Petra Haden

(December 2005)

Interview by Adam McKibbin

Photograph by Alicia J. Rose

On Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out, the gifted vocalist and multi-instrumentalist [whose creative services have been enlisted by Beck, Green Day, and, most recently, The Decemberists, among many others] sinks her a cappella teeth into every bell and whistle of The Who's conceptual ode to radio, fake commercials and all.  Instigated by punk icon Mike Watt, the project began as more of a challenge or exercise than a full-fledged record that would find a label and an outside audience.  Haden's recreations of the songs are often technically dazzling, having moved even Mr. Townshend to remark that her results were “exquisite,” but the album's charms extend far beyond the realm of harmonic proficiency.  These cover songs are done with the uncorrupted enthusiasm of a fan who knows the songs inside and outside, but has taken them and given them lives of their own.  This is an unexpected destination for Haden; as she explains, she's never exactly been a classic rock gal.

How hard did Mike Watt have to sell this concept to you?  Was it a pitch he made repeatedly?

It’s weird; he just sprung it on me one day.  He would always talk about The Who—not always, but when we talked about music, he really loved talking about The Who and Pete Townshend’s songwriting.  Then, one day, he just had this idea!

And what was your relationship with The Who at that time?

I had no relationship at all.  The only Who I had heard was on the classic rock station—which I didn’t even listen to, but if I was changing stations, I would hear “Pinball Wizard” or something.  I had friends in high school who really loved The Who, but it never dawned on me that I would go out and get a Who record.

So what made The Who Sell Out stand out for you compared to the other albums in their catalog?  What made you relate to it better?

Well, the commercials were different.  I hadn’t really heard that with any rock band before.  The harmonies were different.  The thing that really touched me about it were those harmonies that I heard, and I knew right away that that’s why Mike Watt wanted me to do it.  He knows how much I love weird harmonies, and all those la-la’s.  My first solo record [Imaginaryland] was pretty much all weird harmonies and no words.  Listening to The Who Sell Out reminded me of listening to a musical.  I didn’t think of it as rock, except for “I Can See For Miles.”

Were there any songs that were thorns in your side when it was time to approach them?

“Sunrise” was a little difficult for me.  The background guitar chord was in a weird rhythm, a weird time.  I don’t know how to play guitar, so I couldn’t imagine singing and playing guitar at the same time.  I sang the guitar chords before the melody because it seemed hard.  It’s like a jazz piece.  So that one was the hardest, and it took the longest for me to think about an approach.

Do you think hearing your versions works better for people who are Who fans, or who at least are familiar with the originals?

It’s a mixture.  I’ve read some bad reviews, and I think some of those reviewers are huge fans of The Who.  There was one that was like, “I would stick to the original!” (laughs)  But they don’t get it; they don’t understand what I was doing.  I didn’t start doing this because I was a fan of The Who.

Most of the comments have been positive.  I was always self-conscious because it was recorded on an 8-track and it sounded like shit and it was “murky” and “muddy” and all the words that people use.  But now I accept it for what it is…and I don’t care what people think!

Okay, so fast forward to the point where you’ve decided to actually release the record.  When did you have to get in touch with Townshend and Daltrey or their management?  How did that all work out?

The label took care of that.  I was wondering the same thing and all they said was, “We’ve got it cleared.”  All the business—I know I should be more involved in it, but I left it up to the label to do.  Pete Townshend likes it, though!

The label is Bar-None.  And you hadn’t worked with them in the past?

No, this was the first time.

How did that come about?  Had you shopped the album or did they find you?

A producer named Irwin Chusid heard it on one of my friend’s websites, SharpeWorld.  She was doing a piece on instruments and voices that sound like instruments and she asked me if she could use “Armenia City in the Sky.”  Irwin heard the songs from her website and called me.  He knows the people from Bar-None and he said that the people at Bar-None would really like it because they all really liked The Who.

You’re part of a very musical family.  Was there ever a time that you thought about becoming a black sheep in the Haden family?  Did you ever think about dentistry or anything?

When I was little, I remember thinking that I was going to be a scientist.  My sisters and my brother would make fun of me.  I loved the stars.  I used to get maps of the constellation.  But I think I was destined to do what I’m doing.  I think my calling is music.

Here’s an old faithful question for a closer:  if the world ended tomorrow and Ticketmaster put you in charge of booking the festival in Heaven, whose phones would you ring?

I would call Pat Metheny, The Beach Boys…and the Bulgarian Female Vocal Choir.

Huh.  The Who doesn’t make the cut?

Oh God!  (laughs)  Yeah, put The Who down.