How To Be Cool With Kim Gordon

Late last year I got an email from Kim Gordon’s assistant asking if I’d be interested in interviewing her about her upcoming exhibition Kim Gordon: Object of Projection at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

Earlier that same day, I was in a conversation with my work friends about the most famous person they had ever seen. Kim Gordon walking past them in Highland Park was a notable mention. I didn’t have any famous people to add to the conversation because as far as I’m aware celebrities don’t walk around South Coast NSW. Or at least I’ve never noticed them. The timing of the email was an unbelievable coincidence though. The Kim Gordon? The same Kim Gordon who moved to New York to pursue an art career and has since held plenty of her own art exhibitions. Who formed Sonic Youth alongside Thurston Moore in 1981 and released sixteen albums across thirty years with the band. Who formed Body/Head and then Glitterbust, and then put out her first solo record No Home Record in 2019. Who has ventures in record producing, her own clothing line X-Girl, acting, and one of the best books I’ve ever read Girl In A Band (you should read it too). Unfortunately, the interview fell through. These things happen, she is Kim Gordon after all. And then she announced her new album The Collective, out today and I was back on. In another twist though, this was the 7th interview Kim was scheduled in to do for the day and I was last. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt as a journalist, it’s that no one wants to talk after two interviews, let alone seven. I kept it short because sometimes letting Kim Gordon enjoy her day is more important.

Would you consider yourself a rebel?

Yes. I’d like to think there’s a little bit of rebellion in everything I do.

How would you personally describe this particular album?

Hopefully an intervention into mainstream music.

Artists and gentrification. Do you have a take on that at all?

Like gentrification of neighbourhoods?

Yeah.

Artists are always on the frontline of gentrification because we’re always looking for cheap places to be artists. Then when the art comes, the galleries come and then the shops and it just goes on.

Do you think it has anything to do with the artists starting to make money?

I think they just make it cool. The money follows inevitably.

Fair point. Do you ever get strapped for ideas? Musically or artistically? After so long of doing it?

Sometimes. It happens more with my art actually. When I start painting and don’t have a conceptual idea behind it, painting can be a real mind fuck. Especially the whole ‘I want to see what comes out’ notion. That just doesn’t work for me. In music, it comes a lot easier although sometimes I don’t have an idea for a lyric which happened a couple times on this record. I asked my friend for some inspiration, and he said, ‘what about a packing list?’ That became the lyrics for BYE BYE. Another friend said, ‘what about bowling trophies?’ It sounds like an odd concept but in a way it’s kind of fun to have a limitation like that. That’s a real challenge you know, and it often works out better for me.

Are you someone who bangs out a song in one go?

I just collect words or one liner and then later organise some lyrics and then go into the studio and improvise on top of that.

And the lyrics generally come first?

Actually, for this record Justin Raisen, my producer, was coming up with beats and sounds and then sending them to me. I would then choose which ones I’d like to work on. Then I would do vocals.

Yeah nice. Do you think the environment of LA has influenced your music compared to NY?

I am inspired by LA all the time. Even when I wasn’t living here. Sonic Youth came out of New York though. I can’t really compare. It exists in its own place. I think music has more to do with who we are as people rather than where we are.

I like that. What’s that you’ve recently listened to that you’re a big fan of?

I like that Cardi B song - Bodak Yellow. I like her energy, it’s very punk rock. There’s this line ‘I don’t dance I make money moves.’ That’s a great line. Who else? Pj Harvey. I always check out what she does. I listen to my record collection basically. Catherine Ribeiro, a French singer. Lots of Bardo Pond.

What about when you cook?

Joyce a beautiful Brazilian singer for when I’m cooking.

Alright, what’s been the biggest mistake in your career and what’s been your biggest success?

Honestly, I don’t try to look back too much. I think this record is going to be my biggest success because it’s an accumulation of everything that has happened to me and everything that I’ve done.

Finally, how would you define cool?

That would take about five hours (laughs).

I think, I mean, you can’t even use the word authentic because it doesn’t mean anything anymore. But I think it means embracing not being afraid to be awkward and not fitting in. It’s the mulling over something because you care about it and then just going fuck it and doing it because you don’t care about what other people think. I don’t know, is that cool? Everything sounds really stupid to try and describe being cool. Being a mum is cool. It’s often the things that people don’t think is cool that are.