A One Night Only Exclusive with the Future of Esthero by Nadya Vlassoff
On a frosty March evening in Vancouver, Esthero is enthusiastically at ease with her temporary office space turned hair salon backstage at The Commodore Ballroom. In town for a one-night show last week on March 11 with Canadian hip-hop poet K’Naan, the sweet, sincere, self-confident yet delicate spirit of Esthero fills the dressing room like an underground flower in full bloom. Having worked and collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music world, from Dj Krush, Black Eyed Peas, and Nelly Furtado to Mos Def and Kanye West, it would only be natural to think ego would get in the way of a good conversation. Not with Esthero. To experience Esthero off-stage is as multilayered and multifaceted as both her passionate personality and music. However, Esthero, the artist, the producer, and the person combined, is a fully absorbing yet profound experience on a deeper level of substance beyond her own distinctive recipe of jazz, hip-hop, electro, soul, funk, and rock.
Sitting comfortably in her dressing room, getting her tumbling red locks touched up for the show, Esthero is chill and cool as she prepares to take the stage for her sound-check. Simply watching the hairdresser give Esthero a show-ready makeover is hypnotic on its own, as the Pink Pirate talks about her return to Vancouver. "I was here for the first time over a decade ago and I’ve never had the opportunity to stay here long enough to take in the city and be able to formulate an opinion on what the heartbeat of the city was like." Like most artists on tour, there's not much time to play tourist. "I liked it," Esthero admits, "and I like the vibe, but it’s always kind of a passing through city on the way to Seattle, Portland, and I’m usually only in the city for the night."
Esthero is passionately independent, strong willed and bratty, but also gracefully feminine and pink chic. Her smile lights up the walls as her unique, eclectic individuality becomes increasingly addictive. And it was Esthero’s compelling infectious, at times rebellious, spirit that initially drew both music insiders and fans to her soothing and soulful vocals when she burst onto the music scene back in 1998.
Soon after garnering the attention of almost every major record label, Esthero’s first release, the groundbreaking “Breathe from Another,” raised the eyebrows of music critics, insiders, and fellow artists and musicians with the songs "Country Livin' (The World I Know)," "Swallow Me" and "That Girl.” It was the release of “Breathe” that paved the way for years of future collaborations with a variety of big name artists – Sean Lennon, Goodie Mob, Sugar Ray, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and many more - on a wide range of projects. Her talents and collaborations then led to track contributions on such TV and movie soundtracks as Zero Effect, Go, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Slam, and Dawson's Creek plus a track on the 2002 video game soundtrack for James Bond 007: Nightfire. Between 1998 and 2004, Esthero was (and still is) one of the busiest and most sought after singers to collaborate with given her lyrical brilliance. However, within that time period, a new full-length Esthero album got lost somewhere in the creativity and didn’t surface until 2005 with the release of the top charting Wikked Lil Grrrls.
Now focusing on new music for her next full-length album, Esthero laughs easily, almost shyly in a way at questions she finds particularly amusing, but lights up even more about the new music she’s working on. As she reveals, sometimes the best things in life happen unexpectedly when you walk into the studio. "I went in in December and I booked four days to record two songs. Two days into it I had four songs. And nine sessions in, I had eight songs. Suddenly, I’m like, ‘I think I’m making an accidental album,’ which is great and really ironic considering it took seven years between the first and second one." After so many successful collaborations, now only three years removed from Wikked Lil Grrrls, how is Esthero approaching new music as compared to years past? "I’m approaching it," she says as the hairdresser's fingers dance over her head like an underground Riverdance, "I want to say fearlessly, but I definitely went in with some trepidation. I hadn’t been in the studio for my own stuff in about three years and I was a little scared."
“But I started getting confident,” she candidly admits. “I had these two songs in my head. I’m not the biggest songwriter in the world. I consider myself, and have always been, much more of a vocal stylist. I can take anything and make it very stylized and make it mine,” a sentiment any fan of Esthero’s would agree with. Still, when looking to the future as a well-rounded artist, a new challenge has given Esthero a different sense of motivation. “I’ve always felt like my song writing - some of the writing skills - lyrically, I’m pretty good, and I’m fairly poetic, but the song writing itself is something that I’ve always felt I need to conquer in some way and become better at.”
As Esthero continues to evolve in her own way, with the freedom to grow beyond the confines of a major label, she recently rose to the songwriting challenge to hone her skills after co-writing the new song "Human" for Brandi. But to improve and grow as a songwriter, the musically mysterious Esthero looks to the music world with a sense of grounded wonder. "When I look at people like Fiona Apple, who are incredibly observational and amazing, or even the idea of a simple country song - which I feel country music is the last frontier of real song writing in America - it’s the beautiful songs that can be broken down without drum machines, without horns, and can be in their simplest form, with a guitar and a voice or a piano and a voice, and be a beautiful song and the song gets through. And I’ve always been lacking in that area."
