>>PREVIEW
ANITA ATHAVALE
Saturday, February 10
The Den (U of C)
Asked to think about what’s changed between the release of her first album three years ago and her second, Anita Athavale snorts, "everything’s changed. The universe has changed."
In 2002, Athavale’s debut album landed with a splash; The First Time sparked interest from major labels and ended up one of the most played albums on Canadian college radio that year. She had a manager and record deals on the table.
But she says, "if I could go back, I’d do things differently – although not in the sense of having regrets.
"I had an idea at the time about how people got supported or discussed or became successful in the music business," says Athavale. "I mean, I was offered a record deal on the strength of that album, but the deal didn’t include money for touring or money for videos. Essentially, record companies are interested in helping out people who don’t need help."
Over the intervening four years, Athavale has been doing a little bit of everything, including a lot of varied studio work. However, the biggest thing that seems to have happened is that she’s not so brand new to the business of music and has formed an opinion or two on what works for her – and what works is not the big company structure.
"I’ve realized that going the traditional route is not necessary for success," she says matter-of-factly. "Although I suppose it depends on how you define success. If you want people to hear your music, there are so many options now that the music companies just frankly can’t keep up. They’re behind the times."
As far as needing a manager in her corner, Athavale was disburdened of that illusion the first time around as well. While having a manager gave her some "street cred," Athavale realized that her manager didn’t really understand her style and kept wanting to turn her into something else.
"There’s already a Dido in the world – we don’t need another one," she points out. She won’t be having a big CD release to echo the last one; she’d rather spend the time and money touring. Where she was pushed into a co-songwriting arrangement last time that made her feel intimidated, this time around she’s penned all her own songs. Athavale has begun to find her voice and her choices in the music world, which is, not coincidentally, what the new album is about.
In the Noise is about trying to find who you are in the midst of all the interference of everyday life these days – between the advertising and the advice, you’re lucky to be able to hear yourself think.
"I didn’t write a lot about love," Athavale points out. "It’s about identifying who you are against a variety of backdrops, a variety of relationships."
One song in particular stands out, one of the few songs on the album written about an actual person – it’s a song about having an eating disorder and a song about women’s body image issues. As with all the songs on the album, if the subject matter is personally motivated, the result is a universally understood theme.
"I’m not out to paint anybody as a monster – songwriters work their feelings out by writing songs," Athavale laughs. "Anybody who befriends a songwriter needs to keep that in mind. I had a hard time with that song, but it was important to me to delve into it. Although to try and do that without hurting this person, that was the hard part. I mean, I was mad at her, which sounds ridiculous, but she’s someone I care about, and she was hurting herself.
"But it’s about me too, you know? I’m not a skinny person, that’s just my genetics – and that has an impact in the music business. So, if I put a picture out there, people who have never met me are going to judge me. I can’t say I’ve never thought about travelling down that road."
In the end, Athavale has found a path, both professionally and personally, that fits her. "It’s all about figuring out for yourself where your line is, finding out ‘what am I about’ and sticking with it, and then it’s easier to figure out what do you give up and what do you hang onto as you go." |
Copyright ©2007 FFWD. All rights reserved.