Did you catch The David Letterman Show last night? The musical guest on the show was The Gossip, a band fronted by the amazing Beth Ditto (with Brace Paine on guitar and Kathy Mendonca on drums). The band was already popular when Perez Hilton started featuring them on his blog, and their success only skyrocketed. Beth talked to me about doing the Letterman Show, her most surreal tour moment (which involved Kate Moss, Grace Jones and chicken!), and being offered a reality show with Mischa Barton.
What have you been up to lately?
I just got my license a year ago, so I'm like a 16 year old who just started driving. So I'm always like "Do you need me to run an errand for you? I can run an errand for you. I can pick you up from work, because I love to drive." We're writing the album. Band practice, lots of emailing songs back and forth. It's such a weird new era such a weird new time, musically.
Who are your musical influences and have you been able to meet them?
Cindy Lauper who was a huge influence, when I was a kid I really thought we were like separated sisters, I got to meet her and actually toured with her. She taught me some voice techniques. Yoko Ono, Kathleen Hanna, Toby Dale. I did get to meet a lot of really awesome people who were my influences as a kid.
What's the weirdest thing that's happened to you on tour?
The weirdest time, when I ended up at Grace Jones' hotel room eating chicken wings! So I was with Kate Moss and Grace Jones. That was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I would say I'm friends with Kate Moss but Grace Jones was humbling. You're just like "Oh, my God." She embodies a goddess. The most amazing moment of my life.
Perez Hilton has showcased your band on his blog a few times and has said that you are one of his favorites. How did he find you?
I think his gaydar for gay artists is pretty exceptional. I think he has feelers out for that. It's a small gay world. He really likes to be around gays. I think that's what it was. I love him, I mean he can be really brutal but I love him. If we're gonna be in the same town, we hang out.
What are we looking forward to on your David Letterman appearance?
I'm so excited I can't stand it. I'm most looking forward to my mom being able to say to her coworkers, "See, I told you she actually has a job!" I think that's what I'm most excited about. My whole family is so excited.
If you could guest star on any show, what would it be and why?
The View, because, two people, and they're actually my influences. When I was growing up, I wanted to be a journalist so Barbara Walters was my influence. Also, my favorite movie to this day still is Sister Act: Back in the Habit with Whoopi Goldberg. I would do anything to meet Whoopi because she is just such an awesome radical presence in mainstream media. She does such an amazing job making a point and getting people to agree to disagree. That's a really important tool right now, to agree to disagree and move forward together. I think The View is such a radical forum for women--it's women of different colors, backgrounds and cultures coming together and a space with just women, letting each other talk and be heard. Laughing together. I just don't think that currently exists outside of the context of clothing, money or men. I think it's awesome to see women shoot the sh*** and I would love to be a part of that.
Would you ever host your own show?
I've been asked to do things, especially in England. I think I'm just not ready for that. There's a lot of reality TV show out there too, people always bring that up; one of the things was someone wanted to put me and Mischa Barton in a car and drive around the UK. For one, I would not be able to pick her out of the crowd. And two, WTF? And three, who's gonna drive? I'm pretty sure we're both American, so we can't drive on the other side of the road, so do you have any better ideas?
Is there a TV star who you think has an unhealthy body image?
I don't think there's any woman in the world who doesn't have some sort of unhealthy body image based on the sh*** that we're fed. I wouldn't ever point out a person because I don't think it's fair. Just because I can embrace my body doesn't mean that everyone else can. I think, I'd like to be really inspiring and I don't want to make women feel bad about themselves. Whatever makes you you, is you. If you spent more time trying to embrace yourself than you did trying to change yourself you'd probably be in a better place anyways. If I spent all this time trying to change myself and my body I would probably never be in this band.
What's an empowering show?
Sex and the City is empowering. Suddenly people love the show, it makes them feel inspired. Sarah Jessica Parker is a really good person. She seems like a person who actually cares about people. Her clothing line went up to size 24. She really cares. When you have a job like that, that has so much influence, with the ability to make so many people feel like sh***, it's hard. For example, when Jane Fonda apologized to her fans for all the crap she put women through in the 80's in terms of body image stuff, I think that is Carrie Bradshaw's contribution to what Sex and the City could have potentially done to women. She was like "I'm gonna make this okay by making clothes for all women."
