Recently, I caught up with the songstress on the phone.

Dreamsawake: Why did you call this album "Asianblue"? A: "Asianblue" comes from a song I wrote that didn't go on the album; I didn't think the song fit because I was trying to keep the ballads to a minimum. It's just a word that describes how I was feeling at that time; I like to make up words. DA: It seems that all the songs on the album were written about events in your life or those close to you. Do you ever write songs that are too personal to share with your fans? A: It probably never gets to that stage. If I write it, then I feel good about it, and therefore, I feel okay with releasing the song. Some of the topics on the album are really personal to me, but I also think that I write in a way that disguises a lot of specifics, so that the song becomes more of a universal theme.

DA: How did you decide which songs to put on the album?

A: I moved out to LA to work with a producer named Wally Gagel who's on the Folk Implosion records and the Eels; I wanted a lot of the songs that we worked on together to be on the album. I basically chose the songs that I was most excited about at the time we were putting the record together, which was around March.

DA: Do you write your songs on different instruments?

A: Some of the songs were written on different instruments, but mostly on piano and guitar; I usually write on the piano, but I'm trying to break out a little.

DA: Did you play most of the instruments on the album yourself?

A: Usually that's the case, but on this one I tried to open it up to a few more people. I usually play a lot of the bass on my records; this time there are two other bass players [Gagel and Mike Rowe]. There are a lot of different musicians on here and I think that adds to the diversity of it because you get into a rut playing the same thing - it's nice to have a new perspective.

DA: When was the album recorded?

A: It was recorded over two years, but I'd say 80 percent of it was recorded between last summer to February. Certain songs are older, like Siamese Star; that was recorded in London a long time ago and it was just recently mixed for the album. The songs that I produced ["Christopher," "Divine Like You," "Green Goodnight"] were done in Toronto in May.

DA: How do you cope with all the touring?

A: (Laughter) I think a long time ago I tried to conquer the world on my own, and now I have a lot of friends with me on the road - so I try not to get too lonely. But I actually like it; all the moving around and changing scenery kind of fits my personality.

DA: Do you tour with a band?

A: I do in Canada, but I don't bring them with me to the U.S. that often because it's hard to cross the border as a musician if you don't have all the right papers.

DA: You're playing a Rainn benefit concert in Philadelphia on Aug. 8. What's the Rainn organization?

A: It's an organization that Tori Amos helped put together for rape and incest survivors. I think they have a lot of concerts to try to draw awareness to their organization, so I'm looking forward to it.

DA: You just shot a video for your new single, "Beautiful Things." How'd the shoot go?

A: It was really fun. A lot of my fans came out to be in the video. We shot it in Toronto, and it was very exciting to work with Kathi Prosser; she got a Grammy nomination for her work on a Moby DVD, and she also did one of my previous videos.

DA: Where will we be able to see the video?

A: It's likely that Canada will be the first place it gets aired, and there are a few little pockets in the U.S. that play my videos on smaller channels; so whoever wants to see it . . .

DA: You're from Sarnia, Ontario. Is there a music scene there?

A: There's a little music scene in every town, but I don't really know Sarnia's scene that well. There are a few bands that have come from there . . . but I don't know, I actually grew up in a town nearby called Forest and that's kinda where I learned to do all the stuff: I used to take my piano lessons, and I was in my first bands there - so I definitely got a really awesome musical beginning there.

DA: What were some of the early bands that inspired you?

A: Oh, God. (Sighs) I don't know - it's really all over the board. My dad was into jazz, so he made us listen to jazz against our will, and then I learned classical music when I was little; then I fell in love with Madonna and Michael Jackson. And then the next thing you know, I liked Iron Maiden and Guns N' Roses; and the next thing you know, I liked Joni Mitchell and Peter Gabriel; and now, I don't even know anymore.

DA: Do you like living in LA?

A: I think if I liked I would stay, but I'm probably going to move back to Canada at the end of the year. I moved there to work on this record and the record's done now, so it's time to head North.

DA: Are there any other artists on your label [Dead Daisy Records]?

A: Not at the moment, although I am producing an artist from Winnipeg, and his album will probably come out on it, but we still have some work to do.

DA: It must be a lot of work running your own label?

A: Yeah, but it's fun; I'd rather do that then to have to answer to someone else.

DA: What did you learn from touring with David Bowie?

A: Musically, a lot. It was such an education because I come from a very structured pop background and his influences are so diverse. It was also nice to learn his music because he influenced so many of the bands I grew up listening to, like Nirvana and Oasis.

DA: What's your biggest fear?

A: Hmm . . . I don't know. I guess there's always the fear of losing creative input on what you're doing, but I kind of solved that problem for myself by having my own label . . . so I don't really have any right now (Laughter).

DA: That's a good thing.

A: Yeah. I mean, when I began doing this people were always saying, [in a mocking authoritative voice] "Oh, there's a lot of competition," but I don't really pay attention to that; I just kinda do my own thing, and whoever likes it . . .

DA: Do you have an email chat group?

A: Yeah, there was one started a while ago called Headline Girl, which is named after one of my early songs. People can sign up for it on my website [www.emmgryner.com].

DA: Has there been anything in the news recently that has caught your attention?

A: I try to follow the news as much as possible, but there's so much to keep track of; I think what's happening to corporate America is really interesting, seeing as it's something that a lot of people have a great disdain for.

DA: What are you listening to?

A: I really like that N.E.R.D. record, and I like the new No Doubt; I'm a little late in the game for the new Moby record, but I actually don't mind that. Beth Orton has a new record that I'm dying to get, and I've been listening to some older stuff like Blondie, and The Guess Who.

DA: What are you reading?

A: A book called "The Gift of Fear," which is funny because you were talking about fear; it's by Gavin DeBecker, and it's a cool book about protecting yourself from violence; it sounds like it's a self-help book, but it's a lot deeper than that.

DA: What do you miss most about Canada?

A: Tim Horton's coffee (Laughter). It's the legendary coffee place; forget Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks.

I miss . . . there's something about Canada; a little bit more peace, a little bit more security; and the fact that there are no guns is nice. You feel quite a bit different when you cross the border.

DA: What kind of vehicle do you tour in?

A: It depends on the tour; it's usually in my car, or a rental car, or if I'm with the boys in the band then we get a van - no private jets yet.

DA: What's the greatest luxury that you have with you on the road?

A: Chess. I love bringing chess on the road; and whenever I'm waiting at a club, I'm playing chess. It's kinda nerdy, but that's the way I like it (Laughter).

For further information on Emm Gryner, visit her website at www.emmgryner.com.