Working with PJ Harvey, Mike Watt and J Mascis Hasn't Made Tiffany Anders a Jerk: A Q&A

I met up with Tiffany Anders recently at the East Village watering hole Odessa. Over a veggie burger we discussed what it was like being a 26-year-old female musician living in NYC. Leaving Seattle in '98, Anders came to New York City because she wanted "something to kick her butt and to see different kinds of people, not just people who played in bands and were white and 25." Last year, she recorded her first full-length album, Funny Cry Happy Gift (UP Records), in Brooklyn's FireProof Studios with PJ Harvey producing. Within a cup of coffee or two I learned that being the daughter of filmmaker Allison Anders, singing on Dinosaur Jr's Where You Been and collaborating with Mike Watt doesn't always make you a self-centered, cocky jerk.

 

How did you become acquainted with J Mascis?

I was a really big Dinosaur Jr fan so I wrote him a letter when I was 14 and he wrote me back. I think the only reason he wrote me back is because I mentioned what kind of guitar I just bought.

Which was?

Gibson Les Paul Jr. I was just getting into those guitars at that time, so I started going to his shows in L.A.

It's pretty funny that he responded to a fan letter. That doesn't happen very often.

Yeah, I know. Plus J isn't the easiest person to get to know.

Did being the daughter of Allison Anders push you creatively?

I don't think it's helped me. I can't just be like, "I'm Allison Anders' daughter, give me a job." But I think that we're a lot alike in that we're both extremely creatively driven.

Did your mother hinder you in any way because there were higher expectations?

No, my mom always thought that I should play music.

When did you first know that you should play music?

When I was living in Los Angeles. There were these things called magnet schools, which were basically public schools that were trying to integrate sections of the city. So I would get bused to this elementary school in South Central L.A. My mom signed me up for their music school. There were only like two other white kids in the class and the chorus...was entirely black. It was really hilarious how the principal would come up to me and be like, "Don't you have any cousins, brothers or sisters that would want to come to this school?"

Was it then that you learned to play guitar?

No, I sang in the choir and I played clarinet.

Yeah, I remember those days, like in sixth grade when the teacher decided that it would be a good idea for everyone to play the recorder. I saw a guy today, when I was getting off the subway, and he was playing something like "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

I remember that. That sounds funny.

NYC is filled with singer/songwriters. How do you differentiate yourself from the slew of musicians constantly playing places like Sidewalk Cafe?

I just try and distance myself from that as much as possible, especially from the singer/songwriter title.

I know some people think the term is derogatory.

I mean, J Mascis wrote all the songs in Dinosaur Jr?why isn't he a singer/songwriter? I don't think Elliott Smith gets called a singer/songwriter. Certain people get it, certain people don't.

Before you recorded Funny Cry Happy Gift, did you know how you wanted the songs to sound, especially the backup vocals and drum parts? How does it work?

First I four-track everything and put as much stuff on there that I can. Then in the studio you just come up with ideas for overlapping. I had wanted drums on some songs, but it was kind of Polly's [PJ Harvey] idea to hold back on that, because she liked the quality of the four-track tapes and didn't think I should overpower the songs. I agreed, so J came in and did those drum parts.

I heard you handed PJ Harvey a tape and she liked it so much that your record was the first one she ever produced.

I did. I saw her on the street in New York and I gave her a tape. I just finished making a tape and I was taking a walk and listening to it on my walkman when I ran into her. It was a really big debate whether or not I was going to give her the tape. I stood there awkwardly for a couple of minutes, not letting her leave. Then I gave it to her.

When did you hear back from her?

She called my mom two days later and asked when I was playing again. So she started coming to my shows. PJ was a fan of my mom's and my mom had gone to a couple of her shows. My mom said PJ was the most humble, sincere person and thought we would really hit it off and that I would be inspired by her. I was already a fan of hers, so I really wanted to meet her.

How hard is it to promote yourself in NYC?

That's absolutely the worst part. I hate it. I don't like to be like, "Oh, I'm great, come and see me play." It's kind of torturous. But my whole attitude with New York City is that I was sick of Seattle because it was one little scene and nobody ventured out. Seattle had this twentysomething scene and I felt like all these people were eventually going to drop playing music and get normal jobs and have their normal lives.

New York is definitely the place to do it. A lot of people have that same idea, though, and they get swallowed alive and move back to whatever small-town city they're from.

Everybody in Seattle said I would have a difficult time finding people to play with, so I just had in my mind that I wasn't going to have anyone to play with and I would just concentrate on writing songs and playing shows on my own.

Do you think you would have had all these opportunities if you weren't living in New York?

I feel like it could have only happened here. I know I would have continued playing music in Seattle, but I really wanted something to kick my butt?just in terms of being independent and structuring myself.

And to be 25 and have accomplished something?

Yeah, and the sense of independence and freedom is really incredible. And I like that people do a bunch of things in order to pursue what they want to do. PJ said the same thing about the city and having this independence factor.

Was it imaginable that PJ Harvey would be in the studio playing with you?

It was totally like a dream, not only because I admire her work so much, but also because she was such a good producer. I couldn't have had a better producer. Plus she flew out here on coach and stayed with me because I couldn't afford to put her up in a hotel.

Imagine seeing PJ Harvey in the morning. That's a lot people's fantasy.

Yeah, and she was just really cool with everything. So when she asked me if I was happy with everything, I was like, "Are you kidding? This is like the happiest time of my whole life." And PJ was like, "Really?" I was like, "Yes, I can't think of a happier moment."

Tiffany Anders plays Tues., March 13, at Brownies, 169 Ave. A (betw. 10th & 11th Sts.), 420-8392. Her album comes out March 20.