Lana Interviews With Inquirer.net: "I was very wild."

[Sitar 22,172]

 

LOS ANGELES—“I was very wild,” admitted Lana Del Rey, who recalled her troubled past in our interview. The singer-songwriter suffered from alcoholism at a young age. “I went to a boarding school (Kent School in Connecticut), which was unusual because I’m from Lake Placid (New York).” She was only 15; her parents sent her to Kent hoping she would get sober.

“We didn’t know anyone who ever went to boarding school,” recounted Lana, a striking beauty in a black top and skirt, sunglasses perched on her head.

 

Dark side

She had told GQ about her alcohol addiction: “I was a big drinker at the time. I would drink every day. I would drink alone. I thought the whole concept was so f—ing cool. A great deal of what I wrote on ‘Born to Die’ is about these wilderness years. My parents were worried, I was worried. I knew it was a problem when I liked it more than I liked doing anything else. At first it’s fine…you think you have a dark side—it’s exciting—and then you realize the dark side wins every time you decide to indulge in it. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

Even then, Lana felt her artistic drive. “In my heart of hearts, I really wanted to be creative. I was really looking for direction and validation, for someone to say it doesn’t have to be business; you could do something where your entire life will end up being an extension of your profession.”

 

Choir cantor

Lana, who is of Scottish descent, said she wrote her first song at 11 years old. “It was called ‘China Palace.’ It was about being a princess.”

She always hoped she had talent, said Lana, who was raised a Catholic. “I was the cantor in my church choir. I was an angel in Christmas pageants. I just really liked to sing.”

The New York native, whose real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (her former stage name was Lizzy Grant), added, “Even at a young age, I really wanted to have a career. I didn’t know if I could. That frustration was part of what led me down that path. I do have inspirational people in my life—people I met along the way who aren’t really well-known.”

She made special mention of one such individual, Jane Powers. “She’s a real estate agent. I met her seven years ago in New York and I loved her. I really wanted to be a singer. I would say, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen.’ She’d say, ‘God didn’t save you from drowning just to beat you up on the shore. All you really need is patience when you have persistence.’ She’s just an angel.”

 

Creative inspirations

She cited her father, Robert England Grant Jr.: “He’s another wonderful person. I have a lot of creative inspirations. I love (Federico) Fellini. There’s a documentary about him, ‘I’m a Born Liar,’ that was really interesting.”

Bob Dylan inspired her, she said, in “the way he kind of created his own history and which allowed him to create his own future. I moved to the West Village (New York) because I loved this era in the 1960s when they were creating a new world.”

Lana loves the ’50s and ’60s so much that she described herself as “gangsta Nancy Sinatra.”

On her relationships which have included a record label executive and musicians, Lana confessed, “I’m usually the one who’s not to be trusted because I’m never quite sure. They say when you know, you know. I’ve never known. When you continue in things even though you don’t know, that doesn’t exactly make you trustworthy. I’ve had disappointments in relationships that I was really hopeful about, but never because the person was dishonest—maybe not entirely himself yet.

 

Big karmic picture

“I was lucky to be in a relationship for a long time where so many coincidences happened within the relationship, almost like finishing somebody’s sentences. I’ve been lucky to be, without sounding loopy, almost psychically connected on another level with someone. It really set that relationship apart from others that felt good but maybe, I realized, weren’t as meaningful in my big, karmic picture of life.

“Unfortunately, he hadn’t been feeling well for four years. Eventually, I decided to move on and try something new. I’m traditional, I guess, looking for something that makes everything even more beautiful than it already is.”

Is she in love now? “Maybe,” she replied with a smile. Lana is reportedly dating Francesco Carrozzini, an Italian fashion photographer.

As for her music career (her third album, “Ultraviolence,” debuted on top of Billboard 200 last year), Lana said, “I feel that the three records were so heavy and autobiographical. It’s been so cathartic. I like to use my previous work as a jump-off point to do something new.

“I’m ready to go into more of a ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds’ surrealist place. That’s why I really do like what I heard about Fellini and all of the movies that were overdubbed and the actors were counting and not saying lines. I couldn’t believe that.”

 

New album

Lana’s new album, “Honeymoon,” includes her cover of Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”

The singer-composer, whose “Big Eyes” from the movie of the same title earned a best song nod in the recent Golden Globes, exulted the power of words.

“I’m one of those people who believe that words are some of the last forms of magic that exist,” said Lana, who earned her first Grammy nominations last year. “If you can alter people’s feelings through rhymes, couplets and melodies, it’s really a fun job to have. I find myself sometimes going back and forth between writing autobiographically and living vicariously through my own lyrics.

“It’s a form of escapism for me in some ways, now that I don’t go out much. So, definitely, if you’re lucky enough to do what you love, it can be your whole life. I’m very lucky.”

She described her songwriting process: “I like to write at night. I lived in New York for 10 years. I never thought I’d move to the West Coast. Now that I’m in California, I find that I actually love writing when it’s really hot. So I like summertime; I’m a sun chaser. Everything is summertime. I’ve been banned from incorporating that word.

