Blast from the Past: Sophie B. Hawkins interview

Sophie B. Hawkins has not been confirmed for PrideFest at this time but she is one of the top contenders for a slot. Here's a little blast from the past interview I did with her back in 2004 that originally appeared in Out Front Colorado:

Sophie B. Hawkins: Wilderness
By Drew Wilson

Sophie B. Hawkins burst onto the entertainment scene in 1992 with her smash breakout hit, "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover", a song that caused more than a blip in the gaydar of America’s GLBT pop-music fans with the lyric, “I sat on the mountainside with peace of mind, I lay by the ocean making love to her with visions clear." It was as frank a depiction of homoeroticism as ever heard before on the radio. She followed up that success with an even greater one in "As I Lay Me Down", a song that charted on Billboard for a record-breaking 67 weeks.

Now the self-proclaimed omnisexual is back with a new record, 'Wilderness', and a brilliant new single, "Beautiful Girl", that is making a big splash and that many critics are calling her best work ever.

Drew: How is this record different from your previous efforts?
Sophie B.: “I love every record I’ve done but this is the first one where I feel a kind of freedom with. First of all, it’s my own label so in a way it feels like the success of this record would be light in the process of art and creativity. It would feel good. If it was a failure I would accept it and keep working but I would be disappointed!”

Is commercial success important to you?
“Commercial success is fabulous but it’s not everything. With Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover, I never thought anyone would ever even listen to that song, much less play it on the radio and have it become successful but it’s great to play shows and have everybody know it. Of course it would be great to have success like that again, it would be amazing! If I was selling out I would be ashamed of it but I’m not selling out, I’m connecting with people and that’s awesome.”

You seem to do especially well at connecting with the GLBT community. They love you.
“That’s great to hear because I’ve heard other things. I mean, the gay community is my community, but I’ve heard that people have a problem with me saying that I’m omnisexual. That’s hard for me to hear because everything about me is so pro-gay.”

You’re probably sick to death of this question, but what exactly does it mean to be omnisexual?
“No, it’s a good question and I can never answer it enough because I feel like I’m always growing and changing. I say I’m omnisexual because I fall in love with a soul and not a sex because I’ve had equally intense relationships with men and with women. I’m not choosing between a penis and a pussy. People are more than that. Also, omnixesual fits because there are more than two genders.”