Kathleen LaGue Press

Women of Mp3.com Interview
Interview with Kathleen LaGue

WM: Name/Instrument?
KL: Kathleen LaGue. I'm a singer first and foremost, and I also play electric and acoustic guitars. When I play solo shows, so it doesn't get boring, I play my old '57 Martin acoustic through several electric guitar pedals, and when I play with my band I play electric cuz it's more fun and easier to rock out (and it cuts through unlike an acoustic does).

WM: Hometown/occupation?
KL: I was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, earned a psych/art degree, then moved to NY in '86 and now I live in Nashville--now there's variety for ya. I'm now looking to move to L.A. in the near future. I love the weather and opportunity out there. In addition to being my own record company, touring as much as possible, and songwriting (which I never get enough time for), I also act in TV commercials and industrials (Toyota, Service Merchandise, AT&T, Diet Coke), just did a PAX TV pilot for a drama, and I do voice-overs for radio and TV. When I was in NY I did a lot of modeling on Seventh Avenue, which I mostly found boring and draining, except for the runway shows, which were fun (sort of like a GIG!). But it paid well and afforded me to save to buy some property and make my first record!

WM: How did you get started?
KL: Well, way back--choir throughout school and starring as Lucy in the sixth-grade play. Then...fast-forward...answering an ad for a lead singer of a rock band when I moved to NY, which led to show bands (singing cover tunes for weddings and corporate events), which led to a touring gig as one of a three-girl group, "The New York Singers," who toured with Fernando Periera a famous Portuguese singer. We did all the TV shows in Portugal and Brazil and toured for a few years. Wigs, costume changes, show tunes, the works! We were treated like royalty and had a blast. But I still craved doing "my own thing." So I started commuting to Nashville to write my own songs, learned how to play guitar and started to figure out what I might have to offer as an artist.

WM: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
KL: Uhhhh, what free time? I'm doing what I love and sometimes I forget that there are other things in life besides music. So besides playing with my darling boxer dog, KC, and working out, I am VERY focused, too focused, as some of my friends will attest, on my work. But, I do enjoy a good movie now and then and I try to maintain a relationship with my boyfriend.

WM: What difficulties have you had to overcome?
KL: I've been married and divorced--which at times was difficult. But, a great growing experience (not to mention the entire focus and fuel for the songwriting on my CD.)

Developing my own style, I had to, at times,"unlearn" lots of things I was trained to do as a classical singer. Coming from a large, conservative, Midwestern family upbringing, I had to learn how to take more risks and be more confident that I could go beyond what was seemingly within my reach.

WM: How do you get inspired?
KL: Emotional strife. Mine and other people's pain and/or victory. Listening to others' music that touches me.

WM: What kind of discrimination have you had being a woman in the business?
KL: Well, the premise that being a women you might not know as much as the guys---be it in the studio--or technically on the stage. And--if you know what you're talking about and you know what you want and you express it--some might call you a bitch--where as they might call a guy doing the same just a guy with confidence. But, usually, if I can talk to the discriminating person for a couple minutes, things change.

WM: What is most frustrating for you as a solo independent artist?
KL: The business work is never done, there's always ONE MORE way to try and get exposure and sell more records. All the distribution, mailing list maintenance, web- site creation and updates, tour booking and publicity really is overwhelming and I find I spend hardly any time at what I really need to be doing--writing more songs and creating music, playing more guitar and recording new songs all the time. I do love the creative control and ownership I have of my music though. It's a trade-off: Give it up to a major (and still maybe never get a break--like many of my friends) or work your ass off and take all the responsibility and the control and sell those records one by one!

WM: What has been the high point of your career?
KL: Playing in front of almost 10,000 people last month when I opened for John Hiatt! What a rush!! or, perhaps while playing in front of 30 or so people in a small club, watching two girls start crying and hugging each other while I was singing "Play One for Me." Having one of my songs really touch someone and affect how they look at life is what really makes it all worthwhile.

WM: What other artists do you admire?
KL: I love Patty Griffin--her writing and her ballsy voice; Patsy Cline--for the progress for women in country music; Madonna--for her marketing genius and work ethic, Sheryl Crow, Sara McClachlan, Shelby Lynn, Macy Gray, Cat Stevens, Tony Bennett, Al Jarraeu, Chris Cornell, Beth Hart, Shania Twain.

WM: Recommended MP3.com bands:
KL: Katoorah Jayne--My friend and rockin' chick I met in Nashville who moved to London. Shenloop--My drummer and an incredible soul, Michael Organ. Bird York--Cool artist who I just met in L.A.