Beth Hart: Peace within myself

Just recently we told you a story of American blues rock singer/songwriter Beth Hart (InRock #52/2012), but since then we had a chance to meet her in person at «Guitare en Scene» festival in France. Beth, as emotional and charming in real life as in her music, open and frank, almost ready to hug you for a good question, talked to us about her life and her beautiful music.

Beth cares to establish deep understanding with her audience, and isn’t it something that deep that every true artist strives for?! And we must say she truly succeeded in in this. Her previous album «Don’t Explain», a gorgeous selection of covers for soul & blues classics, recorded together with well-known guitarist Joe Bonamassa, achieved all possible awards and won critics’ applause. Beth’s new CD «Bang Bang Boom Boom» out in October. We are more than sure it should repeat the success of the previous one. Besides this time it’s not covers, but all-original material written by Beth. We talked to Beth about how «Don’t Explain» has changed her, about the energy and inspiration beneath the new record, about who and what supports her every waking hour, and surely, why blues is the best cure for love. Meet one and only – Beth Hart.

To see your set live was one of my special goals for Guitare en Scene festival, along with ZZ Top. And I really hope there would soon be the day when you come to Russia. That would be really cool, if you come together with Joe Bonamassa or on your solo tour!
Oh, thank you! Thank you! Oh, yes, I hope so too! And I think that this or next year it will happen. I’d been hearing from my label, that we might come in the next 6 months or smth like that. And that would be really amazing, because I’ve never been to Russia.
You’ve been coming to play in France for some time, but It’s your first appearence on Guitare en Scene festival, isn’t?
In this town & on this festival — yeah, but we’ve been playing a lot in France, ever since Don’t Explain record. And it’s really great, because Joe told me about this festival, and I always wanted to play here, like everybody wants to play here, but none of my records connected through until the record I did with Joe Bonamassa.
What was the special moment for you today, during the gig? That little thing that clicked?
It’s a grin that I look for in the audience, it’s something that lets me know, they get it and that it’s affecting them in some way. And when it happens, it’s very very special! I think it’s the ultimate moment for all of us in the band, we want so much to connect with people. Because if it was as we just wanted to play music, I mean, we could do that at home, in a garage, but we want to get a connection! And for me when it happens, it makes me feel like I’m not alone in my thoughts, with my songs. And if I get that I know that I’m creating like a family or friends circle.
And I think today it definitely happened, I really felt it in the audience, this connection. As people really felt how open & frank you are with them in your songs. And for me personally it was the moment when you were singing Chocolate Jesus.
Oh, really, you felt it, yeah? Oh, great, thank you! And yeah, I love that song, I loooove that song!!!!
Do you think may be it’s possible to sing it together with Tom Waits?
Oh, my god! I think if I meet him, I faint. No, seriously, because I’m such a huge huge fan. I spent sometimes hours all day just going on youtube and watching his interviews. TV shows he did in the 70s, 80s, 90s and now. I can’t get enough of his brilliance, he’s so special, honest, wow!
And I think you two will rock it off…
Oh! God, I’m not sure if he’d like me, but I’m sure would love to do it! That would be so cool!
On Dont Explain record which song is your favourite & most special?
Well… Probably Don’t Explain itself. I think it’s one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
I must say that when I first saw you singing it on the video, I burst into tears… really…so I kinda understand what you mean…And that was a moment in my life when I needed to hear something really strong & beautiful like this song. But it’s a sad song about loosing your love, breaking up and pain, and at the same time it gives so much energy…Love is the best source for the blues, isn’t it?
Yeah, but it’s beautiful. In terms of love, well, sometimes something doesn’t have to last forever to be successful. And I hear people always talking about love like is it still happening. I mean you could be with someone for one hour and be so deep, so close, that it will change your life. And then for some reason that goes away, but this was a success, this was amazing. And it means that ahead this is something new waiting for you, that’s exciting!

