On Thursday, September 1, 2011, Suite101 had the distinct pleasure to interview a pop-rock queen, Nancy Wilson from Heart. A multi-talented vocalist, songwriter and instrumentalist, Nancy opens up about their latest album Red Velvet Car, touring with Def Leppard, her future plans with Heart, and shares her insights on the music industry.
Nancy Talks About “Red Velvet Car”
“We got together with Ben Mink, who was one of our favorite producers for many years. When Ann worked on her solo album Hope & Glory with him, we all got very close and decided to do a Heart record. Red Velvet Car is the result. We are actually writing and working on getting ready to record another album with him for Heart.”
Their Red Velvet Car album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Rock Charts, as well as #10 on the Billboard 200 all-genre charts. Regarding this impressive milestone, Nancy shares “honestly, it felt really lovely. After working for three decades and playing a lot of tours, it feels really good to be acknowledged for all the hard work, because so many things go by so quickly and are barely even noticed. It was wonderful!”
Ann and Nancy Wilson co-wrote all of the songs on their latest CD.
On their inspirations to co-write this record, Nancy says “we’ve been songwriters since we picked up guitars, and we are also great music fans. We love so many other musicians like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd and we really like Adele. We listen to all kinds of music, from classic to hard rock. That’s where we get our inspiration from, including things that are happening to us in our personal lives.”
When asked about her favorite tune from this new album, Nancy reveals “my favorite song is always a revolving song. One week I would love ‘Queen City’ or ‘Hey You,’ or the title track, but it’s really impossible to choose just one.”
Nancy Discusses their Single “Hey You”
On their single “Hey You,” where Nancy sings lead vocals on, she states “it was something I had in my back pocket for a very long time that never quite felt finished. Last year was the right time to be able to finish the song. I thought it turned out really great. I love it!”
Nancy Talks About the Moving Song “Sand”
“That was the only song that was written before we went in to record Red Velvet Car,” Nancy says. “We had written it previously with a band called The Lovemongers for a side project. We still play ‘Sand’ live sometimes. When Ben Mink heard that song, he loved it and wanted to give it a fresh home on the new album. It’s an extra special song. As far as I can remember this is the only song that we’ve ever re-recorded.”
Nancy Talks About Producer Ben Mink
On working with Ben Mink, who produced their newest record, Nancy remarks “He’s an extremely well-rounded musician. He plays all kinds of stringed instruments including fiddle. I played with him on guitar and mandolin. He’s got great writing ideas and it was so much fun working with him, since we played with him on the songs.”
Nancy Talks About Singing in the Studio and Performing Live
“I call myself the ‘studio dog.’ I really enjoy the process of working in recording and editing studios for music or movies or TV shows. I really appreciate that process, and the technical aspect of things, and I enjoy producing in that atmosphere. It’s just fascinating to me,” she acknowledges.
“There is nothing that beats a live stage. The travel aspect of being on the road is very difficult, but those shows that you get to play on those stages are so exciting and fantastic,” she admits.
Nancy Reveals her Future Plans with Heart
According to Nancy Wilson, she remarks “We are about halfway through a long summer tour with Def Leppard. We’re doing a really good job and we’re having great shows. Def Leppard is an awesome rock band. The shows are selling a lot of tickets, and in this economic climate, it’s a wonderful thing. The fans are very happy. Then we’re going home in three weeks and we're taking a couple of weeks off. Then we are going to Australia for the first time for two weeks, and then we’re done for the year. We’re going to record the new album after that.”
“We put out a new DVD with a lot of the classics, and included Alison Krauss on a few songs. Earlier, we did a children’s book for Amazon entitled Dog & Butterfly, and I also did a children’s CD of instrumental acoustic music for Amazon called Baby Guitars,” she adds.
On her dream collaboration choices in music, Nancy shares “there are so many incredible possibilities. I am a fan of Tom Petty and I would love to play guitar for Adele, since she has an authentic and great voice.”
Nancy Talks About Alison Krauss
Ann and Nancy Wilson collaborated with Alison Krauss on three songs for their Night at Sky Church DVD, where all three songstresses did a stunning job on their rendition of the Heart classic “These Dreams.” “That was so wonderful. Alison was built to sing a song like that. She’s an angel!” Nancy exclaims.
Nancy Reveals her Alternate Career Choice
If she weren’t a singer or guitar player, Nancy states “I would probably be a music teacher. I would teach little kids.”
Nancy Gives Advice for Newcomers in the Music Industry
For newcomers who wish to go into the music industry professionally, Nancy recommends “The best way to practice is to play live without technology. Be good without the technology first, and be able to improvise without technology. Sit down with a piano or a guitar, and be able to do a show unplugged.”
On the key to longevity in the music industry, she notes “You have to work hard, and you have to be determined and passionate about it! You need to have a very good sense of humor. You shouldn’t take yourself too seriously or believe your own hype. There are a lot of things that can help you survive. I think having good people around you is the main thing too.”
Nancy Thanks her Fans and Defines Success
For Nancy Wilson, “Success is Pandora’s box. It means sacrifice, pain, exasperating, exhaustion and the highest highs, and the most exciting, inspired, and electric energy. It’s all built into one big crazy ball, and that’s success.”
“I would like to send out some ultimate love to our fans. They are loyal and they’ve always been there for us. That’s what it’s all about. We are music fans too. We love the music and we understand and appreciate the fans so much,” the music icon concludes.
Many thanks to Nancy Wilson for granting this interview!
For more information on Heart, their new music and touring dates with Def Leppard, please visit their official website.
Source
- Telephone Communication with Nancy Wilson. September 1, 2011.
Markos Papadatos - Markos Papadatos holds over six years journalism experience, authoring over 700 articles, many of which are feature profile interviews.
