Tiffany – A Million Miles

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you have been working on?

A) There is a lot of touring this year. I’m actually branching out. My son graduated college last summer so I feel like I can branch out and do more international touring. I haven’t done that in quite some time so I’m back in the mode. I want to get the new music out there. So, the sky is the limit at this point. I’m in talks to do some movies, but it would really depend on time. I would love to do more movies and acting, but for me this next year is going to be all about music and being on the road. I’m just taking this new music to the next level for me. I’m really excited because a lot of festivals are calling me for the retro stuff, which is always a blast because I get to see fans and relive “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Could Have Been.” There are so many fans on the bill that I’m a fan of so I just get to be out there rocking and listening to other people that I know. It’s a chance to reconnect and hang out with my buddies. Then, there are some smaller locations that connect the dots for the opportunity to promote this album. I can do more intimate evening things for Tiffany where this album will really fit. This is a big production album. There are a lot of layers to this album. We went a bit old school to some degree, but I think a lot of my early recordings like All This Time or To Love or Not to Love had a lot of piano, guitar, vocals, backgrounds and strings here or there. I’ve always loved stuff like that – kind of epic songs. I really though wanted to push the boat out on this one and do stuff with this album. I’m a co-producer on this album so I came in with a lot of ideas and got a lot of my wish list so I’m a very happy girl that they all came true. Working with my cowriters and co-producer was so much fun to create music that I love and having a good time doing it.

Q) Talk about your cowriters on the album A Million Miles and how you came to work with them. What did they bring to the table?

A) It all came pretty organic, to some degree. I live in Nashville so I pride myself for the last eight years living here. When I came back here is when I really decided I wanted to be a songwriter. I came here in the early 90’s and just went to songwriting appointments to get a gist of what that really entailed. I was always writing songs, but I was too shy to show them to anyone. And I had kind of started to write in LA, but when I moved in Nashville and threw that out there people said, “If you want to be a songwriter this is what you need to do.” So, I put myself into that world and it took me a while to get better to be what Nashville looks to their standards as being a valid songwriter. So, coming back this time, moving here eight years ago and now having more under my belt by writing The Color of Silence – having Billboard saying it was one of the best albums of 2000 and how people responded to me as a songwriter gave me the courage and my legs that I needed to go, “Okay, this is my life. This is what I do. I’m a valid songwriter and want to write for other people. I want to continue to do that and have that be a part of my career.” So, my return to Nashville has been about that. It’s been writing for other people and living in the songwriting community. I built friendships and relationships there. When I decided to do this record, I reached out to those people – people who know me really well, understand me and understand the last few years of my life. I lost my dad to cancer and my mom recently last year. It’s just all the ups and downs and how it affected me and how people pulled together as a community and helped me. Music is healing and that is kind of what we started to do. I had a lot of melodies already in my head and a lot of titles. So, I just kind of took songs to people who I knew would get it and wanted to create something great with them. They didn’t let me down! Not all of the songs are about heartbreak or recovery. Some of the songs are about getting over somebody and someone that did you wrong – regular topics that we all go through, but with my own spin on them.

Q) What makes this album different than the others you have released?

A) I think there are more layers to this record than maybe some of my other records. And there is beautiful strings and cello. It’s a little deeper than I have probably done before. It comes from a place of me being honest win my lyrics and I wanted some of that timeless music in some of my ballads where you think “This is beautiful.” Some of the up-tempo stuff obviously has some of my rocker heart into it, but it is still pop/AC. The single “Right Here” is about my fans, but it could be about your lover or your best friend – who ever encourages you on a daily basis that has been there form the beginning. For me, that is my fans. That they allow me to and respect my transitions – the things I want to get up to. Sometimes I do a dance album and sometimes I want to do a country project. I love telling stories about my life and the different layers of my life, what inspires me and makes the overall Tiffany journey. I’m lucky that the fans are willing to ride the ride with me, do a sci-fi film with me or if I take some time off. There are times when I want to recharge, not tour as much and stay home to be in the moment of life. I’m very lucky that my fans are open to that. They keep coming back and understand it. I think it makes me a better artist because it allows me to be myself – whatever that is at that moment. I’ve always been a pop artist, but there are different sides to me and I’m lucky that my fans continue to let me grow with that.

Q) How has social media been an asset to you and your music?

A) On this album, it has been the best thing. I was always plugged into social media, but kind of a latecomer to that. When I decided to merge with Pledge, that was the one thing they brought. They encouraged me to join social media and I thought it would be good for me because it would light a fire under me and it would also be an avenue for my fans to be a part of this album from the very beginning. And I loved that! I loved that concept. From videos, to the studio and they could pledge to be a part of the album and come into the studio while I was recording. There were all these layers to be a part of the album and that was something that I had never done before. My fans will get it. They love to be a part of things. I am the girl with the mall tour where it was so personable where I would love to keep that going and this was a way to have that to some degree. I could tell my thoughts and show some songs that I have written at the end of the day. It was really cool and it kept giving me the thoughts of my fans! It gave me that interaction right off the bat so I’m kind of addicted now! [laughs]

Q) Are we able to see videos for the songs?

A) If you go to Pledge Music, they are all uploaded there now. If you go to my website, tiffanytunes.com then it takes you to Pledge Music. My campaign is ending in June, but there are still so many different levels at which you can get involved. There is also different merchandise attached to this project that won’t be attached after June. You can see me out on the road and have a VIP experiences that will be different when I start touring back in June. There are still handwritten notes and pictures from behind the scenes. There’s a coffee book and a music book that I’m offering for this album that you would only get during this time. If you are a Tiffany fan, I always encourage people to go to the site and see what is there to get these memorabilia because it is only going to be during this time.

Q) What do you want to be sure to share with fans about this album?

A) Again, this is an honest project for me, the next level. I coproduced it so I’m very excited about that. It’s like the next level of me growing up and me growing as an artist. I’m going to be touring so extensively this year with this album so I encourage people to go to my site and check out all the live dates. As good as this album is (and I love it and it is great) but I am a live artist. I think that’s where I am at my best. So, I can’t wait for people to hear it and do shows around it to have those moments with my fans. I think that’s where the magic really lies and these songs are going to be a great base to do that and to bring to a live venue.