HRH: Looking from the outside, anybody would say that you’re just ‘a perfect picture of happiness’ … one of those girls, who had it all, beauty, talent, career and a great sense of self-worth. What advice would you give to all those people out there, who like you suffered with this condition?
Karen Stever: I don’t think it ever goes away. The black dog can devour you, nip at you, stare at you, stalk you or visit periodically, but for me, it is nearly impossible to kill it completely. The advice that helped me most was a quote from Joan Baez who said, “Action is the antidote to despair.” More doing, less thinking keeps us moving. A depressed state keeps us stagnant. Generally, people see shiny happy people as being immune to depression. It often is a front … and can be deadly.
HRH: Throughout each step of your work in the making of Idiot Savant you’ve been very honest and open with your fans. Many other artists would keep their fans guessing till the end. Why so open?
Karen Stever: What a great question… “Why so open?” I think I could do an entire blog on that very question. (Laughs) When I was hurting, I had some people come up to me and were able to put their arm around me and say, “You know what? I was where you are.” We don’t always understand that something life-changing for another person can come from our own Hell. Why shouldn’t it? It’s good to know it wasn’t all for nothing. As far as sharing my own creative process, my hope is that someone will ignore the “I can’t do this” voice in them and just try it. It doesn’t have to be expensive, take up a lot of time or be so hard!
HRH: In your earlier videos and on the new ‘Green’ video, there is a lot of animation and dark humour. Would you say that through your art, you are trying to reach deeper into your soul and share it with your fans, who you often call ‘my friends’?
Karen Stever: I am silly and intense. It’s my truth. After I quit caring what others thought of the real me, I could boldly just do what I thought was cool or fun. It doesn’t really go much past that. My Father was a twisted weirdo. I get it honestly. (Laughs)
HRH: You are one of many independent artists these days that chose to go alone and release your records independently. What was the real reason for that?
Karen Stever: Earning pennies on each record and being told what to do doesn’t appeal to me! (Laughs)
HRH: Or maybe you wanted to push the bounders creatively, musically?
Karen Stever: Yes, it’s essential for me not losing my creative freedom! I like having direct contact with my friends online and telling the story how it needs to be told. I get a lot of inspiration from real people.
HRH: So, what would your advice be, to the many new bands who also want to work independently, trying to avoid the big labels controlling their work and music direction?
Karen Stever: I would say never put the pressure on the art to make you money or it will be raped or prostituted. I would also encourage other artists to revisit WHY they make music. If it is sincere and from a real place where it is like an appendage you would never cut off, you will do it even if nobody is watching or listening. Art and music should be naturally integrated into our lives for fun or expression. Once the reason goes past that, it will suffer. Art and music are their own spirits and we must treat them with dignity. I would also encourage others to have a bigger reason for sharing than just to make money!
HRH: You often say that you make music for the sake of art and so far, there are no limits to your artistic/creative outlets; musically as well as staging everything in the background of your videos, like making clothes, puppets etc. How important for you are the visual aspects of your music?
Karen Stever: It isn’t as important as the words, but it sure is crazy FUN! I like that the lyrics came first because all I do now is have fun visually representing them. I don’t go back and re-write. I guess it’s like “One fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”. You just start drawing fish. (Laughs)
HRH: Who would you consider your biggest musical influences and what was the biggest turning point for you, when you knew that music was your calling?
Karen Stever: Beethoven- the Grand-Daddy of ROCK! (Laughs) I just wanted to grind a furrow into my brow like that man. I was electrified by his intensity mixed with glimmers of hope. I was a weird kid who would conduct my teddy bears with chopsticks. There was no turning or pivotal moment where I knew I should be doing it. However, there was a great moment on the last record where I made a conscious decision not to care what others thought and THAT gave me a beautiful freedom to discover words and my true self.
HRH: What’s next for you? Are there any plans for touring?
Karen Stever: I try not to view this whole project as a band touring a record. I want it to be a creative movement amongst listeners where I can inspire people to reunite with their inner child, build home music or art studios again … and play again.
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