K.d. lang has described her live shows as “the original Tinder”.
The 59-year-old musician – who came out as gay in 1992 and has long championed gay rights causes through her career – has opened up on her decision to release remix album ‘makeover’ which gives her country sound a dance twist and recalls a certain environment which she doesn’t think exists anymore.
Appearing on the Homo Sapiens podcast: “There’s not really any gay bars – there’s certainly very few in Los Angeles and there’s very few in Calgary.
“They’re kind of a thing of the past. You know, a k.d. lang show was the original Tinder, so that was a different day, time and a place.
“So, gay bars and clubs, big dance parties were the community centres and it was the record company, of course, that said, ‘Let’s put out some remixes.’ “
Lang admitted the collection is out at a “perfect time” when people can enjoy the record in their own homes without feeling self conscious.
She added: “Now’s a perfect time to put out an album of remixes when people can dance freely in their kitchen in the morning and not worry about whether or not they know the new dance steps.”
And while a dance record may seem like a departure, lang admitted it’s a fair representation of her own musical tastes.
She explained: “What’s interesting, as k.d. lang, as I spent most of my youth in gay clubs before I even started in my career.
“People think of me as a country artist but actually I spent probably more time listening to disco and dance remixes than I did country music.
“So, it is a fascinating aspect, kind of a cryptic tangential sidebar to my musical life that is really fun to explore.”