10/29/2008: "t.A.T.u. interview for «The 7 premieres»"
Source: Tatysite.net
By the way, why Happy Smiles? As I understand the initial title was Waste Management.
Yulia: Many journalists always said “Girls, why are your albums called Lyudi Invalidy, Waste Management – always depressive?” So we made it ironic – if you want happy, here you have Happy Smiles. When you open the box you see letters WM, i.e. Waste Management.
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Radio-interview with t.A.T.u. on Radio 7 in the show ‘7 premiers’.
We are on air in the show ’7 premiers’ and we have a world premier because we have guests with the world known name – t.A.T.u.
Radio: Good afternoon, ladies!
Yulia: Hi everyone!
Lena: Hi everyone!
Radio: Here’s Yulia Volkova and Lena Katina. The girls came in here after presentation of their new album which is called “Happy Pictures”.
t.A.T.u.: Smiles!
Radio: Smiles! Oh my God!
Yulia: Thank you very much!
Lena: Wonderful, isn’t it? And after all this people ask where all disinformation comes from!
Radio: By the way, why Happy Smiles? As I understand the initial title was Waste Management.
Yulia: In fact, it’s a bit of irony.
Lena: I’d say there’s a lot of an irony.
Yulia: Many journalists always said “Girls, why are your albums called Lyudi Invalidy, Waste Management – always depressive?” So we made it ironic – if you want happy, here you have Happy Smiles. When you open the box you see letters WM, i.e. Waste Management.
Lena: Phrase Waste Management is not written anywhere, just a sign WM.
Radio: Why Waste Management?
Yulia: Because when we shot our video in USA, we saw a beautiful title made on the lawn.
Lena: It was simply such a disharmony – green grass and white, beautiful, clean and big letters Waste Management. So we got hooked on this idea.
Radio: Let’s listen to the songs. No, not yet. We don’t have the tracks yet?
Yulia: Why to be in a hurry to listen to the song? I think when the album got released everyone already heard them. Maybe they want to listen more to US. Come on, talk to us!
Radio: As I understand, you have videos for Bely Plaschik and 220.
Yulia: Bely Plaschik was the first single from this album and 220 is the second one. It’s been on air for a while now.
Radio: Which songs are completely new – that have never been aired?
Yulia: The whole album is new. It was released just a day before yesterday. Yesterday we had a presentation in the SOYUZ store – a big photo- and autograph-session for our fans. So, the release just took place.
Radio: Then we are the first radio station to air it first. Which songs from the new album you feel more connected to?
Yulia: You know, each song is a sort of part of our life. The most important thing for us is lyrics.
Lena: The meaning.
Yulia: Yes. The words that surround our lives, then music and our artistry. That’s why each song is very close to us. We worked at each song a lot and very hard. We approached each detail. So our album is like birth of our new child.
Lena: Yes, it’s practically our child.
Radio: You’ve been silent for the past 3 years.
Lena: I think it’s 2.
Yulia: We are not in a hurry! Not in a hurry to release albums. The first album was 5 years and it was so popular. During these 5 years no one asked us “Girl, when is your next album?” This time 3 years passed and we released the album.
Radio: As I understand this album is released without any producer. So you did everything yourself, right?
Yulia: We released our second album without any producer too. Generally, we had only one producer in the very beginning – Ivan Shapovalov. Now we have a group of people, a manager – a team of people that help us but the creative process is only us. Both Lyudi Invalidy and Happy Smiles. As for a record label, which normally releases albums, then we did it all by ourselves now. We did it through SOYUZ. That’s why it was delayed.
Lena: We printed the album ourselves too.
Radio: So, you are an absolutely independent duo now?
Yulia: Yes. That was about the time.
Radio: Next year t.A.T.u. will be 10 years?
Yulia: Practically, yes.
Lena: Can you imagine that?
Radio: I can’t believe that. Are you going to throw a huge party to celebrate then?
Lena: We don’t believe it either.
Yulia: Yes, we want to arrange something unusual. Not any banal, stupid presentation - as it usually happens – in casinos where all get plastered. We want something interesting and funny.
