Hi, thank you.
Keith Jopling:Thanks for joining me, Nora. How are you? Whereabouts are you today?
Norah Jones:I'm good. Thank you. I'm in New York this morning. So I'm chipper.
Keith Jopling:How many cups of coffee does it take you?
Norah Jones:I've had a couple. But I'm a lifelong tea drinker. And I just started drinking espresso. So I'm very chipper.
Keith Jopling:Nora, can you believe it's 20 years since Come away with me? How does it feel?
Norah Jones:No, I can't it feels fine. I mean, I probably feel younger than I am. But I am. I had a lot of fun putting together this deluxe thing for the anniversary. And I was pretty surprised myself at how much cool material we had for it. So it was fun, like looking back, because I don't usually do that. I try to live in the moment.
Keith Jopling:These Anniversaries are gonna start coming around thick and fast. You know,
Norah Jones:I know it just goes faster. Right. Looking back. I
Keith Jopling:mean, it's important. I think it's important for particularly for your audience. And I liked the way you've done it. You wrote some beautiful liner notes for this 20th Anniversary Edition, which are definitely want to refer to
Norah Jones:they definitely wrote a lot of them. Yes. I mean, this
Keith Jopling:record was so huge. It was one of those records that you could end up finding in everyone's CD collection at the time and in throughout the history of popular recorded commercial music, etc. There were literally only a probably a couple of 100 of those.
Norah Jones:Yeah, it was surprising.
Keith Jopling:It's sort of a defining cultural product of the times I suppose. I mean, I've heard it described as it melted the barriers between generations and genres, which says a lot in a few words. I like that sums it up, it would be very short liner notes, but it's true.
Norah Jones:I've heard other descriptions that I didn't like as much. So I like that. Yeah.
Keith Jopling:It was so big on so many levels. What's interesting about the liner notes, and I guess it's time to re appreciate this is it didn't sort of come as a perfect uniform product that was created at once it was pieced together in lots of different ways.
Norah Jones:Yeah, it was sort of pieced together from three different sessions very separate sessions. And we chased things that we started with, until we ended up back at the starting point a little bit. It's
Keith Jopling:an interesting story that isn't it because the you recorded the demos then that got you the potential deal with Blue Note records. But then you went off to sort of make the record with, I guess, with a bit of their budget behind it with all of these musicians in Alain studios in Woodstock.
Norah Jones:Oh, they're a lot less Well, we were given, I was given money to make the demos as a potential, maybe a record deal was at the end of it. So I made the demos with the money the label gave me. And they were great. And then their label signed me. And so I went to make the record at a layer with a great producer, Craig Street, who I was in love with this Cassandra Wilson album called New Moon daughter, and he produced it. So he was who I wanted to sort of help bring the music to a slightly different corner than just the demos, I was really excited to try some different things and work with different musicians. And he hired a band full of musicians that I idolized, you know, it was Brian blade on the drums and Bill freezone, the guitar, Kevin Brian on the guitar. So we made like, a full record. Plus, I mean, we recorded probably 21 songs at these upstate sessions on a top of a mountain, in an old summer mansion. It was like that kind of a vibe, we all stayed up there was very isolated, and spooky and fun. And so we came back, and gave some sort of rough flee mixed versions of 21 songs to the label. And they said, now, we don't really think this is the right direction. We really liked the demos. So let's go back sort of chase that a little more. And so it was a little bit of a what, what just happened?
Keith Jopling:I mean, how did that feel with all of that incredible cast list of musicians put together but you had your doubts, didn't you? As well, when you heard the playback? Craig,
Norah Jones:the producer told me before we started, he's like, these demos are great. You guys should just put these are like, Yeah, but I'm looking for something more or different. We were just sort of chasing something that I was excited to try. I think in hindsight, the recordings, we could have just like gone through them more and makes them a little better. And, you know, cut it down to our favorites instead of just having this huge 21 song. unclear where it's going. product. But I did have doubts, just because there were certain songs on the demos that I liked the person's better. So yeah, it felt weird. And I was like, part of me was relieved. But part of me was devastated. So it was a little confusing. And I was also scared of losing the deal, and not really sure what was happening, and also losing control of the record, you know, because I felt very at ease with Craig. But Bruce wanted me to go back in with a reef Martin, who was a legendary producer. And I loved a lot of his work. But I didn't want to lose control over my own record, I was a little bit in a precarious position. But a reef went in the studio with my band back at the same place, we recorded the demo, same engineer, same band. And we just sort of forged ahead and tried to recreate the vibe, which wasn't hard, because it's all the same people plus a reef, and he really helped guide us. And in the end, a reef helped me piece together the record between two songs from the original demos, of which one is don't know why the one that became the big hits. So it's a good thing, we use it. And we picked three of my favorite recordings from the Craig sessions, which are so key to the record and have such a special quality. And then the rest of the record was recorded with a reef. So yeah, that's kind of how it was pieced together. So
Keith Jopling:pieced together from those three different sessions and then blending all of those genres. Most people would never know that, you know, they put the record on just let it play and the whole thing just flows beautifully, even if it is a mix of styles.
