ROCKWIRED INTERVIEWS BLAIR TEFKIN

SOMETHING
PERCENT
INSPIRATION
BLAIR TEFKIN TALKS TO ROCKWIRED ABOUT
GROWING UP HOLLYWOOD
HER ONE-WOMAN SHOW
AND
THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF SONGWRITING

WRITTEN BY BRIAN LUSH

BLAIR TEFKIN has written and recorded the official soundtrack to every bad week that you can think of. You know the kind of weeks that we’re talking about. The ones where you catch wind of bad news that has to be broken to a stranger, and do whatever you can to make your inadequacies, adequate enough for that apple of your eye. This is why ROCKWIRED is pouring a glass of red wine and chilling out with BLAIR TEFKIN and her 2001 release SHOCKED AND DEVASTATED.

SCI-FI fans will remember her as ROBIN MAXWELL from the 1983-84 miniseries V but ROCKWIRED knows her best a captivating singer songwriter with a cats purr voice and a sound that marries RAVI SHANKAR, KATE BUSH, JULIANNA HATFIELD with elements of BOHEMIAN JAZZ.

ROCKWIRED spoke with BLAIR over the phone on a cloudy Thursday afternoon. Here is how it went

How did you get into music?
I was on a date with a guy in a band and on the night of our date I watched him rehearsing and he was so into it and I just had this envy all of a sudden. I’ve always loved music and I was jealous the he had this band, so I picked up the bass. It all started out of envy really.

You’re still doing music. Did the relationship survive?
No (laughs) It only lasted that one date but it was enough to get me into playing music . And it wasn’t even about playing in a band or writing songs at first. I just wanted to play along to BOB MARLEY.

You formed the band LUCIE GAMELON and you played LILITH FAIR back in 1998. How did that happen?
I had a development deal with POLYGRAM PUBLISHING and my publisher had sent out a four song EP we had recorded and brought it to the attention of SARAH McLACHLAN’S manager. He wasn’t interested in signing us but liked it enough to suggest that we play on LILITH FAIR. So we had three dates on the tour and it was the best!

Do you miss that whole era of pop music?
Not really. I actually like what going on in music now. I miss having a band. Some of the best things in music are happening now. I love BRIGHT EYES. They’re the most thrilling people in music for me, right now.

What are the differences between LUCIE GAMELON and your solo material?
It’s all one piece really, because I wrote the music, got it all published and found the musicians to put the band together around my singing and songwriting. The songwriting hasn’t changed but the creative input from people like BRIAN and BERNARD YIN always has an impact.

Do you miss acting for television at all?
I love acting and I love doing music. Its always nice to be doing something creative.

What’s that like?
It’s just where I grew up so because of that, maybe I’m a little less star struck. I started acted acting when I was five and went to school with kids of actors. It was just what I knew.

Tell us a little about your one-woman show IN THE LAND OF THE GIANTS.
That was an amazing experience and it was kind of an outgrowth of the band and wanting to do songs where people could really hear the words and the narrative. I wanted to do something more narrative based and it took me two years to write and produce it. It was great. The play was a comic narrative about my life as a child actress in a crazy family and that sort of thing. The production was backed by my band; my guitarist from LUCIE GAMELON, BERNARD YIN, who is amazing. MICHAEL KRAMER played drums. It was basically an hour and a half of constant music underscoring the narrative with songs in between.

Are you playing out at all these days?
Nothing right now. I just got some PRO-TOOLS software and I’m learning how to record at home, I’m just writing now. I haven’t been performing but I hope to.

SHOCKED AND DEVASTATED was released in 2001. I’m sorry that the website (rockwired.com) says 2000.
You know, that’s my mistake, I shouldn’t have put it on the artwork of the CD. It was like the end of 200 and in print I thought 2000 looked better than 2001. By the time I released SHOCKED AND DEVASTATED it was 2001.

So now you’re learning PRO-TOOLS. Is there a new CD in the works?
Right now, I’m just writing. When I have enough songs, I’ll put together a new CD. I have other songs I’ve recorded since SHOCKED AND DEVASTATED. I’ve put a couple of free mp3 tracks on my website (blairtefkin.com)

Since SHOCKED AND DEVASTATED is how ROCKWIRED knows you best, what do you want listeners to walk away with after hearing it?
A melody in their head or a lyric in their head

What are you listening to now?
As I said earlier, I love BRIGHT EYES. I think they’re amazing. I like FIERY FURNACES and THE LIBERTINES. It’s kind of all over the board with me.