http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/11/best-of-whats-next-kristina-train.htmlThe soulful saunter of Kristina Train’s debut Spilt Milk hints at her roots in Savannah, Ga., the charming Southern city where, by age 19, frequent gigs had earned the singer attention from New York-based Blue Note Records. Home to Train’s soul and jazz forerunners Etta James, Miles Davis and Billie Holiday and peers Norah Jones and Amos Lee, the label began a conversation with Train before she had even started college. When her mother encouraged her to get a degree, Train put the discussion on hold for a few years, until music’s draw became too strong to resist.
In October of 2007, with a long-awaited Blue Note record deal and a team of sought-after collaborators including producer Jimmy Hogarth (Duffy, Sia, Paolo Nutini), Train hit the studio to lay down her debut. On Spilt Milk, her voice ebbs and flows between a gentle serenade and a robust belt, accompanied by instrumentation that’s as grandiose as it’s sweetly sentimental. The nostalgia-tinged record, finally out in October 2009, is perfect for a rainy day—there’s shelter in the soothing warmth of this songstress’ voice. On one such rainy day, as Train (now 27) awaited her record’s release and the kickoff of her fall tour with blues guitarist Keb’ Mo’, she chatted with Paste from her home in New Jersey.
Paste: Where in New Jersey are you, Kristina?
Kristina Train: I live in Monmouth County. It’s on the water, so when I look outside I can see the [New York] city skyline, but it takes an hour and change to get into the city. But everybody commutes so it’s not weird. It’s incredible to think how many people are willing to take two hours or four hours out of their lives to commute just to have a little patch of grass.
Paste: Did you move to be close to New York City? Why New Jersey of all places, since you grew up in Georgia?
Train: Well, growing up in Savannah, I commuted a lot. I would go from Savannah to New York or Savannah to wherever I needed to be to work on music, but I knew that if this was really going to [happen], it’s so important to have face time with people and be able to be there if something comes up. It was hard to do that from Georgia, so I knew I needed to move closer to the record company—Blue Note—which is based in New York City. I got as far as Jersey. I’m still working on getting into the city. That’ll take a little time.
Paste: What do you miss the most about Savannah?
Train: The pace of life. The familiarity. It’s such a small town and everybody’s on a first name basis. I love being able to walk everywhere. I rarely used a car, because I grew up in the historic district downtown, so leaving my house on any given day, I’d be saying, “Hi,” to Drew the mailman, “Hi,” to Al the UPS man, walking down the street saying, “Hi,” to Bobby in his hair salon, and then going to Starbucks and being able to say, “Hi,” to Ted the guy who made me my latte everyday. Everyone was on a first name basis and it was such a tight-knit community and I really, really loved that. Also, the weather, of course. It’s like living in a vacation all year round. There’s a lot to love about Savannah.
Paste: From what I understand, Blue Note Records was pursuing you even before you were in college, and then sort of waited for you, which is pretty incredible. Can you talk a little about the decision process and the conversations that went on in your family when you were deciding whether to pursue music or to get that degree?
Train: Well, I’m an only child and I was raised by my mother, and she’s a school teacher and she’s very, very rooted in education. Now that I’m at the age where I can think of it from an adult’s perspective and try to put myself in her shoes, I’m sure that she had her hopes and dreams for me, and she only had once chance to get it right because she didn’t have any more kids. It really was important for her that I get my education, that I go to college and get my degree and I respected that. But what was in my heart and what always, everyday drove me was music. I didn’t understand why I had to waste my time going to school. At that point we butted heads.
Paste: Was it a battle?
Train: It was a battle. It was a major battle, but I understand that it was only out of my mom wanting to protect me and make sure that I had the best opportunity possible to go forward in life. I completely respect that. Also, at age 18, how could she really trust me to know what I wanted in life? But I’ve always known that this is it, and once my mom got on board, it’s been really awesome to have her by my side because she’s my biggest champion and my biggest fan.
Paste: Was there a moment when you really felt like you two were in it together?
Train: Well, yeah, I remember the day I said to her, “Mom, I’m going to do this with or without you, so you’ve gotta decide.” And she said, “Fine, fine. You have my blessing.”
Paste: When was that?
Train: I was 21.
Paste: Was that around the time of graduation?
Train: Well, I didn’t actually graduate because as soon as I got her blessing, I hightailed it. I don’t know if it was just because I was so upset about not being able to do what I loved to do everyday, but I hated school. I actually really despised it.
Paste: I understand you went to school in Athens, Ga. Were you at UGA?
Train: I bounced around to a couple of different colleges, and I kept changing my major, because I was like “I don’t want to be here!” I wouldn’t show up for class and I joined a band because Athens is such a great community for music. I guess I was passive aggressive about it, but I did everything I could to not be in school. And I was like, “Look, you can spend your money and watch me fail, or you can save your money and watch me do what I love and be happy and hopefully succeed.” Looking back I think I was completely immature and naïve, and listen, I one day I will get my degree. I do value the influence of education, but I couldn’t not follow what was in my heart.
