This “Road to Backwoods” piece will focus on Backwoods Pondfest repeating act and gracious host, Lucid. Known as the Pride of Plattsburgh, Lucid has made a name for themselves in the North Country as well as all over the Empire State for their music that combines Adirondack blues, high altitude funk and reckless rock for a unique sound of soul and love.
Earlier this spring, Lucid released “Dirt” an album of smooth jazz, light reggae and feel good rock with uplifting grooves and charming harmonies that beautiful captures the Backwoods Pondfest vibe and growth of Lucid. Keeping up with the tradition of two sets, Lucid will perform Friday night on the Woods Stage at 11:45 p.m. and Saturday evening at 7 p.m. on the Main Stage. Being the host at Backwoods, Lucid participates in every aspect of the festival from prepping the campgrounds, organizing the crew and production setup. Their hard work continues to pay off each year with returning fans eager to share in the good times and intimate party atmosphere, making for an ideal festival experience.
The 9th annual Backwoods Pondfest will take place at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, N.Y. on August 7 and 8. Tickets are still available via their website (click here) at $75 for two nights of camping and live music. This year’s lineup includes Particle, Ex Presidents (Todd Stoops, Eric Gould, Neal “Fro” Evans and Andrew Block), The Heavy Pets, Spiritual Rez, Sophistafunk, Mihali Savouliois of Twiddle and much more. Be sure to get your tickets now and meet us in the Backwoods!
The walls will be shaking and people will be moshing Thursday August 6 at the Town Ballroom. This is when Between the Buried and Me will grace us with their presence. They are on tour promoting their newest album “Coma Ecliptic.” BTBAM is a progressive rock, salvage metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. They will be on tour until approximately October of this year.
With them will be progressive metal band,The Contortionist from Indianapolis, Indiana. They are still fairly new in the music world. They have been around for just a little more than seven years. Known for their bottom heavy open chords and bursts of oscillating guitar leads layer an ominous and dark undercurrent of rhythm.
Animals as leaders started the same time as The Contortionist, founding member Tosin Abasi started the band has kept its roots grounded to stay the catchy instrumental progressive metal. When AAL Sophomore album came out “Weightless” it took off and has earned extensive praise from legends such as Steve Vai. The diversity of their music has opened up the door to tour with a wide variety of acts, including The Dillinger Escape Plane, Underoath, and the Deftones.
Tickets are still available for the show you can purchase them right on Town Ballrooms website.
Music. It evokes feelings, transports me back in time and recharges me almost as though it’s a battery pack. Music for Nashville’s newest sensation, Chase Bryant, is the same. It’s in his blood.
Coming from a musical family in small town Texas, Chase heard Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Lewis Boogie” and that was all it took. From that point on, his course was set. Learning to play the guitar at a very early age, he jokes that there were 20 guitars in his hometown, and he owned all of them. After seeing Chase perform recently at The Taste of Country Music Festival, his hard work and dedication to learning his skill showed as I was floored by his shredding ability and how he made his guitar sing.
Chase Bryant – Taste of Country Festival 2015
As Chase and the Shotgun Rider Tour comes to town Thursday, July 3o to Darien Lake, Chase will open for Nashville favorites Billy Currington and Tim McGraw. He graciously agreed to speak with our readers and share some details to what makes him tick.
Kathy Stockbridge (KS): Hi Chase, thank you so much for agreeing to speak with NYSMusic. You have taken Nashville by storm since your arrival and your fans and our readers just love you.
Chase Bryant (CB): Why thank you.
KS: Music seems to be something that has always been in your blood. For those that aren’t aware you grew up in a family of musicians. Share a little about what that was like for you growing up.
CB: Well it was definitely a loud household. My grandfather was a keyboard player for Roy Orbison, and he played along side him throughout high school and right up until the summer my grandfather bowed out of the band because his mom said he couldn’t play rock and roll music any more. After that he went on to college and played with Waylon Jennings, and then on the Glen Campbell television show in Lubbock Texas, and then my two uncles played in a band called Ricochet and had the hit “Daddy’s Money” back in 1996.
KS: I remember that song! So it was in your blood, you were destined. You were born to do this.
CB: Yep, there was nothing I could do about it, and I’m glad there was nothing I could do about it, because I love it.
KS: Share with our readers a little about your relationship with Barbara and Alex Orbison and how that relationship played a role in your career in Nashville.
