Going From Little Fish to Big Fish

The fishbowl existence alluded to in the title of Ani DiFranco’s new album, “Little Plastic Castle,” is an appropriate image. After a decade as a cult hero, the singer-songwriter has moved dramatically into pop consciousness since the release of her 1996 album, “Dilate,” her acclaimed account of a turbulent relationship.

The album has sold nearly 300,000 copies, and the feisty performer has popped up on the covers of magazines ranging from Ms. to Spin. But the commercial growth that’s a given goal for most acts is a thorny issue for DiFranco--who values the intimacy of the folk-music community where she’s rooted--and for her core fans--who worry that mainstream acceptance will dilute their bond with the artist.

With her first collection of new songs since “Dilate” due out this week, DiFranco discussed the album and the implications of her rising profile.

Question: The new album deals a lot with the issue of being in the public eye--it’s quite a contrast with “Dilate.”

Answer: I think most of my albums are a contrast with “Dilate.” I was in a state for that one. I think there’s more on this record that deals with my job, since my job is [expletive] creeping into every little part of my life and making loud noises. It’s a little hard for me to avoid these days, sort of reflecting on the state of the folkstress in the world.

Q: How do you deal with all the scrutiny, and the idea of becoming a media figure?

A: I don’t know that I deal with it as well as I should. I think that I should not give a [expletive] at all. That’s kind of my goal. . . . It’s just strange to go through 26 years of life being just a little person, and then to kind of suddenly morph into an image, to kind of go from three dimensions to two. It’s very strange having people defining and redefining me. . . . So I guess I’m just thinking about that lately.

Q: What were the musical goals on this album?

A: I’m trying to learn . . . how to record the songs sounding like themselves. The recording studio is just a very different bag of doughnuts from the stage. I’m really used to being on stage, but making records is still a bit mysterious and obscure for me. I think of music as a social act, so to be in a recording studio is bizarre to begin with. . . .

The live album [1997’s “Living in Clip”] sounded real to me, and when I go into a recording studio it’s kind of hit and miss, and I’m not sure why. So I think on this record I was trying to record the songs in a more natural state. Just live, with the band, and we were jamming a lot, being very relaxed, not like, “Button goes down, red light is on, whoa, make something for all eternity.”

Q: There was a new song on “Living in Clip.” What about doing a whole live album of new material?

A: I’ve wondered about that. Like the fidelity of a studio, but with--like Tom Waits’ “Nighthawks at the Diner” or something. That was a successful experiment I think.

Q: The record industry is wondering if this is the album that will be your breakthrough into the mainstream. But that whole issue is kind of difficult for you.

A: Yeah. I hate to be implicated in the pop music circus, but I’m trying to sort of explore the possibility that having an expanding audience or selling more records doesn’t mean you’re selling out. I guess I’m kind of hoping that my beloved audience . . . will not think that there is a crime in being successful. . . . They’ll give me license to keep doing what I’m doing and keep the focus on the music and the politics despite what happens around it.

Q: Your audience is pretty sensitive and vigilant about that.

A: Much has been made about their controlling side, but I think that has been somewhat exaggerated. I think that the flip side of the story is that they’re also very cool. . . . They put up with a lot. They allow me to be, to quite an amazing degree.

Q: Is there a level of popularity you would feel uncomfortable with yourself?

A: Well, I think I’m there. I think I’m pretty much uncomfortable already, so God help me. . . . I just can’t deal. But it’s OK. I think I’m just not gonna learn how to deal. I’m just gonna try to keep the focus elsewhere.

Q: Presumably that would involve what you’ve described as your “mission”--to get out there and encourage communication. What initially inspired you to take that on?

A: I guess I’ve just been inspired by people who write and speak their experience in hopes of adding another flavor to the soup that is our culture. There are only so many takes on life you’re gonna see on TV or learn about in school, and I think that many of us have very different experiences from the dominant discourse. . . . I think that storytelling is a very valuable political act for all of us. It builds awareness of the variety of stories that exist in the society.