After 2005’s Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero took a break from releasing another studio album. While three years is not quite the same as the subsequent seven leading up to Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero confidently leans forward in her seat to divulge that she soon found the studio was silently speaking to her heart in a dual capacity. “One of the things that I am strong in is my producer brain,” she reveals. “When my producer brain kicks on, when I start to hear something in my head of how something should come out, that’s when I can’t deny it.” And there’s no denying that Esthero has a wonderful ability to focus on the moment, as she sits keenly zeroed into our discussion despite a sound check, which is only moments away. It’s a quality that may explain why she’s able to focus on the fusion of so many different styles at once within a multifaceted whole. This time, though, the music focused on her. "In December I started waking up from not being able to sleep at 3am and 4am in the morning. And I’d lay my head on the pillow and hear the symphony of a couple of songs and suddenly hear how the production was supposed to be and it wouldn’t leave me alone."
As for what Esthero has been hearing in her head in terms of new song direction, little did I know I was about to get a first-hand taste of what’s to come. When sound-check finally comes calling, the contagious energy of Esthero nearly kicks open the door. The Pink Pirate gets up from her seat with a smile, joins her awaiting band mates, and promises to pick things up later after the quick pace of preparing for a show
With only one night to spend some brief time with Esthero, the sound-check begins. An air of creative silence fills the empty concert hall that has played host to everyone from James Brown, Tina Turner, U2, and The Police to Nirvana, Coldplay, and Franz Ferdinand. It’s as if the spiritual imprints of past musical greats are collaborating to prepare the upcoming musical festivities - Lighting? “Check.” Sound? “Check.” Talent? “Double check,” as Esthero prowls around The Commodore adding her own versatile imprint to the venue’s storied legacy. Standing backstage with Esthero producer Chin Injeti, a singer in his own right who has shared the stage with the likes of Busta Rhymes, The Roots, Ziggy Marley, and A Tribe Called Quest to name a few, the musical supervisor soon joins Esthero where a meeting of inspiration, talent, and direction takes place on stage as the two stand together in their own unique bubble of brilliance.
With the sound-check complete, we make our way back to the dressing room to wind down the interview. With the show still an hour away, Esthero, however, has other plans …
And here we are, Esthero, her hairdresser, and me, on the street in front of the venue, as the more mature yet still “wikked” but balanced ‘lil grrrl” becomes the extrovert and flags a cab. Along for the ride, I quickly realize that despite her multifaceted personality and mystery surrounding her musical diversity, Esthero, in many ways, is just like you and me. After all, we are sitting in a cab, which lets us off at her hotel. Soon in her room, I get to see a more personal Esthero, the woman also known as Jenny-Bea, the small-town girl who she’s recently embraced along with her alter-ego. Although not too much the elder, yet much more worldly than my journey through life to date, Esthero opens up to share a special moment of guidance, like a mother giving a child advice about growing up and exploring the world for the first time. It’s another example of the many layers of Esthero as she offers me a listen of new material for her upcoming album.
Trying hard to find the right balance between press and fan while sitting in front of her laptop, the entire experience begins to feel like the crescendo of melody in “Everyday is a Holiday With You” from Wikked Lil Grrrls. I sink into a collection of blissful Esthero tracks that cross a musical divide from country crooning to heart-wrenching, almost pained chords and melodies. If "Heaven Sent" married the trumpet layers on "If tha Mood," and then had an affair with "Patiently," the end result would sound a lot like Esthero's new material. The tracks take you on an overdrive trip from gentle relaxation to spine-tingling trip-hop that blend seamlessly into gentle soul. If a kaleidoscope can shift colors with shapes, then Esthero's new material is a whirlwind of that lexiconic seed blended into a recreation of brilliance.
And while an hour earlier Esthero had mentioned that country music was the last pure form of songwriting left in music, as I listened to “Go” I immediately realize that it’s completely different from anything I would have expected from her. It is gentle, honest, and even reserved at times in an experimental way. The thumping bass is replaced by the twangs of self-expression. Since her shows have drifted more toward the intimacy of acoustic sets, “Go” gets down to the basics of songwriting and chord placement. Every note counts. The familiar twang is similar to anything you’d expect from a country album. But Esthero is not country, and her earlier music didn’t give an indication that she would have been up until this point. It is a bold step for Esthero and one that might shock fans who are expecting more trip-hop based tracks as in previous releases. In a way, though, it does what "Balmes" did, her collaboration with Ian Pooley, which produced a house track using a soul, R&B influence.
