ISSUE #29 MMUSICMAG.COM ISSUE #29 MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A John and Mick on it. They put a stamp on the you’re doing what you’re doing. There’s an making that album. She watched me take song that’s quite individual and distinctive. axiom in the business that more or less says, three years off to do Under the Skin and “If something works, run it into the ground Gift of Screws, and she’s seen how that And Stevie? and then move on.” But what we did in the helped me grow. Plus, she doesn’t just Stevie writes lyrics and then puts them away. post-Rumours environment was to make toss songs off the way I do. She hasn’t Later she’ll pull them out and begin trying the Tusk album. That was my brainchild—I’ll said this—this is just me—but knowing to attach melodies. It’s a slightly less free- take the credit or the blame. That album Stevie, she’s probably thinking, “If I have associative thing compared to the way I do confounded everyone’s expectations, but it to write five new songs, do I want to give it. What makes the whole thing work is that also represented a choice toward risk-taking, them to Fleetwood Mac?” And that’s fair her process and her style don’t necessarily a choice to take the high road in terms of enough. I think she’s feeling a bit protective fit with mine. You could make that case why you’re doing something. and territorial about the experience she about Fleetwood Mac. The members don’t had doing her solo project. And I can necessarily belong together—but it’s the Is a full-length album expected soon? totally relate to that. But at some point we synergy of these things that makes it work. The way we do things in Fleetwood Mac is have to be a band and we have to make always a political minefield. If it’s not Stevie, commitments. I think the key with Stevie Why bring in an outside producer? it’s me—someone is always causing trouble. is not to push her too much. She doesn’t I produced Say You Will, and it created a [laughs] I know Warner Brothers is dying to want to feel she’s backed into a corner. certain tension with Stevie. Her perception of get an album from us, even though we’re that album was fairly negative, and she wasn’t not signed to them anymore. Stevie needs Are you optimistic about the band? happy with me when we got to the end of to come to the table with some material. Absolutely. I don’t know how you could not that process. I didn’t want to put myself in She has one song on the EP, but it’s not be, when you look at the business we’re that position again. I wanted someone with the ability to mediate the situation. What’s touring like now? It’s great. We take these breaks, and N eal Preston everyone’s individual lives wind their way down the road, and when we come back together the equation is slightly different every time. When you’ve been doing this John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, LLindseyindsey BBuckingham,uckingham, SStevietevie NNicksicks for a while, the perception from the audience shifts a bit. Both those things have changed for the better on this tour. It’s sort of a lovefest onstage now. Plus, in the past three FLEETWOODFLEETWOOD MAC years, the crowd’s appreciation of the body Manuel Nauta/Landov of work seems to have ramped up. And the TThesehese days the road has never been smoother for the Hall of FFameame rockers audiences are skewing younger. FLEETWOOD MAC HAS BEEN That camaraderie has been playing present incarnation.” In a candid conversation, What’s changed without Christine? virtually synonymous with two things— out to perfection on tour and in the studio. Buckingham delves into the band’s inner The way things evolved when we got with classic songs and internal drama. Both Prior to hitting the road, Buckingham, Nicks, dynamic and the future of Fleetwood Mac. Mitchell Froom wasn’t significantly different aspects were epitomized on the group’s Mick Fleetwood and John McVie (Christine from when Christine was there. When 1977 multiplatinum album Rumours, but McVie left the band in 1998) cut eight How did you write for the EP? Christine left, what it did for me, ironically, only recently has their legendary volatility songs with producer Mitchell Froom. Four The way I write for the band has cross- was allow me to be more of who I am, which been stripped away. of those tunes—three by Buckingham, one pollinated with how I write as a solo artist. is kinetic and connected to the physical and “If you go back to 2003, when we were by Nicks—were compiled onto an EP titled With solo work you could make an analogy emotional side of what I’m doing onstage. Onstage in Houston, 2013 coming off the making of Say You Will, there Extended Play. “I thought it would be great to painting, where you’re sitting one-on-one When Christine left, suddenly we were was still a bit of tension between Stevie to cut some new stuff,” says Buckingham. with a canvas. Writing for the band, especially dividing the material more or less down the ‘The way we do things in and me,” says Lindsey Buckingham of his “It was a great experience.” in the old days, was more like moviemaking— middle. That gave me the impetus to explore a new song. In order Fleetwood Mac foil, singer-songwriter Stevie Meanwhile Fleetwood Mac’s shows are you bring in a song the same way you have things—guitar pieces and so forth. Having to contemplate a new Fleetwood Mac is always a Nicks. “That polarity worked onstage and drawing more fans than at any time since the a script before you start rolling cameras. two writers has allowed me to grow a lot album, Stevie has to made for an interesting show. By 2009 when early 1980s. “I take that as evidence people Over the years those two ways of working within the context of Fleetwood Mac. want to do it. We’ve political minefield.’ we toured again that tension had sort of not only have a renewed appreciation of what have entered the same arena for me. What talked about it in been neutralized. Now it’s swung completely we’ve done,” says Buckingham, “but also defines a song as a Fleetwood Mac song Any lessons learned over the years? general terms and decided we would just go doing, the reception we’re getting, and the other way—we’re getting along great.” that they’re fully accepting of the band in its isn’t so much the song as it is simply having There was a point at which the success of out on the road and do this. When this year how well we’re playing. There seems to be Rumours became not about the music, but is done, we’ll have to figure out our 2014. something afoot that’s quite remarkable this about success itself. At that point you’re not time around. It would be a shame not to play only functioning in something like a tabloid Does Stevie have reservations? that out. There are a lot of things we could ‘There seems to be something afoot that’s quite world, you’re functioning in an area that has It’s a little complicated for her. She’s coming do next year—an album or more touring. This remarkable this time around.’ a danger of eating you up and encouraging off the project with Dave Stewart a couple of band has a great history. It’s worth dignifying. you to lose the sense of who you are and why years ago. She had a wonderful experience –Russell Hall 24 25 M mag 29.indd 24 8/26/13 1:21 AM M mag 29.indd 25 8/26/13 1:10 AM.