INTERVIEW BY SEAN TYSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUSTIN TYLER CLOSE

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SEAN TYSON: Being on tour can throw an artist’s life out of balance meaning your personal life goes on the back-burner. What kind of things do you do to ensure that doesn’t happen?

LENNY KRAVITZ: First of all, I try to make sure that I keep my mind and spirit in a peaceful place. I also try to keep ‘home’ inside of me so that I won’t be searching for it outside of myself. As far as keeping a balance goes, I am blessed to have a few homes in extremely different locations, so that feeds the gypsy in me and keeps me from heading too far in any one direction.

ST: The Bahamas has been an integral part of your life both personally and musically. What keeps bringing you back there?

LK: The Bahamas is my true home. It is where the majority of my family is and I have a very spiritual connection with the country. It is also the place where I am no more than a local, and that simplicity is very grounding.

ST: You launched Roxie Records in association with Jeff Ayeroff at Warner Bros., signed and produced new acts and collaborated with several award‑winning artists. Is this something you want to do more of or do you think you’ll continue to focus on your own music for years to come?

LK: Producing other artists is something that I miss and want to do more of. I see myself devoting more time to developing new artists and established ones.

ST: When you perform you have an uncanny ability of making the room feel smaller than it is and bringing an audience together. I feel like that’s a sign of a successful rock-star. Would you agree?

LK: I would agree. When you go to a stadium show and it feels like a theatre, that is a successful performance. I love the excitement of arena and stadium concerts and do my best to bring everyone in.

ST: You once said that the rock ’n’ roll industry is amusing because the way the artist has to do things in order to get success means there’s no rebellion. Can you elaborate on that?

LK: Well, the industry has become so corporate it has lost the rebellious element, in my opinion. There’s so much politics that the edge has worn off and everything seems so safe and planned. Things that went down years ago would not go down today.

ST: You’ve photographed the likes of Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Lionel Richie and because you’re capturing your peers and friends there’s a different dynamic that emerges, perhaps because of the level of trust involved. Is your work conscious of that?

LK:Well, I understand what it feels like to be photographed excessively so I am extremely sensitive to how the person being photographed is. I have learned to capture the moment very quickly.

ST: My father is quite an accomplished industrial designer and my mother grew up in Holland during the Mid-century Modern design movement. As a result, I’ve been intrigued by all aspects of design. What motivated you to start your own design company?

LK: My environment has always been important to me. Even as a child I used to like to arrange my room in a particular way. When I started having my own places as an adult I started to make my own furniture because I couldn’t find a certain aesthetic that I was looking for. After doing this for some time, I started creating more and more custom items and became hooked on that creative process. I started Kravitz Design 13 years ago and have been blessed to work on amazing projects. Currently, I am doing all of the interiors for a tower in Miami called Paramount Bay, and I’m working alongside Philippe Starck and Sam Nazarian on a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Miami as well.

ST: How do you find time to stay in shape when you’re on the road?

LK: Eating a very healthy diet of mostly vegetables.

ST: You told Charlie Rose that your new hairstyle was somewhat of a superficial change, but you’ve also said that cutting your hair gave you a renewed sense of purpose. In such an image-conscious industry what motivated you to do that?

LK: I do what I feel. I’m not going to keep a certain style of anything just because people identify me with that style, or are just used to it.

ST: What was more fun: The Simpsons, Zoolander, or Entourage or crashing the Voice of Praise Choir in New Orleans?!

LK: Ha! They were all fun.







Lien direct: thelabmagazineonline.com/2011/09/lenny-kravitz/

Merci Rine !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merci pour cette interview :top: