National Post/Interview

===Interviewhttps://nationalpost.com/entertainment/qa-grimes===
Q&A: Grimes
Last year was just a warm-up for Montreal electro-pop artist Grimes
Author of the article:Melody Lau
Published Feb 13, 2012 
Last year was just a warm-up for Montreal electro-pop artist Grimes. On her 2011 split EP with Arbutus label mate d’Eon, Darkbloom, her hypnotic melodies and club-friendly beats served as a preview to Grimes’ most anticipated album yet. In 2012, the artist born Claire Boucher will be kicking it into high gear, revving up for the release of her third full-length album, Visions (which will be released internationally on Feb. 21 on her new label 4AD and domestically through Arbutus Records), as well as a slew of tour dates around the world. Here, Boucher talks about new music, how Medieval history influences her and why she’d rather sit at home in her pajamas.
Q You’ve pushed back the release date of your record, Visions, because you recently signed to 4AD Records – how do you feel about the delay?
A It’s weird because I’ve already heard the record a million times so it’s old. I finished it in August and the way I roll is that I make a record and then after the record’s done, I’m just done with it. Giving it more time almost gives me more time to not be so sick of it, though. Right after I finished it, I was like ‘Wow, I just killed myself to make this’ and there was just a point where if I heard any of those songs, any of those drum beats, I would just shutter!
Q The record was made in three weeks but can you explain how you went about recording it?
A I wrote my thesis on Medieval music and I’ve always thought the dialogue between music and God in Medieval society was really cool and even though I don’t believe in any of that stuff, I’ve always thought all that stuff was really interesting. Like, this idea of sequestering yourself and fasting, it’s a process and it leads to good art, or whatever, so I just decided to blackout my windows and lock myself in my room and just not really have any stimulation of any kind. I didn’t talk to anybody for three weeks — I had been on tour for a really long time so I just didn’t tell anyone I was back — and I tortured myself and kind of went crazy in my room. My roommate went and got my groceries because, obviously, I didn’t fast the entire time or I would’ve died! It worked incredibly well, I was inspired the entire time and I was making so much music. I think it’s my best work yet.
Q Is this the way you always record music or was this a first?
A I’ve done it for a couple of days before but it’s definitely a whole new ball game when you do it for an extended period of time.
Q Whenever you talk about Visions, you make it sound like it’s your debut album but, in reality, this is your third. Why does this feel like the first to you?
A This is like my first record as a musician, the first record that was thought out and meticulous and not just random songs that I liked. This one was more reflective of the phase I was in and just more artistically and emotionally directed. Also, this was the first time I knew that people were going to hear it. In the past, I always just made music and it was just whatever; put it on the internet for free and I just didn’t give a s—t or think about it that much. With this, there was actually a publicist involved and there’s an infrastructure here. And, obviously, we started talking to labels and it was like, ‘OK, this isn’t going to be me posting things online for free, this is going to be an actual thing so it needs to be good!’
Q It’s also your most poppy-sounding record yet. Was that intentional?
A I think that was just natural. I’ve always to make pop music and I’ve just slowly been working on getting there on my records. Actually, at the time, I thought my first two releases were pop records but it’s only now that I realized that I was just crazy!
Q You’re a musician and a producer but you’ve expressed more interest in producing. What does the future hold for Grimes?
A I definitely want to make at least two more albums after this but I just don’t want to be a touring musician when I’m 30 years-old. It’s a crazy life, I’ll just be so haggard! I probably have 11 more records in me but maybe two or three more records that I’m willing to tour. I’d rather recede into the background. I’m getting really interested in film and I can’t afford to go to film school but I’d like to somehow be a filmmaker or producer of pop songs or something. I want to finish my records for 4AD and do a really good job, build the concept of Grimes because it’s a brand and just expand that into other arts and bring in other people later on and be able to work on things where I don’t actually have to look nice or be charismatic because those are things I don’t like doing.
Q Do you feel like you always have to look nice?
A Well, as of tomorrow, I’ll be in Europe so I have to do all these photo shoots and stuff. When left to my own devices, I’ll just wear my pajamas for weeks and not shower! I grew up with four brothers, I’m a huge tomboy so this whole fashion thing has just come out of the blue. It’s really great but it’s definitely like, f—k I have to always be presentable. I’d just rather be dirty, angry and alone in my room.
Category:InterviewCategory:2012