Radio: So you are against a presentation in some club?
Yulia: No, we are not against it. We did it before but this time we simply decided to do something for our fans because it’s more interesting when a crowd of people comes to get our autographs.
Lena: … photos.
Yulia: We had another thing too. We had a special background with an image like the one on the album cover.
Radio: The album cover features an astronaut. Who is that?
Yulia: Yes.
Lena: This is hmmm… this is just an astronaut.
Yulia: There’s no story in it. We just decided to make it this way.
Radio: Ladies, what song do you think we should listen to begin with?
Yulia: Let’s begin with Fly On The Wall.
Fly On The Wall is being played
Radio: We have a world premier of t.A.T.u. new album Happy Smiles. I always want to say Happy Pictures maybe because of the astronaut on the cover.
Lena: Do you find her happy?
Radio: She seems happy to me.
Lena: She says “Hi” to you.
Radio: I see happiness in everything. As for the movie that you filmed in Los Angeles. It’s called You And I. What is this movie about and what role did you play there?
Yulia: We’ll you the story. Alexey Mitrofanov wrote a book about us – about our artistry, about me and Lena.
Lena: It’s called t.A.T.u. Come Back.
Yulia: Yes, t.A.T.u. Come Back. Some time later several directors showed up at one party. They got to know each other and began to talk. So they read a book and thought it was cool and thought they could make a movie. Alexey suggested we would play ourselves in the movie. We don’t play main characters or other characters. We are t.A.T.u., play a gig there but the story is tied up around us. Two fans that met each other in the Internet chat and they got a feeling for each other. Then everything around the show biz circles – clubs, drugs, love.
Lena: To make it short. It’s a love story between two t.A.T.u. fans that met each other through love to our art.
Yulia: The movie is worth being watched. There are ideas…
Radio: Where can we watch the movie?
Yulia: It will be released after the New Year – a blockbuster in the cinemas.
Lena: We hope around spring.
Radio: It will be in cinemas?
Yulia: Yes. In cinemas all over the world.
Radio: Is it going to be called so?
Yulia: It’s called You And I.
Radio: The same title in the Russian version too?
Yulia: Yes.
Radio: Who is the director?
Lena: Roland Joffe.
Radio: It’s an American director, right?
Lena: As far as I know, he’s European.
Yulia: I think he’s from Paris.
Lena: Yes. I think he’s French.
Yulia: But he works in Hollywood.
Radio: Are there any erotic scenes?
Yulia: Our scenes? No!
Lena: In reality we have a B-role in there. We are practically not there at all.
Yulia: No, no, Lena is not right. There are no A- or B-roles. There’s a story that evolves around us – that is not a B-role. The characters of two fans are not played by us. They are played by real actresses. One of them is Misha Barton and another one is Vancess…
Lena: Shantel Van Santen.
Yulia: So they are playing in there.
Radio: Well, we’ll be looking forward to seeing this movie. I got another question. After director Ivan Shapovalov… I mean producer Ivan Shapovalov left, who forced you to undress in your video Bely Plaschik?
Lena: That’s right Ivan was a director too. He directed our previous videos. Nobody forced us…
Yulia: We are not totally undressed… in the censored version. And then… don’t you ever undress in your life? You take a shower being dressed and you sleep in your clothes too? This is not a porn video. It’s a real life situation.
Lena: In order to change your clothes, you firstly need to undress.
Yulia: Yes, it’s a real life thing. There’s nothing erotic on purpose - like Playboys and similar.
Lena: I think everything looked enough aesthetic.
Radio: I totally agree with you. Nevertheless, when t.A.T.u. just started, I don’t know if it was Shapovalov’s idea or not, but you were kissing each other in your videos and at your gigs. Didn’t you feel uncomfortable?
Yulia: We were performing in underwear too. You somehow forgot to ask us about that…
Lena: In transparent shirts too.
