Suzy K

By Alex Teitz

Suzy K is not a rock star. She is a radio phenenemon. Her single, “Now I Know”, a duet with Donny Osmond, appealed to radio programmers everywhere. “Now I Know” comes from Suzy K’s album As I Am. Suzy K was raised under an opera singer mother, but chose rock as her music. She excels at it! FEMMUSIC had a few moments with Suzy K, and here’s what she had to say.

FEMMUSIC: Can you describe your songwriting technique?

SK: I really don’t have a “technique” other than the magical feeling I get whether it’s in the middle of the night or in the middle of a conversation. All of a sudden, a line or a phrase that “fits” well comes to me and then I expand on it at a more practical time.

FEMMUSIC: What was the biggest challenge making As I Am?

SK: My producer lived in PA so I would say logistics were the most difficult.  Considering that everyone else including myself, lived in CA. It was hard organizing schedules to get us all together.

FEMMUSIC: What was the best experience making As I Am?

SK: The best part of making As I Am was the accomplishment I felt when it was completed.  There was first a sigh of relief and also a sigh of sadness that it was over.  I enjoyed the process and everything that making a CD entails. Some of the people you work with become your friends forever!

FEMMUSIC: How was it working with Tom Callahan, Skip Drinkwater, and Jeff Elghanayan? What did they contribute to the project?

SK: Let’s take this person by person:  Tom:  He’s the man of all hats and wears them well.  He would be there for me no matter what and I say that with a strong emphasis.  He knows this business well therefore he knows when he should and could break the mold which is what he did with me as an artist.  It’s extremely rare for a new artist to chart a song on an indie label and that’s what we did.  I have gained a lot of respect for our team because of that.  Plus, he keeps me laughing!

Skip:  I felt from the beginning that he really enjoyed being the producer and had a true love for music.  That’s important because there are a lot of people in this industry that don’t really know much about music yet they judge it all the time. Every time I was in the studio, Skip would have his eyes closed immersed in the music and you knew that it was his love.

Jeff:  Strong strong strong.  Those are the first three words that come to my mind when I think of his input in this project.  He has such strength in so many areas that it’s amazing that he combines them all to such harmony and that eventually translates into balanced action.  He’s like the hub that keeps the wheel moving.

FEMMUSIC: How has being a mother affected your musical career?

SK: You would think that it might be an obstacle but on the contrary.  It keeps you focused and certain with the decisions you make.  You don’t have a lot of time to waste so you hone in on the project and not wander in your thoughts about it.  I’ve had more of other everyday life issues interfere with scheduling more than the kids.  They were easy and they were inspirational!

FEMMUSIC: As a woman in the music industry, have you been discriminated against?

SK:  You know, people bring this up all the time.  I had a clothing business in my late teens for five years that did very well.  I was always treated with respect and maybe it’s because I demanded and I gave it back.  I feel the same way with the music industry.  If someone doesn’t give me the respect I deserve, I don’t automatically think that it’s because I’m a woman.  Most likely it’s because they don’t know how.

FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you like to change about the music industry?

SK:  Whew!  That’s a big one.  FEAR.  I would like to bring back creativity, talent, and risk into the industry.  From what I hear it’s losing it more and more as we speak.  Grooming an artist is never done even if it’s an exceptional artist with great talent.  What this means is that we as the public miss out on great talent that will never be exposed because they weren’t either on a major label, or fear that the money the label invests in the artist will not be recouped until a few years down the line therefore, let’s stick to what we have. That’s sad for everyone.