It's been 10 years since the release of your last studio album Girl Bros., tell us about your latest album White Flags of Winter Chimneys and why it took 10 years? What was the inspiration?
Wendy:
It came at a time when the film and TV industry went into a tailspin from the writers strike. We decided to take that time and make this record. We had songs that were already written but decided to toss all of them to discover a new and vital sound.
If we could have made this record sooner I'm not sure it would have been as good. All the planets aligned for us on this record.
Lisa:
It took ten years because we play VERY SLOWLY. We record maybe one chord every few days. it has to be JUST RIGHT! And so it just took a really looooong time! OK. THAT IS NOT TRUE
Um... A lot of life happened in those ten years. After releasing Girl Bros. and traveling to promote that the best we could, without the support of a label or promoter, we started getting a lot of scoring offers. Crossing Jordan, Carnivale, and a few independent films... etc. We also had met Neil Finn during the mixing of Girl Bros. through Tchad Blake, and traveled to New Zealand and subsequently all over the world playing and recording with him.
During this time and after surviving a very tough period of grief, professional hardships and personal struggles, our relationship suffered and eventually we split as a couple. It was so painful and hard to face, it took nearly five years to finally decide to live apart. Working together became a huge challenge. At times it was too difficult but we both felt, whether we said it out loud or not, that we didn't want to let go of that.
We worked hard privately and in tandem at being able to share what we feel are the best parts of ourselves. We have known each other almost literally all of our lives and one does not just stop loving someone like that.
Less than a year after we began living separately my brother, David passed away and it was so devastating I really didn't know how I would survive it. Funny enough it was with the help of Wendy and my now wife, Renata, that I got through it, AND the fact is that when I learned of David's death it was Wendy's girlfriend, Lisa, that was the first one to rush over to my house and help me make phone calls and get up off the floor.
Since then, the four of us have worked at maintaining the grace that was forced upon us that day.
This is why the title of this album is "White Flags of Winter Chimneys," it is a symbol of surrender and shelter. A stronghold and peaceful crackling fire in the midst of bitter and harsh cold.
Can you give us some insight on what your creative process was like in producing this record? For example, do each of you come to the studio with lyrics and music ideas and then work on them together? Or did you start completely from scratch?
Wendy:
Everything came from a brand new place in our creative space. We made this a total collaborative process. Everything was a 50/50 move. Lyrics. Melodies. Basic Tracks. We wanted a cohesion to every song so we limited the sounds we used and tried to tie a common thread to each track. We also chose not to involve any other musicians to the mix so we could really play off of each other in every aspect.
Lisa:
On this particular album the majority of it was written from scratch in the TREEHOUSE by the both of us. Some of the songs were made out of bits and pieces of things that one or the other of us had been playing around with, and "Balloon" had been written a while back. "Niagra Falls" was written but re-arranged and recorded with a more ferocious approach. Everything else was made from scratch.
You are each strongly associated with your primary instruments you played in the Revolution, guitar and keyboards; however, most fans would be surprised to know you played every instrument on this record, as well as on the other records, with the exception of some guest players. What other instruments are each of you proficient with?
Lisa:
I am amazing with a spatula! I can flip an egg like nobody's business, and a sticky omelette? No match for these hands.
Wendy:
Just listen to the new CD. It is just the 2 of us playing everything… I think that's really cool myself… I'm proud of that… really proud of that.
Lisa always says I'm her favorite band. LOLOLOL
After all the years you've been playing together, do you ever get used to each others talents, or is there still an element of surprise that blows your mind about the other? Can you give an example working on this record?
Wendy:
I have watched and listened to Lisa my entire life. I know her mind and creative space better then she does at times, and she likewise, has the same perspective of me. That said. I am continually moved and inspired by her truth and expression in music. It gives me the energy to dig as deep as I can into my own process.
