28
In 1991, the singer released Me and a Gun, a searing ballad about sexual assault.
At that point in her career, things were not exactly off to a raucous start.
Immediately, it cemented Amos place in the pantheon of greats.
Amos wasnt sure how it would be received.
It was as if I hadnt realized just how many people had gone through trauma in their life.
Shes never been afraid to write about what scares her most.
With her most recent album,Ocean to Ocean, Amos takes on grief.
That magic can be heard on the album, which summons something mystical and sublime.
Maybe its the muses.
What was your life like at 28, in 1991?
[I had] no idea she was going to say that [testifying against Clarence Thomas].
Little Earthquakeswas such an intimate debut album, covering everything from your childhood to your violent assault.
How did it feel to bear your soul at 28?
Well, I didnt know what was coming.
I wasnt thought of as a commercial-pop in artist; I wasnt a pop princess.
I didnt know what to expect.
I just knew I had to play these songs because it was what I had been through.
I was shocked, I was totally shocked that people would come stand in line.
It was quite something that people would actually pay to get a ticket and come hear my own songs.
What was the process of makingLittle Earthquakeslike?
The record was written in different stages because it was rejected when I first turned it in.
I needed to go add some songs to it, so we took a road trip.
Songs like Precious Things were inspired by that trip.
We would do that we would go to the desert and do that and come back.
Ive been doing that ever since really, trying to take a pilgrimage.
But that doesnt seem like your process at all.
Yeah, I dont do that.
If I am on a deadline, especially, I think, Okay, cant you just show up?
(I say that with an absolute affinity for Bjork.)
It has been happening forever, since I was little.
After it came out,Little Earthquakescharted quickly and then you immediately embarked on a world tour.
How did you take care of yourself and adjust to life on the road?
Do you have any vivid piano bar memories?
God, there were so many Ive tried to forget.
Oh my goodness gracious.
Look, there is always that time of night when somebody would want to grab the microphone.
The bartender would usually be there nodding with you.
Is there any advice you wish you could give your 28-year-old self?
You really need to get a better sense of direction, Tori.
I would always end up on the wrong side of the stage.
I would tell me to get a compass.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
