Tara Slone: Toronto rocker-lady Basia Lyjak takes the stage at the Hard Rock Cafe for her second time at North By Northeast, but she's joining us here in the studio now! How are you? Thank you for coming!
Basia Lyjak: Thank you for having me!
Chris: Yes, thank you so much!
Tara: We're so happy to have a lady rocker on the show. What's the climate like right now for a woman? Because it's not easy being a woman in rock.
Basia: It's not easy, but because the indie world is so big right now, it's been pretty good to me, actually. I've been getting a lot of really good results with what I've been doing online and plugging myself and whatnot, so I'm just really excited to be one of the "indie ladies" that's really doing something.
Tara: Somebody put it as "female rock practitioner," and I thought that was a great way to say it: Female rock practitioner.
Basia: Yeah, that was a cool quote. Some really good quotes come our way from the online writing world.
Chris: You played NXNE last year; are your expectations different this year?
Basia: This year is different because I was asked to play really late in the game and hadn't actually applied, and I played a smaller venue. This year I'm playing the Hard Rock Cafe, so it's going to be a little scary in some ways, but it's going to be very cool in other ways.
Tara: What are your career goals in general? What do you want out of the music business?
Basia: I really want to make a difference somehow, and not just as an artist, but to say something to people -- to our younger generation -- because just I feel like our younger generation is at a different level than I was when I was 14, 15, so I'm just hoping to place something with my music into their heads that will make them think, "Yeah, I can do something with my life."
Chris: And things are really starting to go your way, too. Do you remember where you were the first time you heard your song on the radio?
Basia: Well, I've had internet/online radio play at this point, which is great... but where I was? I was listening online -
Chris: And you went, "Woooow..."
Basia: I was stoked, because no matter if it's online or on the radio, it's just... To hear yourself live somewhere is just so surreal. Like being on here, with you!
Chris: Thanks again for coming!
Tara: You know, I played NXNE for the first time... 11 years ago, and I landed myself a record deal, so I wish you the same luck.
Basia: Thank youuu!
Tara: Rock chicks unite!
Basia: I really thank you so much, guys.
Chris: Basia will be playing at the Hard Rock Cafe this Friday [June 13th, 2008] at 11PM. For more info, you can check out BasiaLyjak.com