Yulia: As for kissing, it’s a teenage theme – when girls turn into young ladies and boys into men. It’s a totally normal process of personal formation – to find own way in the life. It was a period of friendship, communication and similar.
Lena: I think at this age everyone is searching his own identity and try different things.
Yulia: We still share the same bed on tours, use one shower and walk around naked. It’s a totally normal thing.
Radio: It was a sensational declaration from t.A.T.u.!
Radio: Today we are presenting new album from t.A.T.u., which we’ve been waiting for 3 years. At some moment we got worried about you because you started off so well and after you fell out of all media attention.
Lena: We’ve been waiting for it (the album) too!
Yulia: We just had an interview before to come here where we talked about it. Many say that we appeared having such a success and now we disappeared. It’s total bollocks. I think every artist first appears like something bright and after he finds his pace.
Lena: Well, not every one…
Yulia: Something new always receives attention. So the artist finds his pace and continues moving steadily in this direction. Plus, we are not 15 any more and don’t need to shock people all the time – to kiss or similar. We grow up and don’t want to do it. We have another life perspective now. Our artistry is important for us now.
Lena: It would have been strange to kiss considering that Yulia is a mom of two.
Radio: I’m not asking you to do it. In fact, I wanted to ask instead that you probably had to do it unwillingly?
Both: No, we didn’t mind that.
Yulia: Nobody forced us to. It was a sort of natural game between us.
Lena: It was absolutely natural. It corresponded to our thoughts, our age and everything else connected to it.
Radio: We got a call. It’s Igor. Igor, good afternoon.
Igor: Good evening!
t.A.T.u.: Good evening!
Igor: I want to say Hi to girls and huge thanks for the album! You are the best and the coolest ones!
t.A.T.u.: Thank you!
Igor: I hope you’ll rock the world. I wish that!
Lena: Igor, if you continue wanting that, I think we might succeed.
Igor: I’m sure we succeed together.
Yulia: It just can’t go the other way round.
Radio: Igor, what about a question?
Igor: Yes, a question. Girls, will you play a gig any time soon in Moscow and a tour all over Russia to promote the album?
Yulia: At the moment we haven’t scheduled a gig for fans. But we have some performances – probably mostly private parties. We are going to think about it later anyway because we just released the album and we might have some gigs. We’ll maybe set up a show. We’ll have something like that for sure.
Radio: Let’s answer one more question, which comes from Anka_PulemeT4ica.
Lena: Oh, Anka_PulemeT4ica! Hi!
Anka_PulemeT4ica: Hi! How are you and how is your mood after the presentation?
Yulia: Everything is great!
Lena: Yes, super!
Anka_PulemeT4ica: You released an album now and what is next? What about videos, when and what?
Yulia: Video – when and what. The video is in the process. We have one tiny piece of it left to shoot and than I think it maybe get released in a month or maybe in two…
Lena: Maybe in two months…
Yulia: Sooner closer to the New Year.
Anka_PulemeT4ica: Would you tell what it will be about?
Yulia: We won’t tell now.
Radio: To which song?
Lena: It will be a surprise.
Yulia: It’s a secret.
Radio: Anya, have you already got this album?
Anka_PulemeT4ica: Yes. I forgot to buy it in the beginning and got it only at the end before the shop closed.
Lena: She’s got lots of pictures taken at the presentation.
Anka_PulemeT4ica: Yes, loads of pictures.
Radio: So she is your dedicated fan, yes?
Lena: Yes. She’s very often with us. Practically all the time.
Anka_PulemeT4ica: The whole forum sends regards to you.
Lena: We send our regards to the forum too!
Radio: Yulia is frantically leafing through a magazine here. Who are you trying to spot in there?
Yulia: I’m doing it all the time. I love to check the magazines.
Lena: If you bump some day into a magazine with Yulia in it, I’m afraid you’d get your belly muscles trimmed for the rest of your life.
Radio: What’s so funny in there?
Yulia: Nothing funny.
Lena: When she’s commenting it, it’s hilarious. I personally laugh rolling on the floor.
Radio: As for foreign fans. Can’t they be tiring?