CB: Alex I used to say was one of my best friends, but I think he’s now more like a second brother to me. He’s been great to me and we’ve built a really great relationship when it comes to music and life in general. He’s been so supportive of my music and his mother Barbara as well has been one of my biggest fans. I couldn’t thank her enough for signing me. She was a great lady and I was her last signing at her company before she passed away. So that was a pretty awesome experience.
KS: When you came to Nashville, Benny Brown — founder of BBR Music Group — was so taken back by your talent as a producer of your demo tapes, he allowed you to co-produce your album with Derek George, which I must add is not something he does often. Share with us a little about how you taught yourself the production end of recording and how you have grown since those early days as a producer.
CB: I was on a panel the other day and I was asked how do you teach someone producing, and you really can’t. If your ears aren’t there and you can’t hear the music then it might not be for you. There are some great artists that never produced their own records or played on their own records, or maybe even wrote the songs. But they were great records and ones I definitely looked up to. I got lucky and sometimes I think that maybe what I do isn’t always right, but Benny sure has given me an opportunity to expand on it. Whatever my name is or the sound that goes along with it, Benny Brown and Broken Bow and Red Bow Records have really let me carve that path and let me become who I really want to be. I’m thankful for that. I was able to write all the songs on this record, co-produce the record, and I played all the guitars. I didn’t produce it by myself either. I co-produced with my best friend Derek George. We had a blast making that record.
KS: Well the finished piece was amazing and you have a great ear for it.
CB: Well thank you.
KS: In addition to producing, you also write your own music. You say that you wrote 400 lousy songs before you wrote your first good one…what was that one song that caught the attention of Nashville manager, pluggers, and publishers? Did you know when writing that one, it as the one?
CB: I think “Take It On Back” was the first really organic, not left of center or anything that had never been done, but it was one of those songs that defined who I was and that sound that people know me by now. I think it was that, and a song called “Change Your Name,” and probably another one that did it, called “Wish I Was A Plane” was another one that set the radar for the label and set the tone for the record. Now “Wish I Was A Plane” is one we play live (isn’t on record). You have those couple of songs that lead to other songs, and those three definitely lead to probably 15 or 16 songs to be on this record that I would like to say are collectively my best pieces of music I could make at the moment.
KS: Yeah, “Change Your Name” is my fav.
CB: Well thank you. I’m hoping that’s a single in the near future. We’ll see what happens.
KS: It will definitely be a hit. You also are an amazing guitarist. You are a left hand guitarist that plays a right handed guitar upside down. It’s not something you notice either. I shot your set at Taste of Country Festival this past June, which by the way you killed it, and after I read that you had this unique talent…I went back to study the photos and sure enough…you rock that guitar left handed, upside-down! Wow…how did you manage to learn that skill?
CB: I don’t know, I’m still learning. Everybody always says “how do you do that, how do you do that?” There’s times I look at and go “why am I doing it this?” But it just happened. I think a lot of people told me no, and a lot of people thought that I would never play it like that, so I was a stubborn kid growing up and therefore I had to do it. It also saved my mom and dad a lot of money buying me my first right handed guitar because left handed ones are way too expensive. I know my mom thinks I have way too many guitars but in the end it ended up saving us a ton of money.
KS: You recently had the opportunity to do a project with Kia Motors and Michael McDonald in their ground breaking digital series Rediscovered. Share with my readers a little about that project and what that experience was like for you.
CB: Oh gosh! Ya know, I listened to the 70’s records a lot, whether it be Fleetwood Mac Rumours, or The Doobie Brothers Minute By Minute or Takin It To The Streets, any of those records defined who I wanted to be as a singer. Musically I thought Michael was just an absolute genius. The sounds that he had coming as a keyboard player and the tone of his voice; there is no way you could ever hear that voice and undoubtedly not think that was Michael. Nobody else you could think of, could it be. With modern technology today people hit their phone and ask Siri “who is this on the radio?,” and I think that is the quickest response from Siri is Michael McDonald because it’s one of the most recognizable voices of all time.
KS: I have to say when I watched that four part series (which I strongly urge my readers to watch the entire series) you nailed it. I could tell he was genuinely impressed as well. Now in that series you talk about your experience of playing at the Opry. Share with me what it was like for you the first time you performed at The Grand Ole Opry.
