Latest news with #SuzanneVega
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Q&A: Suzanne Vega On Her New Album And First Album Four Decades Later
US singer and songwriter Suzanne Vega performs during a concert at the Nimes Festival, in Nimes ... More Arena, southern France, on July 16, 2024. (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS / AFP) (Photo by SYLVAIN THOMAS/AFP via Getty Images) Forty years ago, New York-based singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega released her brilliant eponymous debut. A critically acclaimed folk collection, the superb debut pre-dated Tracy Chapman's landmark debut by three years and Lilith Fair by 12 years. When Sarah McLachlan kicked off the Lilith Fair at the Gorge in Washington in 1997, Vega was the very first main stage performer. Yeah, Suzanne Vega deserves a lot of credit for the trailblazing role she played in the Eighties and Nineties. Four decades later Vega is back with the excellent Flying With Angels, her first album of all-new material in over a decade. I spoke with her about the two albums, political songwriting, Joey Ramone and more. Steve Baltin: You have always been a very distinctly New York artist and 'Rats' is a song that could only written by someone who lives in New York. Suzanne Vega: Thank you. I take that as a compliment. Baltin: It is a compliment. It feels like it was written for a Broadway show. Vega: I was thinking of the Ramones, honestly. I was thinking of The Ramones and there's a band called Fontaines D.C., which is sort of a new punk band out of Ireland. So, I could see how it has a Broadway feel. It's just a lot to sing on stage. Baltin: Oh, so you've done it live already. Have you done a lot of this material live? Vega: Oh, we've done about half the songs live. Baltin: I'm going to come back to this in one second. I must ask as a big fan. What do you think The Ramones would do with it as a cover? Vega: Oh my God. Well, first of all, it's a little more complicated than The Ramones songs tended to be, it's a little longer than they might have. So, they probably would simplify it. I don't know. I'm in awe just thinking of those words coming out of Joey Ramones mouth. That would be amazing. I met Joey once or twice; our paths would cross from time to time. But I don't think he thought of me as the kind of artist that he would cover. Although there was a really good thrash metal version of 'Luka' by the Lemonheads. I thought that worked pretty well. So, I think if people are inclined to do punk rock covers of my songs that it works pretty well. Baltin: What would be the one song of yours you would love to hear someone do a punk rock cover of? Vega: Well, the other song that did get a punk rock treatment was 'Blood Makes Noise' by a band called Acid Rain. I thought they did a good job of that as well. Are there other songs? Yeah, probably. It's not up to me to think of them, though. Like, I never would have thought of a thrash metal version of 'Luka,' because my brain doesn't work that way. But people kind of know when something is right for them. Baltin: I love the wonderful new record, but obviously it's been a while since there's been all-new material. Were these songs written in a concentrated period or over time, because it feels like 'Rats' and 'Galway' were like 100 years apart? Vega: They were a year apart, but not 100 years. But I know what you mean, because stylistically, they're at the opposite ends of the spectrum. That's just how I work, though. I have different moods. So, it's not like I have periods where I'm like, 'Oh, in a folky period,' and then I slowly transition. No, it's more like a mood. Okay, today, working with Jerry, say, we'd be in a punk rock mood. Then the next time it might be time, so it changes pretty quickly. Baltin: I talk with artists about writing being subconscious. So, were there songs on this record that really surprised you? Vega: Oh yeah. The trick was following them down the rabbit hole in spite of the fact that they were a surprise. I'd say half the album was like, "Whoa, where are we going with this?" When I first conceived of the idea of 'Love Thief,' "I am the love thief" I was like, "Okay, this is a totally different sound for me." And I just sang it into my phone the way I just did to you and sent it to Jerry going "Here, have fun." Then he sent it back to me with a really good musical bed for it. So that that was a surprise. The other surprise was 'Witch,' I didn't know what was going to happen with that song. That's sort of a prog rock song, which again, I couldn't have foreseen how we were going to go with that. It has a folky beginning and then what I think of as prog rock. It's sort of like my Pink Floyd moment. Baltin: One of the other ones I love on the record is 'Chambermaid.' You're one of the few people I know who can write a really good story song. Tom Waits does it as well, Dylan, of course can write story songs. But 'Chambermaid' almost reminded me a little bit of 'Queen and the Soldier' 40 years later. Not in terms of theme, but stylistically, because it's writing a true narrative from the perspective of someone else. Vega: Yeah, I really had fun with that. I really was able to step into her shoes and see the room she was cleaning and imagine the details; maybe he's got cuff links he leaves out on the table but she knows that he wouldn't leave anything genuinely valuable on the