Tulip Frenzy

Did we know that in interviews, Neko talks just like the lyrics in a Neko Case song?  Here are some random lines from the great interview in Pitchfork.

On growing up with nonfunctional parents:

“Going through that is character-building, but it also gives you a shit ton of anxiety that’s really difficult to be responsible for later in life—you fucking pay for it later. It’s not a “I blame my parents” thing—that’s a hard job and everybody has to do it. But you can’t just have all these live wires and let them spark all over the place. You have to reign that shit in.”

On being a musician in Canada:

“Musically, Vancouver was so fantastic. It’s a Canadian thing—the population is really small compared to the size of the country, so if you’re in a band long enough and you tour enough, you get to know most of the other musicians, and most of the musicians in Canada play in three bands because of the necessity. [laughs] It was a fantastic exercise in cooperation and just helping each other out, which I really appreciate. I never understood the theory of moving to New York or L.A. to make it—if you want to be noticed as a drop of water, why would you move to the ocean?”

On being “a lady pilot/who’s not afraid to die”:

“Right around that time, I started writing some songs, and there were a few lady musicians in Vancouver. I was like, “Fuck, we can do this.” That’s also when I learned not to be threatened by other women in music. I had always been a little jealous, but that’s when I realized being jealous isn’t necessarily a bad thing: It just means you want to be doing what they’re doing. It’s not their fault you’re not doing it. It’s your fault! It’s like, “Go make friends with that person and tell them they’re awesome and mean it and help each other.” Once I fully I embraced that, I felt like a complete human being. I started my own band at the same time the New Pornographers started. We all came up together and we’re still together.”

On the comfort of certain music when one is depressed:

“I didn’t like music at all around 2010. I was depressed and I couldn’t listen to it. It was an irritant. Not because it wasn’t good, but because of where my mind was. But I figured out that I could listen to ragtime music and Charles Mingus, so those were my go-tos. Ragtime was really reassuring, just like, “Keep going, everything’s gonna be OK.” Ragtime sounds like hives of bees, like, “We’re working. We gotcha.” Productivity! Happiness! The trailing off of a good time down the hall. That sounded very comforting.”

It’s all a great read.  Especially if, like us, you are looking forward to seeing her shows in D.C. this coming week.