Porcelain Girl

By Alex Teitz

Porcelain Girl, Carmen Taub is one of the new faces of Canadian pop. Her single “Lollipop” is a fun and bubbly song. The video has been featured on MuchMusic and is worthy of strong airplay. The rest of Who Cares, Porcelain Girl’s sophomore release is much deeper and darker, but no less astounding. Taub’s vocals have a touch of innocence mixed with a razor-sharp bite. Liz Phair should feel a challenge from this artist.
FEMMUSIC interviewed Taub via e-mail.

FEMMUSIC: Can you describe your songwriting technique?

CT: I can do it if I’m not in the mood, but if I’m in the mood, it’s much more fulfilling. I need a certain musical chord. I don’t always write what I’m emotional over, but I can use those emotions to get into another theme. I usually write words & music at the same time.

FEMMUSIC: What was the biggest challenge making WHO CARES?

CT: The money. Picking the songs.

FEMMUSIC: What was the best experience making WHO CARES?

CT: This album of songs was not all done in one shot. When I had enough money, I would get a couple of songs produced. I tried lots of different producers, so on this album of 11 songs, there are 5 producers. At first I was worried about putting such a variety of styles (mostly ranging in the pop & rock category), but I thought ‘Who Cares?’ When all was compiled, I remembered that I had to come up with a clever title for the CD. In my vision of millions upon millions of independent and signed artists all trying put out a CD, I saw a little speck in the sea of people. It was I. I thought to myself, “Girl, no one is really going to care what you call your album. Who Cares!’ Hence the title and it makes me laugh. I don’t take this album as seriously as my first one. I just like it and I know that the world isn’t going to change because of it, Ha!

FEMMUSIC: How was it working with Barry Coffing as co-writer?

CT: Whoever gets to work with Barry Coffing next… well, you are so lucky. He is very funny. We laughed and laughed and laughed. He is a brilliant man and he has a huge heart. Previous to Barry, aside from having some of my songs critiqued by songwriting panels, I had never had anyone sit down with me and go over each line wholeheartedly. He gently took me through his song-honing process, and it brought on new challenges. I didn’t know people did that kind of thing to their songs, Ha! Barry & I were introduced by a producer who I was working with at the time (Dale Penner). Barry & I met on the phone and did all of our songwriting together over the phone. I could hear his piano and he could hear mine. I would fax lyrics and send tapes to him. I learned so much from him. I would start the song with verses and a chorus, and then we would get right into it. He would write the bridge, change or add to verses or chorus, etc. I thought I would be really uncomfortable with this, you know, defensive, but it was so much fun! The thing was that he really liked what I was coming up with, so it was fun for both of us (which is great considering he is a true pro-songwriter.., 1994 hit ‘How Do You Talk to an Angel’ among a long list of credits to his name.) On this album I have included 3 of our songs. The rest I wrote myself.

FEMMUSIC: Tell me about “The Disillusioned.” How did the song come about?

CT: There are two versions of this song (one on this album), but the theme remains. It is about a pastor who made a pass at me. It was really gross. He was 55 or 60 at the time and was a leader of this huge church of 3000 people (which turned out to be a destructive cult). How I got involved, and how I got out is a book all on it’s own. So in short, this so called spiritual God ordained pastor had been secretly seducing the young women of the church. I found myself in a situation with him (once he discovered me) having no idea he was a letch, he asked if he could look at my legs. That was the first time he made a pass at me, not the last.

FEMMUSIC: Who have been your biggest musical influences?

CT: It’s been crazy. While in the ‘cult’ I was cut off from all forms of music outside of the church. Within the church there was a huge emphasis on music. It’s like there were ‘star’ musicians in the church. They were supposedly very gifted musically and spiritually and it was hard to even get near to these people. The bizarre element of the music was that they weren’t allowed to play minor chords because of the ‘moodiness’ it would bring on. I suppose it was unspiritual to feel moody (one of many crazy assumptions). There was this rebellious group who would play after church hours and all of the music had minor chords thrown in. People would be singing and dancing. It was a really obsessive place.

When I finally got away from there, I heard Sinead O’Connor for the first time while I was in a dressing room in a mall…’Nothing Compares to You’. I was nervous at first because it was so moody (ha!), but I loved how it made me feel and I knew I had to buy it. From then on, I bought every alternative female vocal I could…Cranberries, Alanis Morrisette, No Doubt, etc. (maybe
they were old news to most people, but everything was new to me) Then I moved onto male artists (Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Third Eye Blind, Korn, etc…)

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

CT: I think it would be cool if the ‘gate keepers’ of the industry would be open to a wider variety of voices. Also, independents on commercial radio would really spice up the airwaves. (That’s two things…oops.)

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

CT: Well, I went to an event where I performed in front of casting agents, managers, producers etc. Then those who loved us would contact us and we would meet with them. This one particular producer contacted me as well as many other girls he was interested in working with. He spent a really long time with each person. Like 45 min to an hour. After waiting for 4 ½ hours, I had my moment with him. He gushed on how sexy I was (well, can you blame him? ha!!) and asked if I would be willing to wear fewer clothes when I perform. I was cool with his suggestion because I thought I knew where he was coming from. He then tried to use his powers of insight (without knowing anything about me) telling me how I had been hurt and didn’t feel like I fit in and how he would be able to help me and bring healing. He told me in order to experience what he could do with me, I would have to abandon all control to him, let him cross my mental boundaries, trust him fully. This would be the only way to truly free my music. And somewhere mixed in there, he said something about if I was wearing a mini skirt and I wasn’t wearing any underwear and I didn’t cross my legs and some stranger saw, “Why would that be a big deal?” he asked, not waiting for an answer. Even at the time I didn’t know what point he was trying to get across. Anyhow, I sat through it all just to see where he was going with this. He told me that we would have to get together that night to get started on the process and gave me his hotel room phone number. Still hiding my true thoughts of disgust, I told I was going to consider all that he told me and that I would contact him if I wanted to go through this process with him…Ha!!!!! As I passed the last few very young innocent hopeful girls waiting in line for him, I felt like I just had to tell them what the guy was about. So I did. Little did that producer know that the lines he had been giving me about healing me from hurts etc. in order to get access to me, had already been used various times on me from pastors and other spiritual leaders in my life. I knew he was just horny, Ha!