Kimya Dawson Plays Harlem Tonight, Speaks About Songs and Stuff

A couple weeks ago singer-songwriter [Kimya Dawson ][played at the Music Hall of Williamsburg](http://www.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=39287359).  During the show, I stepped outside with my friend as a gaggle of 17-year-old kids came out to smoke. We had seen them earlier when a drunken hula-hooping girl attempted to bum cigarettes and hold a hooping contest.  They were flustered as they excitedly explained their recent encounter with hula-hoop girl.  “And then, Kimya told that girl to be quiet, and it was so cool!” one boy gushed.  I told Dawson this and she just laughed and knew exactly whom I was talking about.  Turns out not only did she tell her to “be quiet” and respect the artist who was paying homage to his dead friend. But, when the girl refused to do so, the wild haired, plump, and pretty veteran member of Moldy Peaches had her kicked out.

Now Dawson is back in Olympia, Washington, but will soon leave (family in tow) for a brief tour with Ani DiFranco.  The tour hits New York City on July 16 at the United Palace Theatre.  I reached Kimya on the phone and she told me a little about her lyrics, what she is doing post the Juno hype and about her new record, Alphabutt, due out this September.

NYPress: Your last NYC show was so emotional… Dawson: That one was exceptional.  NY shows are always a little bit different anyway because it’s a homecoming to me and it’s a pretty big deal to see so many of my friends all in one place.  I just got into thinking about things in the last five years and those of us who were still around and had our own struggles—but survived them. Also, thinking of our friend that didn’t make it through that time, and what he would have become.  It was super touching and melancholy at the same time.

The lyrics to your songs are encouraging, although sometimes the subject matter is quite sad.  I especially liked “I Like Giants” and the message it gives.  Where to you get your inspiration? “I Like Giants” was written for Geneviève, who is an amazing performer and an out of this world artist.  She said how hard it is to live in the states and sing in French and how important her songs could be to people – but nobody knows what she is talking about.

In that song she had an amazing message about suicide and how helping people could help you.  She talked about giants and stuff and I thought, “Wow, this is such an interesting concept.”  Then, I thought about how it fit into my life and my travels and my sense of feeling grounded and feeling good about myself.  The whole giants thing is hers and in my song I am quoting her.  I hope it’s clear that someone else came up with this gorgeous idea.

How did you get on the bill with Ani DiFranco?  Are you a fan of her music? You know, I honestly don’t know her music.  Her manager came to a show I had in Buffalo and asked if I would be interested in doing some shows with her.  She has a one-year-old and she is taking her baby on tour and I always take Panda on tour so I thought it could be a really good fit.  Also, Ed Hamell is on her label and has toured with her a lot and seemed to enjoy it.  He is one of the best players, and I love him to death.  I feel like if she is ok by him, then, well.

I am curious if you were serious when you said at the last NYC show that you were planning on giving up your own music to start a hamburger girl choir? (Laughing) Not entirely.  That is something I would love to do.  My friend is starting a new venue in Olympia and it’s going to be a non-profit. .  I mentioned the idea of having a local community singing group.  Along the lines of trying to get the local kids involved with the local stuff that happens, which tends to be a lot of people coming in town for the music scene, like kids from the college – not so much the local teens and youth. 

I am not going to completely stop my music. I just think I need to take a little break from touring.

Didn’t you just spend a few weeks touring in Australia?  What was that like? It’s funny, cause I had no idea what to expect and I had no idea about any of the venues or anything.  All the shows sold out.  I think a lot of people came because I had never been to Australia before and a lot of people came because of the Juno stuff.  I don’t think all those people were sold on me and what I do.  You can never tell from the first time you go some place how popular you will remain.

Are you still seeing the post-Juno effect on the crowd at your shows? It’s hard for me to see the effects of something like that because I keep doing things the same as I always have.  There are defiantly some kids at the show that don’t know me in the ‘just your buddy way’ that people who have been coming to my shows know me. 

There might be some kids that come up to me all spazzy like “Ohmygodohmygod!”  And I am like, “Ok, new fan!”  I tell them to take a deep breath and calm down.

I noticed there were a lot of young people at your last show… We have always had a pretty mixed crowd.  The younger kids are the ones that are right up front and the moms and grandmas sink to the back.

Your new album is a kids' album right? Yeah, all kids songs.

Does it reflect the influence that your daughter Panda has had on you? Yeah, listening to her a lot and making up silly songs and stuff.  I just recorded them so she could listen to them whenever.  I decided if she liked it maybe other kids would like it too.

I noticed you have different kids singing on it—like in the “Wiggle My Tooth” song, there is a distinct little boy singing. The kid singing in that song wrote that song.  His name is Macalaster and he lived across the street from my friend’s house.  Macalaster plays drums on pretty much the whole album.  He told me he had been writing poems for school and showed me “Wiggle My Tooth” and we turned it into a song.

Does Panda like touring with you? Yeah. For the most part she is a really good traveler.  She will be two at the end of the month and on our Australia trip and in NY she was asking to come home a lot and wanted to see certain people and be in her house.  I think we will take a break so she can have that. 

Do you ever see your self back in NY? I don’t know.  Every time I’m there I am like, “I could live here.”  But it’s so expensive. I never lived in the city, I lived about an hour north.  I prefer being able to have a really inexpensive, bigger house with a back yard.  Where we live in Olympia it’s really inexpensive and really beautiful and it allows us to travel and have a lot of free time.  It just feels like all our friends in NY have the great conveniences of NY but have to work so much more just to be able to live in a small place.  I love it and hanging out with people there, but I am just so small town.  I am not good at staying in one place for a long time, and if I ever decided to live in a city I would move to NY.

July 16, United Palace Theatre, 4140 Broadway, (corner of 175th St.), 212-568-6700; 8, $25.