LADY DENTIST

Biography

Lady Dentist started in 1999 and is Alison Lestner, a UK singer, rapper, writer and producer. She studied classical piano to grade 8 with top class teacher Rene Waterman and after meeting David Lestner in the 1990's the band Dance Trance Romance feat. Lady Dentist was formed. Since 2000 Lady Dentist has been influencial to many underground and well known artists with her style. The new album TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION shows the diversity of Lady Dentist. If you like an album with variety, rather than tracks all of one type, you will love this album.

THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

1. What made you decide to start a career in music, tell us about your life and musical history ?

I Studied classical music to grade 8 from age 6 with highly rated teacher, Rene Waterman. Also learned to play acoustic guitar and started to play and sing covers from age 9, giving concerts with big sister, Lindsey. First taste of performing pop music was playing and singing in school concerts and singing solos in school assembly. From that point onwards I wanted a career in pop music. The untimely death of my father when I was 7 inspired me to pursue both his career in Dentistry and his passion for music by continuing in both those directions with my own career. Classical training has been invaluable for song arranging and production. It was when I met songwriter and jazz pianist, David Lestner (when we were both eighteen), that things really developed in terms of composition and recording music. We worked together to create a musical style that culminated in what was originally called Dance Trance Romance featuring Lady Dentist. The Dance Trance Romance was then dropped.

2. Are you a real dentist?

Yes a real dentist, but I don’t work in the surgery now; I am a full time musician who also educates people, especially young people about dental and oral issues.

3. Did you have your ‘Lady’ title before other artists like Lady Gaga, Ladyhawke etc, and has it ever lead to any conflict?

Yes, Lady Dentist started in 1999 but I wouldn’t want to get into any conflict over it. If Lady Dentist has influenced underground and break through artists, that’s ok! Lady Dentist is cool with that!

4. We have heard rumours you visit schools, get recognised by children and teach and sing about dental hygiene. Tell us about this and your Lady Dentist DVD?

Yes that is exactly what I do as part of being Lady Dentist! I did it as a pilot to start with and this then led to the Lady Dentist Fights Plaque DVD. It is produced by me, with a lot of the same features and the same approach as the Lady Dentist Roadshow. I intend to continue doing visits to schools to motivate young people through education and entertainment combined together. The DVD takes you through all the important things that affect the mouth, gums and teeth, and how to avoid them to achieve optimum oral fitness, but also has 2 pop music videos as a contrast to the hardcore learning process!

5. Do you write all the songs yourself or do you have a musical partner? If so, tell us about him/her?

My writing partner is David Lestner. David started writing music when he was 6 years old (first composition was ‘The Indian Cheesecake’). He started writing pop tunes when he was 14 years old and joined a jazz band at this time, which influenced his writing style. When he was 17 he joined Leeds based band ‘Let’s Eat’ who were offered support act for charting band ‘The Beat’ for their tour. There was an interlude though when time was taken out to study Pharmacy. This didn’t interfere with song writing but it did mean that any promotional commitments were restricted because of the University degree course requirements. It was at this time that David linked up with me to form a studio band called ‘Dance Trance Romance’. I was in the same position as David, as I was enrolled on a Degree course in Dentistry at Edinburgh Dental School, so I also was restricted with regard to the promotional aspects of a career in the music industry at that time. Our ‘duo’ band Dance Trance Romance was the beginnings of what culminated in the production house that has become Lady Dentist Music. The name Lady Dentist became my stage name in 1999 and it eventually replaced DTR (Dance Trance Romance).

6. Who or what are your influences?

Production wise: David Arnold, Bee Gees, Trevor Horn, are ‘Producers’ to mention Bands wise: Garbage, Blondie, Dizzy (What a bighead tho!), Sway, 2Pac, Dr Dre, Buster Rhymes, Snoop, Billy Idol, Roxy Music, David Bowie, T Rex, Sinead O’Connor, Billy Joel, Cockney Rebel, Beastie Boys, Kate Bush, Happy Mondays, Muse, Bloc Party, Kasabian, Incubus, The Pretenders, Boston, Alien Antfarm, The Police, Rolling Stones, The Doors, 10cc, Sparks, Bjork, Gorillaz, Eurythmics, Yazoo/Erasure, Michael Jackson, Alison Moyet, Shakespears Sister, Scissor Sisters, Madonna 80’s/90’s, Prince, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Adamski, Robert Palmer, The Divine Comedy, Suede, Pulp (1990’s) to mention but a few!!

7. What modern artists do you like?

I listen to a lot of rap/ Brit-hop, some of it is underground or limited release. Bands like Elbow, Aqualung, Vanden Plas, Bloc Party, some Coldplay, Ting Tings, Black Eyed Peas (early stuff!) and artists such as Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Eminem/D12, Nas, Keane, Editors, Incubus spring to mind.

8. Record a song with another band?

Probably the Red Hot Chilli Peppers – awesome band. I think that would be an interesting collaboration – they are very versatile and have been in the music industry a long time but are relevant to latter day music ‘trends’.

9. Inspiration for music/lyrics?

Life!

10. Name your all fave track by another artist?

This is a difficult one!! It was a tie between ‘All cried out’ (Alison Moyet), ‘Angie’ (Rolling Stones), Play Dead (Bjork/David Arnold), If I Had a million dollars (Eminem), Babushka (Kate Bush), Always a Woman to Me (Billy Joel)

11. What sort of sound can we expect from the forthcoming album?

Synthesizers, Retro/80’s feel, electronic, big vocals.

12. What are your ambitions for your music? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Lots of Albums with variety and diversity. Intend to keep making music with ‘soul in it’!

13. How would you describe your music and what genre do you think it fits into?

Pop, adult contemporary with dance elements and rap influence.

14. Where is your forthcoming album being recorded? Who is producing it?

The new album is being recorded in our own new purpose built studio, which was put in recently and is designed and equipped specifically for this type of music recording requirements. It is produced by me (Alison Lestner) as is the educational film ‘Lady Dentist Fights Plaque’ on DVD (which incorporates the tracks HEY YOU and Have You Ever Heard Of The Lady D? from the forthcoming album). David Lestner co-produces a lot of the tracks with me. With some of the songs he writes he knows exactly how he wants it to sound, but with some of them he will leave the production of the song completely to me.

15. The Lady Dentist favourite recipe?

Lady Dentist’s super quick and easy ‘Tuna Fish Bolognaise’. It‘s really healthy, easy to make, economical and delicious. You can make it spicy or keep it simple n mild and you can have it all made in the time it takes to cook the spaghetti!