As fans can hear on her MySpace, “Black Mermaid” is stripped down Esthero, the Jenny-Bea, that small town girl who tried to keep from drowning in a big city world. In many profound and emotional ways, you can feel the vulnerability, the fear and the perseverance. “I’m a black mermaid, from the bottom of the sea,” she sings, waiting to save that one soul from despair. It is very distinct from anything she has produced to date.
“Everything is Expensive” is a softer song. At first it is not spectacular or noticeably catchy. It’s a complete change from “Go” and her earlier release, “Heaven Sent”. In fact it has an air of a 1950’s studio demo on a rainy day with the moody ‘60s vibe of the Mamas and the Papas. But this is exactly what the new material is, simplistic and beautiful to the point where Esthero is almost teasing her listeners, challenging them to really listen.
The last song I preview captures exactly what Esthero is. As interesting and diverse as the others are, something amazingly powerful offsets the new material. I’m not going to give it away and spoil the surprise. But like Perez Hilton said, “Get ready to eat a f***ing sandwich,” because Esthero, no matter how relaxed or reserved she might be on her other tracks, completely kills it on this one. She goes into it unabashedly with powerful vocals that tear through your soul and make you stop, listen, and wonder in awe that you were allowed a moment in time to experience something so personal and raw. Thank heaven for Esthero.
The tracks are different in a poignantly painful way, because it is simply Esthero. The new tracks feel different but more intimate and more exposed. As Esthero tells me, her concerns aren’t with the quality of material as much as being able to remain fresh and open for the creative process. "I’m less afraid of it sucking and more afraid of really not getting any sleep for the next year because I can’t focus."
Esthero is honest and humble, especially when it comes to compliments. After listening to “Go,” she asks from the bathroom what I think. When I tell her that I really like it (and, yes, I really do), she becomes slightly self-conscious in sharing something so intimate with a stranger she just met only an hour earlier. After all, Esthero’s music is her lifeline to her fans. They know so much about her, her feelings and emotions, what she likes and what she does not. For Esthero to fully expose herself musically is a welcome surprise since it feels like I’m intruding on a personal moment in her life off-stage.
When we arrive back at The Commodore, there’s not much time before the show begins. I thank her and she returns the sentiment as she pulls me in for a hug. Not a quick “Yeah, thanks for coming out,” but a real, meaningful hug . With the crowd buzzing with soulful anticipation, I prepare to leave, looking back to see Esthero one last time as she gets set to take the stage, appreciative of the unexpected events of the night. I walk out to join the crowd with a feeling of pure satisfaction in every step. As the crowd gets louder, I recall something Esthero told me earlier about her feelings toward the new music she’s working on, which mirrors the one-night only experience I just had. "I think it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of and one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s very different from what I normally do."
Esthero is cheeky but charming, brazen but bashful. An experience with Esthero is like taking a taste of something forbidden. For all the words in the world, it only needs to come down to one: Esthero.
As a fan, you must have been wondering how the hell to write something that was professional yet something that imparted your passion for Esthero and her music. Well, like she killed the last track on your sneak peek, you absolutely killed it on this article. One of the best pieces I've read in a while.
Sapna
March 19, 2009 - 15:57
Subject: writer
What a great article!! Simply reading this peice has made me more intrigued to go buy the album!!
nora
March 18, 2009 - 19:38
Subject:
loved the article. so true- I've loved her music since I was 12!! thank's to the writer for creating such a sincere piece!!
Scott
March 17, 2009 - 18:51
Subject: the author
is awesome! excellent writing! I agree with Robyn's point A.
Geoff
March 17, 2009 - 02:03
Subject: The Future
Agreed. I love esthero. The cool thing is her best music is yet to come.
Robyn
March 16, 2009 - 20:41
Subject: Esthero
I haven't finished the article but I gotta say: good writing about artists should make you a) want to go buy their albums/investigate their music further and b) kick yourself for not having seen them when they were in town/promise to go next time. So far, the writer's nailed both!! I only wish I'd been hip to Esthero before her show!
On a frosty March evening in Vancouver, Esthero is enthusiastically at ease with her temporary office space turned hair salon backstage at The Commodore Ballroom. In town for a one-night show last week on March 11 with Canadian hip-hop poet K’Naan, the sweet, sincere, self-confident yet delicate spirit of Esthero fills the dressing room like an underground flower in full bloom. Having worked and collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music world, from Dj Krush, Black Eyed Peas, and Nelly Furtado to Mos Def and Kanye West, it would only be natural to think ego would get in the way of a good conversation. Not with Esthero. To experience Esthero off-stage is as multilayered and multifaceted as both her passionate personality and music. However, Esthero, the artist, the producer, and the person combined, is a fully absorbing yet profound experience on a deeper level of substance beyond her own distinctive recipe of jazz, hip-hop, electro, soul, funk, and rock.