Lena: Tiring? Why are they tiring?
Radio: Well… aren’t they stalking?
Yulia: No. First of all we exist for our fans – they love us, they support us.
Lena: If it wasn’t for the fans, we wouldn’t have existed.
Yulia: There’s a different mentality in each country.
Radio: In what countries do you have more fans?
Yulia: There’s no such thing as “more” or “less”. We are loved everywhere. There are fans in Russia…
Lena: in Europe, in Asia…
Yulia: in America
Radio: Where in Asia?
Lena: Japan, China. I think there was some major fan rise in Singapore once.
Radio: Petr is on line and he wants to ask a question.
Petr: Hi, girls!
t.A.T.u.: Hi!
Petr: Thank you very much for the album. It’s simply super except for a few tracks that are for particular taste.
Radio: Which ones?
Petr: Vremya Luni for instance is an enough particular track. In fact, I don’t have a question but an offer.
t.A.T.u.: Yes?
Petr: I’m a musician and just yesterday listened to Fly On The Wall and got really impressed. I wrote a script for a video to this song. Fans from the forum liked it very much. If you think it can be of any interest, where shall I send it to?
Lena: Send it to our site, right Zhenya?
Zhenya: Yes, to the website.
Lena: www.t.A.T.u..ru, info@t.A.T.u..ru A person in charge will find it there and we’ll review it.
Radio: Thank you, Petr!
t.A.T.u.: Thank you!
Running Blind is being played
Radio: We have t.A.T.u. in the studio today and they are ready to answer to Serguey who calls from Kiev! Good evening, Serguey!
Serguey: Good evening!
t.A.T.u.: Good evening!
Serguey: Hi, gils! Hi, Moscow! I have a question here. The thing is that you released the album in Russia but Russian speaking audience doesn’t live only in Russia, so will Ukrainian fans have a chance to touch the album? Will it be released in Ukraine too?
Lena: I think it will be. This question is to our distributor Soyuz.
Yulia: You know, the album got released only a day before yesterday. I think there are only 70 Soyuz stores all over Russia and CIS. So I think the album will reach Ukraine too.
Radio: Serguey, do you want just to touch the album or to listen to it too?
Lena: That is a good question!
Serguey: I’ll tell you a secret. The Internet does wonders therefore I have already listened to it but now I want to touch it too.
Lena: I see.
Serguey: Another question is – will there be a video to Running Blind?
Yulia: I am thinking about it now. Why this song?
Serguey: Well… difficult to say. It’s a very special song.
Yulia: We are thinking about that. I think everything is possible.
Serguey: Thank you very much. Wishing you the best!
Lena: Thanks for the question!
Radio: Do we have any more questions?
Radio: Yes, we have. Oksana, we are listening to you. Good evening!
Oksans: Good evening! Hi, girls!
Yulia: Hi Ksyunechka, I recognised you!
Oksana: I wanted to ask you what friendship means to you?
Yulia: Friendship in fact means a lot. It’s good that you ask this question because friends mean everything in life, especially friends like you.
Lena: It’s like my Nastya to me. You both listen to us.
Yulia: Girls, we love you very, very much!
Lena: You are the best!
Oksana: We love you too!
Yulia: Thank you, Ksuynka.
Lena: I have happy news. I became a godmother. My best friend gave birth to a child. She’s singing our songs now. I got an SMS from her. So, Nasya, big hello to you!
Radio: If I understand right, these are the friends from your childhood, right?
t.A.T.u.: Yes!
Lena: From school.
Radio: More over, if I understand right you are good friends with Serguey Lazarev too, yes?
Yulia: Yes.
Radio: Did he get around congratulating you?
Yulia: In fact, he always congratulates us. He’s simply very busy right now. He’s touring a lot so he wasn’t here during all this but he always supports us.
Radio: As I understand you both were in group Neposedy.
Yulia: Yes, we met there.
Radio: What is going on in Neposedy right now? Do you come to see them?
Yulia: Everything is great there – they continue working. We visit Neposedy rarely but we attended two performances.