 

Love and the tropics

“I like to be in love when I’m writing. I like anything tropical and exotic, anything Tahitian, Hawaiian.”

Lana took it hard when her early work was panned. “I’ve been sad for different reasons. I have my own personal reasons. I was disappointed when I was criticized early on for those records that I was attached to because I considered myself a writer. Maybe the way I looked got in the way. That was disappointing for a few years.

“New York was my big inspiration. And then being on TV in New York and feeling like it didn’t really go that well (her ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance of two songs that was criticized)…and moving to the West Coast and reorienting everything. It was a lot to change.”

Asked how she is now, Lana, 29 and about to embark on a concert tour this year with Courtney Love, answered, “The first thing I need is to be happy, which can be difficult when you tour for seven months out of the year.”

 

Source: http://entertainment.inquirer.net/163131/lana-del-rey-i-was-very-wild

 

Some pictures:

 

[longtimeman 8,066]

This is brilliant, but seems so familiar ...

[CarcrashBandicoot 759]

Interesting. Thanks for posting 

[Lad 8,795]

Can't wait for Tahitian Tropic on Honeymoon

[Constantine 4,070]

“I’m ready to go into more of a ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds’ surrealist place. That’s why I really do like what I heard about Fellini and all of the movies that were overdubbed and the actors were counting and not saying lines. I couldn’t believe that.”

 

I wonder what that means

[leaked_version 10,498]

For some reason, I have this suspicion that a lot of the new songs will sound like Big Eyes.

[PARADIXO 31,595]

<3

[BlueJeans 2,603]

Oh it's nice to read about her, it's so quiet on LanaLand ! But like said earlier; nothing new.

 

I'm very excited to hear this summery record, I really need something like that from her now.

[MahaMaha 1,110]

No more autobiographical lanalysis 

[kitschqueen 579]

From The Big Karmic picture paragraph on I thought this interview was rather refreshing. She opened up a little bit more about how she ticks, what she likes, and what we should expect from Honeymoon. I find it's very rare that she offers new information as most of her interviews are just rehashes of things she's been saying since 2012. Wish this would have been a jumping off point in the interview as opposed to being the intro to such a short section of "new" info. Also,  

 

“The first thing I need is to be happy, which can be difficult when you tour for seven months out of the year.”  how sad/frustrating/defeating

[whitman 1,286]

Her comment about the upcoming tour is completely disappointed, I'm not really hoping anything new from this tour she will probably sing the same songs over and over. I wish she was more passionate about performing as as much as writing.

Personally I'm much more interested in personal lyrics rather than realistic ( maybe that's why I hate St peppers lonely heart club) that's why I thought the smartest move she could do is actually take a time to write something new. But her comments it's interesting at least she knows she need something new and fresh.

[Constantine 4,070]

 

New album

Lana’s new album, “Honeymoon,” includes her cover of Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”

The singer-composer, whose “Big Eyes” from the movie of the same title earned a best song nod in the recent Golden Globes, exulted the power of words.

“I’m one of those people who believe that words are some of the last forms of magic that exist,” said Lana, who earned her first Grammy nominations last year. “If you can alter people’s feelings through rhymes, couplets and melodies, it’s really a fun job to have. I find myself sometimes going back and forth between writing autobiographically and living vicariously through my own lyrics.

“It’s a form of escapism for me in some ways, now that I don’t go out much. So, definitely, if you’re lucky enough to do what you love, it can be your whole life. I’m very lucky.”

She described her songwriting process: “I like to write at night. I lived in New York for 10 years. I never thought I’d move to the West Coast. Now that I’m in California, I find that I actually love writing when it’s really hot. So I like summertime; I’m a sun chaser. Everything is summertime. I’ve been banned from incorporating that word.

lolz!

[leaked_version 10,498]

Not really feeling this interview. This Fellini thing worries me a bit. Has LDR become an artisté now?

[longtimeman 8,066]

 

 

I find myself sometimes going back and forth between writing autobiographically and living vicariously through my own lyrics.

 

Interesting...

 

Also, I wonder what she means by her three records.

[thatsomason 1,201]

Interesting...

 

Also, I wonder what she means by her three records.

Most likely BTD, Paradise, and UV

[LiamViljoen 908]

Not really feeling this interview. This Fellini thing worries me a bit. Has LDR become an artisté now?

She crossed that line with Tropico

[TRENCH 15,342]

Most likely BTD, Paradise, and UV

LDR AKA LG who? whats that?

[leaked_version 10,498]

Interesting...

 

Also, I wonder what she means by her three records.

Born In The USA, Born This Way, Born To Die.

She crossed that line with Tropico

or with: I was in the winter of my life....

[ilovetati 15,295]

I hope that Lana's interest in surrealist lyrics (and the reference to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) means that she will retain the psychedelic rock sound. She's great at combining genres and I could definitely see Honeymoon being a hybrid of jazz and psych-rock/dream pop.

[Creyk 11,495]

WTF, why can't she use the word summertime?

It obviously has something to do with Summertime Sadness and how successful it was, but what...why?

Idgi but it seems so annoying to be restricted in that way...what if this prevents her from coming up with another masterpiece in the vein of Summertime Sadness?