Vanessa Daou Finally Talks About Love On Eq8r Album

LOVE IS IN THE AIR: Throughout the '90s, the husband/wife musical partnership of Peter & Vanessa Daou seamlessly merged elements of pop, jazz, and electronica to create some of the most intoxicating, exhilarating, and seductive soundscapes for dancefloors, lounges, and bedrooms.

Card-carrying members of the club community surely remember the Daou's genre-defying debut, 1992's Head Music (Columbia), and its single "Surrender Yourself," which topped the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Such subsequent singles as "Give Myself to You" and "Are You Satisfied?," both on Tribal, proved the Daou was on a serious mission: to rethink the parameters of contemporary rhythm-based music.

Two years later, singer/songwriter Vanessa stepped out as a solo artist—of course, with producer/keyboardist Peter by her side. The artist's two albums for Lotus/Krasnow Entertainment/MCA, the sexual Zipless and the introspective Slow to Burn, respectively spawned the No. 1 Club Play hits "Sunday Afternoons" and "Two to Tango."

In the late '90s, the songstress released Plutonium Glow (on the Internet-based label Daou Music) and Dear John Coltrane (on Oxygen Music Works). Last November, EMI Music France issued Vanessa Daou's Make You Love—easily the artist's most honest, pop-leaning, and (dare we say) best collection to date.

Tracks like "You," "Juliette," "Bittersweet," and a cover of Jane's Addiction's "I Would for You" are pure bliss. Ditto for "Show Me" and "A Little Bit of Pain," which were featured, respectively, on an episode of Dawson's Creek and the Lifetime TV movie Sex, Lies & Obsession.

On Tuesday (3), Make You Love arrives in the U.S. via the Daou's Caroline-distributed EQ8R Music. The set's first single, the sublime "A Little Bit of Pain (II)," with remixes by Danny Tenaglia, should be in stores by late summer. During a recent conversation, the couple talked excitedly about Make You Love, their French connection, and the future.



How did the deal with EMI France occur?

Vanessa: About two years ago, [French singer] Étienne Daho e-mailed us out of the blue, telling us how much he liked our music, how he had all my albums in his collection. This led to many phone conversations and e-mails. At the time, we were both working on our own projects. He asked me if I would duet with him on a track for his album [a cover version of Vanessa's "Make Believe" from Plutonium Glow]. Overcoming my fear of flying, I, along with Peter, flew to France, and as we were recording the song, the three of us developed this great friendship.

Did Daho help in securing your label deal in France?

Peter: In a way, yes. When Étienne's album [Corps et Armes, Virgin/EMI France] was released, it went to No. 1, and Vanessa started getting all this attention and label interest. We decided it made the most sense to go with EMI. Last November and December, Étienne invited Vanessa to tour with him throughout France. It was great exposure for Vanessa. Now, Étienne is talking about doing a bilingual duets album with Vanessa.

On past recordings, there was always a wall, a distance, a sense of mystery between the singer and the listener. With Make You Love, I feel like I'm directly connecting with Vanessa. In essence, it seems like your most personal album to date.

Vanessa: That's very accurate. Looking back, it's a document of a love story—although I won't say with whom. The words and songs deal with all the permutations of love that I feel, my experiences, and the people involved. If I've succeeded, you shouldn't be able to tell where my experiences begin and where somebody else's begin and where they merge or drift apart. Ultimately, this album is like my philosophy of love.

It's funny you should say that, because the "L" word, which you've never been fond of using in your lyrics, appears more than once on this album.

Peter: We always had a problem with the word "love." Actually, we had a problem with using the word in songs, primarily because everybody else tosses it around so freely. We've always preferred to write about love without ever mentioning the actual word. Now, after 14 years of marriage, Vanessa [who writes the bulk of the lyrics] said, "I want to talk about love."

What was the catalyst for this?

Vanessa: When I was writing the songs for this album, I thought of making love and what it means. For me, love is an obsession, it's inspiring. By focusing on love, I discovered how I love, how others love, and what it means to make somebody else love. You know, the whole thing when you're in love: You look your best and act your best to make the other person fall in love with you. I mean, you're already in love with that person. It's like one big dance, a struggle between two people, or however many there are, to get each other to feel that love—in the same kind of intensity.

Was the album difficult to make?

Vanessa: Absolutely, because I wanted everything to be 100% honest. It had to flow, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Peter and I did a lot of creative arguing in the studio, which is the only place we ever fight. We both have such strong beliefs, and this really comes out in the creative process. I knew I wanted good, classic, so-called pop songs—Daou style.

Are there any special promotions planned for the album?

Peter: Many retail chains—including HMV, Virgin, and Tower—have already said they want this album for their listening stations. This will be accompanied by major price and positioning. We've hired Giant Step to handle all the street promotion. Except for a video, we're doing everything a major label would do. And both Vanessa's [Vanessadaou.com] and the label's [Eq8r.com] Web sites will feature special promotions and music. We're definitely going to pace ourselves with this record. By September, Vanessa should be on the road touring.

There have been rumors circulating that EQ8R will issue a Vanessa "best of" set in the fall. Any truth to this?

Peter: Yes. I recently went through all our DATs and discovered a lot of tracks that were never released, as well as alternate versions of songs. So, the set will feature the hits, the misses, and the never-before-heard.

And after that?

Vanessa: Well, a couple years ago, I took a break from recording and returned to school to complete my majors [art history and visual arts]. I ended up taking some biology courses and got completely hooked. I went to Brazil for an environmental art project/research that brought together the environment, art, and music. So, expect my next album to reflect this.