Lana Del Rey: What does not kill you makes you weaker (interview)

[Nightwolf 41]

You are Czech too ? 

 

Almost, but no. I'm Slovak. And thanks.

[EVOL 9]

Interesting interview, thanks for posting... 

[Nightwolf 41]

OK, here you go, guys.

 

Who was the last person to tell you that you look good?

I think my manager. I had a show yesterday and when I went on stage, he whispered to me, that I look great. So he did and also the manager of my tour did.

 

I wonder how often does a woman like you hear similiar things.

It warries. I lived in New York for a long time and there it was sometimes enough to go grab a coffee across the street, and a strange man immediately came up with a compliment. "Do you want sugar in your coffee? I don't think you do, you're sweet enough already..." People in New York are extremely friendly and engage you in conversation just because. Something like that happens a lot.

 

Appearance plays an important role in today's pop music. Do you thing this role has changed distinctly, for example in comparison to the 60s or 80s?

I wouldn't say so. The 60s for example had extremely strong aestetics. Pop of the 60s was even defined by its visual form. Boots, dresses, big hair and strong eyeliners, it was all very important. Same as Elvis for the 50s and all the elegant guys in great suits with him. Then in the 80s came hair metal and glam, in the 90s the "I don't give a damn about anything" attitude... Every decade had something. But to tell you the truth, I don't really care about my image that much. It's true that certain image allways pops up to plenty of people when they hear my name, but it's never been my priority.

 

You mentioned Elvis. The greatest stars of american pop music were almost always solo artists with certain stage „role“. Be it Elvis, Marilyn Manson, Madonna, Lady Gaga, or you. While Britain has been musically defined mostly by music bands. What do you think makes this difference?

I think a lot of it has to do with film. Especially the invention of close face detail on screen in the 50s. It basically invented the mold of movie stars as we know them today, especially American movie stars. And it changed everything. And it was Hollywood that had big influence on American music. Musicians started to present themselves more like movie stars.

 

Allegedly you also wanted to be in band, but your record company insisted you should be solo singer. How do you see this decision in retrospective?

It's true. I don't know how you found out, but it's true!

 

It's on Wikipedia.

Oh! You know, I always wanted to be a part of the band mostly because I didn't want to be critisized for myself, if somebody didn't like my music. And it was clear to me that, sooner or later, something like that would happen. I let everything get to me and I knew I could be an easy target. That's why I wanted to share the stage with other guys and hide myself behind them a little bit.

 

You studied philosophy and metaphysics. What brought you to it?

When I was sixteen, philosophy was the only subject that spoke to me. I also liked English, but that really reached out to me. I bumped into a group of people who wondered why we're here, where we came from, how the thing we accept as our reality came into its existence. I always asked myself these questions, but no one could answer them. So I went to study on the best philosophy school in America. That's New York Fordham University in Bronx, where I moved at that time. It was very interesting.

 

Can the study of metaphysics be any benefecial for a musician or other artist?

Definitely. Every dive into spiritual questions or questions about who we are, are fantastic roots for dark and moody music.

 

Did you find answers for your questions? Or do you at least have your favourite theory about beginning of things?

I believe in the big bang theory and theories derived from it. It's generally accepted theory about how the first molecules started to form and how life itself began. It still, however, doesn't answer the question of what was happening before that. What was, before the molecules came to be. Neither philosophers nor scientists found answer yet. So there's still a lot to explore.

 

On the ring finger of your right hand you have tattoo that says "die young". What exactly does it mean for you?

I like the saying "live fast, die young", it makes me feel alive. But I don't want to die young, it's more of a reminder to live fast.

 

You are a Catholic. Isn't it a bit of a blasphemy? Aren't you afraid?

It's more of a joke with God. And it's also a bit of a reminder of my past. I had a bit of a wild period and this captures how I felt then and what was going through my head. Actually, I'm more careful today thanks to that.

 

While we're talking, The Doors is playing on your laptop...

Yes, The Doors. There's nothing better than proper "mojo"...

 

History of pop music if full of people like Jim Morrison, who died young and that made them immortal. Why do you think are people so attracted to that?

It's just the most classic kind of story. There are archetypes of a young hero, who dies in battle. Rock star, one in million, dies young. Be it Jimi Hendrix, or Jim, they're immortal, because they were completely amazing and special, but the rest we only know from stories. They didn't have time to grow old, maybe even screw up their whole career. They died young and beautiful, at their peak. Which is very romantic and sad.

 

Do you recon there is certain religious aspect of self-sacrifice? An artist dies on a cross of his own fame and his art becomes evangelium...

I wouldn't dare to say that. But for people, who literally live and breathe for music or other form of art, can easily happen, that the imaginary pendulum suddenly swings from geniality to madness. And it tends to happen to the most gifted few.

 

You worked for five years as a social worker in community centre. How did you get into that?

I'm not qualified for the job, but yes, I was in it. I worked in a rehabilitation centre for alcoholics and drug addicts. I used to have big problems with alcohol myself, but when I was eighteen, I was clean and I decided to work with people, who had the same problem and help them get back into society.

 

What was the experience for you?

It was often sad, but I really liked doing it. I learned my life lesson there. Care of the others and necessity of being fully devoted to their problems made me very happy. It't the exact opposite of music, where basically everything is revolving around me. But it's of course beautiful to have the option of telling stories through my music. And through my music videos. I love making them.

 

Your music is relatively sad and melancholic. Is that what you are like? Do you ever sing something happy just for yourself?