CB: Playing the Opry is one of those things that every time I play there I quote “there is no bigger religious experience for a country musician…than standing in that circle”. It’s just one of those things as a country artist, when you step in that circle you don’t know what to expect. I took a friend out to my last performance and the first time they toured the Opry they don’t know what to expect. It’s the same when you are standing in that circle; you don’t know what to expect. It’s one of those venues that are full of people who love country music. It’s not a crowd that’s going to walk into the show and scream and yell your whole entire set. They are there to listen to great music, and I’m just a proud part of that and I’m very glad that they asked me to come back again and again.
KS: Your first EP Chase Bryant charged out of the gate with its hit “Take It On Back.” We love that song and I love that video. How did the setting at the Tennessee Railway Museum for the video come about?
CB: I’m a huge train fan. My grandfather, who was a big influence of course, a huge huge huge influence musically but he and I were both obsessed with trains. When Wes Edwards threw out the idea, I didn’t know who was shooting the video, I just knew that “BAM” that was the one. Especially for my first single.
KS: Your newest release Little Bit of You is racing up the charts right now and grabbed the attention of Rolling Stone Magazine as they labeled you as one of it’s “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know.” That must have been awesome to see your name in Rolling Stone Magazine. Do you find yourself pinching yourself at moments saying…can this be really happening?
CB: There are some great names in that article and some of them I moved to town with, people I’m really really rooting for, and people somewhere down the road we’re still together in this. I grew up reading Rolling Stone and was a big fan, and once again it’s one of those things to know I’m a part of it is an honor to be included.
KS: Your music is what I consider feel good, toe tapping, smile making music. Your live show is amazing and full of the same energy. I get the impression that you are a very positive person from your music. Do you find that when create music, your wanting to send a message with each song or do you want your audiences to find their own meaning in the songs?
CB: My message in my music is who I am and who I’ll always be. I don’t know if there’s another way of saying it. I just know that whoever Chase Bryant is, and whatever you see live, and whatever you hear on the radio; that’s me and who I am.
KS: I love your philosophy on music. You said that “I’m just the guy with the guitar. If I wasn’t, I’d be the guy on the front row with his arm around his girl raising a glass to the guy onstage. No questions, it’s just who I am. Music is everything.” I think this philosophy truly defines you and why we adore you. You are in it for the music and sharing that passion with your fans, thank you. One final comment and question — you hands down win for best hair in country music!!! What’s your secret for keeping it perfectly in place as you are moving around on stage. That’s difficult…I know…my son struggles to keep his hair styled like that!
Chase Bryant – Taste of Country Festival 2015
CB: Well that’s actually funny, as I went through a few different hair cuts when I came to town, and thankfully I had a label that was very good and very patient with me getting my image correct. Who knows if it’s correct now but it’s nothing more than blow drying the thing up in the air and putting some paste in it. It’s a pretty simple process. It’s nothing tough or too hard to happen; and sometimes it happens when I wake up on the right side of the bed.
KS: Well you have that image down pat. Thanks again Chase for taking the time to speak with us and we can’t wait to see you at Darien Lake July 30th!!
As I ended the interview I could not help think what a nice young man he was and how well his music fits his personality. He is an upbeat, positive, fun loving young man who loves what he does, and it shows. He’s the next generation of country. With so many critics out there today picking apart country criticizing the new sound, I find Chase Bryant the perfect example of how the next generation is taking the roots of country, that he was whole heartedly immersed in as a child, and giving it the spin to generate new fans from this generation. As a role model, he’s definitely my choice, and again, hands down he wins my “Best Hair” award.
I’m truly looking forward to seeing his set again, and I strongly urge all of you to not miss this show as Chase, along with Billy Currington, and Tim McGraw will blow your socks off for a fun filled evening of country entertainment.
Dark Star Orchestra has one more stop to make in New York state before they head to Gathering of the Vibes this weekend in CT. Following a JGB set in Saranac Lake Sunday night, the band will return to Rochester for their first ever stadium show at Frontier Field tonight.
The band that seeks to recreate the set list of past Dead Shows is excited to share this moment with the Rochester Dead Head community and we plan to show them how excited we are to be a part of it. With the celebration of Jerry Garcia’s birthday fast approaching, they have been heating up shows all tour.
Tickets are still available for $15 and will increase to $18 at the door. This is an all ages show so bring the family for what should be a beautiful summer night of Dead tunes.