Esthero is passionately independent, strong willed and bratty, but also gracefully feminine and pink chic. Her smile lights up the walls as her unique, eclectic individuality becomes increasingly addictive. And it was Esthero’s compelling infectious, at times rebellious, spirit that initially drew both music insiders and fans to her soothing and soulful vocals when she burst onto the music scene back in 1998.
Now focusing on new music for her next full-length album, Esthero laughs easily, almost shyly in a way at questions she finds particularly amusing, but lights up even more about the new music she’s working on. As she reveals, sometimes the best things in life happen unexpectedly when you walk into the studio. "I went in in December and I booked four days to record two songs. Two days into it I had four songs. And nine sessions in, I had eight songs. Suddenly, I’m like, ‘I think I’m making an accidental album,’ which is great and really ironic considering it took seven years between the first and second one." After so many successful collaborations, now only three years removed from Wikked Lil Grrrls, how is Esthero approaching new music as compared to years past? "I’m approaching it," she says as the hairdresser's fingers dance over her head like an underground Riverdance, "I want to say fearlessly, but I definitely went in with some trepidation. I hadn’t been in the studio for my own stuff in about three years and I was a little scared."
As Esthero continues to evolve in her own way, with the freedom to grow beyond the confines of a major label, she recently rose to the songwriting challenge to hone her skills after co-writing the new song "Human" for Brandi. But to improve and grow as a songwriter, the musically mysterious Esthero looks to the music world with a sense of grounded wonder. "When I look at people like Fiona Apple, who are incredibly observational and amazing, or even the idea of a simple country song - which I feel country music is the last frontier of real song writing in America - it’s the beautiful songs that can be broken down without drum machines, without horns, and can be in their simplest form, with a guitar and a voice or a piano and a voice, and be a beautiful song and the song gets through. And I’ve always been lacking in that area."
As for what Esthero has been hearing in her head in terms of new song direction, little did I know I was about to get a first-hand taste of what’s to come. When sound-check finally comes calling, the contagious energy of Esthero nearly kicks open the door. The Pink Pirate gets up from her seat with a smile, joins her awaiting band mates, and promises to pick things up later after the quick pace of preparing for a show
And here we are, Esthero, her hairdresser, and me, on the street in front of the venue, as the more mature yet still “wikked” but balanced ‘lil grrrl” becomes the extrovert and flags a cab. Along for the ride, I quickly realize that despite her multifaceted personality and mystery surrounding her musical diversity, Esthero, in many ways, is just like you and me. After all, we are sitting in a cab, which lets us off at her hotel. Soon in her room, I get to see a more personal Esthero, the woman also known as Jenny-Bea, the small-town girl who she’s recently embraced along with her alter-ego. Although not too much the elder, yet much more worldly than my journey through life to date, Esthero opens up to share a special moment of guidance, like a mother giving a child advice about growing up and exploring the world for the first time. It’s another example of the many layers of Esthero as she offers me a listen of new material for her upcoming album.
And while an hour earlier Esthero had mentioned that country music was the last pure form of songwriting left in music, as I listened to “Go” I immediately realize that it’s completely different from anything I would have expected from her. It is gentle, honest, and even reserved at times in an experimental way. The thumping bass is replaced by the twangs of self-expression. Since her shows have drifted more toward the intimacy of acoustic sets, “Go” gets down to the basics of songwriting and chord placement. Every note counts. The familiar twang is similar to anything you’d expect from a country album. But Esthero is not country, and her earlier music didn’t give an indication that she would have been up until this point. It is a bold step for Esthero and one that might shock fans who are expecting more trip-hop based tracks as in previous releases. In a way, though, it does what "Balmes" did, her collaboration with Ian Pooley, which produced a house track using a soul, R&B influence.
The last song I preview captures exactly what Esthero is. As interesting and diverse as the others are, something amazingly powerful offsets the new material. I’m not going to give it away and spoil the surprise. But like Perez Hilton said, “Get ready to eat a f***ing sandwich,” because Esthero, no matter how relaxed or reserved she might be on her other tracks, completely kills it on this one. She goes into it unabashedly with powerful vocals that tear through your soul and make you stop, listen, and wonder in awe that you were allowed a moment in time to experience something so personal and raw. Thank heaven for Esthero.
When we arrive back at The Commodore, there’s not much time before the show begins. I thank her and she returns the sentiment as she pulls me in for a hug. Not a quick “Yeah, thanks for coming out,” but a real, meaningful hug . With the crowd buzzing with soulful anticipation, I prepare to leave, looking back to see Esthero one last time as she gets set to take the stage, appreciative of the unexpected events of the night. I walk out to join the crowd with a feeling of pure satisfaction in every step. As the crowd gets louder, I recall something Esthero told me earlier about her feelings toward the new music she’s working on, which mirrors the one-night only experience I just had. "I think it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of and one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s very different from what I normally do."