table. It's this way of creating all the details of this imaginary world. I really had fun with that and that took about an hour and a half. Baltin: Do you find that the current political climate has affected you artistically? Vega: Yeah, I feel it has affected me artistically, but I kind of also want to say that whenever I write a song and I feel the politics creeping into it, I want people to know that I'm writing as a citizen. I vote, I read the newspaper, I'm affected by the political atmosphere just like everybody else is. I'm not writing anything as a celebrity. I'm not trying to tell anybody to do anything in particular. I am expressing a feeling through my art, which is my prerogative. Baltin: For you, who does that well? Who are the best political songwriters? For me it always starts and ends with John Lennon because for me he did such a phenomenal job of mixing the personal and political, so he made the political feel very human. Vega: I see your point. That had not occurred to me but I think I think you've got a point. There are two people that come to my mind immediately; the main one of course is Bob Dylan, who was able to write a song like 'Masters of War,' which is really personal but really political at the same time at such a young age. And he was also able to write a song like Medgar Evans ('Only A Pawn In Their Gane'), which is almost journalistic in its approach. It was iso factual. There was not a single metaphor in that song. I don't think. I think he's the epitome of great political songwriting. The other song I've always loved is 'Biko' by Peter Gabriel. He wrote about his political situation in a soulful and meaningful way that didn't have the dead language of jargon and slogans. I don't consider myself a political writer, but I feel that I have the right to voice my feelings from time to time if I'm moved to. Baltin: It's crazy to think that we're weeks away from the 40-year anniversary of your first album. Are you able to look at those songs now almost like a fan because the songs are almost like from someone else, they are so long ago? Vega: It's a different life yes, but my life is not like a lot of people's life, and I'll give you an example. There's a song on the first album called 'Freeze Tag.' I wrote that for my boyfriend at the time whose name was Paul Mills, and he had also influenced some of 'Marlena on the Wall' because he was a film fanatic and he had taught me all this stuff about film. So, jump ahead to now, Paul Mills and I got back together again in 2006 and got married. I am actually married to that guy from the first album. So, the songs still have a relevance to me and still are alive in a certain way that I don't think happens in a lot of people's lives. A lot of people live episodically. Mine is really truly more of a circle
NZ Herald
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Music: Suzanne Vega flies high again with reflective new album
American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega arrived in a flash in the mid-1980s with two albums and memorable singles Marlene on the Wall, Luka, Solitude Standing and her a cappella Tom's Diner – all delivered in a distinctive, emotionally flat manner.
Perth Now
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Suzanne Vega regrets Prince snub
Suzanne Vega regrets turning down an invitation to Prince's house. The 65-year-old singer was touched to receive a handwritten letter from the late 'Purple Rain' hitmaker - who died from an accidental overdose in June 2016 aged 57 - and he later saw her in concert but left before the end, though offered an invitation for her to spent a day with him at his Paisley Park estate. However, Suzanne "foolishly" said no, imagining she'd get another opportunity in the future, but never did. She told Vulture: "I got a handwritten letter from him, which was a thing of art and beauty. He drew a little flower, and he wrote 'Thank God for you.' "He liked the song 'Luka'. He was at the Grammys when I performed that year. He jumped to his feet at the end of the performance, and it's a moment I've never forgotten. I think of that as sort of the pinnacle of those years. "I had hoped to meet him. He came to a show and I thought, Oh, I'll meet him then. "But he was, you know, kind of eccentric. He waited until everyone came into the venue and he came in with his bodyguards, sitting on the flight cases by the side of the stage. "When I sang 'Luka', which at that moment in time was the fourth song in the set, he got up and danced, and then he left. "He asked if I wanted to meet with him the next day and get a tour of Paisley Park. I foolishly thought, We're friends now, so I'll do it next time. Well, the next time never happened." One of Suzanne's biggest hits is 'Tom's Diner', which was inspired by her student haunt, Tom's Restaurant in New York City, but the singer quipped she's never even had a "free coffee" as a thank you, and her association with the eatery has been overshadowed by the fact it was used as the exterior for Monk's Cafe in 'Seinfeld'. Asked her standard order there, she said: "It was always fried eggs over easy with bacon, hash browns, coffee with cream, and whole-wheat toast. It was $2.75. No one at the diner has since ever given me free coffee or anything. "There is a picture of me on the menu, though, a very tiny one next to a big one of Jerry Seinfeld. They misspelled my name: 'Susan Vega'.'
