A restless career that is much more than The Kills: artist, frequent flyer, rock icon.
25 years of the kills – and the world obviously doesn’t get enough of the garage skirt by Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hinc. After their tour to the celebrated comebackalbum God Games, they delivered US concerts as support from Queens of the Stone Age. Standstill was never an option for Mosshart.
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We have intercepted the musician commuting between their residences London, New York and La. A conversation about her art besides the kills, dark times for the music industry, and why she likes European festivals.
In the past few months you have seen many projects, musical and artistic, including an exhibition of your own pictures in New York.
That was my first exhibition for some time. Above all, the first one in which someone can come into a room and see it, which is pretty funny. I am so lucky to be asked for constantly being asked for incredibly great things.
You also attended a Patti-Smith benefit concert in the Carnegie Hall in New York. How did you experience that?
That was very important for me, because I grew up with Patti Smith’s music. I’ve never been so nervous. Suddenly Patti Smith sits and watches all of us singing their songs. It was back to the roots, daredevil. Totally nerve -wracking.
And then there was a gig in honor of Mark Lanegans in London, where you sang. How did it come about?
It was incredible to be asked. I was surrounded by people who were very close to the Mark, worked with him for a long time or played in his band. I only met Mark once when I sang stoges songs for James Williamson’s record with him. These were demos, apparently recorded in a garage on cassette, and we literally tried to find out what sings about the hell Iggy. I really liked Mark and was a fan since I can think. I was totally shaky and couldn’t believe that I was allowed to sing with this guy. It was a very special day that I will never forget. Singing his songs was a huge honor, but also scary. With five songs, these are a lot of words that you can screw up. We only had thirty minutes to rehearse, then sound check, and suddenly it starts. The whole text whirls through your head. Everyone is nervous and hope that they will really be able to do it because it is for Mark.
Where do you come from creative energy from juggling so much at the same time?
I have the feeling that everything somehow exists, but I try to organize my creativity a little. I like to get fully involved in something. It is difficult to learn these cover songs; A lot of effort and great pressure. When I painted for the art exhibition, I only heard Patti Smith’s songs. That was almost manic, but also fantastic.
This year there is a big tour for The Kills.
I really want nothing more than tour around the world with our record God Games. It is this strange feeling that I have not all reached with this album. And that is really important to me, because I worked so hard on this plate with Jamie; We are so proud of it. But going on tour is very difficult. It is so expensive that basically you can hardly do it. It was a bit heartbreaking that there are so many cities and parts of the world that we could not drive into. I try not to be depressed.
Jamie and you seem to have an incredible chemistry.
I am now 46 and got to know Jamie at the age of 17. He is one of the funniest people ever, we are very close. In addition to my family, I only know a few people for so long. We are best friends and have already gone through so much. That welds together.
How do you feel the audience at festivals? Coachella has recently sparked a discussion that the music is increasingly putting the music into the background so that the audience has no connection to music.
I don’t blame the audience for that. Music now belongs practically two people; It’s a huge money machine. There is no more money for artists. If we could make people cancel their Spotify subscription and all the crap, artists would finally pay and the music would be something special again. At the moment it is a huge commercial gig. What kind of relationship do people have to bands or music when they listen to this or that clip for thirty seconds? I don’t blame the music fans, but I would encourage them to make things something special for themselves. Stop supporting certain things. Listen whole plates! Your body, your brain will be happier.
That sounds almost dark.
We live in a strange time of capitalism and consumism, and that’s really dark. I could write books about it because I have long said that this would happen. My way to consume music has not changed. If I like an album, I buy it. I know how much it costs to produce a record, how much time there is and how much is sacrificed for it. Ultimately, we do it all because we love it. There is a strange gap between production and consumption of a plate; It does not harmonize. So Coachella doesn’t surprise me; It has been going in this direction for a long time.
What about European festivals?
I love all these small, cool European festivals in cities with maybe 10,000 people. This is the right way to experience music, discover bands and have a great time. Big shows are also great, a real challenge and exciting. But yes, you want to establish a connection to the audience. I constantly write new things and therefore want to talk to people. This is a bit old school and probably a romantic attitude.
What happened to your band The Dead Weather? Could there be a new album?
With Dead Weather there was never really a plan; We all have our jobs. It was a wonderful coincidence that four very good friends had free time and could make music.
Will there be a new album?
Who knows. I could say no, and then we’ll do one tomorrow. This is the band without a plan, and I like that.
What’s next on your wish list?
I really want to make a kills plate; I love working with Jamie so much. This is my baby and always has a top priority for me. Everything else is just the icing on the cake. With every project that is completely outside the comfort zone, you learn so much. I am addicted to think: “Oh my god! I don’t know how to do it” and then do it.
Interview: Ruth Heer