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LG: You were determined to make your dreams come true. You decided to sell your beloved Harley Davidson to move to Nashville where you sang in the bar Basement. What are you memories of that period?

DK: It was an endless hunt for Elvis. 

LG: Would Elvis have achieved the same success today?

DK: Anyone that wears that much leather has a good shot.

LG: Your album has a typical American feel. Do you think it would have sounded the same if you had gained all your life experience somewhere else or is it a matter of emotions not of the place and the background you come from. 

DK: I think to a certain degree, we are all a product of our environments.

LG: You write your songs yourself. Have you got any routine way you create your projects? What comes first – the music or the lyrics or is it dictated by the emotions that you are feeling at the time? 

DK: Coffee and a typewriter… a guitar and a cassette recorder on the tailgate of my pick-up truck, beneath a hair salon = music.

LG: You live in London currently. Are you happy in this town?

DK: I love risking my life in London on roller skates under the shadows of Red double-decker buses.

LG: Are you working on anything new? If you are could you share it with us. 

DK: Always. I’m excited about a song I wrote called “The mask in waiting” which I’m about to record on my next album.

LG: In your opinion what are the most important duties and challenges for an artist who is confident and aware of their role in the world today. 

DK: Knowing when to stop following those Appaloosa horses.

Thank you very much for your time and good luck with all your future plans. 

Leszek Gosek: Congratulations! Your debut album The Courtesy Fall won the PAM Award for Best International Album – Folk / Acoustic. 
It’s a great result. 

Dawn Kinnard: Thanks, I’m really excited about it too.

LG: What do you think made this album special?

DK: Being able to collaborate with the talented group, which I was fortunate enough to meet at Kensaltown Studios.

LG: You proved on this album that you are a versatile artist succeeding in creating many different vibes. You can be feisty, intriguing, but also anxious. Is it because a woman has many faces?

DK: Well I can only speak for myself, but what really turns me on is an album that is so mixed up that it might not be able to find it’s face in the morning.

LG: Your album was critically acclaimed. It is concept album, personal and mature. How long did it take to complete the songs for it and when was the moment you realised you were ready to go for it?

DK: Many of thee songs have been pulled from my scrap books, but after mixing with Martin Terefe and the Suppliers at Kensaltown was when I really got excited about making this album.


LG: They say each album is like a mirror of the artist’s soul. Describe Dawn Kinnard before The Courtesy Fall. 

DK: I’m just a simple girl from an Appaloosa horse farm. One day all of the horses ran away and I went too. 

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LG: You sing in French, English and Portuguese. In which of these do you make the closest contact with your audience?

AA: The idea is to connect with the audience no matter what language you sing in. The phenomenon of conveying meaning through the music, even when the language is not familiar to your audience, is really what it’s all about. I love all the languages. The different way they hold the notes is just a treat for a singer. It’s like a feast of many different delicious dishes that you share with your listeners. 

LG: Your new album L’Inexplicable is sung mostly in French. Aren’t you afraid that can prove to be a problem in English speaking market?

AA: I don’t fear the market, and I don’t make musical decisions according to any market expectations. I try rather to convey something authentic via musical expression. I think if you are able to do that, the rest will take care of itself. 

LG: Tell us about how you put the album together. 

AA: Well, the writing and conception process was long and meandering, and unsure at times. But the actual recording process was rather extraordinary, because of the people I did it with. We all had one rehearsal, then one day in the studio, with all the musicians. And then a few weeks of post-production with me and Misha. I used some of this time to concentrate on vocals. Some additional percussion and other instruments were added. But in a nutshell, that is it. It was really done like a jazz album, and that was the idea, so that the authentic musicianship could be heard and felt. But of course, it is not 
a straight ahead jazz album. With Misha’s invaluable assistance we added 
a few bells and whistles. But it was the quality of the performances that made it all possible.

LG: What is your favourite track from the album and why?

AA: It’s hard to say. I am really very proud of the organic mix of the tunes, the way each is different, and yet they all relate cohesively to the whole. But I guess my sentimental favorite is the title track. It began as a simple song that I wasn’t sure as finished. It was one of the last to be included in the mix. When I played it with the musicians, it just took shape. It was a lesson for me, the way it came together. And I like the way it sits apart from everything else, but also binds the project together.

