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With new single 'Us' currently out and having received a rapturous reception from her London fans tonight, you would think Regina Spektor would be feeling on a high following her British tour. Actually she has been sick since Christmas, something which she hid very well while on stage, although she’s still gracious enough give Gigwise an interview at her West London hotel. She explains, “It was from when I was running around Manhattan during the subway strike. By the end of Christmas I was coughing”. So despite battling what sounds disturbingly like TB, Regina Spektor has made her impact on the Brits with a string of well-received gigs. She doesn’t want to get over-excited about the single release of 'Us' however, “I think I’m one of those people who doesn’t get affected. I care more about people texting each other saying ‘wow’ listen to this.”
The video for single features stop-start animation that made it a lengthy labour of love. Regina looks a little relieved its over, “the video was taxing physically and one part where these soldiers are coming out of my mouth took an hour and a half to shoot. Every soldier had to be put in my mouth (lucky soldiers). It was an hour and a half of pain for something that will be about for a while though.”
Ignoring TB and tin poisoning from little metal soldiers, Regina has fond memories of her travels around this island. “Shepherd’s Bush had a dreamy atmosphere. Some of the other shows were more raw. Manchester was fucking insane. It was my favourite tour ever; there were lots of places I went to for the first time. Newcastle was like Gotham City. It had houses I thought were going to fall over. The river was amazing – futuristic and old at the same time”. Gigwise wonders whether the half-Bronx, half-Russian songstress has picked up any British habits over here? “I always wish I could bring back all the words. All the expressions. Things sound much better over here. I always miss Britishness. When I’ve tried to do it in the US I’ve been called a poser – I have to enjoy it when I’m here”.
One feature of Britain which will definitely remain with Regina will be the devotion of some of her fans. She explains, “It’s probably misplaced love, temporary until real love comes along. I do think its funny; people will have an alternate reality with whom I am. They’ll decide we’ll be good friends. What I want from fans is to just come and enjoy our time together and go and take on the fucking world. Do the things they want to do.”
The love from the fans shows how highly regarded Regina is but she hasn't always felt the warm glow of popularuty. “That’s funny. It’s not like I am a slick human. I’ve never been consistently cool. A lot of the time, I can’t believe what I just did”.
It’s the humour within her songs that really bonds Regina with her crowd she believes, a humour that is largely directed back at herself. “It brings me joy when I laugh at myself and people laugh with me. I don’t think my songs are sad. I like things that are bittersweet. I love Charlie Chaplin and Queen, I love things that aren’t precious about themselves. Something that’s funny and profound at the same time.” 
Spektor’s new long player 'Mary Ann Meets The Grave Diggers...' takes the structure of a storybook with a central theme, and this is the method she feels most comfortable with: “There’s so much more you can imply in a story. All religions are in story form. An allegory is much more powerful to the psyche. Songs are something that’s bigger than you. In most of my songs I don’t know what’s going on, there’s always something I don’t understand in my songs. The more I’ll live the more I’ll understand when I’ve got a wider scope”. Regina believes lyrics can have a huge impact, “you can say 3 or 4 words and it’s like a huge monumental song.” However, she just lets it all hang out when looking for inspiration and her classical training from a Manhattan Music Professor kicks in, “When I write and perform I just let it flow. The jazz improvisers used to practise scales and modes a tremendous amount of times every day. They carried the necessary skills to carry on through. I try to do that. When moments come you just let go of everything and your soul comes through, then the words flow.”
On that carefully thought note, the interview is over. Regina needs a rest to get over her cough. For her fans, there are whispers of more touring in April although nothing is confirmed. What is certain is that the exotically named bard with the over-active imagination is going to attract ever more new fans with her tales.
