INTERVIEW: Acclaimed Actress Rebecca Pidgeon

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Hi Rebecca, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

Great. Thanks for having me.

Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Underwater Boys”?

Underwater boys was written by me and David Batteau. I had written the music and melody on a bass guitar, which was new to me. David wrote the lyric based on Y Tu Mama Tambien.

Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?

We had been writing songs based on movies we’d seen, just for fun. I find I get inspired by a character in a movie or book, and then want to write from that point of view and inhabit that character. It is kind of thrilling to enter another’s  world and explore a life very different from one’s own. But you find bits you can relate to in your own life all the time.

The single comes off your new album Sudden Exposure to Light – how did you come up with the idea of making a double record?

The double record idea was David Whitehead’s who is managing me. I had amassed a lot of material. In fact I already had a record all produced and finished when I started on a second body of work. This we took to Thomas Bartlett who produced it, and it ended up having a completely different feel to the first record I had made with Fernando Perdomo. So we had these two very different records and we were wondering how the heck to bring them out. David said what about a double album. I thought is was a great idea.

Was that always the initial idea or it rather evolve into this?

It just evolved because of a lot of work building up over time.

Would you call this a conceptual record?

No.

What’s the story behind the title?

The title song refers to a revelation I had and a profound change in my life. An emergence from a kind of co-dependent addiction, into a stronger sense of self and a sense of meaning. It is a song about no longer needing validation from dubious outside sources!

How was the recording and writing process?

The first record was made at Reseda Ranch Studios in LA with Fernando Perdomo producing. That was a very fast process. We made one song an afternoon basically. Fernando is a great multi-instrumentalist. I had these fairly comprehensive demo’s I’d already made, so we built on them. Fernando put in real drums where I had loops.  We kept a lot of the tracks from the demos in fact, particularly the my vocals and guitar parts. Then Fernando added guitar, drums, keyboards etc. It was just the two of us in the studio. I remember Fernando saying at one point-“Let’s put an aerosol can in here like they did in Os Mutantes” (The Brazilian band. In the sixties they made their own instruments, and used an aerosol can spray as percussion). So he dives behind a sofa and produces the can, and we promptly recorded it. Very nice.

The second I made with Thomas Bartlett at his Reservoir Studios in New York. Again, this was just the two of us. We started with the demos I’d made, but Thomas really stripped them back, and my guitar centric songs became mainly piano based in his (magical) hands. He is quite a virtuoso pianist. Many of these songs are influenced by movies, and he plays movies in his studio when he records- so we watched the film to go with the song we were recording. No sound from the film of course. It was an interesting way to watch them. It turned them into silent movies with our music as the soundtrack.

The writing process to me is a magical time of dreaming and basically mucking about with instruments. Mainly the guitar. I have to be quite disciplined about it and clear my calendar. It’s really hard to describe the writing process because I actually don’t really know what it is.  It’s a kind of wandering around in ones mind trying to find a series of musical intervals that speak to one. Sometimes you set out to do one thing, and come out with something totally different. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you don’t. It’s tempting to be hard on yourself when things aren’t working. Sometimes you wonder how the hell you ever wrote a song in the first place.

Was the process any different to your previous work?

Earlier in my career I used to write alone, but I’m working with David Batteau now so the process is more give and take. I like it very much because often I’ll get jaded with a piece but David will say, no you’re wrong, pursue it, and then I’ll be glad I did. We can work off of one another and that’s inspiring. Bouncing ideas around can take you to fresh places. I think he is a wonderful lyricist, and his lyrics will often surprise and delight me. Also they spark more ideas in me. I think he’s taught me a lot about writing words.

What was it like to work with Thomas Bartlett and how did that relationship develop?

It was David Whitehead’s idea to approach Thomas. I listened to his work and was so impressed, and was delighted when he wanted to produce the record. He was great to work with. Often his ideas were a revelation to me. He added such a lot to the songs. He is brilliantly musical. We had a great time and enjoyed the work. There was a lot of “ooh ooh ooh what about this?” going on.

How much did he get to influence the album?

He produced “side A” of the double album, and it has him all over it. He turned the songs into piano based songs and his arrangements are superb. Also I made him sing backing vocals because I love his voice. He has a great sensitivity.

How does your acting background influence your music and the other way around?

I enjoy pretending to be other people. This is also apparent in my songs which are often about “characters” I find fascinating. I like telling stories and enacting them. I am fascinated by different people’s experience of life and the world, and different states of being. I have a drive to express something. I’m not sure how to put it. I love the writing of Samuel Beckett. It is harsh, beautiful, makes no sense but expresses emotions so truthfully somehow. Like good poetry. I have the urge to express things that are hard to express in every day language. (Now I’ve forgotten what the question was). Great writing in theatre and poetry inspires me in my songwriting. I don’t know how music influences my acting. I am musical and enjoy working on scripts that are written like music. Like Beckett. Like Mamet. Like Pinter. Checkov.

What were some of the personal reflections you got to explore on this record?

The question is too hard. Lots of stuff.

Where else did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?

I found inspiration from music I love and artists l love. Paintings. Ballet. (I love Pina Bausch and Mats Ek).

Any plans to hit the road?

Yup. I’m playing this Saturday at Hotel Café in Hollywood, and then again next month.

What else is happening next in Rebecca Pidgeon’s world?

Hopefully I’m gonna act in Dave’s next play. And I’m writing for my new record!

For detailed concert information, please visit: rebeccapidgeonmusic.com.