Norah Jones involves NPR for a Tiny Desk Live performance, and chats about her newest album, “Visions”, and the way early success affected her profession.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
You by no means know when inspiration would possibly hit. For Norah Jones, songs have come late at evening getting ready to oblivion.
NORAH JONES: Not full goals however that second while you’re falling asleep, after which you must wake your self up and report it, in any other case you may overlook it.
SHAPIRO: In these semiconscious moments, she recorded voice memos and later turned them into tracks on her newest album “Visions.”
JONES: They had been simply little snippets. Like, there is a tune known as “Working” on the album, which was a single. It was like, (singing) will not you come, Daddy, will not you come, Daddy?
However I am like, whispering within the lavatory ‘trigger I do not need to wake anyone up. However ultimately, it was (singing) hold operating, oh, I hold operating away.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “RUNNING”)
JONES: (Singing) I hold operating, oh, ‘trigger I do not need to pay. Stars shine however begin to fade within the mild. Love is blind, could possibly be mistaken, or it could possibly be proper.
SHAPIRO: Norah Jones and I chatted on the Tiny Desk right here at NPR’s Washington headquarters in entrance of a small viewers of NPR staff and their visitors. She introduced in a band, and so they carried out just a few songs from the brand new album, together with one among her classics.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PARADISE”)
JONES: (Singing) La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (ph). Take me again to paradise. I might make the sacrifice. I am attempting to save lots of you.
SHAPIRO: I believe there is a consensus that your newest album, “Visions,” is your most joyful music shortly – is how lots of people describe it. Do you see it that method? And the place do you suppose that comes from?
JONES: Effectively, I made this album with Leon Michels. He is an excellent musician and producer and good friend. And this album type of began with us simply attempting stuff within the studio along with him on drums and me on piano. And I can not even describe how enjoyable it was to play like that, simply the 2 of us. It was additionally kind of post-COVID, the place – while you hadn’t been out taking part in that a lot with different individuals.
SHAPIRO: The enjoyment of really being in a room with different musicians.
JONES: Sure. And simply one thing about the best way he has his groove and me on piano – he has a extremely cool piano in his studio too. It was simply so joyful from the bottom up. A lot of the tracks had been with he and I similar to that, after which we threw all the pieces on high of it after that. So it was simply pure enjoyable.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PARADISE”)
JONES: (Singing) I watch you fall. I attempt to cease ready for the ache to drop. I do know I’ve acquired to allow you to go once more. Though, I by no means wished this to finish. I do know it is time to allow you to go.
SHAPIRO: You might be so referred to as a pianist and a singer. For the tune “Staring At The Wall,” you picked up the electrical guitar. Does that convey out one thing totally different in you?
JONES: Pleasure (laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF NORAH JONES SONG, “STARING AT THE WALL”)
JONES: It is enjoyable. Additionally, I believe at first, after I first began taking part in guitar, I by no means thought I’d play it stay. I imply, as a lot as I really like the piano, and I am related to it, it is very nice to face up and face the viewers each every so often, which is type of a bizarre factor for piano gamers. It is like having a horse on stage, a ravishing horse…
SHAPIRO: (Laughter).
JONES: …That – kind of between you and everybody. So it is good to…
SHAPIRO: Now and again, it is good to get off the horse.
JONES: It is good to get off the horse and take a look at everyone and transfer round a bit.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “STARING AT THE WALL”)
JONES: (Vocalizing).
SHAPIRO: Do you are feeling insecure on the guitar in a method that you do not on the piano since you had so a few years and a lot historical past on the piano?
JONES: Relies on the tune. I imply, I believe I am positively a greater piano participant, however I keep in my lane on guitar. I do not attempt to get too loopy on it, ?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “COME AWAY WITH ME”)
JONES: (Singing) Come away with me within the evening.
SHAPIRO: OK, you ended the set with what could also be probably the most beloved songs of the twenty first century.
JONES: That is loopy. Do not say that. That is not true, is it?
(LAUGHTER)
SHAPIRO: Do you all disagree?
(CHEERING)
JONES: That makes my coronary heart, like – that is actually candy. Thanks. That makes my coronary heart completely happy.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “COME AWAY WITH ME”)
JONES: (Singing) Come away with me on a bus.
SHAPIRO: And also you performed it in a method that I, at the very least, have by no means heard it earlier than.
JONES: Oh, yeah. It is type of morphed.
SHAPIRO: Inform us in regards to the morphing.
JONES: I do not suppose it is a acutely aware factor, and it is not on function. Nevertheless it’s simply songs are type of alive, I believe. And the extra you play them, the extra they simply morph. They’re like individuals. All of us morph, proper?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “COME AWAY WITH ME”)
JONES: (Singing) And I need to stroll with you on a cloudy day in fields the place the yellow grass grows knee excessive. So will not you attempt to come?
SHAPIRO: Did you must recover from a way of, oh, that is one thing that’s so treasured and beloved in a particular method? Is there a worry of tinkering with, , one thing that type of belongs to the world?
JONES: I’ve by no means actually subscribed to that as a result of I am a really stay musician. I really like improvising. I really like – the vitality stay is so totally different. And I used to be 22 after I recorded that tune. So I’ve modified, and I need to strive various things. I am not doing it on function, although, simply to mess with it. Like, I am acutely aware of it in that method. However except you return and hearken to the unique recording – except I do, which I do not usually, I do not even understand that I am doing it totally different, ? I am not doing it on function.
SHAPIRO: So that is the best way it’s now, it is simply the best way it occurred to be in the present day. And tomorrow, it is perhaps a special method.
JONES: Yeah. I imply, I believe in the identical 12 months it is extra comparable than it’s each evening to nighttime, however…
SHAPIRO: Does having that type of a large hit so early in your profession really feel extra liberating or constricting?
JONES: At this level, I am so stoked. I am so, like, fortunate and proud and completely happy, and I nonetheless have a profession. Look, I am right here, proper?
SHAPIRO: Lastly.
JONES: Look, you are still speaking to me.
SHAPIRO: Lastly, lastly on the Tiny Desk.
JONES: You are truly speaking to me nonetheless. So I really feel so fortunate. On the time, it was a bit weighty, ? It was so much. However I believe what I noticed early on after the primary album was very profitable was that the music is what I really like. If I simply have enjoyable taking part in music, then no matter occurs goes to be what occurs. I wasn’t going to fabricate the music based mostly on the success.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “COME AWAY WITH ME”)
JONES: (Singing) Come away with me.
(CHEERING)
JONES: Thanks a lot.
(APPLAUSE)
SHAPIRO: Norah Jones, it has been such a pleasure speaking to you. Thanks for coming to NPR headquarters and the Tiny Desk.
JONES: Thanks. Thanks for having me. It was a pleasure.
SHAPIRO: Her newest album is “Visions,” and you’ll watch her whole Tiny Desk live performance at nprmusic.org.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “SWEPT UP IN THE NIGHT”)
JONES: (Singing) I used to be swept up within the evening, somebody’s arms who held me tight. Cannot clarify the dance or dream. What I felt was fairly excessive. Traveled to…
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