Norah Jones:That's the point right? It's all me after all, and it's all you know, a lot of the band was the same. But I would say as far as records go, it's not so crazy to have a few different you know, scenarios, but as far as jazz records go and jazz budgets and all that, you know, it definitely was more than we had planned on or thought we would do. You know, and I don't think this is a jazz record at all, but I'm coming from that label and you know, having that kind of mentality. It definitely we took like the long way to get there but it was definitely worth it because the Kreg sessions are so special in those three songs that were on the final record are three of my favorites.
Keith Jopling:The ultimate longevity is presented with Bowers and Wilkins, premium British audio brand. Bowers and Wilkins loudspeakers are trusted by some of the world's leading recording studios, including Abbey Road. It's a pleasure to have Bowers and Wilkins supporting the show. Coming back to it now and bringing out the expanded version with more of those demos and tracks from all three sessions, what are the songs that kind of stand out for you this time around?
Norah Jones:Well, the correct sessions, really, I mean, we pretty much picked all the songs for this deluxe, I think there's 12 or 13 of them, that have never been heard recordings. And some of them are different versions of songs from the album that we later redid or went back to the original. And some of them have never been heard at all. There's one song in particular that I really kind of forgot about, that I love so much. And it was written by a friend of mine, who used to play at the living room, which is the songwriters club in Florida. Sorry, where I used to hang out when I first moved to New York. His name is no, I'm Weinstein. It's the song called fragile. And I always loved that song when he played it. And I, I asked if I could try to record it. And it's a beautiful song. And I love hearing it again, it's got Kevin Bryan on guitar and a bill for sale on a guitar. And they got a real kick out of playing with each other, because they're both great guitar players. So I remember doing that song with them. And they just had smiles on their faces. And it's just a great recording. And it's like, you know, to be honest, I feel like all the stuff that never made the album, and that has never been heard, could have easily been on it. You know, you know, we could have swapped out a couple songs. It's all great. It's all very much special, you know, you just can't put 30 songs on an album. So anyway, that's where we ended up
Keith Jopling:with fragile and other songs. Would you be tempted to take some of those out and play them live now?
Norah Jones:Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, hey, I'm live as a whole other thing. Live is open for business. Any song I feeling I'm happy to play. You
Keith Jopling:know, when the album came out, it also was an industry phenomenon. And I'm not even sure how much you were aware of it at the time. I only just got into the industry I was working for I was hired by J. Berman. And it was the early days of Napster, you know, and just a huge amount of concern about whether anyone could have one of those huge records. And no one was at the time, I think I mean, I think the other kind of big records that year were maybe Eminem. And so it sort of became a big thing in the industry as well that you could still do that. I mean, were you aware of that at the time, how much notion of that did you have,
Norah Jones:I knew everything was going on just from people telling me. But from the get go, my record was selling, and then it just kept going up and up and up and up. And then a year later, after it came out, the Grammys happened and it was just bananas. So wasn't worried about it. The record label was very worried about it. And I remember once the record started gaining some momentum, the higher ups at the company started to take interest, my bluenotes core family record label because we were family at that point. They really did all all the main work of promoting the record and everything. But the higher ups took notice and would take me to dinners and stuff. And I remember they were really keen on me speaking out against Napster. And I felt really weird about it because I was selling records, you know what I mean? So I didn't want to sound complainy. But of course, you know, cut to 20 years later, I mean, no working musicians can make a living selling records they have to tour. And it's a shame that that it's come to that because especially during the pandemic, it's just been so hard for people to make a living, playing music, because you know, record sales have been completely wiped out of the equation pretty much so people have to be very creative with if they can't tour in
Keith Jopling:that respect. You know, everything's changed in 20 years. Isn't that total? I mean, you know, this record shifted 27 million copies. That's the latest count, I think. But these days, you don't really expect to even sell records as such.
