Faster, Faster, She's the Star in This Disaster Movie

An Interview with Bree Sharp

by Jaysen Buterin

Since the beginning of recorded history, human-ity seems to have been at odds with the elements, recalcitrantly submitting to the power of Mother Nature, and today was no different. The wind gods were not happy and decided to wreak slight havoc on the MTV Campus Invasion, prematurely ending activities such as the "I Wanna be an MTV VJ Tryouts" and the Choose or Lose booth. It also canceled the second performance of 24 year old pop songstress Bree Sharp. Bree Sharp's galvanising debut album, "A Cheap and Evil Girl", is a smooth, fearless mix of folk, pop and rock. Her first single, "David Duchovny", is an ode to the famed X Files star. I caught the last two songs of Bree's first set, the acerbically catchy "Guttermouth", and the aforementioned "David Duchovny", and for the brief time I saw her perform it was absolutely fabulous. Playing the second stage like a true pop star she gave the nomadic audience each song as if it were her last. Unfortunately for me, the second song was her last one. But I did sit down with her afterwards, amidst the wind frenzy, talking of all things Duchovny, pop music, and even a little Journey.

OFF! - Hey Bree, thanks for taking the time to chat with me.

Bree - Oh, it's my pleasure.

OFF! - Now tell me about the title of your album, A Cheap and Evil Girl, particularly the title track as well. Where did the inspiration come from for that? I know the song itself has a kind of surf rock/pulp fiction kind of vibe to it.

Bree - Actually, I got the idea from a novelty store I was in. I was looking at all these pulp fiction postcards, with the pictures of the sultry women from the covers of the books. It was kind of a fantasy to be something like that, a cheap and evil girl surrounded by all the sex and danger that goes with the story.

(Noticing my tattoo ring, Bree passes a finger over it to make sure it's real)

OFF! - Yeah, it's one of the 21 tattoos, I currently have.

Bree - 21!

OFF! - Yeah, there slightly addicting (grinning mischievously). Got any?

Bree - Oh no. I mean I've thought about it, but I'm way too fickle of a person to figure out something that I would want permanently a part of my body. But I like them on other people though.

OFF! - About your first single, "David Duchovny", now you'd written that before you had a record deal right? Why David Duchovny?

Bree - Well when I started watching the X-Files I had this huge crush on David Duchovny. There was no one in my life at the time, so I kind of focused on that.

OFF! - I guess he is kind of dreamy looking.

Bree - Well, yeah, but it was more than that. I mean, he's such an intellectual. He's getting his PhD from Yale, he's just such an intriguing person. I love his self-deprecating humour. If I wanted to go just on looks I could've chosen any hunk of the week, like George Clooney or someone.

OFF! - Okay, now tell me about this infamous X-Files Christmas party.

Bree - Wow. Okay, so Chris Carter, the producer of the X-Files, his assistant calls my label and asks if they can use the song for a sing-a-long for a video they were making at their shows Christmas party. So I really had to think about that one... hmm...YESSSSS! And it was so exciting, and so shocking, and underground, and wonderful. I don't know what to say about it except that it was one of the thrills of my life to see the likes of Charles Nelson Reilly, and all four members of KISS, and Brad Pitt...

OFF! - Now Charles Nelson Reilly and all four members of KISS, that's just...

Bree - That's it! That's the whole point of this video is that it's so random and so funny that that's why I think it sort of has this like underground status now because it's completely bizarre and makes no sense. It's pop culture in action, someone said.

OFF! - I know you were study-ing theatre at NYU. Did you find that going from theatre to pop star was an easy transition, or did it just kind of happen?

Bree - (Laughing) Well, I don't think I've acquired the status of pop star yet, but...

OFF! - Oh trust me you have. Any song..."David Duchovny" has elevated you to pop star status. Any song that you can't get out of your head eight hours later and you're screaming at yourself to get home, so you can play the cd, so you can hear the song definitely has pop star status.

Bree - That's so cool Jaysen, thanks. That's really nice. Well, you know, I was concerned about...actually, it's funny, my Dad was concerned about the transition. You know, he's like "I just spent like a gazillion dollars to send you to college and now you don't want to do acting?" But what I think that I learned quickly and what I tried to convey to him was that so much of the reason for me to be involved in theatre is to be a performer. That's what I do and enjoy and that as a rock star, you get to do that too, but you have more control. It's even better because you have more control over it. It's like, I get to decide what I wear, how I do my hair, what I write, what I write about, the melodies. It's like I have so much control whereas an actor - it's a worthy art form and completely equal to all the other art forms. But it's different because it's dependent. It's a slightly dependent art form. You need a script, you need a director, whereas with music I can write whatever I want, whenever I want, whatever style I want and then image myself however I want. I still get all the same performance joys being in front of people and making that human connection which is really why I got involved in theatre in the first place.

OFF! - So...you a big KISS fan?

Bree - I'm a fan when they lip-synch my song, that's so cool! I wasn't there, I was on a separate coast. I would've given anything to be there, but, umm, I still haven't met him yet [David Duchovny] if you can believe that.

OFF! - You still haven't met him yet? Despite all the media fascination? I wonder what Tea Leoni thinks of the song?

Bree - Did you see that issue of Maxim with that in it?