Back with a trimmed lineup on the heels of the critically acclaimed 2014 album El Pintor, Interpol brings the a darker, deeper sound to Upstate Concert Hall. July 29, the penultimate stop on their North American tour.
The indie rockers combine Depeche Mode sound with smooth electronica that is evenly spliced, just proper enough to establish but not kill a mood. Interpol is a consistent upper, the yerba mate to Tame Impala’s oolong tea. Steady, not too strong but certainly not too weak.
Home in New York City for a July 21 performance at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, they performed many songs off their debutTurn on the Bright Lights, as well as the recent El Pintor. They recently spent some time in Buffalo during a November 2014 snow storm, stranded on their tour bus for 48 hours. They will find much better weather as they head north to Clifton Park, one night before wrapping up in Montreal and a month long tour in Europe before taking a break.
Interpol takes the stage at Upstate Concert Hall on July 29, with opener Cosmicide playing at 8pm.
Cooperstown is the place to be this weekend, between it being the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Induction Weekend, and indie rock gods The Decemberists gracing us with their presence at Brewery Ommegang. With plenty of activities to choose from this weekend, checking out the legendary Decemberists on Sunday should definitely be on your radar. Brewery Ommegang provides an ideal setting to listen to some amazing tunes while taking in the gorgeous scenery that makes up the Leatherstocking region of our fine State, while having the opportunity to sample food from a variety of local vendors, and drink some of the best beer around, brewed right there on site.
An American indie rock band based out of Portland, Oregon, The Decemberists quirky sound is definitely born from its surroundings. Known for their bold lyrics, often based on historic myths and folklore, this band can produce both in the studio and during their live performances. Returning from a several year hiatus, The Decemberists have had ample time to focus on recording their latest album What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, which comes from a more personal side of the band’s primary songwriter Colin Meloy, having had more time during the band’s break to spend with his family and even write a bestselling children’s book trilogy. Joining Meloy on guitar and lead vocals will be fellow band mates Chris Funk on guitars, Jenny Conlee on keyboards, Nate Query on bass, and John Moen on drums. Refreshed and ready to go after their sabbatical, Sunday’s show is sure to be raging. One never knows what to expect from these guys, so don’t be surprised if you encounter a reenactment of an agent sea battle or some other equally eccentric incident. The Decemberists will be joined by very special guest Lucius, the Brooklyn-based indie pop band that has become a legend in its own right, known for its awe-inspiring harmonies and percussive beats that will keep you dancing all night long.
The show will be starting at 7:00 p.m., with the gates opening at 5:00 p.m. Camping is available onsite, which is an especially appealing option for those who are planning on imbibing Ommegang’s extremely tasty but strong beer. Tickets for this event cost $36 in advance, or $51 with camping pass included, so grab your tickets today. And while you’re in the area, why not make a weekend out of it and check out some of the other fun events happening in Cooperstown surrounding Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. Information can be found Otsego County Tourism’s website. The Decemberists will be touring extensively throughout the US and Canada, with dates announced through October. Go to the band’s website for additional information and for a preview of some tunes off their new album.
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s “The Mandatory World Tour” will be making a mandatory stop at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY July 30. If that’s not mandatory enough, there will be a plethora of Mandatory Fun to go along with his Port Chester visit.
Weird Al’s performances, aside from being musically fulfilling, are robust with humor for every quirk accentuated by his superb showmanship on stage. Not to mention the costumes he dons throughout his shows to round out the experience.
Al’s shows are ones to never be missed, particularly on this tour as he has some new witty and hilarious Grammy-winning material under his belt with his 14th studio album, Mandatory Fun. Check out Michael Hallisey’s review of the album on NYS Music here.
The Mandatory World Tour hits The Capitol Theatre Thursday July 30 with doors at 7pm and show at 8pm, without a bad seat in the house (unless you get put in the time-out chair for not having fun). Tickets for the all-ages show are available online at The Cap.
After a year’s hiatus and a change in venue, Camp Bisco is back and moving to a site that offers fans a better experience at Montage Mountain in beautiful Scranton, Pennsylvania on July 16-18th. Campers will be treated to a water park, as well as many other amenities not offered at other festivals, such as full restaurant and bar.
