Note: This is an interview conducted in English and subsequently translated to Spanish for the author’s website. We have processed it through Google Translate to get it back to English. It may not all make sense, but you get the gist! Original Spanish version here.
Interview with Lee Aaron: “In my heart I’m a tomboy”
Alfredo Villaescusa
June 30, 2016
Lee Aaron was the star of the wet dreams of a legion of teens ochenteros pined for her bones. The wild enthusiasm of his followers at that time even led him to hire bodyguards and cost quite detached from the woman sambenito object. After a long season more focused on jazz and blues, has returned to rock with ‘Fire and Gasoline’ and Alfredo Villaescusa shows their respects to the metal majesty old.
Why did you choose such a resounding title like ‘Fire and Gasoline’?
“I wanted something that evoked the rock on all sides and leave no doubt, somehow mark distance with other jazz and blues records he had done in the past.”
Did you know that there is a record of ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones of the same title?
“Oh, then no, they had no idea, it sounds a little name Steve Jones, but I’m not sure right now … excuse me, I’m still a little thick, here in Canada are still five in the morning ( laughs) . But hey, it seems to me a perfect rock for a disc title, sure it has also used more people. “
‘Fire and Gasoline’ is your first studio album since 2004, what have you done all those years?
“As I became a mother of two children and I was raising, so I left the music world for a season. I needed that pressure off of the upcoming album, touring, etc. and so I preferred to focus on my family, have now grown and I think I can resume my career again. “
Musically it seems that time has not passed because the album sounds very eighties …
“It’s funny, but other journalists have told me exactly the opposite, that sounds very modern, I guess in the end depend on the point of view of each other …”.
What about on the first song “Tom Boy” ( editor’s note: tomboy) ? Are you a bit of a tomboy?
“( laughs) Yes, absolutely, in my heart I’m a tomboy, but the truth is that inspired me in that energy given off preadolescent girls who are not really aware of it. In fact, in the video of the song appears my daughter with her school friends. It was fun to watch them take the instruments and left the skin, breaks were walking eating pizza and joking and that joy and good vibes I think also spread to the screen. “
“Popular” a reflection on your career seems, is it?
“Yes, it may be because it talks about the adverse effects of fame, which also suffered during the eighties, at a time I even had to hire bodyguards because there was a disturbed that followed me around just outside home, if only to buy bread, it was a very uncomfortable situation. “
I think it was important in your recent history meet Sean Kelly, right?
“Yes, it is a guitarist who was playing with Nelly Furtado or Helix and the connection was almost instantaneous, he was the one who helped me compose much of the album’s songs. We made the most of telecommuting because by living each in a rush to meet it became a luxury too expensive, besides also were walking on the road doing concerts, so we took advantage of the possibilities of contemporary technology “.
Do you have plans to present the album in Europe?
“Yes I would like to do some dates, I still remember the reception that offered the public at the Sweden Rock a few years ago, the truth is that I did not expect that after all this time, so I will try to return as soon possible, there are now talks about it, so I am confident that something will materialize soon. “
You came to end sick of the song “Metal Queen”. Was for both the thing?
“Yes, the truth, became a sort of slab that ballasted any possibility of evolution, a cliché, and revealed myself against this situation, so I stopped playing it for a while. Luckily, I got over that stage and aversion and I no longer feel ashamed at all of this issue, so I no longer have any problem interpret live “.
Do you miss the scene of the eighties?
“For in many things yes, there was a certain innocence in the environment and in producing or compose an album everything was handmade, there was a process that had its charm, now for example can work on a song being each in part of the country, but it is colder. “
What kind of people go today to your concerts?
“For in Canada often see whole families to complete, with kids the same age as my daughter, are those fans of the eighties who have married, but not have stopped going to concerts.”
There was a project called 2preciious in which tried despojarte stage name of Lee Aaron, why?
“Ah yes, that was during that time when I was very disillusioned with the music business, wanted to leave the past behind and start a career that had nothing to do with the above, it was a very ambitious project that did not eco too commercial “.
Now you have your own record label, did you get tired of being dependent on others?
“Yes, except that has already been shown that today is no longer a profitable business. I suggested the option of crowdfunding , I was looking for a while and ended up overwhelmed with all platforms that existed apart from the tremendous work then supposed to send hundreds of packages signed microphones or anything else that could offer, I do not not like the idea that to make a record with money from the fans … so the only option I had was to use the summer to make the greatest possible number of concerts and so gather the necessary amount of money to me let get something without owing anything to anyone, and that was what finally did. “
Your real name is Karen, where does the Aaron Lee?
“That was the name the group that was in high school, I’ve used it ever since.”
In 1982 you placed in topless for a men’s magazine, but then you repented enough to have done, what really happened?
“For several factors came together to begin with, I received a tremendous pressure from the record company and my manager at that time and I had no other to give. It was also very young, knew nothing of the music business, so I listened to the advice they told me it would be good for my career, but ultimately was the opposite. “
What do you think when you see women like Miley Cyrus using her body to sell records?
“Well give me much grief, I would not serve as an example for my daughter or anybody else.”
How does it feel to have starred in the erotic dreams of thousands of ochenteros teenagers?
“( laughs) do not know, it is a mixture of gratitude and some reluctance ( more laughter) .”
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