Presley has high hopes for CD

NEW YORK — As she sits in the backseat of an SUV, Lisa Marie Presley — looking particularly goth with her jet black hair, black jumpsuit and black sneaks — prepares for the first question of an interview with a look of dread.

Maybe that's from past experience. When the King's daughter released her album "To Whom It May Concern" two years ago, inquiring minds were more interested in Elvis and those brief marriages to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage than her budding music career.

As she releases the follow-up, "Now What," she's still facing the same questions — but only to some degree. With the critical acclaim and solid commercial success of her first record, there are plenty of people who want to know about Lisa Marie Presley, the singer, instead of the tabloid character.

Associated Press You had a lot to live up to when you first came out. Do you feel less pressure now with a second record?

Presley: There's never not going to be pressure on me, but I did feel a little more like I made a thumbprint on the last one because it was a credible record, because I felt a little more relaxed, but on the other hand . . . I'm going to get attacked to some degree. I know that, regardless, so that's never comfortable.

Associated Press You said when you first started performing, some people were there just out of curiosity. How did you deal with that?

Presley: I think that happens less often then you'd think, but when it is happening it's very obvious and I can tell what's going on. I had some of that in the beginning, but I think that ultimately I got a pretty strong fan base based on just my personality alone, and my honesty, my music. So it wasn't based on anything else, and I did notice if someone else came looking for something else, they'd probably leave, or complain it was too loud or something. (Laughs.)

Associated Press Was it everything you expected it to be?