like to me. That's like a combo pack, right? Thank you. Well, then the PR team has been really doing their job. That's what I think. The army of PR has been. But I was telling you when we were rehearsing, and I'm sure everyone in the crowd feels the same way, but like there's something about the quality of your voice that when you sing, I just feel like I'm being held. No, I just feel like that's just heaven. You've always had that. And you too have been like you dabble in all kinds of genres and do all kinds of things. But at the end of the day, like when anybody hears your voice, like, oh, that's not Jones. Like, and that's the biggest thing as an artist, I think in the whole world. Well, it is an interesting thing to try different things, but try to stay true to your kind of core, what you are. And it's sometimes hard for people, I think, to stay true to that while they're trying other things. But I feel the same about you. I feel like it's always right. Right on. And you're doing so many things and I'm like, holy crap, I want to do that. You're doing an orchestra tour. Oh, yeah. It's so cool. I am. How did that come up? It came about because in London, there's this thing called the BBC Proms and they have a, yeah, they have a like a series where they will invite, I guess, more like pop artists or whatever to come in and do shows. So I did one of those shows in September and I just, I loved it. I loved it. And there are like aspects of earlier work that I made that I had kind of forgotten about that were sort of like, you know, like whimsical. Like it lends itself really well. Yeah, it sort of lended it, yeah, lended it, lends or lended itself well to that. And it, doing the show with like a 60 piece orchestra. Wow. And these great arrangements and these great arrangers and these great players, it was like, oh, it almost in a weird way, it felt like a, like I'm not dead. Yeah. But like it felt like a retrospective. Yeah. I was just sort of like, oh, God, I guess like I wrote a bunch of music at some point. Yeah, it's like you've been doing this for a while. Yeah, it's been like a minute. Yeah. Yeah. That's so cool. And so you're doing a little tour with it, right? Yeah, we're doing like a summer tour. So how does that work? You pick up an orchestra in every city, right? You can't travel with a 60 piece orchestra. Oh, God, no, no, I'm not made of it. No, no, no, it's, it's cool. I mean, I think like it's one of the few like bastions of art funding, I think in the states that's left. I probably don't, don't air that because they'll cut it, but they have these seasons that you cut that they're curating. And so you can kind of slot in and be like, oh, you could, you're going to get Mahler's fifth. But then the next night you'll get, you know, so and so with the orchestra. So, and I'm traveling with a little, a small little band and then Jules Buckley who conducted the London show. So we have our, and then it was amazing to me. You're traveling, yeah. Yeah, we have our little team and then we just show up and give people charts and what's miraculous to me, which is you're sitting there reading music. I'm like the beat, you just, they just play it and they can read music and then it sounds good. Do you have to rehearse everything with them? You do, but it's really chill. It's quick. Babe, it's like a, it's like a three hour sound check. Okay. You get ready. That's a lot. You're done by 9pm. Okay. Lights out you could be watching Law & Order. But you're doing the whole set like a sound check to practice it. Yeah, just to like, yeah. Okay. Just to kind of dial it in, but otherwise it's, it's easy. Wait, you've done it nine? I'm in. Done it nine. I want this. And the catering is like good. What? Yeah. Okay. Sign me up for an orchestra tour. We know who to talk to. Yeah, that's true. That's really fun though. It's really fun. I feel like doing different things just feeds it all and you know, breaks it up in a nice way. Yeah, I think you're right. Yeah. We're going to do something different for us both. We're going to do a cover song. I like to do a cover on these podcasts because it kind of levels us out a little and it's like, then we get to do something new together. Yes. And we decided on this amazing song. Marianne Faithful recorded called The Ballad of Lucy Jordan. And I love the song. I love it so much. It's so good. Shattering. And I remember, so I actually just sang this at Sundance because my, one of my good friends produced the documentary on Marianne Faithful, which you should all see because it's really different and beautiful and it honors her in a really nice way. But I had the soundtrack to Thelma and Louise and this was on it. And that's how I knew this song. And thank you for introducing me to this song because I didn't know it. Oh, I didn't know that you didn't know it. I mean, I don't, I'm not, that's not an apology for what's about to happen. I just mean, I just mean, thank you for introducing me to it because it's so, it's just, ugh, shattering. Yeah. I mean, her stuff is not that well known to everyone. Which is crazy because I tend to think, like, if there was like a giant Mount Rushmore, I feel like she's on it. She is, but I don't feel like, I don't know. She just didn't get her due. I don't think she got her due. Yeah. But what a badass. Yeah. And did you know that Shel Silverstein actually wrote this song? No. I know. Isn't that wild? Really? Yeah. Wow. But so that's a fun fact. Fun fact. And I just love her so much. And we're going to do this song. Let's do it to it. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. How are you guys doing out there? Yeah. This is, your hand is like going crazy. I don't know. Maybe we could get some tech support. You got it? It looks like it's about to fall. All right. In love. Let's go. All right. I got it. This is good. This is how I do my music stands. It's just, it's just creative. You sure? Yeah. It's creative. It's how I do it. My hands stand. It's how I do it. Okay. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it.
