Get out your iPods, ladies. I’ve just found your new favorite singer. Here is our exclusive interview with singer/songwriter Lori Leiberman.
Lori Lieberman — does “Killing Me Softly” ring a bell? – has been a critics’ favorite for decades. With the release of her new album, “Gun Metal Sky,” and an upcoming performance at New York’s prestigious City Winery, Lori is poised to finally become a household name.
I’m so honored to have her as a member of my community, and was thrilled to catch up with her before she heads across the country in a couple of weeks. Listen to what she has to say about her past, how it’s shaped who she is now and what happened when she met the legend we compare her to – Joni Mitchell.
Ireally want to talk about all the great things going on in your life now, but can you just tell us the story behind “Killing Me Softly” first for our readers who may not have heard it?
I was 19 years old and was finishing my first album when my girlfriend dragged me to a club to see this guy named Don McLean. I was so moved by his song, “Empty Chairs,” and felt like he was singing about me and my life. I wrote a poem about it and showed it to one of the two guys I was working with on my album, and he expanded it into lyrics.
You recorded it on your album, but Roberta Flack had the big hit with it. How did that happen?
She heard my song on a plane and decided to record it. When I first heard her version, I was sort of relieved and thought, “Oh good, it’ll never go.” Obviously, I have no idea of what will become a hit because it went on to become one of the biggest songs of all time!
How did you feel about that? You re-recorded the song for your new album, so it must have a lot of significance to you, for better or worse.
I know it will be on my epitaph! At first I was defensive, then embarrassed, then later on excited because the Fugees recorded it and it became very popular with my kids! Now, I’m actually pretty proud of it and can reclaim it as representative of where I am today.
What was different about recording it originally and re-recording it now?
Surprisingly, I identify with it more strongly now than I did back then. I think I re-recorded it with more compassion toward my younger self. I was in a horrible, toxic relationship at the time, and I’m finally forgiving myself for my naivete. At this point in my life, there’s nothing more important to me than standing up for myself. The song is from a time when I couldn’t do that. I’ve definitely re-recorded it with more wisdom.
Has Don McLean ever contacted you about the song? How flattered he must have been!
When it first came out, I heard he was so overwhelmed with his sudden fame and the success of “American Pie” that this became just one more thing. He actually contacted me recently, and there was some talk about him joining me onstage in New York to sing “Empty Chairs,” which would have been really nice, but he’s going to be out of town when I’m there.
You have an amazing body of work out there. Has your writing or your subject matter changed over the years?
This is my 13th album – lucky 13! I’ve always written about the heart, and I’m really moved by songs that deal with loss and struggle more than the joys of finding love. As I’ve gotten older, I’m more into substance and doing good – like your website! – and have branched out a bit and written songs with more social commentary, dealing with issues like AIDS and September 11.
You also feature a number of great covers on the new album and some of them are pretty surprising, like the Bee Gees’ “New York Mining Disaster 1941.” How did you choose those songs?
All those songs really spoke to me. That particular one may seem odd to relate to, but the line, “Don’t go talking too loud, you’ll cause a landslide” is so powerful to me. My biggest challenge in life is that I was given a voice and I struggle with how to use it. I had to do “Bus Stop” because it’s just a fun song and the Hollies were one of the few groups we had, growing up in Switzerland. I included Emmylou Harris’ “My Baby Needs a Shepherd” because of my own relationship with my daughter, and Paul Simon’s “Another Galaxy” because couched in those African rhythms is a gem of a song with lyrics like “There is a moment, a chip in time, when leaving home is the lesser crime” that just take my breath away. As someone in a remarriage, it was very meaningful.
How has marriage and family influenced your music?
Well, I put my music aside for 10 years in the ‘80’s when the style changed from folk to disco, and I focused on raising my three incredible kids. In 1995, I was approached by producer Joe Cali who encouraged me to return to my music. I also ended up marrying him!
Joe Cali? Isn’t he …?
(Interrupting, laughing) Yes, he played Joey in “Saturday Night Fever.” He was John Travolta’s cute friend! We joke that we’re going to make a necklace that says, “That guy from …” on one side and “The girl who …” on the other!
I’ll sell it on my site! So tell us about your upcoming performance at the City Winery. What makes it so special to you?
I haven’t performed in New York for more than 10 years, and this new venue is the greatest! Some of my all-time favorites have played there, like Aimee Mann, Shawn Colvin and Marc Cohn. I’m so excited to have been given my own evening there.
Of all your songs, is there one that really defines you? Somehow, we’re thinking it’s not “Killing Me Softly,” but maybe it is!
That’s a good question. I’m especially proud of songs like “He Needs You,” “Circling of the Souls” and “Hallie,” but oh, you know, the song I think really defines me is “Takes Courage.” It’s about the fact that it’s not the huge, courageous acts like jumping out of an airplane that are important; it’s the tiny acts of courage like getting up every morning and facing your challenges. Thanks for making me thinking about this.
All of your songs make us think. Being introduced to your music is like re-discovering Joni Mitchell, who seemed to feel everything we did but could express it so much more eloquently and articulately.
Wow, thank you. She is the best. Her writing is so bone-honest, her talent is so daunting. I was recording an album back when she released “Court and Spark,” and my drummer asked if he could bring his “old lady” to the session. I said, “sure,” and when I looked up in the middle of recording and saw her standing there, I froze. I just couldn’t sing any more. It was so embarrassing. She was my idol, and all I could do was stare at her.
You may be on the other side of that soon! You’ve been called “the music industry’s best-kept secret,” but we’re trying to make that title obsolete!
I’m realistic. I’m so honored that my songs connect with so many people and at this stage of my life – with my kids grown – my music is becoming even more important to me. I’m flattered that the industry is behind me, but I do hope that line won’t follow me for much longer. I’m definitely ready to go further.
To learn more about Lori, check out www.lorilieberman.com.
This post originally appeared on my former blog, StyleSubstanceSoul.
Leave a Reply