Carina Round is by far the most exciting female UK singer/songwriter around at the moment, and received major acclaim for her debut album THE FIRST BLOOD MYSTERY. As a live performer she is in a class of her own. Perhaps the most telling testiment to this is her virtually automatic selection in supporting the very best solo live performers, such as David Gray and Ryan Adams. Round has been heavily involved in creating and recording her second album due out in September, 2003. This is her first interview for some time and seeks to ‘fill the gaps’ since our last chat which was over a year ago.

The last time I saw you Carina was at the Beth Gibbons concert in Liverpool a few weeks ago but as a fellow watcher rather than a performer. It seems a long time since you actually ‘trod the boards’. Could you explain?

Well, record industry shenanigans is about the only way to put it. Without going too deeply into it, I got signed to a new label and it turned out that it is very hard, in fact near-on impossible in the current industry climate to put records out the way they wanted to do it, i.e. very artist friendly, and the whole thing fell through. Then I spent the rest of the time writing and recording the record…

You are a dynamic live performer, one of the best. Take me through a great performance…what do you wish?…what do you feel?…what do you want your audience to experience?…what does it do for you?

Thank you, I’m blushing. At the risk of sounding either greatly pretentious or lazy and inarticulate, I don’t know. It’s not something I’ve ever really analyzed, and on trying, not something that is easily explained. It’s just fucking wicked! It fizzes me with energy then wears me out. I suppose I want the audience to feel as I do; excited by the chemistry between the band, then between the audience and the band, or the audience and solo performer. I want people to emote and be challenged. I trust that an audience doesn’t come to a gig to be put to sleep. I can’t stand the idea of indifference; a gig is an experience that, every second, you feel could go either way. It could be completely mind-blowing or terrible (or both), and that’s what is so great about it. That’s why people talk about gigs 20 years or more after they’ve happened; a parceled moment in time, completely non re-livable - not even on live records.

I just, like, feel it, man!

What role does music play in your life? How important is it? ‘Better than sex’?

I use it only to win friends and influence people.

In more recent times, the political scene has dominated especially with 9/11, Afghanistan, the Iraq war. Your music tends not to touch socio/political issues in the way that perhaps others do (Ani DiFranco, Bruce Springsteen…). In fact your music is very much about you and your emotions. Can you explain this bias and perhaps indicate whether this may change to an degree in view of the recent and current political climate?

I feel that I have an obligation, as someone who wishes to push my creations into the world, to do it with as much honesty as possible, and draw from experience and be searching if not finding in some way. At this point in my life I don’t feel my opinion on these subjects are educated enough. I mean, shit, I help in whatever way I can, but to stand and shout inarticulately about something so big… But when it comes down to it, talking about yourself is one thing but addressing the subject of war and mass destruction… you’ve got to fucking really know what you’re talking about and WANT to talk about it. It’s not a magnet to me artistically and I know I’d sound like a complete cock if I tried. Besides, it’s all about me, me, me!

Tell me about the return to you ‘fatherland’ (Italy) to perform, your feelings, experiences and the Italian response to your music. Was there CONNEZIONE!?

I loved it. Doing gigs in Europe is fantastic; you get really looked after and taken seriously, even if no one has ever heard of you. I know this guy there who just gets the local council to fund bringing over music from the UK that he loves! I did a gig for him in a piazza next to a church outdoors in Sardinia, where no one could understand a word I was saying, on a Sunday night and it was packed! It was kind of strange touring Italy though. All the time i was thinking “my dad could be watching”… freaky. Or he could even come a speak to me and I wouldn’t have a clue. It was a good feeling though, like some kind of backward homecoming, giving something back, pushing my soul out into Italy

We are featuring you alongside Ani DiFranco as two of the best ‘women that rock’ from both sides of the atlantic. How do you feel about that?

Err, hello? Sinead O’Conner, PJ Harvey, even Kate Bush. I think the UK is really pregnant at the moment. Kathryn Williams’ OLD LOW LIGHT is beautiful. That girl’s sound is the dog’s bollocks! Gemma Hayes too, and that Beth Gibbons gig completely blew me away. Thea Gilmore seems to be shaking things up too and Katell Keineg is someone I’ll always bang on about. Naturally, I’m honoured and slightly bewildered.

