CORINNE WEST

Interview by Natalie K.
December 14, 2007
http://www.corinnewest.com

Estrella: Can you please state your name and any instruments you play?
Corinne: My name is Corinne West and I play rhythm guitar.

Estrella: What do you think the major differences are between your debut album, and your newest one, Second Sight?
Corinne: On my first record, I produced that myself, so a lot of what I had done was learning as I went. On Second Sight, I worked with the producer Mike Marshall and also did live takes from the studio. The end result was completely different and the way the songs came out is different in that I was not at the helm of the project, I was working with someone. On that level there was some great differences, but I am not so sure what that difference would be to a listener but on the inside it was vastly great.
Estrella: Was there a big time difference with how long it took you to make the second album compared to the first?
Corinne: There was a big time difference on the second one. Both I was touring and Mike was touring so we would be going in for a session and then have up to a month break if one of us was on the road. So it took much longer to make the second record.

Estrella: Do you have a certain process when writing a new song?
Corinne: No, sometimes I will get a hit off of a melody, sometimes I get a hit off of a lyric and sometimes they come at the same time. There doesn’t seem to be any chartable science to it except for to have something around me at all times to write it down or sing it into a little tape recorder so that when I actually sit down I have got whatever actually came out right there at my disposal.

Estrella: How many songs did you originally write for the Second Sight album?
Corinne: For Second Sight I had about 14 but there wasn’t a huge number of songs to choose from, but I felt comfortable with all of them. I think we landed just fine. We recorded one more, but it just didn’t make the cut.

Estrella: What song are you most proud of and why?
Corinne: Well, I think one of the songs that hits home with me the most is not on Second Sight, it’s on Bound for the Living, it’s the song “Angel”. I think “Angel” says a lot.

Estrella: Do you have any touring plans for 2008?
Corinne: Yeah, I’ll be in the UK, both Scotland, Ireland and England for about five weeks in April. I will be in Florida after that and my schedule is filling up as we speak. I tour a lot so it will be a busy year.
Estrella: Do you ever tour with just yourself, or do the acts change a lot?
Corinne: I never play solo, but I do rotate the musicians that I perform with.
Estrella: Do you get to pick them, or is it by who is available?
Corinne: I definitely pick them; it is a mix of in-between. I will have calls out to people that I respect and then it’s a matter of availability. If I am on a month long tour, sometimes some of the players can’t go out for a month so it might end up being two weeks and two weeks. They are definitely hand picked players.

Estrella: What is something that you have always wanted to do, but have not done yet?
Corinne: Jump out of an airplane.
Estrella: Skydiving? Do you think you will do it?
Corinne: Yes, usually if I put my mind to something, I end up doing it.

Estrella: Is there any song that you never get sick of hearing?
Corinne: “Earthy Street” by Peter Gabriel.
Estrella: Any particular reason why?
Corinne: The opening melody, it’s haunting, it’s delicate, and it says a lot without saying it directly. It says he’s masterful and it rocks my world.

Estrella: What is one of your favorite lines in one of your songs?
Corinne: I don’t have a favorite line actually. Every line that gets taken out of context in a song seems a little empty without the music and the padding and the other lyrics.

Estrella: If you could see any band or artist perform any song live, what would it be and why?
Corinne: Well, there are a lot of heavy answers for that questions but I think it is between seeing Queen perform a “Rock Opera” and seeing Pink Floyd perform ‘The Wall’. The reason for that is they are epic pieces. Either that or Elton John perform ‘Captain Fantastic’. They are epic pieces, and they were themed albums that had theatrics that went along with them and I am too young, I missed the boat. Again, they are just masterful; I wish I could see that.

Estrella: Do you have any last comments?
Corinne: No, thanks! I appreciate you giving me the call and having the interview.