White Poppy [Interview # 135]

1) Being a one woman show, what made you decide to record music under the moniker White Poppy instead of just using your real name?

I’ve always liked the idea of having band names and monikers for music projects. I guess it’s a way to have a bit of separation from your personal identity.

2) Your newest album is called “Drifters Gold”.  What’s with all the colors?

Drifters Gold is the title of a book of poems that I was inspired by while making the album. Also, my connotation with the word gold was treasure, not colour. ;)

3)  You’re are on a label called Constellation Tatsu, who have released “Drifters Gold” on cassette.  I used to think that record labels weren’t so important in the 21st century, yet when they release cassettes and records they seem like they can be.   Even especially because your tape is part of a summer package, which hey, maybe somebody might buy to hear The Motion Sickness of Time Travel but then get your tape and fall in love.  Do you feel like record labels can still play a role in music in 2013?  

Yeah I think record labels are beneficial in a variety of ways. It’s true that they aren’t as needed in the modern age, you can do things yourself if you want to. But, you may miss out on being a part of a community, gaining connections, and benefiting from the experiences of people who are already on the path you want to be on. The nice thing about a lot of record labels now, is that they aren’t as rigid as before. Also, there is such a wide spectrum that resides under the term “record label”. A record label can be a friend of yours who dubs tapes in their bedroom, or it can be a big corporate business, and everything in between.

4)  And how important do you feel physical releases are in this day and age?  I really like cassette tapes and records, so having them available is cool to me.

I like physical releases. I wouldn’t feel satisfied if I finished recording an album and then just put some mp3’s online. I like to think about the art and the packaging, and I like trading physical items with people. Also, who knows what will happen to the Internet and computers. Imagine if all music became digital and then there was a massive computer crash and everything was destroyed? No history of the music from the 2000’s. Cassettes and records will probably survive the apocalypse and future humans will find them lol.

5)  You covered the song “Last Christmas”, which is one of maybe two holiday songs that I actually enjoy as an original (The other being the one about skipping Christmas this year, by the Waitresses).   I feel holiday music (aka Christmas songs) to be somewhat weird because I like music I can listen to all year round and not just during the month of December.  What is your take on the holiday jams?

I did that track for a cover song compilation that I put together. The idea was to kind of poke fun at the ridiculous tradition of bands doing Christmas recordings and covers. I find most Christmas music to be pretty horrendous and awful. I thought it would be an interesting project to take these overly joyous and festive songs and kind of mess them up and make them weird.

https://soundcloud.com/whiteoutcomp/sets/whiteout

6)  Final thoughts, plugs, shout outs, tips for visiting Canada, etc…??

I have an LP coming out on September 3^rd, and I will be heading on my first White Poppy tour after that. The dates can be found on my website: http://www.crystaldorval.com/

Shout outs to all the good people in the world. Tips for visiting Canada? Um, don’t bother? Just kidding. Come in the summer and visit the gulf islands on the west coast. J