The festival will feature many Camp Bisco regulars, such as Pretty Lights who is performing Thursday night as one of the festival’s headliners. Derek Vincent Smith took the moniker Pretty Lights in the summer of 2004. He had played electronic music with other groups but chose to go on his own and make his own music, starting out as a late night act for other major groups — one of them being the Disco Biscuits. He has since made a name for himself and has earned the coveted spot he’s playing. Thursday night also features STS9, otherwise known as Sound Tribe Sector Nine, pioneers along with the Biscuits with the livetronica genre. Mixing beats from hip hop to funk and jazz, this is a perfect addiction to the experience that is Camp Bisco.
Thursday also welcomes newcomers to the festival Twiddle, a rocking band hailing from Burlington, Vermont and featuring wailing guitar solos as well a tad of dub to it as well. Whatever the mixture they use, they found a good one because Twiddle is not an act to miss at this years festivities.
Big Gigantic plays on headlines Friday night bringing their own version of electronic jazz to the main stage. In a world where electronica seems to have peaked, bands keep coming up with new ways to make the sound their own. Gigantic does this by incorporating horns to the mix, leaving the crowd in pure awe. As with Twiddle, the festival is not only electronic music. For example, Tom Hamilton of The American Babies [Electron, Joe Russos Almost Dead, Brothers Past] shows his Americana side with this project. He covers tunes by Bob Dylan as well as reworking Brothers Past songs to have them fit this genre.
Saturday is the day that many campers will be looking forward to. With Tipper, Basssnectar, and yes, of course — the Disco Biscuits. Bassnectar has worked hard to get where he is on the Camp Bisco stage. Starting off as a side attraction over the years, he became more and more popular making his way to the main stage as a headliner. This is where a lot of hard work and determination has paid off, and Lorin Ahston, otherwise know as Bassnectar, is not an act to sleep on.
This leaves us with the festival’s namesake, The Disco Biscuits. Closing out all three nights, they definitely leave the crowd wanting more each time. Having been together for 20 years, The Biscuits have come as far as any band can dream and they keep getting better. Having sold out shows across the country and playing with members of the Grateful Dead, there is no time like now to see them play.
There are many different travel packages which all can be found here. Between all the great bands (the complete list can be found here) and the beautiful scenery, there is no reason not to get down to this year’s Camp Bisco.
Vermont Country is a genre all its own and Waylon Speed will be bringing their self-described underground outlaw dirt rock from the mountains of Vermont to Backwoods Pondfest August 7-8 at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, NY.
Having recently celebrated their sixth year as a band at B.B. King’s in New York City, the Vermont honky-tonk stylings of Waylon Speed are not your typical country, bringing to mind the likes of deep cuts from Lynyrd Skynyrd mixed with rockabilly of the Stray Cats and Upstate’s own Eastbound Jesus. This is not pop country you find at the CMA’s, this is far more grittier and funkier, truer to the lyrics they sing without the formulaic country sound you find on the radio. No, Waylon Speed is a fresh and welcome sound out of Vermont, one of the most unique you’ll find at Backwoods Pondfest this August.
Waylon Speed is Rev. Chad Hammaker (guitar & vocals), Kelly Ravin (guitars & vocals), Justin Crowther (drums & harmonica) and Noah Crowther (bass & vocals), and while they’re a quartet from Vermont, you won’t find psychedelic jams and improvisational rock here. Having won awards for as “Vermont’s Best Band” at the New England Music Awards and Seven Days Daisy Award as “Best Americana Band”, this is true country rock that you would find at a local watering hole tucked deep in the Green Mountains or Adirondacks, with a sound that is befitting urban venues and summer music festivals.
In the photojournalism profession, there are certain things you hope to one day do in your career. Whether it’s covering a favorite band, or capturing the perfect shot, or interviewing someone you’ve revered over the course of their career, we all have that bucket list of wishes. As we get ready to welcome Heart to the Oncenter’s Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, June 30, I recently was able to check off one such accomplishment on my bucket list. Graciously agreeing to speak with our readers, I had the opportunity to interview one of the icons of rock and roll, Ms. Ann Wilson.