Norah Jones:Yeah, it's a weird thing. I feel lucky I got in under the wire for sure. But it's a strange world, you know, comparatively social media to you have to be your own publicist. So most, you know, most musicians or artists I know don't have a knack for self promotion. But you kind of have to figure it out and do that. Otherwise, you don't really make a blip. So it's a tricky time for people. Actually,
Keith Jopling:you know, it catapulted you to the very top. How did you adjust to the fame because it happened quite quickly.
Norah Jones:It definitely was the most challenging part of it. and sometimes fun, but sometimes stressful. I think for me, you know, my own life. My dad being a famous musician, but not being a huge part of my upbringing, but me having a relationship with him as an adult like that host, then my mom raising me like that stuff that messy. Fame wise, you know, when people would write about me, they would never completely get it, right. Because guess what, families are nuanced. Details are nuanced. Life is not a soundbite. So, you know, they would never get my family story, right. Somebody would inevitably be upset in my face, you know what I mean? In my family, so that was probably the trickiest part for me. But you know, it's what it is. It's all, hopefully water under the bridge. And, you know, people understand that, you know, the media doesn't portray things accurately, as we know, yeah.
Keith Jopling:I mean, there's always a kind of prevailing narrative that starts to be told about an artist, and you've come much further away from that, which we'll come on to. Yeah,
Norah Jones:I felt like early on, it was a big part of my story for some people, but then it wasn't at all for other people. So it was a weird thing. And I felt like the music cut through all of it, and that it sort of took hold in a way that I didn't feel like it was a weird thing that people were latching on to however, it was just, it was just tricky for me to maneuver all that and tricky for everyone in my sort of world. But the fame stuff is weird, and tried to skirt it as best I can, while enjoying it as best I can. You know, I kind of came out on the other side. Pretty good. I mean, I'm not really completely famous. Unless I go to an event, you know, but I'm
Keith Jopling:definitely you managed to keep on the level and also just keep a low profile, even given where the industry put you. I mean, they literally did put you on a pedestal. And but how about performing because you were suddenly performing to, presumably bigger and bigger audiences until they were huge audiences and you've been, you know, you practice your craft in the piano bars. And that's written about very fondly in those liner notes. I mean, I can tell you that you still got a relationship with those piano bars quite right, because they're amazing places.
Norah Jones:Well, I would say it was less piano bars and more restaurants, which wasn't bad. It was a great paid practice, I gotta say, but it wasn't like an audience situation. You know, every once in a while, people would clap after a song, but it wasn't a given. But I would say yeah, moving up into bigger and bigger venues became tricky, especially after the Grammys, then we were playing huge venues, we would try to make them feel as intimate as possible. You know, you could do things in, in these stadiums where you cut them in half, and you drape curtains around. So you make it feel like a theater, that kind of a thing. It was weird. I mean, I think I did the best I could. I don't think I put on a bad show. But I think for me, talking to the audience has always been tricky. Because they can tell when you're just putting on like a script. And I never wanted to do that. But I also never wanted to just blabber on, because that annoys the crap out of me as well. So there's a tricky balance, you know, addressing the audience and having them know that you appreciate them. And I think for the first year, I was like, freaked out by them. So I don't know if they knew that. But you never in somebody else's head. So I just sort of forged on and tried to keep the music beautiful and and heartfelt. And that was the that was always the key for me. When
Keith Jopling:you followed up, Come away with me. Again, you were phenomenal for quite a few years. I feels like home was huge. Not too late was I think they were all consecutive number ones. I
Norah Jones:don't know I think feels like home was but I think after that there weren't any.
Keith Jopling:Oh really? I thought not too late was also like a really big record.
Norah Jones:I don't know how big it was to be completely honest.
Keith Jopling:That's interesting.
Norah Jones:I mean, I feel like it was still Yeah, it was still like my heyday or whatever. Whatever you want to call it. I still felt this enormous pressure from the label or the whatever expectations but I didn't worry about that too much. Luckily, I didn't really let that in.