OFF! - Yeah, I kind of have a subscription.

Bree - Oh really?

OFF! - I know you've got influences like Dylan, Elvis Costello. How did those influences mold the style you have on "A Cheap and Evil Girl"? Aside from the more intellectual lyrical content?

Bree - Well, that's the thing that I think I sort of got more from those guys. They're such masters of language and crafting language, painting pictures with words. Not just words like what they mean but the sounds of the words. There's so many different stories being told. I mean, there's the actual, literal story of whatever the story of the song is, then there's the musical story, and then there's the lyrical story. Lyrical in the sense of how the words themselves sound together and then combined with the music and everything, so that's another sound level and I think that there are stories told in that too. I just was always so moved, interested, captivated, fascinated. I find language to be really evocative when it's coming from people who know how to use it. So I always try to hold myself to those standards. Not that I would ever put myself on the level with those two, but it's just that I try to hold myself to the same standards that maybe they do, you know? It's like the professor was saying, you've got songs that really aren't about anything anymore. There's just songs about nothing.

OFF! - Like Kid Rock saying "Bawitdaba"?

Bree - Well yeah, but then again, I think the hard fast rule of rock and roll is a good hook. That's it, that's all you need to be good in rock and roll. But there is another level, like we only use 5% of our brain... it's a good 5% but there's more to be done. I mean it's great to have a great hook, but if you can have a great hook and have something important that you're saying underneath it, then how extra cool is that?

OFF! - A juxtaposition of good hooks with great lyrics that you can't get out of your head....like "David Duchovny", that you just keep singing over and over and it won't stop - which is a very good thing for a song.

Bree - I do have other songs you know (grinning mischievously).

OFF! - Oh I know! "Cheap and Evil Girl" get's stuck in my head, but I mean, I just love that little surf rock/spy song intro. It makes me want to gogo dance. "Faster, Faster" gets stuck in my head for a long time too.

Bree - Oh really? See that's my favourite song on the record. I just like to hear when people like it. It makes me excited.

OFF! - What about you, what are you listening to now?

Bree - Umm, I listen to Patty Griffin, I love her, I think she's amazing. Patti Smith, I can't wait to get her new record.

OFF! - Yeah, her and Lou Reed both have new records coming out.

Bree - Oh, how cool!

OFF! - Bon Jovi has a new album coming out too you know.

Bree - Right on...he's a good song writer.

OFF! - I've just developed a rather odd predilection for 80's heavy metal which I can't explain.

Bree - AMEN!!!! I think 80's heavy metal is so cool.

OFF! - Like Guns-n-Roses?

Bree - I think Guns-n-Roses is like the best band ever!

OFF! - Appetite for Destruction changed everyone's life.

Bree - Oh my god I love that album.

OFF! - And Journey too.

Bree - Oh Journey, I could sing you all the lyrics to Journey's stuff.

OFF! - So when you do your own tour next are you going to do a Journey cover set?

Bree - You know, that's not a bad idea. Well right now, when we have a band, I do "Boys of Summer". It's such a fun cover to do. Like every time we go to rehearse it, I'm like..."Are we really going to plays Boys of Summer?" And then the guitar player will go "Baaar-naaar" (guitar noise) and I'm like "YEAH!!!!"

OFF! - I still opt for Steve Perry though.

Bree - Yeah, I could do "Don't Stop Believin" or maybe "Wheel in the Sky"... singing along... "Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'" I don't know, I'll have to sort that one out. Maybe even "Separate Ways".

OFF! - You know, if you ever want a drummer or percussionist for this Journey project, look me up. I think that's the pinnacle of one's existence, to pay homage to Steve Perry.

Bree - How did we get on this?

OFF! - I don't know, you started it.

Bree - No, no, what do I listen to. Patty Griffin, Patti Smith. I'm a big Dead fan. I've been listening to Gomez a lot lately, they're first record is great. I like Tori Amos. I know a lot of people don't like her, like the guys in my band...they don't really like Tori Amos. But I put on this song and they had no idea who it was, they thought it was so beautiful.

OFF! - Which song?

Bree - It's off the new record. It's the last song on the studio cut cd. It's such a beautiful, gorgeous, gorgeous song. They were like, "Was that Madonna? When did she learn how to sing?" Not to knock Madonna, I love her, that's what they said, but then I told them it was Tori. Tori always has least one song, no matter what kooky, crazy cosmic thing she goes off to do, there's always one song off the record that is like, pants down, the ultimate winner.

OFF! - "Pants down"? Now there's one I haven't heard.

Bree - Yeah, my friend David came up with that one... he's a writer in New York.

OFF! - Any plans for a solo tour after this?

Bree - Oh god, I hope so! Hopefully we'll be coming out with a new single, "Walk Away", I hope by the summer. I would love to release "Cheap and Evil Girl" or "Faster, Faster" as singles but they're just so different and I think because they're different, they just won't get played. If it doesn't sound like other things on the radio then they don't want to hear from you, they don't want to try new stuff. Which can really be a drag but it kind of just happens when you mesh art with business. And unfortunately what I've learned really, is that it's not art that happens to involve bus-iness, it's really a business that happens to involve art.

OFF! - Greedy capitalists!

Bree - Unfortunately, but for right now, that's the world I live in (sighs).