Ann Wilson – Heart
Ann and Nancy Wilson are known and revered as trailblazers in a predominately male field of rock and roll. Shattering the glass ceiling and overcoming adversities, Ann and Nancy not only blazed the way, they set rock and roll on fire. Over the years their music has spanned generation after generation, and their longevity can be attributed to their ability to touch their audience no matter what age they are. Recognized once or twice along the way in their successful careers, I found Ann so humbled by it all. Let’s recap a few of those awards: In 2013 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and in 2012 they were honored with their Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They have had four GRAMMY nominations over the years as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the GRAMMY Foundation Northwest Chapter. They have been awarded the Lifetime Achievement from the VH1 Rock Honors, and the Image Award’s Lifetime Achievement for Excellence in Songwriting from ASCAP. They have exhibits in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum, the Electronic Music Project Museum, and the Grammy Museum. Needless to say, they’ve made their mark in the industry over their more than 40-year career and along the way grown in the “Hearts” of all their fans; myself included.
As I sat down to speak with Ann Wilson, I had to pinch myself. This was definitely a humbling experience and I wanted to ask the right questions that our readers would want to know. So I took a survey and a few of these questions can be found within.
Kathy Stockbridge (KS): Thank you so much for agreeing to talk with our readers. We are so happy to have Heart coming to the central New York area. You have been one of the most influential women in rock and roll history. You and your sister have made every list possible hailing you as trail blazers in this field. When it come to breaking the glass ceiling as women in a predominately male genre, you forged the way for so many females that wanted to be like you. Being in the forefront who motivated YOU to pursue your dream in music and sculpted your love of rock and roll. Who were some of your earliest influences.
Ann Wilson (AW): You’re welcome. Well one of my really early influences would be someone like Judy Garland. You know, that’s who my mother listened to, but the people that influenced me to do rock and roll were not women, they were all men. They were The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and people who were being played on the radio back then. Then later on it was Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, and Pink Floyd, and all those people that populated the airwaves back then is what really turned me on, and got me into it.
KS: You mentioned that your mother listened to Judy Garland. I read somewhere that your mother was a very strong woman and could be considered a feminist. How did she encourage you and your sisters when it came to pursuing your career choices?
AW: I think that our mother was pretty suspicious of the music business. She considered it to be the fake and phony tinsel world; a scary world especially for two of her three daughters to enter into. But she wanted us to be happy and wanted us to find a bliss and follow it. Yeah, she was happy about that part. She used to not have any problem with offering up her advice about how to survive in the entertainment industry though, which I always thought was pretty interesting since although she was a smart woman, she had no experience in it. She just saw what happened to Judy Garland and said, watch out, don’t do that.
KS: You had some major obstacles you had to overcome over the years along the way. What were some of those obstacles that came up and you hurdled them with no problems whatsoever.
AW: Haha, hurdle them with no problem? Well that didn’t exist. In the very beginning of course there was a level of sexism that wouldn’t be acceptable today. That was the first hurdle. Then along with that came credibility. “Are women trying to do rock and roll even credible or are they some kind of cartoon character?” That was the biggest hurdle at first. And then after that..all the typical ones like ageism, body image, like all those that people face. Only somewhat amplified because it’s in entertainment. But the thing is if you really love and are focused on what you’re doing and that’s your main focus, than you can always look at that and center on that and some of that stuff can go by without really screwing you up too bad.
KS: Absolutely … kinda like you had to do twice as much as the next male artist to get to where you were.
AW: Yes, but backwards and in high heels, right?
KS: And you did it! Along the way, who was there for you before you were famous that you would say thank you to? The one person that made a difference in your career?
AW: I would have to say my parents. My blood family. Our older sister and my parents were the ones who were most there for us and our friend, Sue Ennis, she was there too. And the original lineup of the Heart band was a tight and committed little unit so we were all there for each other.
KS: You have played with some amazing musicians over the course of your career. What are some of the “stand out” moments, moments that resonate as “ah ha/oh wow” moments for you?
AW: Getting to go into the studio at all and make a record was a big “oh wow”, and the whole thing expanded from just different levels of it. First you play a big club, then you get to play a big outside show, then you might get to open up for someone big in an arena, then you get to headline the arena yourself. As it climbs, there are just bigger levels of “oh wow” I guess. Then there are some moments like you get your first gold album, then you get to star in a rock video, then you have to deal with all those problems we talked about a minute ago. Those are “oh wow” moments too when you say, “okay this is what I signed up for … oh wow.” Then in later years I think moments like being inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, that was big. Then playing for the President at the Kennedy Center Honors was very big. That was pretty great, yeah really great.