Lisa:
I guess sometimes I ''get used to'' Wendy's talent, or just feel like I KNOW it'll be great or have a certain feel or sound, but I can never get used to the feeling that it evokes in my heart. It is new every time. The song ''You and I'' makes me cry. She plays guitar like that all the time and it sounds like things that she noodles on every day, but when it came time to write the song and come up with a melody and lyric... I was a victim of it's path and am still moved by it. Or when she rocked the bejesus out of "Salt and Cherries"... all I can do is sit back and say, "yeah... that is why Wendy is my favorite band". Ya know?
There was a great response to the two free tracks you released on the web "Balloon" and "Invisible." How did it feel to release these tracks directly to your fans without the involvement of a record company?
Lisa:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Wendy:
Lisa and I are so happy to be doing all of this with direct contact with our fans.
Letting go of the middleman has made this music so much more meaningful to us. I wish all of it could remain free if not for the fact that we need to make money in order to keep making music… RENT... Engineer… Mixer... Blah Blah...
You've suggested that in the mid 80s the music-business men had no idea what to do with you, or how to market you. Now here we are, 2009, the "post racial, post gay" world," what if Wendy and Lisa were a new group now? What do you think has changed, if anything?
Wendy:
ARRRRGH!!!!!
It was hell!!!!!!!!
No one in the business had a clue!! I never could understand that. But whatever. Here we are now and it's so much better for us in the world as gay, freaky musicians, with kids, and issues. (HAHAHAHA) I would rather live my truth than be forced to live what someone else's interpretation of truth is... FOR REAL.
Lisa:
Not much. Everything is in flux. I am glad we are able to be so hands on (hee hee), and reach the public on our own. Lately we've been doing a lot of interviews and someone suggested to me that if we had been men, and had the life and success, and credits that we have had, we would be huge and famous and powerful in this business. I don't usually like to think about things that way, but it really stuck with me. I kind of think it is true. I think I have bought into the ''reasons" that we haven't ''connected'
Lisa, you became a member of Prince's band first. Tell us a little bit how it was for you going from playing for an up and coming artist, to a full blown mega star.
Lisa:
When I first went to Minneapolis to meet prince and stay for what I thought would be just a few months, Prince picked me up at the airport. I walked off the plane... it was June. It was warm and a little humid. Prince was waiting for me. I could see him talking on a payphone... remember those? They were all over the place in the 80's... in fact i think it was 1980. I found out later that he was on the phone with his girlfriend, Kim, telling her what I looked like and what I was wearing... anyway... he picked me up and drove me in his little FIAT to his house in WAYZATA. He took the back roads and showed me the countryside. It was really beautiful, train tracks and long views. This was Minnesota alright!
I lit a cigarette, which I can't believe now when I think of it because he hates smoking! But he let me smoke in his car. He was very polite. We were both VERY QUIET and shy. It was pretty sweet actually. Lots of nervous smiles back and forth. We got to his house and he pointed to the piano at the bottom of the stairs. I went and played while he went to make us some tea. I knew he would hear me so I tried to act like I was casually playing the hardest Mozart piece I knew. Kim told me later that he was standing at the top of the stairs wide eyed and excited. "She's better than I thought!"... ok so... that was my first day meeting him.
We rehearsed and learned a set. Our tour was a series of one-nighters at clubs on the East coast and in the South. Our manager would drive us in a station wagon. We all shared hotel rooms... if we had them... and I would change clothes in the bathroom or do the old beach technique and change clothes under your clothes... although more than a couple of times the guys in the band got a little peep show when I just couldn't make it work!
Gradually things started taking off. Rock stars would come and see us in tiny smoke filled rooms, and we were a favorite among fellow musicians. Debbie Harry, Ron Wood, David Bowie... they could all be seen at New York clubs watching us play and drinking at the after parties. Finally Mick Jagger asked Prince to come open for the Stones at the L.A. Coliseum and we all felt like this was a huge opportunity, we would be playing in front of THOUSANDS of people and after all it was Mick who asked us. Everything was going to be great! I remember seeing Mick that day back stage before we went on. He was wearing yellow football uniform pants... I don't know what they are called, but I remember his cute ASS in those pants, and those piercing blue eyes and BIG LIPS! WHOA! We had a trailer for a dressing room, and we could hear George Thoroughgood practicing in the adjacent trailer. OK... SO... We go on stage. We start playing and... it is still daylight and we can see the faces of the audience slowly change from curious rock n roll party people to HOSTILE MOB!