You have been recording your new record on your own label or small indie label. Could you tell me the reason for this. Your last album received universal acclaim over here in the UK, and by rights you should have been picked up big time…

Same old bullshit about the current industry climate being totally soul destroying and I’d rather eat glass than be taken apart by such a sight-less bunch of tossers. Not meaning to sound negative here; there are some really fantastic, energetic people trying to some do something visionary out there; but it’s such a struggle. Even if they have plenty of money to throw around they still have to get people to listen. It’s like, ‘Hey, I know you just signed three pop bands that are gonna do anything to get famous, but you should fund me instead. I’m in this for the long haul. I may not meet your unrealistic and intimidating quota of record sales over the next year, but I’m really passionate and I just want to make real music for the rest of my life that might even make someone FEEL something…what do you think???’ At the moment it seems to be mostly down to the people to get out there and SEARCH for the music they want to hear. It rarely comes to us anymore… hallelujah for the internet, the saviour of the underground music scene…and good, hard work of course. On the other hand it is about 100 times more deeply satisfying when you find something you love these days… it’s like you discovered it. I’m rambling, sorry.

Tell me about the new songs

The songs are about reassessing your self worth after leaving something behind that you thought impossible to disconnect from. Finding the emptiness and light when what you filled yourself with has gone, and the flickers and booms when you’re coming unstuck from it. And flinging yourself into what’s new and even more real, and realising what you thought you couldn’t find has been there all the time, but you were not ready to see or just asleep. The excitement when you realise you’re going to be ok. That they are not always right. That there’s so much more to know about yourself (and you’re much more interesting without them anyway). That you’re born again, un-numbing. That you will overcome. That you shouldn’t be too careful with your heart. That there’s more than one way to love someone. That there’s more than one way for you to be loved. That you need no blanket for hiding and the highest form of freedom is in trust and abandonment, not always cocooning. That the freefall is ok and is also indiscriminate. That you do have something to share and also the capacity to do so. That when you know you don’t belong here you have the strength to move on without regret. Knowing you don’t need to waste time on people who suck your blood.

Oh, and one song is about being in Paris in September, hanging from a balcony feeling new and upside down, and bustling and confused and disconnected from the past and other evils, and not knowing if I should kill myself because I felt so good and different… and CNN came on and the whole world was different. It’s meant to be positive.

The recording process seems to have taken a while. Could you tell me the reasons and if/when the record is ready, and possible release date. What’s the title? Festivals this year?

The recording process all-in-all took 20 days. The time has been in acquiring funds with which to record. Depending on further funds it should be out around September. For this reason we won’t really be doing a lot of festivals this year; we’re going to wait until next year and storm them! although we will be playing Guilford Festival on July 18th. The album is called THE DISCONNECTION, after a song that didn’t end up on it.

How do you see the future? Staying in the UK? Trying the States? Live tour? Support tours? Europe? Selling more records?

Loads of moving around, loads of touring, supports and headlines. Yeah, it would be easier to do this stuff by selling more records! I’d love to go to the States, even to live there a while. In the back of a van or something living on fingernails and old cigarette ends. I’ll go anywhere and do anything if it means I only ever have to do music. It’s also a dream of mine to live in New York awhile. I’ve never even been, I just know I’d love it. I love moving around… so much cool stuff to do.

What music have you been listening to a lot recently?

Kate Bush THE SENSUAL WORLD, this album melts the shadows, everytime… Bulgarian Women Singers, album (Voix Bulgares) on 4AD. The new Buck 65 album, SQUARE (he is so damn fine). Everything I can get my hands on by the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed. Iggy Pop LUST FOR LIFE. The Ziggy Stardust album. Folk Implosion. The Pixies because they fucking rock hard. The White Stripes. Tom Waits is God. Flaming Lips. HOMOGENIC by Bjork. Public Image LTD. Louis Armstrong HOT FIVE and HOT SEVEN. THIS IS STINA NORDENSTAM…why is she not revered as a goddess? Be Good Tanyas last album. Lots and lots of dub. NEW SKIN by Leonard Cohen and some weird 80’s punk disco that someone gave me…

Now you’ve got me all excited…

Me too, Carina, me too…Good luck with the new album