How was it for you doing Don’t Explain record with Joe Bonamassa & what do you feel after its great success?
You know it changed me! Because when I first started playing music, not as a young young child when I was very into classical music, but when I began to do singing with the music, the music I really loved was Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, of course, and Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington. And this music had so much soul! And I loved folk writers like James Taylor, Carole King, there’re so many artists I loved! But that kind of music, there was no market for it, and I was looking to get a deal. And then I got caught up in really heavy rock’n’roll, then my band broke up and I started really diving into deeper songwriting. I had such a good time these years, but when I got to do the record with Joe, because it was the covers’ record, I got to go back and revisit all these people that I was so moved from as a young person. And it all almost was like they said, it’s okay for you to do this now! And so for my latest record that I just finished right before I came on the road here, and it’s coming out this October, I got to write this music, that’s coming more from this cloth. And I think this was simply because of Joe Bonamassa and that album kinda said okay, go here. And the audience reaction to Don’t Explain is like — okay, there’s a place for this music. So it changed me, you know! I’m 40 years old now and everything is opening up to a new place for me and a new world of music, and obviously touring, but the writing process is changing. It’s really hard, because I’ve been in a comfort zone over here and now, at my age, breaking into something new is a bit scary, but it’s even scarier to stay where I was. And it’s very challenging!

So in October we will be opening a new album and a huge part of your inner world? I can’t wait to hear it!
Yeah, thanks a lot! Well, we’ll see!
And can we have a quick overview of the upcoming album, your special moments of working on it.
It was really different, especially after singing some stuff written by people like Billie Holiday. The song “Don’t Explain” really inspired me for a song I just wrote called “Love is the baddest blues” (named “Baddest blues” on the record — K.M.). And in the verses it’s all those kind of jazz changes, the haunting melody and then in the chorus it switches more sabbath, more agressive, but it’s an interesting mix. And then we’ve got songs that are reminiscent of the 40s. I have some swing in there (like a song Swing My Thing Back Around — K.M.), and I never wrote a swing song before. And I’ve got some gospel too, which I’ve been written before, but it’s more up tempo gospel. So it’s a very eclectic mix. well, like Don’t explain record is very eclectic too.
But likes this it shows very different sides of you…
Yeah, I think so, I hope so…But it was challenging, very challenging. I wrote a lot of songs. I did a lot of co-writing with other people & it was wonderful, and I did a lot of writing on my own. And in the end it was like I wrote about 50 songs, and only 39 were completely finished, and we had to choose. So it was very challenging, but I think it was worth it, and I think it’s a good record!
I’m really anticipating! And what was your favourite collaboration on this , like a special one for you, in terms of songwriting?
Mmm, I really love to write with Juan Winans, with whom I’ve never been writing before. He’s a part of the Winans family which is like a royal family in U.S. when it comes to gospel music. They are the ultimate in gospel music, all great singers, all very famous writers. and I got to write with him for the first time, he was so spiritual and beautiful. His heart was wide open and so kind. He is very young and he was so respectful and encouraging to me and we wrote a song about my love for my husband (With You Everyday — K.M.). It actually comes from a French saying. I don’t know how to say it in French, but what it means is: I love you more today than I did yesterday, but I Love you less today than how I love you tomorrow. And I love that…

You’re a so expressive on stage and in your songs, you are sharing so much energy, what’s motivating you to get through the day in ordinary human life, you know, like what do you think when you wake up?
Well, sometimes I surely wake up in a good mood, sometimes — in a bad mood, but at this time in my life I think I wake up being so grateful that I get to be with my husband Scott. He is so very gentle and sensitive, and funny, and supportive, and hard-working. And he really believes in me! And sometimes I get very insecure with myself, I don’t think I’m good enough and stuff like that, just like most people, you know. But he is right there to say: “No! You are good enough and I believe in you! Put a smile on your face, get up and go work out, eat some good food, and pray, and be thankful! And go to work!” So he really is like spiritually important in my life. My marriage is everything to me, more important than anything else.
So when I go to make a music, I’m hoping that I will continue to have this hunger to express, I will be so broken-hearted if it ended, because I do like it a lot.
Looking at you now, honestly, I don’t think that would come to an end. And I think for many years you were living with the label that people had put on you that you are the new Janis Joplin, but now seeing you on stage I feel that you are completely free out of all labels.
Oh, thank you! That is really very important for me to hear! Because surely I love Janis and all those rock’n’roll soulful singers, but at this time in my life I’d like to move into my own skin! I heard this wonderful phrase that Miles Davis said, it’s very inspiring to me: “It takes sometimes a lifetime to know how to be yourself”. And for me it’s like “wow, so true!” Because when we grow up we wanna survive, and sometimes we behave this way or that way, and we can get along, get an opportunity. Then at some point you just kick it off and say: I just gonna be myself!
And at some point in this you don’t care what others say about you being yourself, you are not letting their pressure in your life, do you?
Well, I always care, I’d be a liar, if I said I didn’t care. But now I feeling more peace within myself. May be I’m getting older and I’m just too tired trying to be something else. And it’s kinda feels better just to wear my own shoes.