KS: Did you deal with phobias at all like stage fright in the beginning? I know like for myself, I still have to sometimes take a deep breath and begin as I do an interview such as this with yourself, as I get a bit nervous.
AW: Oh thank you. There were times when I did have fears before going on stage. But after a while both Nancy and I learned that is just really so counterproductive. I mean if you allow yourself to fall into that, really your just looking at yourself. You’re not going out there and putting out and getting into it. So we learned different techniques you know like breathing and just being more mindful about being in the moment. So to answer your question, I rarely have any nerves now before I go on. But I do want to be awake and alive up there. I don’t ever want to be just acting it out or holding it in.
KS: Do you feed off of the audience in that moment?
AW: Oh yes, totally. It’s all about that!! If you feel like they’re not there or they’re drifting, or looking at their cell phones, or yawning, or something you take it personally. And then when they’re there and everybody is up on their feet and loving it, and you see peoples eyes are full of excitement, then it really does affect you. It helps you be excited, and then therefore they’re more excited. They factor a lot.
KS: Not sure if the readers are aware but in the 90s you played a part in the Seattle music movement. Talk to me a bit about those years, the grunge movement, and how you all had a hand in that.
AW: Well, I don’t know if we had a real hand in the grunge movement. I would say that if anything we were involved in the 80s in the big bombastic movement in the 80s which grunge was a reaction to, partially. We did live here then, and when we came in off the road when the 80s were over, we just kinda melted into the music community and made friends with a lot of those guys who were being sought out by the record companies. Suddenly Seattle was the place for the record guys to go and like put on their plaid shirt at the airport and come try and find people. And there were a generation or two down from us who were having a big struggles with singing and drugs. The music community was pretty close at that point and we found ourselves hanging out a lot. There were hard times with people dying and people really fading, and so there was a support system there that was really really cool. We would get up on stage at each others shows locally and there was some really great people involved in that scene. And they didn’t appreciate the title “grunge” either.
KS: I think the movement grew more after the fact. I think in the moment, it was the “hip” thing. But people didn’t appreciate truly it till it was over.
AW: I think that’s probably the way it is with most movements. Like even the hippy movement, when the rest of the world finds out about it, it’s really over. And that’s how it was here.
KS: You folks were playing music for years. You started playing in the late 60s early 70s, during the end of the hippy movement, and then continued through and had such a long lasting career. What do you think your longevity is attributed to? And how do you see your music progressing through those times?
AW: Back in the 60s I was still in high school and at art school so I wasn’t really performing professionally until the mid 70s. But from the mid 70s till now has been nearly 40 years, and it’s just been a time continuum focusing on something I just really love to do. And sort of whitewater rafting the music industry changes.
KS: You’ve stayed true to yourselves and your sound. You’ve not succumbed to the different genres to stay popular. In fact I see you fluctuating between a rock sound and a kinda folky rock sound throughout all the years. I attribute that to your longevity and ongoing popularity over the years and through several generations. My son who is a teenager and he and his friends, they all know who you are. Demonstrating the generational span. But your talents do not end there. You mentioned you were in art school. You recently put out a book where you illustrated the entire book as well as wrote with your sister both that one and your memoirs in Kicking and Dreaming. Was that therapeutic to you to get that all out on paper? What was the motivation for that book?
AW: Yeah, doing that book was a little like being in therapy. We just wanted to “from the horses mouth” tell our side of the story, because there is so much of the story that gets told for us and is sort of misinterpreted. Especially in the early days when there were no women really doing rock, there were a lot of people going that this is how they should be stereotyped. So I think we felt it was important to set the record straight and show what it was like for us. And we worked with Charles Cross who is a great writer, and wrote a great book about Kurt Cobain, and another great one about Jimi Hendrix. He is from here in Seattle so he kinda had a clear understanding of Seattle musicians. A real first hand knowledge of them. So that’s why we chose to work with him.
KS: You also are in the process of putting out a children’s book. Talk to me a little this project and your illustrations in the book. You are extremely talented, you sing, you play, you write, you draw, you do everything!
AW: Well thank you. The book came out of the lyrics to the song “Dog & Butterfly” obviously, but to make a full book out of a set of lyrics you have to expand on it. So that’s what we’ve set out to do is make a bigger story out of the visual of the dog chasing the butterfly, and the metaphor of a person chasing after their dreams. So it’s for the kids, but it’s also for the lucky adult who gets to read the book a hundred times to the child, because having done that myself I know how much I really appreciated the books that my kids loved that I read to them that were well done.