Perth Now
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Suzanne Vega was advised to pull out of Glastonbury headline slot due to death threats
Suzanne Vega was told by police to pull out of headlining Glastonbury after receiving death threats. The 'Luka' hitmaker was due to be the first female to top the bill at the annual music festival back in 1989 but her performance almost didn't go ahead because of the threats that had come from her touring bassist's stalker, but she refused to take the advice from cops. She told The i newspaper: "They had included me in the threats. Scotland Yard sat me down and said, 'We advise you not to do the show.' I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'' After making it clear she planned to perform, police asked Suzanne, now 65, to wear a bulletproof vest on stage for her own protection. She recalled: 'A man from Scotland Yard took his and said, 'You'll have to wear this.' He was twice my size, so I had to gaffer tape myself into this giant bulletproof vest, and then put a denim jacket over it. It felt like every song was 20 minutes long. It was not comfortable. We were all nervous.' But despite her discomfort, Suzanne is happy with her history-making performance. She said: 'I'm proud of being the first woman to headline. There's nothing diminished about that.' The 'Tom's Diner' hitmaker recently marked the 40th anniversary of her self-titled debut album and admitted she never expected to enjoy the level of success that she has had. She said: 'I had expected to remain underground for most of my life. And it still may happen that I'm discovered after my death. 'Emily Dickinson sitting at her desk, what were her thoughts? Now we have schools named after her. So you don't know. I just prefer to think about what's going on right now.' Suzanne's latest album 'Flying with Angels' features "songs of struggle" but she gave it a more uplifting title than her original plan of 'Survival of the Fittest' because she felt it was what people "need". She explained: "But then if you call your tour ['Survival of the Fittest'] it sounds ominous or like a game show. So 'Flying with Angels' just felt to me like we need this now. We need protection. We need guidance.'
Metro
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Legendary singer reveals police advised her not to headline Glastonbury
Suzanne Vega has shared that police 'advised' her not to play her historic headline show at Glastonbury in 1989. Vega's performance at the Worthy Farm festival marked the first time a woman had ever headlined Glastonbury. In a new interview with The i, she shared that not everyone was happy about the step forward for female musicians, revealing she had received death threats ahead of the performance. She said: 'Scotland Yard sat me down and said, 'We advise you not to do the show.' I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'' Both Vega and the bass player she performed with had received violent threats, some even on the day of the gig. The singer continued, remembering that she agreed to wear a bulletproof vest during the show. 'A man from Scotland Yard took his and said, 'You'll have to wear this.' He was twice my size, so I had to gaffer tape myself into this giant bulletproof vest, and then put a denim jacket over it.' 'It felt like every song was 20 minutes long,' she continued. 'It was not comfortable. We were all nervous.' Despite the difficulties, she said, 'I'm proud of being the first woman to headline,' she said. 'There's nothing diminished about that.' An American singer-songwriter and author, Vega is widely regarded as one of the leading figures of the folk revival movement that emerged in the 1980s. She gained international acclaim with her 1987 album Solitude Standing, which featured the hit singles Luka and the a cappella Tom's Diner, later famously remixed by the British duo DNA, becoming a global dance hit and earning her the nickname 'the mother of the MP3' due to the track's role in early digital audio experiments. More Trending Since Vega's trailblazing performance at Glastonbury, there have been plenty of female headliners, with this year's upcoming festival kicking off on June 25. The event has dropped all its headliners with Neil Young, The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo taking the top Pyramid Stage spots and Rod Stewart in the Sunday legend slot. Elsewhere, Doechii, Charli XCX, Biffy Clyro, Alanis Morissette, Raye, The Prodigy and Noah Kahan are all billed on various stages, with legendary bands also cpeppered in the line-up like The Libertines, The Maccabees and The Scissor Sisters. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Fans giddy over prospect of A-list actor 'playing secret Glastonbury set' after Oscar nomination MORE: Missed out on Glastonbury tickets? Here's 5 'hidden gem' festivals you've probably never heard of MORE: Noughties icons accidentally announce they're playing Glastonbury 2025