LG: Poland was the first European country to release your album. Why did you decide to make your European debut in Poland?

AA: L'Inexplicable was my own independent project, conceived and created for Europe, but without a pre-destined path to get there. The idea was to be true to my instincts as a jazz artist, but do something a bit different, more pop-oriented. When finished, after a lot of work, both on the creative and the business sides, I was able to find partners in Poland who were excited about the album, and that is how the release happened. I am very grateful, and very happy for the first European commercial release to be in Poland, because I have come to know the Polish listener as an interested, engaged, intelligent and curious music lover. That is exactly the type of listener this album needs.

LG: What plans do you have for releasing the album in the rest of the world? Where and when will we see you performing live?

AA: As I said, the project was independent but hopefully other commercial opportunities will surface, and hopefully, I can build on what happens in Poland. I hope to release the CD commercially throughout Europe, in the U.K., Germany, France, and also Asia – it is already for sale in Japan. As I have in the past, I plan to perform in festivals in Europe next year. I promise to keep you posted! 

LG: Would you move again to any European country? Maybe London this time?

AA: Absolutely. In a heartbeat. Anywhere I can sing, perform and write, I can call home. As I said, ideally, I wouldn’t mind splitting my time, maybe keeping an apartment in New York, and one in Paris. London, of course, is perfectly poised between the two. But maybe that is just a dream. Still, we have to dream, don’t we? 

LG: What are your dreams and what would you like to achieve in your life, both as a woman and an artist?

AA: I take my dreams one at a time. I have many. Sometimes it can be overwhelming if you think about it too much. Singing professionally is a dream that I am still on the path of realizing, so right now I want to continue to focus on the music. I trust the rest will come in time. 

LG: Thank you for your time and good luck with your career in the future.

AA: Thank you very much!

Leszek Gosek: You come from a musical family. Tell us about your first musical memories.

Aimee Allen: Well, I remember music playing constantly in the house. If it wasn’t something from my mother’s extensive album collection, then it was the radio. And I remember my mother’s voice. Her’s was no doubt the first voice I heard singing. She sings beautifully. Needless to say, I sing because she does. 

LG: Since your early years you’ve had contact with jazz. What in all of jazz is closest to your heart?

AA: This is a very difficult question, because so much of it is close to my heart. But my brother, another musical family connection, is a great guitarist. I grew up listening to him play and grow as a musician, and I’ve spent a lot of time singing with him. So a lush, jazz guitar sound really warms my heart. It feels like home. I really enjoy performing in trio with guitar and bass only. It has a certain immediacy. The intimacy between me and the musicians is shared, unmediated, with the audience. And there is a great flexibility in that format, for things to go in new directions, because the communication is so easy. It’s raw, elemental, and very honest I think. So that is another of my favourite things.

LG: You graduated in law from Yale. Law and music are different worlds. How do you marry the conflicting demands of being a lawyer and a singer?

AA: Well, actually, I went to Yale for undergraduate studies, and Columbia in New York for my law degree. I also studied law at the Sorbonne in Paris and got a law degree there as well. Yes, music and law are very different worlds. I have something of a left brain/ right brain problem. They are sometimes at war with each other inside me. But now, I’ve come as close as ever at reconciling them. I have a small solo legal practice, working for artist clients like myself. I enjoy working with them, I enjoy the work itself, after all it all has to do with what     I do. Sometimes I am fascinated that the act of creation actually translates into a viable business enterprise, and I guess it’s that fascination that keeps me engaged as an attorney and business person. Every independent artist has to wear many hats - creating, promoting, selling etc. There is the business, and then there’s the craft. Having my own practice allows me to do both, and still connect the two to some degree.

LG: What made you decide to move to Paris to further your career?

AA: It was not so much to further my career. It was far less calculated. I had spent about 6 months in Paris as an undergraduate student, and I left still hungry for the city’s magic. So I went back after graduation.   I was just in love with the place. Then, once there, well, singing seemed an obvious way to enhance the experience and participate in the cultural scene in Paris, which is one of the best things about the city.

LG: New York or Paris? What fascinates you about each city?

