Billboard (Dec. 16th 2006)
The Sound of Gwen
Gwen Stefani’s follow-up to the multiplatinum ‘Love.Angel.Music.Baby.’, ‘The Sweet Escape’, brings together in song her love for a new baby, ex-band No Doubt - and yodeling.
Now that she has a 6-month-old son in tow, Gwen Stefani has mastered the art of multitasking. That's why she's talking to Billboard while in the midst of getting her hair and makeup done prior to her appearance on the 2006 Billboard Music Awards show, which aired Dec. 4 on Fox.
On it, she performed "Wind It Up," the first single from her second Interscope solo album, "The Sweet Escape." The track's yodeled verse - yes, the one from "The Lonely Goatherd" from "The Sound of Music" - serves as the quizzical opening step into the new album, which Stefani recorded in bits and pieces since the fall of 2005. And because of its disjointed creation, "The Sweet Escape" is an even more revealing snapshot of Stefani the woman, chronicling the dueling desires to go out on the town looking fly versus staying home with her husband former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, and their baby.
The club life is at the center of "Wind It Up"; the banging, Swizz Beats-produced "Now That You got It"; and "Yummy" on which she instructs, "Wanna spend the night? "Don't bring pajamas." Elsewhere, Stefani offers "Don't Speak"-style introspection, particularly on the Madonna homage "4 in the Morning," the Depeche Mode-style synth-pop of "Wonderful Life" and the piano-driven "Early Winter," co-written with Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley.
Here, Stefani touches on the inspirations for her favorite songs, Sound of Music."
Talk about the origin of these tunes. Which ones are holdovers from the first album, and which ones are fresh?
Well, basically, I started with never intending to do another record. It was always going to be just that one side project. But it turned into a huge record that was fun, exciting and inspiring. "Wonderful Life" and "U Started It" didn't end up making the album, and those were my inspiration for going back into the studio. They were burning up my iTunes, so I thought, "Are these really just going to sit on my computer?" "Wonderful Life" I wrote for a friend who passed away, and it didn't really fit on the first record. "U Started It" was a song I wrote the day before I wrote "Hollaback Girl," so I didn't put that one on either, even though it broke my heart.
In September 2005, Pharrell [Williams] called me and said, "Come down to Miami and make some records." I was not really pursuing making a record, but how do you turn him down? In 10 days, we came up with "Breakin' Up." "Orange County Girl" and "Wind It Up." Then after [the Harajuku Girls tour], I went in with Tony, and we got "Don't Get It Twisted" and "4 in the Morning" going. So at that point, I realized I could get a record out by Christmas, but then I found out I was going to have [my son] Kingston. After Kingston, I went back into the studio again. "Early Winter" I did with Tim, and I also went in with Akon and Scan Garrett.
Even though it is a top 10 hit, "Wind It Up" seems to be catching a lot of people off guard. Would you agree it is an unconventional choice for the first single?
It's definitely left of center. Yodeling is not very fashionable. I agree that [with this song], you take a bite, and it's like, "What? This tastes weird." But after a few bites, you're addicted. I understand [the mixed response]. I picked it on purpose. There's plenty of songs that could be singles - the whole idea is to make a record full of hits. That's why it's called "The Sweet Escape" - it is supposed to be fun, easy-to-go-down music.
Can you explain how you chose the "Sound of Music" motif for "Wind It Up"?
When Pharrell and I first did the song, it was without the sample. It was just meant to be a dance track. I went in to do the music for my fashion show [for her L.A.M.B. clothing line] and decided to do a mash-up of "The Sound of Music" with "Wind It Up," because I've always been threatening to set a beat to that. It came together against Pharrell's will. We had an orchestra re-create the sample, which was mindblowing. I also re-sang the part Julie Andrews did. It was magical, but hilarious.
I don't know... it has just been a recurring theme of inspiration. The movie really affected me. I feel like there are similarities between me and Maria. We both like to sing and sew. [laughs] When I was a kid, I made the dress Maria wears when she goes to meet the children. I copied it - I actually still have it.
The album has a good combination of serious songs and more light-hearted fare like "Yummy," where you're talking about being "off making babies/like doughnuts and pastries."
It's hard. Coming from the No Doubt world, there are some people that don't really go to clubs and [because of that] don't understand certain songs. "Yummy" and "Breakin' Up" are all about hearing them sandwiched in between songs in a club really loud. That is a whole different experience than listening to them on iTunes. They're intended to be played really loud when you're out having a good time.
The record is not meant to be taken too seriously. It's a fun, upbeat dance record. It's not the '80s/dance-inspired record I had last time. I wanted to make a more modern record. But it also wasn't the painful process of last time, when I was going into the studio with new people. That's why I went back to Pharrell. We have great chemistry. And the experiment with Akon [on the title track] was totally unexpected. I thought he might want to do just some generic hip-hop, but he came up with this fresh, super fun song. The record has this kind of ease to it. The last one was a little more concept-driven.
Even though you may not have wanted to make an '80s-inspired record, the two songs that are most in that style, "U Started It" and "Wonderful Life," could be big hits.
It's funny you say that, because everyone has been telling me different songs they think should be singles. "U Started It" and "Wonderful Life" we probably never considered for singles. I love those songs, but "4 in the Morning" is probably my favorite song. I can't really pinpoint why, but I know when I want to hear it, I rewind it over and over. It has no style to itI don't know what kind of music it is. I'm pleasantly surprised by the record. It's fun. I feel like it points me back in the right direction if I want to do another No Doubt record, because some of the melodies remind me more of No Doubt melodies. At the last minute, I went in with Swizz Beatz and Sean Garrett to do "Now That You Got It," and I think that song sums up the album - it has melodic parts but it's also meant for dancing.
How comfortable were you addressing your personal life, and especially having a baby, in the lyrics to these songs?
Well, the writing is definitely more personal. It’s easier for me to write that way than trying to write "Harajuku Girls," which is all concept-driven. This album is really just right now what is going on and whatever is on my mind. There's no real theme or direction. My "I just had a baby" kind of song is "Yummy," and "Don't Get It Twisted" is about getting pregnant.
[Stefani puts the phone down to shout at someone in the background, "No, don't give him a French fry! It's all oily!"]
The baby just jumped like two feet when I said no. He's never going to want to eat anything else now.
Have you started thinking about the staging for the spring tour?
The last one was so theatrical. To be honest, no. I only finished doing vocals on this record a month ago at the most. I'm in the middle of promoting it now, so in January we'll start to think about the tour. It's really exciting to have all these songs to choose from. On the last tour, I only had one album, so it was like, "OK! I guess these are the songs that I'm doing." Now, I will get to choose the best and most delicious tracks. But it's a bit overwhelming to think up all the concepts for the staging.
So where does this leave No Doubt? Are the guys itching to get you back?
I see it on the horizon, but I'm not focusing on it. Life is going by way too quick. I can't really put a timetable on it, but I think it would be really great. Nothing can compare to the energy of the four of us onstage.