Keith Jopling:By the time you go to the fall, which was 2009 Again, correct me if I'm wrong if you see this picture differently that felt to me like you were changing things up a bit. Did up become a deliberate path for you.
Norah Jones:Well, I think I did a good job of never making the same record. And after Come away with me, we were very into country music and bluegrass, I feel like feels like home had a lot more country flair. I think not to eight was darker and more sad. And I wrote more songs, I was writing more finally, and then my band kind of disabled, it was time for us all to move on. My bass player and I had broken up it was, you know, it was a big change in that way. So it was a big shake up in the personnel department. We all went our separate ways. And I had written a bunch of songs for the fall, and I was super excited to try something different. sonically, I already wrote the songs, so I wanted to hear them in a different way. I didn't want the instruments to be mostly acoustic, I wanted to try some different things, keyboards and such, I really just needed a producer, who could help me find a different sonic landscape for them. And so I ended up working with secure king who was awesome. And we had a lot of fun making the record, it was very pieced together with many different sessions and many different musicians. So like I said, like, that's not very unique in the music industry to do that. But um, for me, it was. So that's how that record came to be. And it was super fun to make. And I love it. I still love it.
Keith Jopling:I think you started to surprise people at that point. Right? At the early days, when you presented the first demos to Bruce lumbar. You've said this in your liner notes. You know, he asked you do you want to be a pop singer or a jazz singer? And it strikes me what's fascinating about you is when you started to explore those other styles, you do them so well.
Norah Jones:Well, the truth is, I was already questioning what I was doing in New York, playing jazz, I loved playing jazz, but I wasn't writing new material in that sort of vein. So singing songs that were 80 years old all the time. So that had been recorded by a billion different people. So you know, I was already starting to question what I was trying to do with music. When I told him I wanted to be a chess singer. I mostly told him that because I was sitting in his office at Blue Note records, which is a famous, well,
Keith Jopling:I can understand you doing that at the time, because you were also very young. But essentially, it was a bit of a panic response, wasn't it? Yeah,
Norah Jones:it was a little bit of a panic response. However, you know, when he signed me, he said, you know, these demos aren't really jazz, that song Lone Star as a country song, but I think it's still worth doing. Let's do it. So, you know, that was from the get go. Never the expectation. But um, yeah, I mean, I think I've always been excited to try new things. And I've never felt bound by genre since I was in college, probably like, I don't think that way I wasn't. When I was trying to make the fall. I wasn't thinking I want this to sound like a different genre. I was just thinking, I want the sound to sound a little more. Something else, you know, a little more amped up. I want the grooves to be heavier. I want some more keyboards out. You know, I wasn't thinking in terms of genre so much. Yeah.
Keith Jopling:And it comes through and it comes through even more actually on little broken hearts, because you took that Sonic aspect even further. Oh,
Norah Jones:yeah, well, working with Danger Mouse was like a dream. And I actually had asked him to produce the fall. But he said, That's not how he works. He likes to write songs in the studio, and I had already had all the songs for the fall. So we postponed our collaboration till after, and it was amazing. sonically, it was so fun to work with him. And
Keith Jopling:did you find that working with those producers on the fall, and then with Danger Mouse on little broken hearts, that you were developing a new direction that you wanted to continue on? No,
Norah Jones:I felt like that. That record was its own thing. And I knew that it was going to be special and unique. Because the whole process was I had never gone into the studio with no songs before. A lot of people do that all the time. But that's not the school I was in the school I sort of came from was, you know, going in with songs either written by other people or by me, but like, completely finished. And yeah, you might have an idea where it goes sonically but you might not but the songs were done. So going in with Brian was just a whole new world. He asked if I wanted to do something kind of dark. I was going through a breakup and I said, Absolutely. So, you know, we wrote all these songs and just put things on as we went. And it was such a special, unique thing for me. Of course, I would love to work with Brian again, and I would love to do anything like that again. However, it didn't feel I guess I've never thought ahead that much. That's probably the most I've ever thought ahead because we postpone working together till I was done with the fall. But I don't usually look forward to what's my next move and my next move. And I think that's also been fun of my career that and also the What Works about it for me anyways, I'm not plotting anything, I'm just embracing what is in front of me. Sometimes I'm searching for stuff, but it's not like a five year plan. You know what I mean? And it never will be probably
Keith Jopling:Keith here, thanks for listening to the art of longevity. I hope you're enjoying the conversation so far. Please tell your friends, listen back to the other episodes. And don't forget to subscribe on whatever podcast platform you listen back to the conversation. Since you were still a big priority artist, you know, even though your career settled down somewhat, and you were an established artist, by that point, was there pressure on you after those two albums to just hate? Nor go back to the core of what you were known for? Or were you allowed to just go on and do you know, whatever you felt like doing next?