Paste: After you got your mother’s blessing and decided you were really going to do this, what was the process like before you were actually in the studio?
Train: A number of years passed and it was a really, really valuable time. While it was frustrating in the moment, I look back on it and realize it was the best thing that could have happened, because it allowed me to grow as a musician and songwriter and allowed me to meet the people whom I needed to meet. In those years I was kind of figuring it out, realizing that I needed to be on Blue Note Records, asking them if they’d give me a second chance, going through a showcase, getting approval from Bruce Lundvall from the label, meeting different songwriters to see who I wanted to collaborate with for the album, then finally going to London back in October of 2007 and songwriting for the album. Everything seems to happen quickly, but there’s just so much more time and work behind what meets the eye—finding the right people, making the songs, making the album.
Paste: What was it that drew you to Eg White and made you choose him as someone that you wanted to be involved? Was he the primary songwriter for this record?
Train: It was split between Eg White and Ed Harcourt, who is also a really great producer-musician who does his own thing. Jimmy Hogarth was really the key to the whole thing. I wouldn’t have made this record without him. And then Eg White came in and we wrote the whole thing together. Eg is just a completely—well, his name fits his personality. He’s a quirky, eccentric kind of guy with a great appreciation and love for all things music. Music, everyday, just every minute, is pouring out of him. Being in a room with him could only spark something great happening. I appreciated that. Ed Harcourt is much of the same type of person—constantly moving, constantly going, constantly wanting to create, and both of those guys were key elements in having this thread of continuity moving through the whole album. That’s what I really appreciated—that it fits as a whole.
Paste: What was the songwriting process like?
Train: Basically, we’d get together, and all of us really share the same love and taste in music, so we’d get in a room together, start talking about music that we loved, listen to some songs, find our inspiration, and it just flowed very easily… The first song we wrote together was “Spilt Milk.” That’s a really important song for me. In being the first song that we wrote, it set the tone for the whole album. “Half Light” is also one that means a lot to me. Growing up in Savannah next door to a historic cathedral, out of my bedroom window I’d hear church bells ring, and that’s how the song starts off. “I Can’t But Help” is an Ed Harcourt collaboration about being in London not knowing what the heck was going to happen, but putting my faith in the city’s inspiration and appreciating the moment. “Far from the Country” is about missing Georgia, but also loving the place that I’m in. I love every song on the album and I feel lucky that I can say that.
Paste: What was it like to have other people do the bulk of songwriting and still feel like you were coming out with something that was honest for you?
Train: I think that we all sort of carried the same weight going into it. Something natural happened with the guys—we got to know each other. I mean, we spent a lot of time together just kind of hanging out getting to know each other, and that was really important because the guys were able to understand who I was. That helped them to write something that was appropriate and resonated with me. Then I put my two cents in and we came out with songs that I feel extremely personally attached to and emotionally attached to. I think that’s the key thing. When you’re singing, you gotta believe what you’re singing. If you don’t believe it, how can you expect anyone else to? I believe everything I’m singing on this album.
Paste: Was it Blue Note that hooked you up with all of these different players—with Jimmy and Ed and Eg?
Train: It really happened by chance. One of Blue Note’s greatest accomplishments is that they allow their artists to just be who they are. They don’t meddle; they don’t bully their artists. That’s something that has worked for them over the course of time. Once I went over to London, it was really up to me and Jimmy, the producer, to choose who we were going to work with and what we were going to play. So we got together with Eg on our own, because he and Jimmy had a connection, and we got together with Ed Harcourt on our own, because he and Jimmy also had a connection. Once we turned in the music, Blue Note was like, “Yeah, we love it. We’re into it. You guys keep plugging away.” That’s something I will always be grateful for.
Paste: When did you get to perform with Al Green?
Train: I got to perform with Al Green last year. It was truly one of the highlights of my life. Obviously, coming from a soul background, Al is one of my heroes, so to have been able to share the stage with him—I was humbled and honored at the same time. I will never forget that moment. It was so huge for me… Al is on Blue Note, and I had been chirping in everyone’s ear about how much I loved him, and I guess they took pity on me and finally threw me a bone and allowed me to open up for him. It was a nice little set-up.
Paste: You’ve performed with The Roots, also. How did that come about?
Train: Well that’s funny because Questlove produced the Al Green album, so, you know, everything’s like six degrees of separation. This world is a lot smaller than I had originally thought it was. I have a few other real favorites whom I love, and in a couple weeks I’m going to be able to sing with Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis and Diane Reeves. All three of those people I’ve completely loved from a very young age. It’s one thing to have finally made an album, but I’m starting to be able to play with my heroes and it’s so rewarding. It makes everything feel like it was worth it. It’s really cool to play with the people you love.
Paste: What are you most excited about in this coming season of touring and promoting?
Train: I know what music has given me in my life—it’s been a huge positive gift—so my main thing right now and the one thing I’m concerned about doing is giving that back, now that I finally have an album and materials to do that with. I’m looking forward to hopefully letting other people feel the same way that I feel when I play music.
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