So we’ve tried to do that, and make it a worthwhile story. Has a little moral that if you keep going after something and you keep at it you’re patient, it may come to you. There’s a really good chance of it coming to you.
KS: You do so much, what is your favorite part of the work you do. Do you find that one creative outlet tends to call to you more than another?
AW: My favorite part is singing. The actual act of singing itself. All the stuff that surrounds it, and nothing against interviews I like doing them, but the actual getting out there and being one with the melody and physicality of singing is what I really like the most. It’s spiritual to me, it’s more than just getting up there and screaming. It’s way more than just getting out there to make money or having lifestyle maintenance, ya know. Yeah, yeah that’s my favorite part.
KS: Throughout your entire career you’ve been recognized on the Walk of Fame, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but for all of that that you have been recognized what strikes me as most poignant is all your work with charitable organizations. Talk with me a little about these organizations you feel passionate about and why you lend your name and time to these causes.
AW: Well, if you care about the world and you feel like a participant, I think artists should be participants. If someone comes to you and they say “I’ve got this project and as part of the outreach for awareness we’re doing this album or we’re doing this show,” then that is like nail on the head. That is what I know how to do and that’s what I can give. So that’s why we’ve contributed to different causes in the past; the trafficking, the LGTB’s, and all the different things that we’ve done all are important.
KS: If I were to sum up your career in one paragraph, what would you want your legacy to be?
AW: I think that a really important part of it is, and not to harp on the gender thing constantly, but it’s important that rock music and that art in general not be delegated to one gender or the other. It’s about equality and that’s one of the biggest things that Nancy and I would like people to remember when they look back on us.
KS: If you were to have a sound track of your life, what would you name it?
AW: “Hope and Glory” (which is also the name of her 2007 solo album)
KS: At the end of the day you made so many sacrifices along the way, to you were they worth it? Is there anything you would do differently?
AW: The sacrifices are worth it. Definitely. I think if I had to do anything differently, I probably wouldn’t have gone to so many parties in the 80’s. I think I would have been a little bit more mindful of my physical health. Other than that, it’s really when you go back and see that one thing leads to another, and one decision you makes something happen which makes the next thing happen, I don’t think it’s really important to say “would I change anything?” Because you can’t.
KS: I feel the same way. I think everything we do throughout our lives molds us to who we are and those decisions (at that time) we felt were right. Ms. Wilson it was so nice talking to you. Thank you so much taking the time to speak with us and I look forward to your show in Syracuse. And as a music photojournalist, this was truly a highlight of my career so thank you. And let me thank you as well for forging the way for so many women that have followed you and your sister in rock and roll.
AW: I enjoyed this, thank you. And I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.
So as I hung up the phone I basked in an afterglow of the conversation and all that it held. Ann Wilson was a generous, thoughtful artist that truly loves music and everything about music. I get the impression along the way she had to battle so many adversities, that it caused a certain mistrust with not only those in the industry but media as well. But I bow to her as she hurdled all those difficulties and blazed a new direction of music for women. In the beginning I felt her apprehension in our interview, and I could tell that she was cautiously choosing her words, but as time went on I felt that it became a conversation between us and that perhaps she trusted that my intentions were genuine. I was so humbled by the conversation, and had to seriously pinch myself a time or two to make sure it was actually occurring. Going in to the interview I was a huge fan of hers just by what I knew about her, but after speaking to her I became a big fan of hers as a person. The shear talent this woman possesses in all creative mediums is amazing. I got a sense of gratitude that over the years she’s survived the challenges, and celebrates now that in the end gets to just play the music she loves to the audiences that she so loves. So glad she persevered and came out the other side to enjoy the part that feeds her soul.
I am truly looking forward to celebrating this music and this week with the band that changed the face of rock and roll forever. It’s time to just enjoy the moment and celebrate the music with the queen of Hearts, Ms. Ann Wilson.
The band that seeks to recreate the set list of past 
The indie rockers combine Depeche Mode sound with smooth electronica that is evenly spliced, just proper enough to establish but not kill a mood. Interpol is a consistent upper, the yerba mate to Tame Impala’s oolong tea. Steady, not too strong but certainly not too weak.
