What else can be said about Deborah Harry? The platinum blonde fashion maven ushered in a decade of 80s pop music, simultaneously helping others to fuel an urban cultural explosion in downtown New York City. And now, at 62, with millions of records sold and many #1 hits later, Harry has firmly established herself as one of our most memorable and endearing pop icons.
As the front woman for the band Blondie, she was the link between the gritty CBGB punks and aspiring teen fashionistas, craftily creating a high-low dynamic that is found everywhere today from Lily Allen to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ puckish pop.
Since Blondie’s heyday in the late 70s, Harry has released a number of moderately successful solo albums, one notable Blondie reunion album (No Exit, in 1999), and pursued a number of other endeavors, including stage and film acting. Her fifth solo album, Necessary Evil, came out earlier this fall.
Last month, Harry performed at the Johnson City venue, Magic City Music Hall, in support of Necessary Evil. Recently, she was kind enough to take a few moments out of her day to talk to the Ithaca Times. We discussed her solo career, the changing face of the music industry, and Harry pondered a career in real estate. Harry’s legacy as the impossibly sexy face and voice of Blondie will never be forgotten.
Popcorn Youth: First of all, it is a total honor to speak with you! Could you tell me about the impetus behind releasing Necessary Evil?
Debbie Harry: Well, initially it just started out as me writing some songs and working on a few demos. I talked to my manager and he said, “Maybe we should just put it all out as a solo record,” and we did! (Laughs) And as far as the release schedule goes, it just worked out that way. I think initially we were going to have it come out during the summer, but then the schedule got kind of crowded, so we happened to release it in October over it.
Popcorn Youth: As someone who was a pioneer in the pop music world in the late 70s and early 80s, what does it feel like to release a record in the 21st century, in a different cultural atmosphere?
DH: It’s okay — it’s a little strange now, I think, because the industry is so fragmented. But music is what I do — it’s what I chose to do, and what I have devoted my time to over the years. So what else would I do, really? I can’t see myself selling real estate.
Popcorn Youth: I think a lot of people would buy houses from you.
DH: Do you think so? Maybe I should get my license.
Popcorn Youth: (Laughs) Well you mention that the industry is different now. Was there a reason why you released Necessary Evil on an indie label rather than a major label?
DH: Well, I just didn’t have a record deal, so we just worked off of a distribution deal, more than a label deal. You can see that the industry is mostly based on super groups or super big artists, or very, very new artists — nothing’s in between, it’s kind of like skipping over the industry’s entire middle class. Not to say that I’m middle class (laughs), but it’s sort of a parallel.
Popcorn Youth: Do you feel as though the process of aging has affected your songwriting for this album?
DH: Inevitably, my point of view has changed to a degree, although I feel like I’m the same person. I don’t feel like I’ve given up my beliefs — I’m probably a little bit wiser, I hope. (Laughs) And perhaps I’m more romantic, to some degree. But it’s hard for me to be super objective about myself. As an artist, I think objectivity isn’t really my game. It’s subjectivity…
Popcorn Youth: So how is your tour going?
DH: It’s been really great. My producers and two other people join in, we have guest artists at the shows, and it’s been really fun having some of my friends join in. And the audiences have been really great, so what more can you ask for?
Popcorn Youth: How is the tour structured? What can people expect in terms of a set list? Will you be performing Blondie songs?
DH: I’m doing a lot of solo material, and I’m doing two Blondie songs in the show, too. And I’m doing some of the old solo material, like “French Kissing in the U.S.A.” and “The Jam Was Moving” and “I Can See Clearly” from some of the solo albums.
Popcorn Youth: You still live in NYC, right?
DH: Yes.
Popcorn Youth: Well, I know people wouldn’t classify the music of Blondie as no wave, especially given your affiliations with new wave, but did you identify with that community and lifestyle?
DH: Well, I don’t exactly know what that is. To me, all of those labels aren’t about a particular style, but more about a time period. And that’s sort of the same way I feel about punk, in that punk was not one particular style of music when it started, but was symbolic of a certain time period. It was only until later on that it became indicative of that style of music.
Popcorn Youth: Do you ever think that people today might mythologize that period, as like a wild west dangerous and exciting time?
DH: I suppose there’s a certain amount of romanticism of that period, I think. I mean, looking back, it looks a little bit easier, what you had then.
Popcorn Youth: At that time, how common was it to be in a band fronted by a woman? Did you feel like you were a pioneer, in that way?
DH: Well, there’s weren’t that many of us, that’s for sure.
Popcorn Youth: Did you ever feel like you encountered any kind of resistance because you were a woman?
DH: Oh, totally. It was not accepted very easily.
Popcorn Youth: Are there any new female artists that you personally champion?
DH: There’s so much great music out there, period, whether it’s by young women or not. But I love the new M.I.A. album, I love Lady Sovereign, and I think the Fergie record is brilliant. I also have a friend coming out with a new CD, her name is Heloise Williams, and she’s in this group called Heloise & the Savoir Faire. She’s a lot of fun, and I love going to see their shows.
Popcorn Youth: You’re not only a musician, but you’ve been on stage, on the screen, served as a fashion icon — can you tell me what that dynamic is like, to explore so many different media? Did you get a sense that in the late 70s and early 80s, that downtown scene really encompassed all of those elements, not just music?
DH: You just try to survive, really. You have to try to do something that you could afford — basically, trying to do something that was different and that was hot. No one had any money to speak of, so it was under those situations. Finding creativity came out of those extreme situations and places — and it certainly pretty extreme.
Popcorn Youth: Today, do you feel like it might be possible for another cultural movement along the lines of punk or new wave to happen?
DH: I haven’t got a clue about that — I mean, New York is such an interesting set of conglomerations of people. It’s so intense, because everyone’s jam-packed in such a small area, so things can get very exciting. One can only hope for the best, really. You should think that anything can happen. But I don’t know, it’s hard now because rents are very, very high. It’s hard for artists to live without having any full time jobs.
Popcorn Youth: I suppose that’s when people start leaving for boroughs like Brooklyn.
DH: Yeah, but it’s also not cheap to live there, either! (Laughs)
Popcorn Youth: That’s true! Well, what are your thoughts on the presence of the Internet with respect to contemporary urban culture? Do you get a sense that it is all a very good thing?
DH: I do like technology, but I think that the final count isn’t in yet, though. I think that it is a big part of a lot of people’s lives, but I do think that personal and physical contact to people is more important, and sort of more truthful. I find that the Internet is full of … incorrect facts. It’s not really reliable. If it’s someone’s gossip machine, then that’s kind of annoying. I don’t like that.
Popcorn Youth: You’ve participated in a lot of great causes, including Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors tour and MAC’s Viva Glam campaign. Have social issues always been important to you?
DH: Oh, absolutely. I think that sort of comes with the territory. People that are “public figures” — whether it’s show biz or education or politics or whatever — they can really make a statement for a good cause. It’s so important.
Popcorn Youth: Well, that’s so admirable because I doubt everyone would act the same way.
DH: Well, thanks!