A Conversation with Yael Naim – HuffPost 5.4.11

Mike Ragogna: Yael, you were the first Israeli artist to have a U.S. Top Ten single with “New Soul” back in 2008. What was the experience like for you?

Yael Naim: it was incredible to reach such a historical musical result without really trying and it happened so fast. It was like a little “miracle.” Sometimes, you struggle so much, and some other times, you have stuff you didn’t even dream of.

MR: Your new album She Was A Boy is filled with many introspective songs, yet overall, it seems like you’re having a good time with your variation of styles and rhythms. Normally, what’s your approach when writing songs?

YN: The only approach is to express what I feel. It’s a way to evacuate what happens in my life, and life is complex and rich, so music is just a way to express all the different periods, changes, etc.

MR: How did you record this album, what was the process like?

YN: We recorded again in my home, only I’ve moved in a bigger one now, to have more and bigger instruments. David Donatien and I played and recorded most of the instruments by ourselves, and then sometimes friends came, stayed to sleep, eat and eventually, record music! We usually fight a lot with David when we record, but it pushes us to go further and to reach what we really want/feel/need

MR: Who are your musical influences?

YN: Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Ravel, Debussy, Classical Indian music, Tom Waits, Robert Johnson, etc …

MR: What guest musicians or artists appear on She Was A Boy?

YN: There are no real “guests,” it’s more like friends, some famous and some less or not…all musicians! Thomas Bloch, Eric Legnini, Stephane & Lionel Belmondo, Tété

MR: What’s it like having Perez Hilton as a supporter?

YN: it’s incredible to have someone as passionate as Perez supporting our music because it helps a lot and it’s such a great window to let people know that our music exists. We’re very thankful and we hope to be able to tell him one day in person

MR: What’s the story of “Come Home,” both the song and the video?

YN: it’s about the story I had with my family when I left Israel, when I began to change and to become an adult. It’s about the fact that when you grow, you can not be exactly what your family expects you to. And it’s about learning to understand each other again and to love and accept each other with no condition.

The video is trying to reflect the same–miscommunication. It’s my story. I leave my home and the family is trying to bring me back at some stage, either physically or “mentally” with education, community obligation, etc., and I’m trying to show them that the picture is bigger than this, that there’s something else out there. I’m trying to speak to them about the world that is outside and they don’t listen and we lose each other. Then, they notice a little door and start looking (out), and they discover my world, and in the end, they notice that there is a world outside our world, outside their world, and in the end, we find our way back to each other.

MR: Which countries are you most popular in beyond the U.S.?

YN: France, Israel, Germany, Japan, Brasil

MR: How do you feel you’ve grown between your self-titled debut album and She Was A Boy?

YN: The first album was a melancholic period, like a beginning of learning and admitting I don’t know much about life, and the second album is also very intimate but like the beginning of a new road but in a happier period and with more freedom in the musical research and more rhythm also.

MR: What advice do you have for new artists?

YN: Just concentrate on your music and it will bring you many other things. Sometimes, we want some success right away and we go too fast and the music doesn’t get enough maturity, and even if it’s out, you find yourself “naked.” Really, take a lot of time to make your music because once it’s out, there’s no way back and most of all, ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!