Keren Ann on Her Latest Album Nolita

Have you been able to maintain any romantic relationships?

Absolutely! I’m lucky. But when you do have something very special, you just want to let go, you want to lay your head down and not think of all the work it takes. You want it to be simple. And unfortunately when you do get to the point where you don’t think about how hard it is, and you don’t work for things, then sometimes it just doesn’t work. I’ve had the fantastic privilege of seeing things that did work, and maybe I do still [winks]. The only way to really get along with someone, I think, is to be able to go beyond expectations. For me, the most lasting moments that exist in my life are a result of love without any expectations. We’re allowed to have moods and to change. And you have to be with a person who’s like you.

The tone of your music has been described as melancholic. Do you agree, and, if so, where does this melancholy come from?

I agree. But unfortunately people often associate melancholy with sadness. To me, melancholy isn’t a negative thing at all. It means that you have emotions. You long for things, you’re reminded of things, and it’s comforting because it means that you’re alive. I think you can be very happy and melancholic at the same time. The coming of fall, a passing wind—for some people, at that moment, that could be melancholic. If you spoke to someone abroad, or if you miss someone you love, or if you’re on your way to see someone you care for, these could all be melancholic moments.

I am attracted to melancholic melodies, and, as a result, it comes out in the lyrics as well. That’s the way I see things. Melancholy is personal. I can listen to Queens of the Stone Age and listen to one word, and it can break my heart. Melancholy is everywhere. It’s just subjective.

Is your song “One Day Without” autobiographical?