Take off with Leisha Hailey and Uh Huh Her
As the super-loveable character “Alice” on “The ‘L’ Word” and now as a musician in the lesbian power-duo Uh Huh Her, Leisha Hailey has endeared herself in the hearts and minds of the LGBT community.
Now on the new “Keep-A-Breast” breast cancer awareness tour with Uh Huh Her, Leisha and band mate Camila Grey bring their electro-indie music to Vinyl in Atlanta on Oct. 21 in an all-ages show.
The GA Voice was originally scheduled to chat with Leisha Hailey on Sept. 26. The call was postponed, however, when Hailey and Grey, who are also a couple, were evicted from a Southwest Airlines flight Sept. 25 for kissing. Hailey complained about the incident on Twitter, which sparked national headlines and drew statements from both the couple and the airline, which sponsors several gay rights organizations.
The airline said passengers complained that the women’s affection was “excessive” and their reaction to being asked to stop was “aggressive.”
Countered Grey and Hailey, “We want to make it clear we were not making out or creating any kind of spectacle of ourselves, it was one, modest kiss. We are responsible adult women who walk through the world with dignity. We were simply being affectionate like any normal couple.”
Hailey wouldn’t discuss the Southwest incident when the GA Voice caught up with her a few days later, but did discuss Uh Huh Her’s new album, “Nocturnes,” her influences and a special Q&A quick- fire.
Shannon: Your new album, “Nocturnes,” was just released on Oct. 11. Tell me a little bit about that.
Leisha: We got dropped from our label over two years ago and we also left our management and so Cam (Camila) and I were left trying to figure out how to restart this band and make records without any support.
We rented a studio and we spent the whole summer writing this album. When it hit a point of production ceiling that we couldn’t go beyond with our equipment, we played it for Wendy Melvoin from Prince and the Revolution fame. … She was so wonderful and she offered the use of her studio when she wasn’t using it. We’d meet her very late at night or really early in the morning and we spent the next nine months completing the album.
Did the name “Nocturnes” come from the late night recording sessions?
Yes! A lot of it was done at night. Even the subjects of the songs are darker for us. It was a hard, difficult time and it was full of personal struggles for both of us. There was a whole theme of darkness that surrounded this record.
Your tour, the “Keep-a-Breast” tour, is sponsored by the Keep-A-Breast organization. I love it because they reach young people through ways like art and music and get them to make good choices.
They’re a fantastic organization. They are all about prevention of breast cancer so they gear their message towards teenagers and younger adult women. They have a message of prevention through lifestyle changes.
Considering both acting and music, who have you worked with that you had amazing synergy with that brought you to your best place as an artist?
My original band started with my best friend so the synergy between us was incredible because we were inseparable as people. With Cam, I feel that she brings out in me all of the things that I would never challenge in myself. An example would be that I’ve learned two instruments that I’ve never played before. I’ve learned to write differently. I always wrote songs sitting down on a couch with a guitar.
With Cam, I’ve learned a lot about production where you start a song by laying down a drum loop and you put your synth pads down — it’s been a totally different way of creating…
You mentioned both synergy partners being linked to music. Does that mean that music is your true passion over acting?
I can’t answer that because it’s just where I’m at in my life now and I’ve done it for so long that it feels like a part of me. When I was on “The L Word,” I stopped music for four to five years and it just felt like a part of me died. That’s why I started this band. I needed music back. It’s beyond a giant passion in my life. But so is acting. I can feel just as inspired playing out a scene.
Any acting projects on the horizon?
This past year, I just wanted to give this band my full attention because I hadn’t prior to that. I was trying to balance two careers. So right now, I have nothing but the band going on.
Who do you think killed Jenny [character on “The L Word”]?
I’m going to call suicide on that one.
I thought it would be fun to play a little game with you. I’ll give you a word and you tell me the first thought that pops into your head. Do you want to play?
Sure. I’ll do my best.
Touring: Fun.
“Nocturnes”: Passionate.
Sexy: Life
Alice (her “L Word” character): Lover
Camila (her band mate): Adorable
Twitter: Powerful
Dream girl: Dream girl?
Yes, dream girl. If you said “dream girl” to me, I would respond with “Andie MacDowell” or “Angelina Jolie”. What would you say?
I’ve met her.
What? You met Angelina Jolie?
(Laughs) No! I’m not saying I’ve met Angelina. I’m saying I’ve met my dream girl.
Baby: Maybe
Problem: Getting solved
Marriage: Never again! (laughs)
Love: Purpose
I’ve got one more…
Oh darn! This is so fun…
Here it is: Atlanta: Great city. I love it!
(Source: LEISHAHAILEYFAN.COM)
Leisha、飛行機をボイコット
actress says she was kicked off of a plane flight for kissing her girlfriend.
Leisha Hailey, star of the US show The L-Word, took to Twitter to call for a boycott of Southwest Airlines after a flight attendant told her other passengers had complained.
"We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue," she tweeted. "This is an outrage.
"I demand a public apology by @SouthwestAir and a refund. Hate is not a family value. I will never fly this airline. We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue. @SouthwestAir endorses homophobic employees. No one made her accountable."
