15 Minutes with Lady GaGa

She’s the infectious voice of “Just Dance” (dadadoodoo), has the most distinctive style around, is blowing up on music charts internationally, and she’s also an ’86 baby. Though Lady GaGa is signed to Konvict Music, her early beginnings raised from the underground New York club scene, performing with “shock art” donning hot pants and bikini tops, and lighting cans of hairspray on fire.

If you look past the exhibitionist front, you’ll realize that Lady GaGa is a fierce talent with a sharp tongue and an even sharper attitude.

If you only know her as “that-girl-that-sings-that-song” – that’s about to change. Lady GaGa’s first album is coming out on October 28th, 2008, and is so incredibly electro-dance-infused you’ll feel a surge of energy and renewed feel-happiness

What’s Lady GaGa really like as a person to chat with? Entertaining to say the least – she’s not only a fun-loving and engaging conversationalist, but she’s got great instinct and depth. Plus, she received my silly questions and pipsqueak voice well. Thanks!

Want more than just reading about it? Try listening after the jump.

The Q&As:

1. Where are you right now?

I’m in my apartment in L.A. I have the day off, which isn’t really a day off because I’m doing interviews but I’m enjoying it. It’s for my new record.

2. What’s the best thing about thunder (really lightning bolts) and thunder (lightning) bolts on cheeks?

Well, I love them first of all because they’re shiney. And secondly, it’s a tribute to David Bowie and I just think he’s amazing and I aspire to be an artist that’s as visually captivating as he was. I wore it in my next video.

3. Your songs are so ridiculously catchy, how do you make people sing it?

It’s such a goal of mine – when I’m writing music I really really want to write catchy catchy choruses. That’s what I like listening to, and as long as I’m making stuff I like listening to I know it’s good.

4. Something I noticed is we’re both 86 babies!

We’re like sisters! We’re still so young, I feel like when you get to 23-25 you’re getting older. But I’m 22, I’m still a baby. And we can drink and go out.

5. What is the fame and how can we get it?

I’d have to say that it was most eloquently put by Space Cowboy who I work really closely with. And we were in London and the song hasn’t really started at all in London – it’s been huge in America and all over the world. Hasn’t started in London yet just because we haven’t gone for it and we’re going to at the top of the year. But when I was there I was getting followed by paparazzi and everyone knew who I was and it was craziness! And I looked at Space Cowboy and I said what’s going on, nobody knows who I am! But he said to me, nobody knows who you are, but everyone wants to know who you are.

And that’s the Fame! That’s the Fame! That’s what the Fame is all about. I used to always tell people that it’s an inner sense of fame. It’s got nothing to do with being a celebrity or getting your picture taken. Really it’s that specialness, that X-factor, it’s that fashion and swagger and passion about your art. It’s infectious – people want to know who you are – they don’t know who you are, but they want to know who you are. That’s what the fame is.

How long did it take to get the fame?

My whole life. I’ve been working on this project for 7 years. There’s a lot of pop artists that come out that haven’t been in the game for that long. I think that’s what makes me different – I’ve been hustlin’. I was hustlin on my own then I got signed 2 years ago. I met Akon last November, I met him after I was already signed. I worked for him as a writer, and I wrote “Just Dance” and he loved it and then he wrote part of it. We just started working together and started doing more songs. He’s totally brilliant and amazing to work with. I wasn’t discovered by really anyone in the music business other than Vincent Herbert who signed me. And he found me through Rob Fusari who was a producer and found me from the Lower East Side. I really came up the proper way.

6. You have a lot of YouTube Videos on your blog – do you YouTube or are you a YouTuber?

I love YouTube. I YouTube all the time, and I make a ton of videos. 16 episodes for a TV show, a movie, I’ve made three music videos. It’s endless.

7. Why is the Space Look Trendy – shoulder pads, thunderbolts, chunky bangs, hoods…what makes you keep wanting to push the Spacey type of look?

I just love it, I think it looks great. It’s sexy, it’s strong, feminine, but it’s hard too. It’s a different way if looking sexy and that’s what I want to do.

You were a brunette before weren’t you?

I was, people say I’m blonde but I say I’m Andy Warhol White.

8. I found out about you from the Hills actually, so what’s your take on beautiful young people with money?

Really fascinating. I’ve obviously written a whole record that’s influenced by that as well as media culture, celebrity life. There’s artists and then there’s stars. And then there’s celebrities. It’s something that we’re all obsessed with and we claim is poisonous but in the end we continue to feed into it. It’s done so well, it looks like a soap opera. It’s not shot like the old Real World stuff where it’s more guerilla style. It’s so clean with long lens and beautiful.

And the music.

Ah! And the music’s good.

9. Tell me about your album cover and the concept and what it’s supposed to represent.

I made the glasses, and I just wanted a real strong image. I wanted a real strong image. I wanted it to be an image of me that was iconic. And I wanted it to look like you were looking at an album cover of someone that’s been in the business for 10 years because I have.

10. I get reminded of Cyndi Lauper and I read about how you used to record yourself on cassette. Do you still own a cassette player?

Oh yeah! I use one everyday, I’m looking at it right now. I warm my voice up with it.

11. And what do you think of the name Lady GloGlo?

GloGlo? Do it up…who’s Lady GloGlo?

I don’t know, I just made that up – someone told me to start calling myself that!

Oh my god you should!! Lady GloGlo. I think Lady anything is good, but especially when there’s a GaGa GloGlo DaDa. I call one of my best friends Lady BlahBlah.

And it sounds good – you guys should do a tour together.

We will.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me – good luck on your tour!

Thanks! You’re so sweet – it was good talking to you. Bye!