Of course. But, just so you understand, even my sad songs have certain happy vibe for me. I love dark blues and jazz melodies and I love romantic songs.

 

Your first record wasn't succesful, while your second record was one of the most succesful albums of 2012. Do you take it as a preparation for eventual failure, that might come in the future?

That's a really interesting question. But in my case, failure doesn't work as a good preparation for a next failure. There's a saying:What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but it never worked that way for me. It was more what doesn't kill you, at least makes you a lot weaker. It always just makes me doubt myself more. And that unsuccesful period of my career was really very hard for me. I really believed in my songs and it was important for me that people relate to them. And when it didn't work out, I felt really bad about it.

 

Your performance on SNL caused very negative reactions as well. Newspapers reported, that you consider interrupting your tour and getting singing lessons. Is there any truth to that?

It's not true. I never took singing lessons. That wasn't very happy time in my career either. But that's just how America is. As soon as they don't like something, they let you know loudly.

 

You're a face of clothing line for H&M that's stylized after David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Is it a type of aestetic that works for you?

I was more put into it, it wasn't something that I would choose myself. But I love the song Blue Velvet.

 

I have to say, you and David Lynch look like a good pair. Do you like his movies?

Yes. I like some episodes of Twin Peaks. Funny thing is, that when I was nineteen, everybody was telling me that I look like that girl, that was murdered in Twin Peaks. I also like Wild at Heart with Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. That's a great one.

 

You're allegedly a fan of Liverpool and Celtics. Which is not very usual for an American girl. Are your Scottish roots behind it?

My boyfriend is from Glasgow and I have Scottish origin. So people around me would probably murder me if I was a fan of anybody but Celtics. Also, my manager lives and breathes for Liverpool. So the two men of my life influenced it like that.

 

Do you know off-site? I don't want to underestimate you, but people in America play American football more...

Of course. However, I admit, sometimes I wonder, why the referee whistled, but then I tell myself: Of course, off-site.

 

You recently proclaimed that a succesful music career is not a priority in your life. What is?

I would like to come back to work in community centre in Brooklyn and Bronx one day. Of course I love making records and videos, but I feel that in more personal work with people, one on one, I can be more effective, than when I sing to the crowd. At least that's how I feel.

 

Hopefully it's a bit more comprehensible than Google Translate. Feel free to point out any typos and other sorts of fails, as I'm sure there are bound to be many .

[Rafael 3,512]

Also, my manager lives and breathes for Liverpool. So the two men of my life influenced it like that.

 

THERE'S STILL HOPE 

[plush 656]

Such a wonderful interview

[Tyler 840]

Do you know off-site? I don't want to underestimate you, but people in America play American football more...

Of course. However, I admit, sometimes I wonder, why the referee whistled, but then I tell myself: Of course, off-site.

I haven't play soccer in a couple years, but I think "off-site" is supposed to be "offsides". It's a kinda confusing positioning rule in soccer.

[technicolor 241]

I love that she likes Wild at heart.

[alexzdelrey 122]

i love how candidly she talks in her interviews. she used to be pretty guarded.

[Creyk 11,521]

I love how she finds that happy place, even in her sad songs. I feel the same way about them!

Like Last Girl On Earth...it's one of her saddest, but it's so beautiful it only makes me happy.

[slang 1,509]

So if something DOES kill you, does that make you stronger? The only sense I can make out of that would be it makes you stronger if it forces you to reinvent yourself (May-->Lizzy-->Lana). Still I wish all her inventions were out there taking hits in the pop music scene (even if the painful kind). It could only make pop music stronger.

 

I think Lana's fanbase is actually growing on her earlier works on youtube, so it perplexes me she seems down on them. May Jailer was never attempted commercially, and Lizzy Grant was kind of mismanaged and aborted commercially. So I wish the words "unsuccessful" and "failure" could be qualified or probed a little more in these interviews to get a sense of what happened. Can anybody really know how much AKA Lizzy Grant would have sold if it hadn't been pulled? The article also doesn't ask about the intentions for the leaks/unreleased, which is another mystery, but may imply most interviewers don't know about them? Still a good article, though.

[PrettyBaby 2,213]

TBH I don't think Lana can really do much to talk up her unreleased material and previous albums right now, in light of her contract with Interscope. There's probably something to prevent her from competing with herself in ways that don't benefit her label.

[evilentity 13,308]

i wonder what doors song she was listening 2. i will judge her if her fave is light my fire~~

Come on, you know it is.

I’m telling you, her favorite Doors song is Light My Fire.  

I'm sure you'll be absolutely shocked to see which Doors song she put on this playlist of her favorite songs for BEAT magazine:

 

 

11. The Doors – Light My Fire

 

 

Wait, before you roll your eyes, she played a different Doors song when she hosted Theft of the Dial on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm sure you'll be impressed with what an obscure, non-cliché track she selected, plucked from the depths of the Doors catalog:

 

 

7. The Doors — "Break on Through"

 

 

[Lanakai 661]

I'm sure you'll be absolutely shocked to see which Doors song she put on this playlist of her favorite songs for BEAT magazine:

 

 

 

 

Wait, before you roll your eyes, she played a different Doors song when she hosted Theft of the Dial on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm sure you'll be impressed with what an obscure, non-cliché track she selected, plucked from the depths of the Doors catalog:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm more shocked Wicked Game is not on there!!!

[BENTLEY 3,494]

Wow I'm Czech and I had no idea such interview even existed. #flop