A Southwest Airlines crew member approached the actress-musician after other passengers complained that she and her girlfriend's kissing was "excessive," the airline said in a statement, explaining that the crew made the decision to escort the couple off the plane after the discussion "escalated."
The airline today posted a statement on its website about the incident, which occurred at the El Paso airport on a plane bound for Los Angeles.
Southwest’s statement reads: “Initial reports indicate that we received several passenger complaints characterizing the behavior as excessive.
"Our crew, responsible for the comfort of all customers on board, approached the passengers based solely on behavior and not gender.
"The conversation escalated to a level that was better resolved on the ground, as opposed to in flight. We regret any circumstance where a passenger does not have a positive experience on Southwest and we are ready to work directly with the passengers involved to offer our heartfelt apologies for falling short of their expectation.”
The statement did nothing to appease hailey. "Since when is showing affection towards someone you love illegal? I want to know what Southwest Airlines considers as 'family.' " She continued: "I know plenty of wonderful same sex families I would like to introduce them to. Boycott @SouthwestAir if you are gay. They don't like us."
This isn’t the first time Southwest Airlines has been accused anti-gay remarks and actions.
(Source: news.com.au)
これに対してCamila GreyとLeisha Haileyが正式な声明を出しました。
UH HUH HER:
Camila Grey and Leisha Hailey statement
We have always promoted tolerance, openness and equality both as a band and as individuals. We both come from loving homes where our parents not only love and accept us, but are also proud of who we are. We believe everyone has the right to live openly in this society as equals. In no way were our actions on Southwest Airlines excessive, inappropriate or vulgar. We want to make it clear we were not making out or creating any kind of spectacle of ourselves, it was one, modest kiss. We are responsible adult women who walk through the world with dignity. We were simply being affectionate like any normal couple. We were on the airplane less than 5 minutes when all was said and done. We take full responsibility for getting verbally upset with the flight attendant after being told it was a “family airline.” We were never told the reason the flight attendant approached us, we were only scolded that we “needed to be aware that Southwest Airlines was a family oriented airline.” No matter how quietly homophobia is whispered, it doesn’t make it any less loud. You can’t whisper hate. We ask this airline to teach their employees to not discriminate against any couple, ever, regardless of their own beliefs. We want to live in a society where if your loved one leans over to give you an innocent kiss on an airplane it’s not labeled as “excessive or not family oriented” by a corporation and its employees. We find it very disturbing that the same airline who lauds itself as being LGBT friendly has twisted an upsetting incident that happened into our behavior being “too excessive.” The above is not an apology and we are in the process of filing a formal complaint with the airline. We hope that when all is said and done a greater tolerance without prejudice will evolve.
(Source: www.msopr.com)
Leisha’s Interview: ‘L Word’ star performs in duo at Duluth Pride
“The L Word,” came to its confusing conclusion on the Showtime network more than a year ago, and since then one of the show’s stars, Leisha Hailey, has gotten to tap into her other creative outlet: Making electro-pop music.
The Los Angeles-based band Uh Huh Her — a duo comprised of Hailey and Camila Grey — headline the Duluth Superior Pride Festival today at Bayfront Festival Park. Local bands start at 11 a.m., and Uh Huh Her starts at 6 p.m.
“I’ve completely thrown myself into music,” Hailey said in a phone interview. “I needed to take a break from TV and just dive into something else.”
Hailey played the perky Alice Pieszecki for the entirety of Showtime’s “The L Word,” a more fashionable, lesbian spin on “Melrose Place.” The show ended in March 2009.
Both have colorful music backgrounds: Grey is here on a quick break from touring with super-glam “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert, and has played with Dr. Dre. Hailey was in The Murmurs, who had a super cool cult following in the 1990s.
The News Tribune caught up with Hailey when she was still adjusting to the climate change between Los Angeles and Duluth.
“It’s beautiful here,” she said via phone from her hotel room.
Q: Where do things stand with the new album?
A: We finished our record and it’s being mastered right now. We don’t have a title yet. … We’re figuring out art work, rebuilding our website and doing prep work. We’re hoping to have it out in the spring.
In broad strokes, the tone is more on the rock side with bigger drum sounds. It’s a little more aggressive than the last record.
When we started writing, we just wanted to slow down and take the time to write enough songs where we could throw away the ones we weren’t happy with instead of slapping them down on an album quickly. … We went to studio space in North Hollywood and wrote and wrote and wrote all last summer.
Q: What’s the dynamic of the band? Who’s the task master, and who’s the one stalling and writing text messages?
A: We’re very different people. Somehow we fit perfectly together. We’re both very driven, but we show it in different ways. Whoever needs to step up to the plate does. Cam’s been on tour, she’s living the life of a rock star, so I’ve been taking care of the administrative stuff. She had to do that while I was away working.
We both keep the train moving.
Q: What can we expect from your show?
A: We’re going to do a mix. We’re trying to introduce stuff slowly. It’s fun for us. For an audience member, it’s fun to hear something new, but they have no memory or attachment to it. We’re trying to make sure that we incorporate the songs they know, and at the same time move forward.
Q: Okay, cheesy “L Word” question. What did you think of the finale?
A: I think it could have had a happier ending. It didn’t really make sense.
(Source: Duluth News Tribune)
















