southern records

Edie Sedgwick social butterfly of the Warhol era has been brought back to life by Justin Moyer (SuperSystem/El Guapo). In her silver dress and panda eyeliner Edie critiques popular culture and celebrity. We caught up with her to discuss media, performance and Christian Slater...

How did the Edie Sedgwick project evolve?

One day, I read a book about Andy Warhol. I was struck by his relationship with Edie Sedgwick who, in the tome, was presented as a Paris Hilton figure -- a person who, at best, was famous for being rich and, at worst, was famous for being famous. Could this figurehead -- this vessel -- be put to use somehow. After reading a Sedgwick bio, I put my ideas into action. At first, singing about celebrities was strange. Now, it's difficult to sing about people besides Morgan Freeman and Arnold Schwarzennegger.

Why does Edie sing about celebrities? Robert Downey Junior and the lyrics of your new song Justine Bateman/ Jason Bateman remind me of Anger's Hollywood Babylon is Edie intending similarly to expose the lie of the media star?

Edie sings about celebrities -- an inherently ridiculous, superficial subject matter -- because they are the only vehicle by which she can present her political/economic/psychosocial manifesto to a world tired of political/economic/psychosocial manifestos. If I/Edie wanted to take a position on a topical issue or current event, who the **** would care if that issue was not cleverly folded within a jokey song about Tom Hanks. Like the dog that must be fed its antibiotic wrapped in a piece of meat, the cynical world receives Edie's ideas in the form of silly dance tracks. Little does it know it may absorb something of greater value.

While Edie is a re-incarnation from the 1960's her music is futuristic, using stripped down electronic beats. Was this embracing of past and future important for her re-birth?

The music is less important than the message. That is, the music -- the dancey beats, or the weird bleepy-bloopy pseudo-avant songs (which are on the record too!) -- are just part of the spectacle/humor/burlesque that's used to make the raw ideas behind the songs more palatable. Singing about how Christian Slater is a icon for the male's constant need of attention as expressed by his desperate need for the phallic microphone is way more fun than just talking about it.

What factors do you consider when choosing whom to write about?

Generally, I see a film and have a "What if?" idea about it. "What if Martin Sheen was actually President?" "What if Jamie Lee Curtis was embroiled in a public struggle to squelch hermaphrodism rumors?" Other times, I'll write some music or a wee poem and try to make it fit around a figure I find interesting. For example, I like Jodie Foster. There's no real reason. I just find her interesting. So I try to find something interesting to say.

'Her Love Is Real but She is Not' is a really humorous record but also you make social comments which are really pertinent. In particular on Lucy Lui and Sigorney Weaver you talk about women's place in the media, how do people react to Edie's mixture of politics and humour live?

Most laugh. Some, I suppose, agree. Others, I suppose, disagree. On two occasions I can remember, people have shouted "Fuck you." I welcome the "Fuck you's" as well as the laughs. At least the dialogue is going.

I find the element of performance really interesting, the idea of masquerade. What artistic ideas influenced the concept of Edie Sedgwick?

Edie Sedgwick wears her main influence on her sleeve: Andy Warhol. Not only did Andy make Edie one of the most important members of his Factory, but his contribution to visual art, music (VU), and modern/postmodern thought cannot be underestimated. Here's a man who really took us to the next level, asking not only "What is art?" but "What is gender?" or "What is identity?" or "Does any of this really need to mean anything?" Of course, scholarly thinkers -- many now, unfortunately, out of vogue -- were part of this evolution in hermeneutics. Baudrillard, DeBord, Foucault would make the short list. Edie is a convenient symbol, though, and a lot more entertaining than reading about the 1968 Paris Revolution.

What does the future hold for Edie?

Planning a European tour and taking the baby steps into the scummy pond that may be a new record. The water is funky and dirty! Also, I'm working on a book of celebrity-focused haiku. I perform some of this live and would like to get better at it.

'Her Love is real but She is not' avaliable on Desoto records. Edie will be touring later this year.

Listen to a song from 'Her Love is real but She is not'.

Buy Her Love is real but She is not from the Southern web shop.