Patti Smith celebrates rock 'n' roll history

NEW YORK (Billboard) - A musician, poet, activist and artist for more than 30 years, Patti Smith delves into covers territory on her new album, "Twelve."

The aptly titled 12-song set finds Smith interpreting songs made famous by Nirvana ("Smells Like Teen Spirit"), Tears for Fears ("Everybody Wants to Rule the World"), Jimi Hendrix ("Are You Experienced?") and others. Columbia issued the set -- Smith's first album of new studio recordings since 2004's "Trampin"' -- on April 17.

In March, Smith -- along with R.E.M., Van Halen, the Ronettes and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five -- was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This month, she embarks on a tour of Europe and the United States. Just before the release of "Twelve," Smith chatted with Billboard about her parents' influence, her place in the business and the art of interpretation.

Q: What does it mean to you to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

A: I love rock 'n' roll, and I love history. So, to be regarded as having some influence or some import in the history of rock 'n' roll by an institution has some meaning for me. I look at it as a touchstone. I feel like my people are inducted, too. I'm still a relatively obscure artist -- in terms of commercial success.

Also, it made my mom and dad really happy. And I made them unhappy a lot, so I'm happy to make them happy. They were alive when I was first nominated about eight years ago. My mother regretted on her dying day that she wasn't going to be able to be there with me. But she asked me to play her favorite song, and I did.

Q: Which song is that?

A: "Rock 'n' Roll N-----." My mom was, in some ways, always the lady and always conducted herself respectfully, but she was also rebellious at heart. She loved rock 'n' roll. She loved the spirit and philosophy of that song.

My mom answered my fan mail for about 25 years. She once had a letter from a Mikey Stipe. And he has a letter from my mother. In the mid-'70s, a lot of gay kids were disinherited or thrown out of the house by their parents, and my mom was there for them.

Q: You were signed to Arista for nearly 30 years, and now you're part of the Columbia family. How does an artist like Patti Smith work within the major-label system?

A: They're obviously my patrons. Just like Leonardo da Vinci had the church, I'm of the old school where I still rely on patronage -- and I'm grateful for that patronage. That doesn't mean I pander to the music business. I try to be respectful in a certain way to my patrons, in the way that they deserve. But I don't make any compromises for them, and that's how I conduct my life. I'm not a nihilistic punk rocker who doesn't care about anything. I do care.

Q: When you're gearing up for the release of a new album, what kind of expectations do you have?

A: I always think all my albums are great and that they're going to be giant. When I did "Horses," I never expected anybody to hear it, and then all these people heard it. I got a lot of criticism from people when "Because the Night" became popular. They said, "Oh, well, you've sold out." I basically said, "F*** you." I don't make records for nobody to hear. I do records to share information, ideas, music, values. I admittedly did "Horses" for marginalized people like myself.

Q: Covering songs is not new for you. How do you approach songs made famous by other artists?

A: First of all, I want to do justice to the person's song. Often, I'll pick a song that I envy. Or one that moves me so much that I want to try it myself. I also try to add another dimension to each song. Another goal of mine was to present the songs in a certain way that you could really get the lyrics. So, a lot of my attention for this record was focused on the inner narrative. It was to present these songs lyrically.

Q: What can fans expect from your tour?