Escape. That's why singer-songwriter and musical performer Kristeen Young got into her field of work.
"There were many things in my life that I had to straighten out," Young said by phone from San Francisco. "I was adopted through the foster system at a young age, and the people who adopted me weren't really into it. It was a bad upbringing and I was an outcast. There were many things that I had to get through, and creating things was one of those ways I could deal with the bad things."
Young doesn't have a list of musical or performance influences, but she does have drive that makes her create both her music and costumes. "When I see a piece of material I like, I have to do something with it. There are so many possibilities."
She even went so far as to create clothes out of Wonder Bread bags, a costume she wears while playing on stage. "It's just something that I have always wanted to do," she said about living the creative lifestyle. "I got into music and art at a young age, but I wasn't really focused. There is so much in that area to explore. But little by little, I found where I really wanted to be.
"When I make music, I don't try to do it any particular style. If I come up with something that makes me cry, I usually continue with it. Or if I come up with something I like, for that matter, I try to make something more out of it."
Her new album "The Orphans" was her way of getting back to the pure love of music, she said. "The previous album, 'X' (the Roman numeral), was not about the live sound, as the new album is. I got smart and decided to record an album that represented what I do live and not what I'm supposed to do in the studio."
Still, Young's lyrics are just as thought-provoking and sarcastic as they have always been. "I find it hard to do something conservative. I read about artists who say a certain album is a 'brave' album for them because they are revealing their souls.
"I'm quite the opposite. I find it hard to write lies. I feel very comfortable unfolding my layers and bearing my soul in my songs. Truth has always been important to me, and since I know (that) with the way the music industry is now, I will not get a major-label contract, I tell what I feel."
That's what caught Morrissey's attention, said Young. "His producer, Tony Visconti, videotaped us and was editing the video when Morrissey walked in and asked who I was. And for some reason Morrissey liked what he saw and heard and asked me to go on tour with him." She's been on the tour for nearly two years.
"My next album will be about the tour," said Young. "It's been such a life-changing experience, and there is no way I can't write songs about it."
If you go
What: Morrissey, Kristeen Young
Where: Thanksgiving Point, 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi
When: Monday, 8 p.m.
How much: $45
Phone: 325-7328
Web: www.ticketmaster.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com