AA: Well, obviously I could never really choose. Long ago I hatched a naïve dream of splitting my time between the two. And I kind of did it for a short while. But since 2002 I have lived in New York, with frequent trips to Paris to perform and see friends. Paris represents beauty and living life in appreciation of it. The beauty is everywhere, the architecture, the city itself, the light, the fashion, even the food. The romance with which Parisians infuse everything is intoxicating. That is what I love – it really is a way of life. New York, of course, is different. It is also a lifestyle, a furious, high-energy pace of living, with extraordinary things all around. Everything is constantly renewed, and so you are constantly discovering new inspiration. I love the new and unexpected things you find in New York.

LG: You speak three languages. During which phase of the song writing process do you decide which language the song will be in? Do emotions dictate the language?

AA: I speak only 2 languages fluently: French and English. I have a basic knowledge of Spanish. So with that comes some rudimentary understanding of other languages, including Portuguese, which is like a fusion of French and Spanish. I love all languages. I was a literature major in undergrad, so everything about words and language fascinates me. The sound, the meaning, the layers of meaning, the origins, the connotations, the poetry. When it comes to songwriting, honestly, I don’t think I decide much – the music decides. It dictates emotion, ideas, lyrical expressions, even vowels and consonants. But honestly, that simplifies the songwriting process far too much. It’s more mysterious than that to me. For l’Inexplicable, I did set out 
to write things in French, so that was a choice. I also wanted to write an alternate English lyric to Qu’est-ce que qu’on est bien ici. So those were conscious choices. 

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LG: What are your memories of gigs in London and do you like that town?

BD: My first show in London was at a place called the Bistrotheque -- a great restaurant in Hackney with a little cabaret room that was mainly for drag queeny type acts. Oddly enough I recently got to play there again at party for the artist/filmmaker Jesper just who used one of my songs in a recent work. It was so fun to be back there.

I've had lots and lots of good shows in London. Too many to count -- actually this last one felt like it was going to be one too many because I've played London way too much over the last months. But thankfully this one was different. Instead of a big loud band I had only a cellist, John Contreras and a violinist, Maxim Moston. So the show had a much quieter more classical feel and it felt great -- the best so far. But that's it for now. I'm not playing London again until December.

LG: Have you ever performed in Poland?

BD: Yes, I played in Wroklav (I'm sure I spelled that wrong.) We were there for about twelve hours before some kind soul explained to me that I wasn't in Warzaw!

LG: Tell us about your future plans?

BD: More of the kind of show I just did with John and Maxim. The next album is going to be very classical. Meanwhile, I've got four more shows to do in Holland and Ireland and then I'm going home to lavish affection on my dog and my cat and do absolutely nothing.

LG: Thanks for your time

BD: Thanks

Leszek Gosek: You are a complex artist – you compose and sing. What is the most important in your artistic world? How would you describe Baby Dee?

Baby Dee: I am indeed a can of worms but the way I write songs is kind of simple. I simply wait until I have something to say. So I guess you could say that the words are the most important thing for me.

Describe me? hoogada boogada! I would never attempt such a thing.

LG: Your new album Safe Inside The Day was out in February. What message were you sending and what did it mean to you?

BD: The message, the thing I needed to say was that the inside is more important than the outside I suppose what that means to me is that a person's inner life is more important than the stuff of life -- the comings and goings and meetings and leave takings, even the people -- it's the people whose existence has penetrated your own that matter -- whether you've actually met them or not, or made love to them, or read their words, or come out of their womb, or lived in fear of them. It's really the people who have made themselves important to your own soul. I guess that's what counts to me.

LG: Who do you see as your main audience?

BD: Smart people.

LG: Where have you had the best reception from an audience and what particular aspect of your performance do you think they were reacting to?

BD: I've had good shows all over the place. I guess if I had to pick a place where people seem to get the most out of it I'd say Copenhagen. The Danes seem to be more willing to go wherever I can take them. They're not afraid of sorrow but they're not afraid of silliness and stupidity either. I love that about them. Also their English is so good they don't miss a thing.

LG: Nowadays the world is full of mediocrity. What should an artist of your calibre do to engage the public into more sophisticated works.

BD: When I began doing shows again after a kind of retirement from the world the idea that kept me going was "If you belong nowhere you can play anywhere" - and that's kind of worked for me. All an artist can do is to try to be true to themselves and if the world goes along with it? – great, and if they don't? fuck em.