Lena: Last time we attended Neposedy jubilee performance, I think. 15 years, yes?
Yulia: Yes. Lena Pidzhoian, who is the leader there gave birth to a child… finally. She dedicated her life to children…
Lena: Yes, I remember there was an article some time ago – maybe even when Yulia and me were in Neposedy – “Mother of many children Lena”. The article might be even from the time before I joined Neposedy. In reality she became a mother only now. Maybe a year or two ago.
Yulia: So she’s bringing up her child now.
Lena: It’t funny that she gave birth on April, 1. Sergey Lazarev is born on April, 1 too.
Radio: And Gogol too! Such a company!
Radio: Since we speak about children here. Lena, when are you going to have children?
Lena: When God blesses me with them. Right now I have a godchild Arina.
Yulia: My children listen to this radio show now. I called my mother and…
Radio: How old are they?
Yulia: My daughter Vika is 4 and my son is turning 1.
Radio: Let’s say Hi to them!
Yulia: I’m saying Hello to my parents – my mom and my dad that listen to me right now, my children and my beloved husband who listens too – to all my relatives and close ones!
Radio: We’ve got a call here. Oleg, good evening!
Oleg: Good evening! I wanted to ask you – you say you work for your pleasure and not for sale. What was the real reason of the album title change?
Lena: Well, some people said they got enough… before we had Lyudi Invalidi (disabled people) and now Waste Management. This is an irony. Don’t take all that seriously! Try to think first why we changed the title. Do you understand now?
Oleg: Why? It was so beautiful – Waste Management.
Lena: Yes, it was beautiful…
Yulia: But it still exists.
Radio: I think Happy Smiles is more beautiful!
Lena: Happy Smiles is a specific thing…
Yulia: It’s simply an irony. You remove the CD box and then you see a slimcase with Waste Management.
Radio: And after you dive into it deeply and find a total depression.
Lena: We just removed the words. It’s a gimmick.
Radio: I read in one of your diaries, Lena that you were not happy about the Dubai gig. What has happened in there?
Lena: The gig wasn’t good.
Radio: Why? What happened? Was it a flop? Bad sound or the audience?
Lena: Not really a flop. The organisation was hard. We spent so much energy on everything around and Yulia and me ended up being totally worn off emotionally. We were not in any good mood on stage. It was like goes around comes around. It was expected. What can be done now? Artists can have bad days too. That’s all.
Yulia: First of all, there should be normal and adequate organisers that wouldn’t be getting on our nerves all the time and spoil our mood right before the performance, then everything will be fine.
Lena: Of course it’s not the fans problem. I realise that we always should be in a good shape and always give a 100% performance. We love our fans very much. Well, what can be done now? Things happen…
Radio: One more call is here. Marina, good evening!
Marina: Good evening!
t.A.T.u.: Hi!
Marina: How are you?
Lena: Good and how are you?
Marina: Girls, do you read the forum?
Lena: Yes, sometimes.
Yulia: Always!
Marina: Don’t you get upset by what people write in there?
Yulia: Nope. What’s the point to get upset? Every person has own tastes. Some people like and some people dislike. If people dislike, they are free not to look or not to write. We don’t judge anyone.
Marina: Ok then. Thank you for the album. The album turned out excellent. Fly On The Wall and Happy Smiles made my day.
t.A.T.u.: Thank you!
Radio: Do they write nasty things on the forum?
Lena: There are people who don’t like.
Yulia: There are fans and there are anti-fans. That’s all.
Lena: Yes, that’s right.
Radio: You don’t even respond to such comments?
Yulia: No. Why to?
Radio: That’s right.
Radio: Ladies, I got a question here. Maybe it’s a bit common, maybe you’d ask me to get lost. Do you often happen to sing Not Gonna Get Us when escaping from the police?
Yulia: As for running away from the police, we never did it.
Lena: Never.
Yulia: I drive fast to tell you the truth. They suspended my driver license for the second time now. First time they suspended for 2 years and now for 6 months. It doesn’t bother me because I drive anyway. I don’t think it will ever bother me because…
Radio: Why did it get suspended?
