How Lana Del Rey Fought to Get Her Radical 'Ultraviolence' LP Released
"There was a lot of bullshit I'm not used to," Dan Auerbach tells Rolling Stone
Lana Del Rey's new album, Ultraviolence, qualifies as a radical statement from a pop star in 2014 – it's mostly produced by Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach, who relies on electric guitar and other live instruments, and none of its eleven tracks sound much like a potential radio hit. And as Auerbach reveals in Rolling Stone's new Del Rey cover story, her major labels (Interscope and the U.K.'s Polydor) were initially resistant to the idea of releasing it.
"There was a lot of bullshit I'm not used to," Auerbach tells senior writer Brian Hiatt. "The label says, 'We're not going to give you the budget to extend this session unless we hear something.' And we send them the rough mix and they fucking hate it and they hate the way it's mixed. And it's like, 'Thanks, asshole.'… I think Lana put her foot down. Maybe it's normal for her, but it's not normal for me. Really rubbed me the wrong way. I got really defensive because I thought it was bullshit.
"The story I got told," he continues, "is that they played it for her label person and they said, "We're not putting out this record that you and Dan made unless you meet with the Adele producer. And she said, 'Fine, whatever.' And she was late to the meeting, so while they were waiting, the label guy played what we recorded for the Adele producer and he said, 'This is amazing, I wouldn't do anything to change this.' And here's the kicker: Then all of a sudden, the label guy said, 'Well, yeah, I think it's great, too.'"
Del Rey acknowledges a six-week period this past spring when Ultraviolence was in limbo. "I mean, I think there were people they wanted me to work with," she says. "I don't know who they were. When I said I was ready, they were like, 'Are you sure?'" She laughs. "'Because I feel like you could go further.'"
Read more:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...raviolence-lp-released-20140718#ixzz37qrlGao7