Fiona Apple Tickets

About Fiona Apple

Apple's public persona began to garner some controversy. In particular, while accepting an MTV music video award for Best New Artist Video of 1997 ("Sleep To Dream"), she appealed to her audience not to be enamored of celebrity culture. She proclaimed "this world is bullshit," referring to the MTV/Music Industry, and quoted Maya Angelou: "Go with yourself." Some would say this backfired on her as some viewed this as hypocritical. Though her comments were generally greeted with cheers and applause at the awards ceremony, detractors wanted to know how she could appear in her underwear in a risqué music video then only to turn around and tell young women to ignore it. In particular, comedienne/activist Janeane Garofalo, (who is not without her own detractors, and has been vocal about her struggles with being overweight in an image-obsessed entertainment industry), delivered a parody of the awards show speech: "This world is bullshit; even though I'm skinny and appear in a music video wherein I am in my underwear, and even though I'm maybe not the most talented singer, songwriter or, whatever...go with yourself."

In a Rolling Stone magazine interview at the end of the year, Fiona reflected on her MTV speech:"I just had something on my mind and I just said it... and that's really the foreshadowing of my entire career and my entire life. When I have something to say, I'll say it."

Fiona is also a vegan and supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). In 1997, Apple recorded a message on PETA's hotline expressing her concern for the plight of turkeys on Thanksgiving. In reference to a Butterball Turkey hotline people could call to get tips on cooking their turkeys, she claimed, "There's no proper way to kill and cook these beautiful birds." She continued, "Millions of people are learning that a vegetarian diet is the healthy choice for themselves, the Earth and the animals."

During a relationship with film director Paul Thomas Anderson Apple wrote and recorded her 1999 second album, When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King/What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight/And He'll Win the Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters the Ring/There's No Body To Batter When Your Mind is Your Might/So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand/And Remember That Depth is the Greatest of Heights/And If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land/And If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right (commonly shortened to When the Pawn).

Some pop culture press immediately dismissed the album. The initial review in Spin Magazine simply quoted the title, and then underneath read "Whoops. Now we don't have room for a review. One star." The album's sound was more mature both musically and lyrically, using more expressive lyrics and experimenting more with drum loops and heavily incorporating clavichord and organ. However, it did not fare as well commercially, though it was an RIAA-certified Platinum selling release in the United States. Although several singles were released ("Fast as You Can," "Paper Bag" and "Limp"), the videos received very little airplay. The album's lyrics were also often difficult to decipher due to Apple's usage of archaic and intellectual words in place of layman's terms, for example: "My derring-do allows me to dance the rigadoon around you. But by the time I'm close to you I lose my desideratum [..]" Fans of Apple, however, cite her lyrical ability and esoteric turn-of-phrase as a large part of her appeal. Many critics eventually heralded the material as a musical achievement, but the difficult lyrics, the lengthy title, and the controversy surrounding her public appearances made her material inaccessible for many casual radio listeners.

Apple is currently working on her third album, tentatively titled Extraordinary Machine, along with Jon Brion, producer of When the Pawn. Originally set for release in September 2003, the album is currently being held from release by Sony Music as they say it doesn't have a marketable single. Despite this, two tracks, "Extraordinary Machine" and "Better Version of Me", have been leaked onto the Internet.

In an interview with MTV in January 2005, Brion discussed the delay of Apple's album. He explained that Sony was not releasing the album because the label hears no radio hits:

"The record company wants Criminal junior, and Fiona doesn't offer that up," Brion said. "She wrote that stuff when she was 16, and she's now in her mid 20s. She's extremely intelligent and writes this beautiful, really emotionally involved stuff that's very musical - lots of chord changes, very involved melodies, intensely detailed lyrics. It's just not the obvious easy sell to them."

In response to the label's reluctance to release the album, a website called "Free Fiona" (www.freefiona.com) was started by fans. The plan is to send "apple-related" items to the head of Apple's label in January of 2005 insisting that the record be released.