Norah Jones:I think I was so stubborn. I don't think anyone ever told me that. Or if they maybe they were scared too. Or maybe they knew I would be like, Screw you. So I don't remember anyone ever trying to guide me that way. It's funny, though, you know, Bruce Lynnville, the head of bluenotes, who was you know, in his 70s, when he passed away, you know, he loved me, and he loved what I did. He was so proud of me and everything. But you know, he's older. And he comes from a very heavy jazz background. But he's also very open. But after I put out the fall, I remember I didn't really hear from him for a while. And then he took me to lunch. He's like, I gotta be honest with you, I didn't really like this record, at first. Not my thing. But um, you know, now it's grown on me, and I get it, I get it. I didn't get it at first. But now I get it. And I thought that was nice. He was completely honest with me. He wasn't trying to tell me what to do. And he wasn't trying to make me do anything to commercially like, change. But he was just completely honest. And that's the relationship I had with my record label. And I maintain it to this day, you know, with certain people, of course, the cast has completely changed except for one person, my publicist, Jim, but I do feel a certain amount of honesty goes a long way with me. And I think they feel it too. And they know, I don't need them. I don't need to, you know, be number one, I just want to make good music. And I think they recognize that and recognize my audience. I mean, they have enough respect for my audience to fully just kind of let me do what I'm going to do. You've
Keith Jopling:been so lucky that way, in a sense, because it's unusual. And in a way you've been the rock whilst bluenotes had some really tricky moments. I mean, EMI was bought out by terra firma, and I know the conversation was, what do we do with blue note for a while. And then there was even talk of closing the label a few years later in 2012. Were you close to any of that? Did you feel any of that pressure on you as one of the biggest artists on that label?
Norah Jones:I did not. I felt sad. I mean, you know, Bruce got older, and then he had to be on the peripheral. And then he passed away. And most of the people I was very close with the the label eventually got laid off one by one. And that was all very sad. I knew that, wherever I landed, it would be what it was, but I didn't know how lucky I had been up to that point. So, you know, I was hoping it wouldn't be somewhere bad. But luckily, Don was came up and stepped up and sort of saved the label. And a lot of my stuff is now worked by the parent company. And it's not everybody from bluno. But um, it still feels like a good vibe to me. And I have been very, very lucky. I never had those industry horror stories. Maybe a couple of little ones, but we don't need to talk about
Keith Jopling:No, we don't need to talk about that. And that's the, you know, within the crazy machinations of the industry, you've been allowed to have this long relationship, which I think is just, as I say, highly unusual, but a fantastic thing. And clearly, you value it and you've had to, you know, amazing. I mean, I hesitate to call them bosses. But you know, when Don took over blue note, I guess that was just a huge step in the right direction for the label at that time. And it's a different label. Now, it's much more modern than it was.
Norah Jones:Yeah, I mean, I think the key to to having two amazing bosses, they definitely don't feel like bosses, and I don't feel like I'm telling them anything, either. I feel like we're just sort of partners in a way and I felt that with Bruce. And I feel that with Don you know, I feel you know that we're friends and music lovers and, and I feel like he gets what I do, you know. And like in the case of Bruce, even if he doesn't, he can be honest. I'm more open now than I used to be, I used to be very close to being told what to do, yet also very influenced by what people think. So I was a weird combination of that. But luckily, nobody ever gave me horrible advice. Right,
Keith Jopling:because I think when Bruce was saying that over lunch about little broken hearts, he was also kind of reflecting to some extent, a curious relationship with with such a massive audience, because the audience that you had for Come away with me was so huge that obviously a lot of people either stopped there, or maybe with feels like home, or they, they still associate you with that sound. But you've just gone so far from that. I mean, yesterday, I played, pick me up off the floor and come away with me back to back. And that was a fascinating experience. Because with pick me up off the floor, all the styles are there, but the sonic stuff has been left there as well. So, you know, I think you've got to a very interesting place, which is, I don't know, maybe it's the late night, Nora, you know, from your playlist compilations back in a couple of years ago. But it feels like you're the one in control of that. So you're one piecing that sound together for yourself? Is that true?