Yulia: Because I drove in a wrong lane.
Radio: In a wrong lane?
Yulia: Well, a sort of. I haven’t noticed the traffic sign – vehicles prohibited and drove there. Unfortunately not all people turn out to be human in this country. You can’t make a deal with some of them.
Radio: Your celebrity st.A.T.u.s didn’t help?
Yulia: Noooo! No one cares about it. It was a matter of principles. If they are of a principle, then I’m more of a principle. In this meaning, they not gonna get ME for sure.
Radio: What about you Lena?
Lena: I’m a very calm driver. I practically don’t break the traffic rules – maybe speeding a bit sometimes. I never got my drivers licence suspended, thanks God.
Radio: We’ve got a call. Dmitry, good evening!
Dmitry: Good evening!
Lena: Good evening, Dmitry.
Yulia: Dima, why do you have such tragic voice?
Dmitry: I’m not a fan but like them generally.
Lena: Thank you.
Yulia: So, what is the point of your call?
Dmitry: I think what you do is of a rather high level.
Lena: Thank you.
Dmitry: My question is – maybe not now but in a few years you’ll think of doing something super great and release an album which would shake the whole world up? To make it to the top…
Radio: Didn’t they already shake up the world?
Yulia: Dmitry, I suggest you’d clean your ears up and open your eyes and have a happy smile. Then everything would make sense. Thank you!
Radio: Yulia is aggressive…
Lena: Yulka got angry.
Yulia: Because it’s all strange. We are the first who opened the door to the West and we release not so bad albums. The albums shake people.
Lena: I said that we make the quality music.
Yulia: He said when we are going to release an album which shakes the world. I think it already shook the world.
Radio: Maybe he hasn’t heard the album yet? He’ll buy it and he’ll understand!
Yulia: He needs to visit some YouTube and iTunes and see for himself how popular the album is.
Radio: When is it going to be release in the West?
Yulia: A little bit later because in fact we made two versions – Russian and English. As for the English one, I think next year for sure.
Radio: So there won’t be any Russian songs in there?
Yulia: There will be!
Radio: Will be?
Lena: There will be of course.
Yulia: We have English songs in the Russian album and we’ll have Russian songs in the English one.
Radio: Which Russian language videos are on air in the West? On MTV or similar?
Yulia: I think all of them – Bely Plaschik…
Lena: They are all in the rotation. They like to air our old videos too. Especially in Europe.
Radio: I think it’s easier to get the video on TV than here in Russia, right?
Yulia: No, why! It’s more difficult in here.
Radio: That’s what I mean – it’s more difficult here.
Yulia: Yes, because here you need to pay everywhere and put yourself in not so noble position. That hurts.
Radio: I hope you don’t need to do it.
Yulia: Of course, not! We don’t pay and we think if we are popular in the whole world, it’s a shame to beg people to air our songs or videos.
Lena: Yes, if you don’t want then don’t air. They’ll be out anyway.
Yulia: We have fans that love us – you browse a site and see it. It’s a pity that Russian fans are deprived of the possibility to watch the videos and get the songs on air.
Radio: Maybe they saw something inappropriate in the latest videos?
Yulia: Everything was normal there, everyday things that people need to see.
Lena: 220 was more than normal. A very format thing of everything possible.
Radio: Yes?
Lena: They found it non-format again.
Radio: Such horrible people work at our TV!
Lena: That’s the answer to the question – when we’ll be aired everywhere, we’ll blow the world away, though we have already done it.
Radio: When the group will be finally recognised in its home country as it’s recognised in the whole world, yes?
Lena: You know, there’s no preacher in his homeland.
Radio: You’ve already experienced it?
Lena: Not so much as some other people but to some extend, yes.
Radio: I think you’ve got a good future with this album and it should find its way not only to the hearts or Russian audience but the Western too!
Lena: We want to believe so because in fact, the songs are touching.
Transcript / translation: TatySite.net