Nicole Atkins doesn't mind getting stood up by David Letterman

Inspired by everyone from The Ronettes to David Lynch, Nicole Atkins thrives on unpredictability. Taciturn one moment and boisterous the next, this pop-noir chanteuse’s talent lies in her bombastic voice and highly theatric orchestral instrumentation. Fiercely devoted to her music, she has pursued an active touring schedule even in the wake of her commercially disappointing 2007 major-label debut, Neptune City, and a dropped contract with Columbia records earlier this year. Her upcoming album, Mondo Amore, has yet to find a label, but there will be plenty of sneak peaks during her show at The Rock And Roll Hotel on Friday night. Ahead of her performance, The A.V. Club caught up with Atkins to hear her thoughts on getting stood up by David Letterman, collaborating with David Byrne, and having drinks with The Boss.
The A.V. Club: Why did your backing band change from The Sea to The Black Sea?
Nicole Atkins: I got a whole new band, so I kept "The Sea" but I changed it to "Black" because it sounded more dramatic and darker.
AVC: Why the whole new band?
NA: A bunch of different reasons. The sound is changing a lot. Also, a lot of the guys in my old band were going in different directions in their lives. They were starting to focus more on their families. I wasn't living in Brooklyn anymore, I had moved back to New Jersey, so I was playing music with people who lived closer to me and with people I grew up with. It just started making more sense to play with them.
AVC: You mentioned that you were hoping to get dropped by Columbia. Why was that?
NA: There were a lot of things that Columbia did for me that were really, really great. But most of the time it felt like it wasn't the right fit. There were a lot of arguments about the record that I wanted to make and about what kind of music I should be making. When it comes down to it, I want to make the music that I want to make.
AVC: What music did they want you to make?
NA: They were very, very vague about it. Sometimes they would ask me to get angrier and I don't really write angry songs but more heartbroken songs. My songs are more passive-aggressive apology letters.