Norah Jones:Oh, yeah. I mean, I've always been in the driver's seat, even with heavy collaborators. But, you know, I think the key is to when you're working with someone who has a very heavy hand, respect that you're working with them, because you like what they do, and let them do it. Try not to get in the way. But also don't you know, I'm not letting anyone take over anything. So it's a balance. You know what I mean? I worked with a great producer, Leon Michaels on this Christmas album last year. And I knew that I wanted to work with him, because he makes such cool sounding recordings. And he's a great musician, and he just has great taste. But I knew that I wanted the Christmas album, to feel classic and nostalgic, but not like a throwback album. And not lame. You know what I mean? I was like, the only thing that can't be as lame, and like throwback in a way that sounds kind of like done before. So you know, I feel like we found a good balance. And he's got such a cool way of making things sound that I love working with him. And I love put giving stuff to him and letting go of the reins a little bit when I'm working with someone I can trust like that, you know, and I feel like that with most of the producers I've worked with, because if I didn't, I probably wouldn't continue an album with that being said, No,
Keith Jopling:I agree. I love that album, actually. And so many artists are making Christmas albums. And I think attempting to do what you've described in terms of the throwback to the classic kind of Christmas record, which is virtually impossible. But I think you've captured the feeling a bit for sure. Yeah,
Norah Jones:I wanted to capture the feeling of it without just being like, color by numbers. But you know, what all what it is, and music is my gosh, it's subjective, isn't it? So what I love someone else might not. When I made that album with Danger Mouse, I do feel like there's a lot of people who love that album who don't really love my other stuff. And there's a lot of people who love my first few albums that don't gravitate towards that kind of thing that I do as well. And that's fine. And then there's some people who like it, I can appreciate it all. And that's great. I've learned to let that part go. Because I learned early on that you're not going to please everyone. I had this girl, this very sweet, young teenage girl from Argentina once she wrote me the sweetest fan letter, but it was like criticism as well. And funny to me. I was like on my second record, or my third album, or maybe it was after the it maybe it was the fall, it was the fall. And I remember she waited outside and she wanted a picture. And then she gave me this letter and she couldn't have been sweeter and I loved her. But the letter was like, very like, Yes, I'm such a fan. But could you please go back to singing? The more ballads and the more just out because I think it just is better. I really need that from you and it suits you better. It was just so funny. And so from that moment, I think I was like okay, I'm not going to please one sweet girl. I'm not gonna please one cool guy who doesn't you know, I'm just gonna do what I like. And that's all I can do. All
Keith Jopling:right, a response. I'll send it over to you. You can pass it on. Because once you move away from a direction that you've set, I mean, hey, that direction was very multi genre anyway, so it kind of gave you the platform to move into different places. But yeah, people are gonna have an opinion on it, they're gonna have something to say, and you're gonna lose some of that core audience and move on and, you know, went over other people, I think it's just fascinating. The bits that you've taken with you, I mean, on picked me up off the floor, that for me, is the perfect composite, because it is all in there. The Jazz is in there. There's, I mean, one of the tracks sounds like it's right out of the town of Deadwood. So that sort of all countries still there. But yeah, there's hints of Robert Glasper. There's Miles Davis, there's, you know, the very modern style of jazz is in there as well. And I think it's about going with an artist on that journey. That's the really interesting bit, to my mind, as a listener anyway,
Norah Jones:when you find someone that you want to go on that journey with, it's the best. I mean, I remember when I discovered Neil Young, I didn't really listen to him until my early 20s. And then I just went whole hog. And, you know, I love discovering my brain isn't working right now. But I just love discovering all the different albums, American stars and bars, that's what I'm talking about. Yeah, like I, you know, I thought I knew it all. And then someone gave me that on vinyl. And it's just my new favorite, you know, and it's him. And it's the same, but it's totally different. You know, so it's the best when you get to go on that sort of journey with someone.
