The Garden, a PJ Harvey Discussion Site

The Community of Hope video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsLqsqbObyg

I hope she's gonna do some interviews soon - this almost complete lack of her own opinion becomes frustrating for me. Maybe that's her intent, but we wanna see her!

Paul Schwartzman himself: "I gave a famous rock star a windshield tour of D.C. — and didn’t know who she was".

PJ Harvey sits along the Potomac River (by Seamus Murphy):



PJ Harvey rides the Metro train in Washington, D.C., a couple years ago (by Seamus Murphy):

.

The video is great. I must admit the LES videos although nice just did not work with the music as well as these new ones are doing. They really help illustrate the core.

I love Paul's account of the tour and I'm glad it came out. I learned that Polly looks great in chucks too. I'm beyond excited for this record.

Good video and great song!

Quality is a tad better IMO (if you zoom it pixels are not so noticeable):

.

I think it's incredibly lame that Polly wouldn't give Paul Schwartzman, a writer for the WaPo for chrissakes, an interview with her.

At least she "allowed" him to write about the experience and he was able to include that bit of info...

Thank you Kuk91 for the link to the Washington Post article, the comments are conflicting and satisfying to read.

DrDark wrote:I think it's incredibly lame that Polly wouldn't give Paul Schwartzman, a writer for the WaPo for chrissakes, an interview with her.

At least she "allowed" him to write about the experience and he was able to include that bit of info...

I thought about it and firstly my impression was "she can surely be a bitch" but then I realize that:

- He had no idea who she is, the interview would be obnoxious to her (and probably would be pedestrian for us and most readers, after all, he is quite ignorant on music as he said.
- She knew he is a reporter for sure and probably was ok about the tour with him exactly because he didn't know her
- Highly possible the interview would revolve around Washington like, 90% of the time, I don't think she wants to focus solely on D.C. and possibly turn this album into the "Polemic album about America" when there is much more to that than US.
- I put myself on her shoes and I think it would be really awkward to be interviewed by my source. She kept it quite neutral during the tour so no reason to change the status quo now the work is already finished.

And checking her notes? That was really ridiculous of him lol

On the other hand he was really cooperative and generous (or brave?) to allow her to publicize that the lyrics are a compilation of his words about the community, not hers.

My first though was also, that seems a bit diva like perhaps. But, on the other hand, I think I have read and heard 95 percent of the PJ interviews out there and 95 percent of the interviewers ask the same old question, and I think make her feel uncomfortable, so that she doesn't open up. The best interviews she gave were at the beginning of her career, she wasn't quite so guarded. Every once in a while she will let something slip and you can over time put the pieces together.

But the guy doesn't even know her, I can't imagine he would bring anything too interesting to the table. She could have done an email interview or something though.

head's_bullet wrote:

DrDark wrote:I think it's incredibly lame that Polly wouldn't give Paul Schwartzman, a writer for the WaPo for chrissakes, an interview with her.

At least she "allowed" him to write about the experience and he was able to include that bit of info...

I thought about it and firstly my impression was "she can surely be a bitch" but then I realize that:

- He had no idea who she is, the interview would be obnoxious to her (and probably would be pedestrian for us and most readers, after all, he is quite ignorant on music as he said.
- She knew he is a reporter for sure and probably was ok about the tour with him exactly because he didn't know her
- Highly possible the interview would revolve around Washington like, 90% of the time, I don't think she wants to focus solely on D.C. and possibly turn this album into the "Polemic album about America" when there is much more to that than US.
- I put myself on her shoes and I think it would be really awkward to be interviewed by my source. She kept it quite neutral during the tour so no reason to change the status quo now the work is already finished.

And checking her notes? That was really ridiculous of him lol

On the other hand he was really cooperative and generous (or brave?) to allow her to publicize that the lyrics are a compilation of his words about the community, not hers.

great points, we all know PJ is a smart cookie. She knows what she is doing. I think she doesn't want all the focus to be on the one song, or washington d.c- it should be more on the larger picture. I remember an interview around Uh Huh Her where she said her goal is always to write in a way that can be universal.

She should have given him the interview. No excuse. It was rude of her not to return the favour. It doesn't matter if he didn't know of her and her work. In fact, his lack of knowledge might have given the interview more interest. A few minutes on Skype wouldn't have hurt her.
Seems to me she used him, but wasn't prepared to return the professional courtesy.

I've always appreciated her effort to let her work speak for itself and keep it open to interpretation, and this time around more than ever.
I don't think it was rude on her part to deny the interview to Paul Schwartzman, I find his request inappropriate and intruding.

I don't care if people think she's a bitch and certainly I don't think she is or condone this kind of attitude. I just think she's very careful when it comes to collaborate with people and I have enormous respect for her inflexibility, I guess it's part of her long-term outlook.