Alice Peacock
By Samantha Donen and Alex Teitz
Alice Peacock is not new to FEMMUSIC readers. We first introduced her after her debut album Real Day came out. Since then Peacock has done a lot. In 2002 she released a new album on Columbia’s Aware album featuring a new producer, Bob Clearmountain. Clearmountain has worked with the likes of The Pretenders, Bruce Springsteen, and David Bowie. The new album evolves Peacock’s music from a folk rock to a sophisticated pop sound. Peacock was already destined for the stars when FEMMUSIC encountered her. There is only more to come. For more information visit www.alicepeacock.com
FEMMUSIC: Why did you sign with Aware?
AP: I signed with Aware because initially I was going to do it myself, again. And um, when I met with Aware, based out of Chicago, and what I liked about them was that they were an independent label operating within a major label within Columbia with Sony distribution and Columbia with sort of Pr and marketing. But Aware’s approach to artist development- low bills, not jamming anybody going slowly to radio and I thought its kinda what I have been doing a all along except sort of on steroids…I like the synchronicity of it, it seems like the best of both worlds, and um so sometimes there are windows and doors that open and you kind of have to take that shot. And I thought that this was that opportunity for me. And if it fell a part and nothing came from it, then fine I’d go back to doing it the way I did before, no problem. But if it helped get my music out to more people, than great because they would be more equipped at doing that than just me. So, that’s why I signed with Aware.
FEMMUSIC: Who made the choice on bringing Bob Clearmountain in?
AP: They actually when I had signed and they bought the record said that we would like to have about six songs remixed as potential radio songs, Who would you like to work with? My friend Joel who produced the record with me, we kind of made up a wish list and we said can we pick anybody? And they said yes tell us who you would like to work with. Well Bob Cleamountain would be nice; we had him at the top of the list. We had other names like Chad Lake, Mitchell Froom, and other favorites. And they got music to all the folks and Balk Clearmountain called back and said he’d really like to be involved in this project that he really loved the music. So we were thrilled and that was very exciting. And the good news, after 25 plus years of mixing very successful music, Bob Clearmountain is still very moved by music and very passionate about it and a very nice guy. And we were around for all the mixing and he wanted our input. And it was great. It landed up being a really perfect fit.
FEMMUSIC: To my knowledge, most of the CD was nearly done before you came in with Aware?
AP: The CD was finished actually, we had a release date of January 29th, it was finished but two songs were re- recorded because I kinda wanted another shot at them. We tried to see if those would fit on the new record. And I felt okay with that. And if they fit with the new record that be great because I felt they were really strong songs and I would love to have a chance to get them out to a larger audience. Cause I think a lot of the songs on our first album will be lost for a while. So, you know I think basically the record was finished and they bought the record and I went in and re-recorded those two songs and remixed six and otherwise it was the record I had made.
FEMMUSIC: I looked through the credits, and I was wondering how you got hooked up with John Mayer as well as Emily Saliers?
AP: John I got hooked up with through Aware, he was actually, I was just leaving Los Angeles from working with Bob Clearmountain and um, my A and R person named Lee Dannay, from Columbia, called and said John was gonna be in town for a couple weeks and what would I think about him coming in to put a harmony on “Bliss” and I said great, fine lets see how it sounds. If it doesn’t sound good, no loss but if it sounds good…I’m up for that. And he loved the song and he went over to the studio and added a harmony, and they faxed me a copy and I thought it really added. And since then he has blown up and become really huge and it is really kind of a nice little perk. So we have actually never met in person, we have corresponded and spoken on the phone, but never actually met in person. But he really liked the song and was happy to be a part of it and that was through a record company connection.
FEMMUSIC: With the album, what was the biggest challenge doing it before Aware even came in?
AP: I thinking with working with Joel Sayles as a producer on this one, you know we really wanted to keep it, you know all the songs were different and we wanted to give them different textures but we wanted to make it all sound like me. So…we just wanted to keep the sound consistent, keep the…make it sound like it was still very much me but done in a pop way or a different kind of a pumped up way with a sort of effect but still very real. So it wasn’t a big challenge but it was something we were keeping an eye on, you know. We wanted to keep the sound consistent but that it also sounded like a complete body of work and that it also sounded very much like me. So, that was our goal. Trying to take it up to a new level compared with my other record. I think its a little more of a concise record as far as styles and things like that. I just wanted to move forward. To take a step forward and, yeah, does that make sense?