03/28/2008: "Emirates Business interview"

Source: business24-7.ae

So when is the new album being released?
Lena: We have two coming out this year: Upravleniye Otbrosami, in Russian, and Waste Management in English. Like I said the Russian album may be released in spring. The English album has a while to go. I think it will be released in the autumn. Before then we’re going to release the uncensored version of the video White Robe. It will be even more explicit.

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Russian duo t.A.T.u are to make their debut appearance in the Middle East tonight at Dubai Media City’s Amphitheatre from 9pm. Emirates Business met Yulia and Lena ahead of the concert.

Are t.A.T.u. making a comeback this year?

Yulia: We’ve been really busy working on the new material. We’ve nearly finished the Russian album, but the English album still needs some work. We also have a new video out, White Robe, which I am sure you have seen.

And you’re playing in Dubai. Have you visited before?

Lena: We’ve never been, even for a vacation.

Do you know how big you are in the Middle East?

Yulia: I’m looking forward to seeing our fans here. There should be many Russian fans too!

Your band has been going through some changes. Why did you split with manager Ivan Shapalov?

Lena: There are a lot of theories but we split because we wanted to do different things and progress with our music. He wasn’t helping us, so we decided to part ways.

Yulia: It’s no big deal. We all just moved on.

And you parted with Universal too. Are you signed to a record company now?

Lena: No. We’re looking at which record company would be best for us now.

Do you think the image you started with boosted your career?

Lena: Of course it helped. It was very provocative, very interesting, and very new. At the time, we were teenagers, dealing with normal teenage stuff that everyone goes through. At that age you’re trying to work out what love is.

Yulia: We were just trying to help people who were falling in love.

Do you regret anything?

Yulia: Not at all.

Lena: Now we’re both 23 years old we can’t do that anymore. We’re grown up, and our fans have grown up. Now we’re exploring music that’s deep and meaningful.

So when is the new album being released?

Lena: We have two coming out this year: Upravleniye Otbrosami, in Russian, and Waste Management in English. Like I said the Russian album may be released in spring. The English album has a while to go. I think it will be released in the autumn. Before then we’re going to release the uncensored version of the video White Robe. It will be even more explicit.

More explicit? But the TV version of the video is violent enough!

Lena: We know… I play a soldier who just kills people every day, and the first time I watched it, I actually got scared. Yulia was pregnant at the time, and in the video my character had to kill her. The video is a statement against abortion and violence. We’re hoping to discourage women from having abortions, because a baby is a life.

You also have a film coming out. What that’s about?

Lena: Its working title is Finding t.A.T.u. and it’s the story of two girls [played by Mischa Barton and Shantel VanSanten], our fans, who find love at a t.A.T.u. concert. The story is told through our songs, and we only make a brief cameo-appearance.