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Rose
Polenzani
by Pam Huwig |
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Once you hear Rose Polenzani, you can't get her out of
your head - she becomes part of your DNA. After her first Daemon
Records release, Anybody, Rose picked up a loyal following,
which includes a howling group of women at each show. If you ask
most any lesbian fan about Rose, you'll undoubtedly hear about "Olga's
Birthday," but there's much more to Rose's achingly good music than
any one song. Some wondered if it would be tough for her to live
up to Anybody, but the proof is in the pudding, ladies. Her newest
Daemon release (self-titled) is perhaps Rose's finest. In an E-mail
interview, Rose answered some questions about recording, her upcoming
tour, and even a few about who she is.
WOMANROCK:
So, Rose, why did you prefer to do this interview via E-mail?
ROSE:
"Beppo was widely believed to be not quite right in the head. This
was because, when asked a question, he would give an amiable smile
and say nothing. If, after pondering the question, he felt it needed
no answer, he still said nothing. If it did, he would ponder what
answer to give. He could take as long as a couple of hours to reply,
or even a whole day. By this time the person who had asked the question
would have forgotten what it was, so Beppo's answer seemed peculiar
in the extreme." - from "Momo" by Michael Ende (author of the Neverending
Story.)
WOMANROCK:
What is your take on being interviewed?
ROSE:
It's an interesting time to see how I feel about things. A chance
to get acquainted with my own views. I don't spend a lot of time
developing my views.
WOMANROCK:
What was it like where you grew up?
ROSE:
I am from Illinois (although I was born in Wisconsin, I spent maybe
six months there). We lived in a few cities hovering about Chicago:
Wheaton, Huntley, and Wilmette (ever nearer to the GREAT school
district and FABULOUS city). My parents LOVE Chicago, as do I. Wilmette
is part of an upper-middle class sector of towns that borders Lake
Michigan. The privileged, sorority bad girl mindset that Liz Phair
is famous for (as well as John Hughes) was bred in those parts.
WOMANROCK:
What kind of guitar(s) do you play?
ROSE:
I play a Santa Cruz, and I really don't know what my electric guitar
is, I play it so rarely. The four-track was a hand-me-down from
my Uncle Dave to my Uncle Joe and then to me: a Tascam Portastudio,
an eighties model! I thought it was valuable until I took it in
to be fixed. They told me to chuck it! I said no way, but just to
be safe, I've bought myself the newest model. They are taking their
time with my old one.
WOMANROCK:
Does songwriting come easily to you? How would you describe your
"style" of music?
ROSE:
I STILL haven't really found my style, I still mess around. If I
have a style, someone else can busy themselves analyzing it, I say.
(ha ha ha) Songwriting was fun but is always hard work. It comes
slower and slower with time, probably because I get pickier and
pickier, and I want to be doing new things and better things. Also
the more exposed I am to really great music, the more I chance to
suck! So I have to move slow, be cautious.
WOMANROCK:
Have your musical tastes changed over the year?
ROSE:
Not much, really. I still like the same music I liked when I was
8. Likewise when I was 12, 17, and last year. (That means I still
love Michael Jackson as much as George Michael as much as The Smiths
as much as Nick Drake as much as Ron Sexsmith.)
WOMANROCK:
Need I ask - why Daemon?
ROSE:
Daemon because they are so cool. Because I've never seen a more
awesome roster. When Amy sent me a package of discs to listen to,
I was in heaven. I thought everybody else on the label was too cool
for me. They all are just amazing. I got hooked up with Amy because
my then-manager dropped a demo tape in her hands one year at South
by Southwest.
WOMANROCK:
Why did you decide to do this one with a band? Touring? Label request?
ROSE:
I really, really wanted to! A lot of these songs sound L. A. M.
E. solo. I have had arrangements in my head for a while. I won't
even get to tour much with them, as it costs a lot of money. But
the few shows I've done have kicked ass. |
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_________________________________
 For
tour dates and other information about Rose Polenzani, drop by:
http://www.rosepolenzani.com
or
http://www.daemonrecords.com. |
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_________________________________
This article first appeared in Technodyke.
Pam Huwig is a San Francisco-based freelance writer, currently working
on her first novel. |
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