She’s a Hollywood actress turned rock temptress who has had her fair share of film star boyfriends but now as the leading lady of The Licks Juliette Lewis proves there is more to having success as a rock star than relying on a past in movies.
Playing live with Patti Smith and Shinghai of the Noisettes Juliette was in fine mood the night before her performance on BBQ Hill at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee where she had been invited with an all female line-up to play some new songs with the Silver Cornet Band.
When you are playing live are you aware of the audience or are you lost in the moment?
Well a little bit of both it depends on the song but the kind of stuff we perform with The Licks is full on. I’m not one of those to ignore the audience. I like to see faces; watch them change and come alive. I am very much about getting in your heart and setting it on fire - the push pull of energy and all that stuff. There are certain songs of course that I have to disappear in and retreat a bit and it’s not as confrontational. Not that our music is confrontational its more fun and feel good.
Are you looking forward to playing alongside Patti Smith?
Yes one of the biggest thrills of this whole thing is this line-up. Patti Smith is someone that has never wavered her individuality or point of view. She is unique - as well as her activism, she is just a radical performer and I actually love her covers album. That was really inspiring – I actually bought that for my band to show the potential of what you can do when you re-interprete other people’s music. Like her Nirvana cover - some people may not like it but I love it. ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ - it’s totally different. It’s like she took a Nirvana song, brought out the lyrics and then made it her own. It’s like the past and the present and the future are all in one track. It’s amazing – pretty wild.
We were supposed to do an interview where a journalist was supposed to be there and we would interview each other. She said “we don’t have to worry about that”. We just met in New York and had Coffee. I actually had all these questions about ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Nigger’. I hadn’t realised how much I had listened to her and was inspired by her. We had a lot of fun just hanging out and talking to each other - she was really open and funny.
When did you get in to her? Was it as a teenager?
No it was later. I hate to name-drop but it was actually on Natural Born Killers. It’s funny a lot of movies I did have musical landscapes to them. Oliver Stone introduced me to Patti Smith cause that track ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Nigger’ is on there. I don’t think that track would be able to be made today but she is taking the piss out of that word and making it about an outsider’s anthem. If you listen to the lyrics they are just amazing. I asked her about that particular song and how it went down and she said she was banned from places and they didn’t want to put the record out.
Was Patti Smith an influence to you starting in music?
Absolutely, without even knowing it, I think I subconsciously identified with her. You could say that there is no one like her. I don’t think specifically musically, you have to discover your own voice and your own confidence and language, but it’s her and its also Chrissie Hynde and Blondie. I guess that is the time period that I am influenced by the most.
What pre-empted your decisions to start Juliette and The Licks? The perception is that you had a career change. Was it a difficult decision to make?
It is an aching need of mine to sing and to be a songwriter but I was scared to do it for so long. I knew once I started that journey it was going to be all or nothing, it was going to be full on. For me it wasn’t about “hey this will be fun to play a couple of bars over the weekend’” you know or “I wanna write some songs or play electric guitar”. For me it was like a mission and a discovery. There are so many things involved with the music and the live shows - it’s spiritual. The songwriting is a whole other thing to me - an expression and it uses drama and telling stories through sound. So overall to be a bandleader was intimidating and something I’d never done. I had to figure it out and there were a few incidents along the way that made it happen. I have been writing songs with a friend of mine for over 10 years and then it wasn’t until I met with Linda Perry that I wrote three songs and discovered my rock ‘n’ roll voice. I got out of singing safe and pretty. I like pretty but I found more of that freedom of expression. Music allows me to utilise all of my creative self while acting just uses a portion of it.
Is there much difference in working with actors and musicians?
It is funny because a lot of the musical language can be cinematic. When I want to write a song or describe a part I’m like “make this section more dangerous I wanna feel like I am being chased through a forest by a herd of Buffalo”. Some people go with that others are more academic like “is that an E-flat?” Especially with my band, that’s the journey as you start to develop a musical sixth sense and telepathy.
Can you see a point when your acting and singing might come together?
That is my hope for the future. The band did pretty well this year; growing our audience; watching our name go a little bit higher in the festival line-up. I want to make videos, mini movies, shorts, things that mix mediums and combine things like what a lot of the bands do that I admire like Bjork and Radiohead - their visual sense is as strong as their music.
In the past you’ve had a reputation of being a bit of a wild child but the impression is you seem to have calmed down a lot. Is that the case?
England has been really lovely with me – knock on wood, it could all change next year. But in the press I guess I am something of a contradiction because on the one hand I have been drug free for over 12 years but in our rock ‘n’ roll show I’m all about losing myself and creating chaos and danger but within the music and energy of the room. I’m all about your natural force but with the wild child I guess I had a stint.
To me, bringing a crowd of people in a room together has an imagined danger. But seeing The Licks audience is my favourite thing. We have gay kids, we have hardcore dudes, we have 50-year-old bikers, conservative types. I like to think of myself as a lion ‘untamer’.
Do you see yourself as being a positive role model?
You know I am just being me. I’m representing very loudly and proudly what I am, what I’ve come through and I’m all about facing your fears. It’s not always easy I mean it’s a hell of a road. I used to be completely cripplingly afraid of crowds and now I’ve hurled myself infront of 50,000 people. That is a freeing experience so that is where I am putting my energies but I like to stand up for that. It’s tricky cause you can’t preach, there are so many musicians I know that don’t do drugs but they literally don’t talk about it. I love the straight edge movement but it went a little haywire with no sex and no caffeine. I’m in to challenging oneself and it’s a balance.
You were really succesful as an actress was it difficult for you to go back to the bottom and start again with the music?
It was terrifying and completely exhilarating at the same time. The love outweighed the fear. I was never a precious actress; I’ve worked in all kinds of circumstances that were quite challenging. I cope quite well with the lifestyle.
How was it starting a band as a famous Hollywood actress with the other band members – did they expect you to get the beers in? How did you build that relationship with them?
Ever since Todd came to my house we had an instant connection, he’s been with me since the beginning. The first tour we went on was ‘The Work Tour’ and it was perfect - it was a total boot camp. A show every single day, half hour sets, not a lot of luxury. But I run in to this all the time people think I am gong to be on my own bus, flying first class separate from my band. The way we’ve been doing the music for me is all about finding the audience first and then creating a livelihood from that connection with your audience and your music. I love the do it yourself aspect of music I think that is actually what I like more.