Audra Mae Interview: SXSW 2010

Audra Mae crafts country-tinged songs that combine a well-honed pop sensibility with a literary propensity for vivid, evocative imagery. Alternately haunting and ebullient, the Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter's voice is equally at home on yearning, countrified torch songs and radio-ready rave-ups. Audra Mae's new album, 'The Happiest Lamb,' will be released on May 18th, and she'll be on tour with Good Old War this summer. She will make her first appearance at SXSW this year.

How would you describe your sound?

It's like Gypsy cowgirl soul. It's sort of like a cross between Patsy Cline and Janis Joplin but maybe more like Bonnie Raitt.

Who else would you list as your influences?

I grew up with a lot of Led Zeppelin and a lot of music theater. I've been really comfortable on stage since I was little. Not that I'm all over the stage with jazz hands or anything, but when I sing a song, I don't just stand there and look scared and sing it.

You have some very famous branches in your family tree. Your great-aunt Judy Garland and cousin Liza Minnelli are obviously legendary performers. Do you think that lineage influenced your decision to become a performer?

I think it definitely brought me a lot of my talent, but I didn't really decide [to become a performer]. I've sort of been doing it my whole life, so, really, it was just a matter of which way to go with it. I don't think anyone who's known me since I was born would be surprised that I'm a performer.

Are there a lot of performers in your immediate family, as well?

Yeah, my dad is an actor; my stepmom ran a children's theater my whole life; my mother's mother ran a theater in Vegas her whole life; her dad played in big bands, so she traveled around a lot, playing in the brass section and stuff. So, they're all sort of freaks. It's like a circus pack of gypsies or something.

Do you have any musical guilty pleasures?

Oh, yeah: The Pussycat Dolls -- some of their songs seep into my head. And, of course, Beyoncé -- but I think Beyoncé has been around long enough that even the indie kids can't hate on her anymore. She's just a badass. Justin Timberlake; all that corny pop stuff. I love it.

You wrote a song for Susan Boyle's album. Has the success of that album opened any doors for you?

It's definitely got my name out there more. It's perfect timing because my album comes out in May. You could not ask for better promotion than that. The biggest blessing in all of it is that my name got out there as a songwriter before it did as a performer. And that was really important to me.

Do you approach writing songs for someone else differently than you would writing for yourself?

Well, if it's specifically for somebody, then you want it to make sense for them to sing it and think about them and who they are and give them something they'll be happy to sing. And when you're writing for yourself, a lot of times it can be biographical. You have a lot less constrictions when you're writing for yourself because you can just make stuff up -- make up a story. You can't really do that if, say, you're writing for Faith Hill or something. A lot of my songs would make no sense for Faith Hill to sing -- a lot of the stuff that's on my record -- but it's still fun to write a pop song.

Beatles or Stones?

Oh, that's really not fair! I gotta say the Beatles. That band had a lot of great songwriters in it that went on outside the band to write amazing things. I'm partial to John Lennon, but I wanna be Mick Jagger.

What's your biggest vice?

Cigarettes.

Are you embracing smoking, or are you one of those people that are constantly trying to quit?

I'm one of those people that believes that the second you say, "I'm never going to do it again," you're putting it in your future to do it again. Because I've quit before, cold turkey, and it's been no biggie, for years, and then all of a sudden I'll pick it back up. So, I have no idea. I'm riding the wave at this point.

You're on SideOneDummy Records, whose roster is composed primarily of punk bands. What drew you to that label?

To me, it really does not make sense to take a huge record deal, and try to make a record and then sell a bunch of records to pay back that label. Because they don't just give you money; it's like a bank loan. And the more money they loan you, the more say they have over what you do. And that just does not sound smart to me at all. When SideOne came along, it was the perfect situation because it was a small label, and they just wanted me to do whatever I want. They were sort of like, "Let's see what happens when we put you in the studio." And I'm really proud of what we came up with. It was a good fit, and they let me do whatever I want. Who else is gonna let me do that? Nobody.

So, being amongst all those punk bands -- it wasn't like the first day of prison where you have to beat somebody up to prove yourself?

No! Are you kidding me? A lot people in punk music, and especially the people that have been doing it for a long time, are some of the nicest people you've ever met. And a lot of them are sort of like hillbilly punks, too. The Reverend Peyton and that band -- so sweet. And my dad rode motorcycles his whole life, so I've always gotten along with the rough kids.

Looking ahead to SXSW, what'll be in your festival survival kit?

Shoes that are really good to walk in, sunscreen, probably like a s--- ton of ponytail holders, sunglasses and lots of water. Cash for the little guys on the bikes with the carts.

Who are you looking forward to seeing at SXSW this year?

I'm looking forward to seeing everybody. I've gone down the list about a thousand times. My friends Gum are playing, and they're from Oklahoma. I grew up with those guys, and it's so random that we're both playing SXSW for the first time the same year. I'm really excited about them.


Jason Jach is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.