On the occasion of the release of her new EP, we met Chrysta Bell. Six months after the end of the expected third season of Twin Peaks in which she plays Tammy Preston, one of the main characters, she tells us everything in detail.
JustFocus: Hi Chrysta Bell! You just released a new EP, simply named Chrysta Bell. Why this choice?
Chrysta Bell: Yes. (laughs) I'm at that point in life where I'm learning more and more about myself. It's like I'm making an announcement, both to the world and to myself, that this is where I'm headed. After the album with David, after Twin Peaks, after the album with John Parish [editor's note: producer of PJ Harvey], it's time to assert myself. With my longtime collaborator Chris Smart, we wrote and recorded the songs in Texas. It was like going back to my roots even if it sounds a bit cliché. (laughs) I'm from San Antonio, I've collaborated with people I've known for years. Before, you didn't like the album? Blame the producer. Don't like Twin Peaks? Blame David Lynch. Now I am in control and you will have to blame me. (laughs) This is something that makes me very happy.
JF: As a kind of emancipation…
Chrysta Bell: Emancipation is a very good word! I realize there's a lot I haven't explored and I feel like it's the right time, so there you have it: Chrysta Bell! (laughs)
JF: So, what are the stories behind these four songs?
Chrysta Bell: Undertow is about being drawn to things that aren't best for us and feeling pulled into darkness. (laughs) As an artist and a person who likes to feel things to the fullest, I identify with it a lot.
52 Hz is the name of a solitary whale, not singing like the others. So I imagined a love story between a biologist and this whale. He spent the last 20 years of his life following her, but she didn't know she was so passionate about anyone. A bit like The Shape Of Water. I haven't even seen the film but talking about it makes me realize the similarities. (laughs)
Everest is the climb of life, the constant quest. I ask myself a lot of questions about my life, taking long walks alone in the night looking for answers in the stars. But it's okay to be a little lost and need recognition, love and validation.
"Twin Peaks is so much bigger than Twin Peaks"
JF: Do you find answers in the stars?
Chrysta Bell: Oh yes! The sky and the stars remind me of infinity and the feeling I have when thinking about the infinity of things gives me many answers. It's crazy how far away it is and I'm very small next door. (laughs) Thinking about that comforts me a lot.
JF: In your EP, the last song is called Blue Rose. That's a reference to the Blue Rose case in Twin Peaks, isn't it?
Chrysta Bell: Sure. However, Twin Peaks is so much bigger than Twin Peaks. The symbolism of the blue rose has plagued me for years with the connections and dimensions it engenders. Twin Peaks and the Blue Rose helped me find new aspects of myself, my art and other people. The blue rose is a symbol for me, it remained in my consciousness. I wrote this song long before season 3. Then, on the set, I made David listen to it, I was afraid of his reaction, I wanted to be sure not to cross the limits. But David loved it!
JF: Indeed, Blue Rose has a fascinating Lynchian side. It would have been great to see you sing it on the Roadhouse stage at the end of an episode. Would you have liked it?
Chrysta Bell: Yes, I would have loved to sing it, or any song! David told me that if I wanted, I could. However, as I was already playing the character of Tammy Preston, it was inconsistent so I preferred to remain only an actress. When I saw the artists on stage, I was so jealous but I had to make a choice and I think I did the right one.
"I had no idea that I was going to be part of the return of Twin Peaks, I didn't even dare to dream about it"
JF: Yes, you're excellent in Twin Peaks. Yet, basically, you are not an actress at all. How did you end up with one of the main roles in this new season?
Chrysta Bell: I had no idea I was going to be part of the return of Twin Peaks, I didn't even dare to dream about it. When David invited me, it was very mysterious, he was talking to me about a "new project". He finally told me about a role: "She doesn't look anything like you: she's very professional and super intelligent." (laughs) He's very funny. When I realized I was going to be a part of the show, I was just super excited!
JF: What was your relationship with Twin Peaks before?
Chrysta Bell: I saw the show when I was very young, I didn't understand anything but the music awakened things in me. Music always helps me feel emotions that I can't feel otherwise. Just the one in the credits, I can feel it right now. Even though I didn't really understand the development of the plot and the characters, the way the visuals and music fit together was fascinating. After David invited me to be a part of it, I decided to watch again. In the middle, he said , "Your character is going to work with a certain Gordon Cole. Do you know who Gordon Cole is?I didn't know at all but he didn't care. Then, a few days later, I'm alone on my couch at 3 a.m. watching Twin Peaks, Gordon Cole arrives on screen and it's David! (laughs) Then it all made sense. There are many similarities between Tammy Preston and Gordon Cole's relationship and David and I's: mutual respect, admiration and mentorship. He hadn't written Tammy for me but at one point he had the intuition that I was her. Reading the script, I realized that this was my destiny.
JF: Last controversial question: what did you think of the end of the season?
Chrysta Bell: We watched the final episode with other actors. It ended and we were like, "Huh? ». It was painful at first, how could David do this to us? Then time passed and it was so fair. I thought about it for days, my brain was making a lot of weird noises, and I finally understood how powerful what the show says about life and humanity is. I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of it.
The Chrysta Bell EP has been available since March 2.
Chrysta Bell will be in concert at La Maroquinerie on April 18 and at Musilac Mont-Blanc on April 19. Tickets are available here.
Photo credits: Kristin Cofer
