Laura Bell Bundy SHAKIN´ AND ACHIN´

The old saying is there are two sides to every story. In the case of singer-songwriter Laura Bell Bundy’s daring Mercury Records debut release, Achin’ and Shakin’ that is most assuredly true. Laura Bell daringly bypassed the tried-and-true Music Row formula instead creating a bold concept album that is essentially two separate albums within one project. Achin’ is a collection of slow and sultry country songs and Shakin’ is a group of sassy songs that are equal parts humor, confidence and attitude. One side presents a modern-day mixture of Loretta Lynn, Minnie Pearl and Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw; the other unveils country’s answer to Norah Jones.

It’s no surprise that Laura Bell shattered the usual industry formulas because nothing about her entertainment career has been normal. She originated the lead role of Elle Woods in the Broadway musical Legally Blonde, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She also originated the role of Amber Von Tussle in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hairspray and played Glinda in the smash hit Wicked. Prior to that, she originated the role of Tina Denmark in the successful off-Broadway production Ruthless, The Musical!, for which she received the Outer-Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk nominations. Her theatrical career has been a wonderful life experience that was a natural extension of her original dream of having a music career. Indeed, her time on Broadway propelled her pursuit of music, exposed her to a community of talented creative people and helped her become a better writer and performer. Indeed, Achin’ and Shakin’ is a culmination of her experiences on and offstage combined with her musical experiences, songwriting and Southern heritage.

Dish caught up with Laura Bell Bundy at her Nashville home while she was in hair and make-up preparing for a nightclub appearance later that evening.

DISH: I understand you have more to celebrate now than just a new album coming out. Is there a new member of your family now?

Laura Bell Bundy: YES! I have an eight and a half week old Chihuahua and she is adorable! Her name is Norma Jean Biscuit Bundy.

DISH: So, I guess you aren’t trying too hard to distance yourself from Legally Blonde now that you have her, huh?

LBB: I know! I keep trying and trying and I never will I guess! I have become very used to Chihuahuas from having to train the dogs in Legally Blonde. I had to personally train the dog in the show so that the dog would recognize me as its trainer and caretaker so it would trust me and do what I said to do on stage. So, now I have an affinity for the breed.

DISH: Outside of your choice of dogs, do you find that people have trouble seeing you as anything but Elle since that is you’re best known Broadway role?

LBB: I think everybody tries to type people. It’s just easier for them. But, before I did Elle I played this major bitch in Hairspray and there was a time that I was getting all of these nasty, snarky roles so it was kind of nice to be able to play somebody who was genuinely nice with Elle. And now everyone calls me in to play white trash. So I don’t know what my type is anymore! I think it is very easy to pigeon hole somebody and I think it is important for the person who wants to have a really diverse and interesting career to not allow that to happen. When you are an actor especially and a creative person there should be no limits and there should be no one thing that you cannot do. I really think that you are always fighting that and you really have to accept that there will always be people wanting to put you back in that hole.

DISH: In past conversations with you we have talked about the misperception that you are just the latest person trying to make a crossover into country music. Has that changed at all since last we spoke?

LBB: I have been singing and writing country music my whole life. Being from Kentucky almost guaranteed that I would be a big fan of Country Music from a really young age. I started writing music that all came out as country music when I was a teenager. When I was 18 I formed a country band with a girl in NY and we would play all over the city. We played all of these clubs that we weren’t old enough to get into like The Bitter End and CBGB’s. So, for me I look at it and it doesn’t seem so much like something I am doing now, it is really more something I have always done.

DISH: Do you think that all of the exposure you got out of Legally Blonde helped get you where you are now as a rising country star?

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