Keith Jopling:Yeah, you're creating something very unique, I think, to your sound at the minute, I wasn't going to go there. But you're on one of the key settings have come away with me would have been played at the dinner party. I mean, you know, this anyway, I'm, I'm sure you've heard it a million times. But it's a very, very cool dinner party to play something like pick me up off the floor. Because, you know, people do ask me like, Who is this? And I said, What's Norah Jones, and they are surprised. It felt like when you did those playlists, and you created your music into was it midnight, nor a late night nor a kitchen, Nora. So again, you weren't taking it too seriously, that was quite a nice thing to do. I mean, you've done that you've done some cool stuff on YouTube, where you just you and a guitar, or you sing at the piano. And you mentioned earlier, you know, the obligation to do all that stuff. But it looks like you've started to enjoy some of the aspects of being an artist in the streaming era. Yeah,
Norah Jones:I mean, all those mood ups. I mean, that was definitely the label wanting to do it, you know, to just get people listening again, because I feel like that's what you have to do now with streaming is you always have to have one little new thing to be put on the new releases radar thing, you know, I think it's just like a way to get back to the top of the list. And it's, it's a little weird, I wouldn't have done it. If I didn't think it was worth doing. I usually turn down things that I don't want to do. Yeah. But as far as the YouTube stuff goes, I mean, during the pandemic, that was like my only time to play music every week. And it was almost like I finally found my way of connecting through social media, because I'm not somebody who's going to post a bunch of pictures of my, my face, my dog, my kids my house, I'm not going to be that personal on that medium, because it makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I'm just a little more private than some people maybe, but to do, you know, long posts about my opinions on current events also isn't really my vibe. It's just not natural to me to blast my opinions out there. It's just not how I how I operate. And I'm not judging anyone else who does. It's just not my thing. But to play music for people through YouTube. Guess what? That works. That's what I do. I play music and that's how I connect with my audience. I don't connect with them through you know, asking them questions on my Instagram Live, you know, I am maybe I should, but I just don't. They've always connected with me through my music, whether they like my personality or not usually about the music. So for me to play every week, for eight months was super special for me. And the comments were super special to read, because it's not something I usually look at, but it was very special. And like I said, it got me out of my head. And it was the only time I played music every week during that whole period. Yeah,
Keith Jopling:I think what you've done with the reissue is really cool because I totally appreciate that. Many artists do not want to look back but to celebrate a cultural moment by just sort of telling the story how that record came together.
Norah Jones:Yeah, I mean, it was fun for me. I you know in the label as If I would do something for the 20th I thought about it and I was like, Well, only if it's something worth doing. And then once I realized how many unreleased things were in the vaults, it was super worth figuring out and really fun to reconnect with Craig and remix those sessions. And it was great.
Keith Jopling:Yeah, art of longevity is a team effort. show is produced by the songs of Lea. That's me. With project manager. It's audio engineered and edited by audio culture. Our amazing cover up is by the wonderful Mick Clark. And original music for the show is by Andrew James Johnson. You forged a path for quite a few women artists actually, in those early days. I know it wasn't a deliberate thing, but it created a space for people like Joss Stone and Katy, Mel, you and all those people who came through Adele even later, who's breaking ground now who is inspiring you in terms of women creators out there. Pretty
Norah Jones:much all of them in different ways. I love tank and the bangas. I'm friends with Valerie June, she's doing her own thing. And then I listen to pop radio with my kids, you know, which is something I've pretty much never done since I was 13. It's not that I look down on pop music or have any problems with it. It's just not what I gravitate towards, usually. But you know, you hear it everywhere. And I don't feel the need to because you always hear it everywhere at a grocery store. But um, I've been listening to it with my kids and just loving it. It's been so fun. And all the big pop stars I think I think they're all amazing. They work so hard. That is a hard job. I can't imagine keeping on top of it the way that they do like I love Dua Lipa, the songs I love her voice, you know, but to do all that and look like that and dance like that. I mean, that's just like a stress attack waiting to happen for me. So
Keith Jopling:absolutely. It's the whole thing is a huge production. Yeah,
Norah Jones:I have a lot of respect for that. And I feel like all these women are really able to take control over what their thing is, you know, from Beyonce to her to Adele, everyone has control now, in ways that they may not have always, but I don't know, it seems like everyone's sort of walking their own path. And I think that's really great to see, you know,
Keith Jopling:have things changed for you in respect of being a woman doing what you do. Because if you go back to those early sessions, when you know, you talk about being spellbound, you know, doing those demos, you were surrounded by men. Were you the only woman involved in Come away with me.
