LUCINDA WILLIAMS Over Time I Realized That I Just Had a Routine Still Take It on the Road That Was Particular to Me
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MARCH/APRIL 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A Were there surprises in the studio? Do ballads come easier than rockers? those topics in original ways. One way to do I was surprised that my vocal tracks went Yes. That also happens by default because I that is to tell a story. down so perfectly. There were no issues always write on acoustic guitar, but the fast- with pitch or anything like that. I would look tempo songs are more challenging. I wish How about advice from friends? through the glass at the guys, and they’d I could write more like Neil Young: (sings) Emmylou Harris and I were in Nashville be standing there like, “Wow!” I think that “Keep on rockin’ in the free world!” But then going out to dinner with some people, and came from feeling comfortable with Don, again, a lot of those songs may have started there was a woman singing live opera in the and from Eric’s talents. But I also feel my out as ballads. If you take a song like “Rockin’ restaurant. I turned to Emmylou and said, “I voice is better than it’s ever been. Right in the Free World” and slow it down, it almost wish I had a range like that, I wish that I could from the start Don said he wanted to becomes a folk song. A lot of it has to do with do more with my voice.” She immediately build everything around the vocals, and of what happens in the studio. I make demo said, “Your limitations are your strengths. course I said yes. I don’t like it when vocals tapes for all the guys to listen to before Your strengths come from learning how get buried in the mix. we record. Depending on what happens to work within your limitations.” That really in the studio, a song How did you approach the writing? might become a rocker. I grew up listening to Bob Dylan’s songs, That’s the fun part of which were so majestic and so topical. the process, the part I always wanted to write songs like where you’re deciding “Masters of War” or “The Times They Are what to add or what A-Changin.’” This album was an exercise tempo you want. in writing those types of songs. They grew out of what was going on in my life, what Why do you like your was in the news or what sort of music I Martin D-18? was listening to. I never sit and think, “This It’s got a special vibe record is going to be about this topic.” I and I have an emotional take a very organic approach. Of course attachment to it. It’s at the end of the day you want to include sitting here beside me the songs that work best together, and the on its guitar stand. I’ve ones that sound the best. written so many songs on this guitar. I’ve had it What is your process like? since 1979. I was living James Minchin IIIJames Minchin I’m always observing, thinking and jotting in Houston and bought it things down. At one point in my life I used for $400. I used to play to worry, because I would go through long it on stage, but it was stretches where I wouldn’t fi nish a song. But always feeding back. I LUCINDA WILLIAMS over time I realized that I just had a routine still take it on the road that was particular to me. I would come in order to write. A songwriter known for melancholy looks on the bright side up with plenty of songs, but they always came in a fl urry. I might not fi nish anything What do you play on LUCINDA WILLIAMS HAS EARNED A tour. “The actual process comes in spurts,” poet Miller Williams. “I had one more to again for another six months or so. But I’m stage these days? reputation over the last three decades for says Williams, who typically uses her trusted get out of my system.” She spoke with us more prolifi c now than I’ve ever been. That A Gibson J-45, the writing songs that were as melancholy as 1970s Martin D-18 for writing. “It’s like I’ve from her home in Los Angeles about her started sometime after my mother’s death Everly Brothers model. they were dazzling. So, many fans were been hibernating, and then once I get into new artistic direction. [in 2004], which seemed to propel me in It’s a great guitar surprised when her most recent album, that mode, I dive in.” Finding herself with some way. When I was writing the songs as well. 2008’s Little Honey, found her sounding enough songs to fi ll two albums, Williams How did you team with Don Was? for West [2007] I just kept going and going. happy and optimistic. Her latest, the aptly pared down the material and hit the studio It was time to bring in a different element, That happened with this album as well. Did your father give titled Blessed, further proves that emotional with producers Don Was, Overby and Eric a new set of ears. My husband, Tom, you any advice? On The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, June 2007 turmoil isn’t the only fuel for her art. “Now I’m Liljestrand. The results range from guitar- suggested we reach out to Don, and it Do your broad musical tastes come Don’t censor yourself, Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank writing about things other than unrequited drenched country-rock to languid ballads turned out great. Don fi t in perfectly with from growing up in the 1960s? that’s one. The other love,” says Williams, who wed music-biz tinged with Memphis-inspired soul—and us, and Eric did the engineering. It was a very Absolutely. The artists I listened to mixed thing was the importance ‘To me the important veteran Tom Overby in 2009, “things that there is still some darkness in the lyrics, as democratic process, but then again it always all different sorts of styles. The Band is of economy in writing, the are more universal in nature.” evidenced by the kiss-off rocker “Buttercup.” is when I make an album. It’s exciting to work a good example, as are Bob Dylan, Neil importance of making every thing has always been Williams began composing for the new “That’s the only ‘bad boy’ song on the with someone who’s made great albums that Young and Creedence Clearwater Revival. word count. Something album in May of last year, surrounding herself album,” says the Louisiana native, whose have also been commercially successful. They all did country, folk-rock, rock—all might initially come as a big the song itself, not the with notes jotted down while she was on father is National Arts Award–winning Don understands the artistic process. sort of things. Whereas when I was fi rst fl urry of words and ideas, but style of the song.’ coming up as an artist in the ’80s, I fell you have to sift through that and in the cracks between country and rock. I trim the fat. He also taught me was told I was too “country” for rock, and not to fall back on clichés—“moon in June,” stuck with me. I think that’s one reason I’m ‘There’s just a handful of big themes, but it’s too “rock” for country. To me the important “stars in your eyes,” those sorts of phrases. a stronger singer today. I’ve learned how to important to address them in original ways.’ thing has always been the song itself, There’s just a handful of big themes—love, use my voice in the best possible way. not the style of the song. death, sex—but it’s important to address –Russell Hall 3838 39 M mag 10.indd 38 4/17/11 7:47:48 PM M mag 10.indd 39 4/17/11 7:48:02 PM.