MID-CITY — Singer-songwriter and actress Rebecca Pidgeon is touring in support of her new album "Slingshot" and will be performing at The Broad Stage on Sunday with Madeleine Peyroux.
Briefly we spoke with Pidgeon about the new album and acting in the upcoming film about imprisoned music producer Phil Spector, among other topics.
Q: "Slingshot," musically and lyrically seemed to interact from a dream-like-state. From the outset was that the intention?
Pidgeon: The intention from the outset with the record was just to make as good an album as we could. Larry Klein and I knew we wanted to have a lot of songs to choose from, so we wrote together and I wrote with other writers. We took about a year doing this. There was no overview or theme, but the songs did come from a personal place and are mostly about relationships between people.
Q: You mentioned in another interview that your newly-acquired companion is the acoustic guitar — could you elaborate on how it has broadened the spectrum of your musical world?
Pidgeon: I have used an acoustic guitar to write songs all my adult life, but never took lessons on it until recently. I started to do a lot of daily practice, and to learn theory with my teacher Tim Young, who also plays guitar with me. This is an ongoing process which I love very much, and helps me to become a better musician, but, I think, is a separate skill from song writing.
Q: In a recent interview you stated your fear of over-emoting. Why?
Pidgeon: I think emotion in a song or in the singing of it is fine, and proper, as long as it's genuine. It's the fake stuff that I'm not into. The passion of Tina Turner for example, is life changing, but the sobbing of some pop voices won't move you if it's not from someplace real.
Q: Grammy-winning producer Klein and you have collaborated on two previous albums and now with "Slingshot." Describe the chemistry of this musically creative relationship?
Pidgeon: Larry and I have worked together over the years, but "Slingshot" is the first record that we have written together on. I love writing with Larry because he is so sharp and literate, and he's such a smart songwriter. His musical sensibility is impeccable. Writing with him is always an uplifting experience, and we have a lot of fun.
Q: Not only are you an acclaimed singer/writer/musician but also an actress of several films and now co-starring in the upcoming film with Al Pacino about the record producer Phil Spector and his recent murder trial. Can you tell us about your role in the film:
Pidgeon: In the movie "Phil Spector," which is about his first trial, I play the jury consultant. My character is working with a focus group to see what arguments of the defense team's case are most likely to be accepted by a jury. Phil Spector is played by Al Pacino, and his lawyer, Linda Kenny Baden, is played by Helen Mirren.
Q: What can your fans look forward to?
Pidgeon: I'm excited to be opening for Madeleine Peyroux ... at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. I will be playing with my trio, which is Tim Young (guitar), Mark Goldenberg (guitar, ukulele, mandolin, omnichord, piano) and myself (vocals and guitar), and we will be performing songs from "Slingshot," as well as some older stuff thrown in.
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