Norah Jones:There was a woman named Jenny Scheinman who played violin on Tuesday. Okay. But no, you know, to be completely honest, I never felt like that. I was always surrounded by musicians. I'm a musician. I think if anything, the thing I felt was that I was the young one, and everyone else was a little bit older. So for me, it was a little bit more about that than being female. There's things that go on in all genres. And I just think I was very lucky to not ever feel oppressed. Because I was a woman, I just, I just never had that experience. But I also grew up with an incredibly strong, badass mother. So maybe I just also, you know, walked the way I walked in, you know, was a little bit bossy and stubborn, from the get go, to be completely honest. So maybe people were walking all over me, and I just forged ahead and didn't realize it just out of my own upbringing. I don't, I don't really know. I think also, I was just surrounded by good people. And I got lucky in that way. And
Keith Jopling:there must have been a turning point where, you know, wherever you were in the room, it was other people that were spellbound and starstruck. I mean, including in the studio.
Norah Jones:I mean, I don't think I've ever recorded with anyone who felt that way. I think we all felt like buds at that point, you know, but I've always respected the musicians I play with, and I think they respect me, but I don't think it's ever been intense, like, Queen of the Nile situation, you know, pretty mellow. I'm pretty mellow, you know? Well,
Keith Jopling:once this anniversary is done, do you have a sense of the future? And what's next for you?
Norah Jones:Yeah, I'm gonna go on tour for the first time since 2019. This summer. So I'm really excited about that. I've missed it. I've missed interacting on stage and playing music and seeing where it goes. So that'll be really fun.
Keith Jopling:So how will you curate that setlist from this phenomenal back catalogue that you have now with all of these various styles that We've talked about,
Norah Jones:it's exciting. I mean, if the last few tours I've done have felt really free because because of that, but, you know, I never got to tour with pick me up off the floor. And some of those songs are really fun to play. So I'm excited to add that in. And I don't know, I mean, I'll, I usually try to take a little bit from every record. And sometimes I'll skip one by accident, but never come away with me always play, you know, don't know why. Try to do a few songs from that record. Someone
Keith Jopling:somewhere will have counted how many times you've played I don't know why. I mean, I guess it's into the many 1000s Potentially. How do you keep that song fresh? When you play a live? Well,
Norah Jones:how do you keep your breakfast eggs fresh? Sometimes you sprinkle in some cilantro, some cheese, sometimes you like I'm fried. I mean, I don't change that song up, like, just to change it up. But I feel like the song has evolved over the years live and continues to I think music is alive. I think songs are alive. I think that I'm always going to try to play it from my heart. And that's the only way I can. There's certain songs over the years that I stopped playing because they just don't feel them. But they might come back around and be heartfelt again, you know, so luckily, that one has never lost that spark, you know, because it's a great song. And maybe because the audience reaction is always so warm. There's something about that feeling when you start a song and the audience starts getting excited. That just makes you so happy and it makes you want to play that song. Well,
Keith Jopling:if you're playing songs from pick me up on this coming to earth, and I'll be there. I've got one other question for you Nora, which is what really sustains you. I'm
Norah Jones:not sitting around. I definitely need music in my life. But it doesn't have to be formulaic. Album, cycle tour, promote promotion, I love for it to be creative. And in whatever form it takes collaboration, you know, I like to change things up. But I don't want to stress myself out. Basically, you know, I'm enjoying my longevity, and my, my career all the hard work I did last 20 years. I'm enjoying it in a way where I can continuing to enjoy doing this. And that's my goal.
Keith Jopling:Great. I'm gonna write my own fan letter. Now it's going to be along the lines of just carry on doing what you're doing. Do more, begin again, pick me up off the floor. I mean, for me, that's the stuff that's it's just so atmospheric. There's there's just something really interesting going on in the music that you're making. I think you've arrived at a really great place and it's been wonderful to talk to you. Thanks for joining us.
Norah Jones:Thanks so much. It was fun. Have a great night day, wherever you are.
Keith Jopling:Good luck with the anniversary. Enjoy it. Thanks. Bye bye