All I can tell you is that I saw about one hundred middle fingers waving like a sea of corn cobs and then I got hit with a bag of fried chicken! I saw a blur run past me to the left... it was Prince! A bottle of Jack Daniels crashed down on the ground right between me and Bobby Z, we looked at each other and laughed hysterically and yelled... ''WHAT SHOULD WE DO!?!?!" I looked back over my shoulder and saw Prince running up the long stairway behind the stage... obviously OUTTA HERE, and the crowd was pummeling us with oranges and bottles and profanity! It was SCARY! We ended the song not knowing what to do... and... looked at each other. I think we all had the same thought, "RUN!" So we ran.
By the time we got back up those stairs to where the trailer was, Prince was already on an airplane back to Minneapolis. ...I'm exaggerating, but... he did leave the Coliseum and go back to his hotel. He left that night back to Minneapolis where Mick Jagger called him and begged him to please come back and play the second show the next day. I talked to Prince later and he was feeling strong and ready to try again. Talk about the battle of the bands!
We had been through this before on a smaller scale.
People looking at us like we were freaks. We were androgynous, multi racial, punk funkers, and people that were at that gig in the audience were drunk redneck type blues rockers. Not ready for a guy like Prince to be singing "Jack U OFF" I guess. SO... we changed the set list, and played a more rock n roll oriented set. We prepared ourselves to be boo-ed at and we hit the stage again. Welll... it was marginally better. I think we played those songs faster than they'd ever been played before. We still saw plenty of fingers in the air. People still yelled the N word and a few different F words, but we played and we kicked ass and ran off the stage... this time all of us together after playing a short set of maybe five or six songs. We got a standing ovation from the crew and the people backstage, and in our minds we had overcome a huge challenge. I think that was the first time I drank beer after a show... and it was still daylight... and I drank LOTS of beers.
MANY people say that they were at that show and that they weren't the ones yelling, they all say how they KNEW they were seeing the beginning of a new era. and... so it was. It was still a fight and a lot of work to get to the top, but we got there. We became a number one selling band. We won Grammys, People's Choice Awards, and even an OSCAR. We stood on the shoulders of giants, AND our own experiences. It was an indescribable feeling.
You reunited with Prince in 2006 at the Brit Awards. Tell us a little bit about what led to that reunion and what it was like to rehearsing for the show. Also, the version of "Te Amo Corzon" played that night was very different, did you all work out that arrangement together?
Lisa:
Prince had been in touch with Wendy a little during that time and he asked us both if we would come play at the Brits with him. We hung out a couple of times and had dinner. We jammed... just the three of us. It was a BLAST! Then Sheila came and a few of us played around with Te Amo... we were just in his living room with a guitar and piano... congas? And it was really nice. So, yes, we worked out a little arrangement together.
Wendy:
We thought that the Brits would be a great time for me and Lisa and Prince to show the world that we are stronger, bigger, better and truer than ever. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. There was no press and no direction from Prince to let the people know that was happening. So the result was no one knew that me and Lisa were even in that band! The last song of the night was "Let's Go Crazy" and the cameras were on the twins. It was a real bummer. But it is what it is. We hoped it would be different.
Unreleased songs during your time with the Revolution such as "No Light in a Large Room" and "All My Dreams" are fan favorites. Can you share any stories about the recording of these tracks or how the three of you would normally go about composing songs together?
Wendy:
We did an interview with VIBE that just came out and answered some of those very questions, but not the actual emotional story of our experience at that time. This was a highly volatile time for all of us. Prince was soaring into the stratosphere of stardom and we were working our tails off to make more and more music that was relevant. We had so much music that it would have been a disaster to release everything at once. At the time, it would've been seen as flooding the market and devaluing the very music we were making. So "The Vault" was created.
It all got away from us... from him... from our friendship.
We were young and sensitive and very proprietary about each other and the music and that led to difficult times.
Lisa:
I can never remember stories when asked. They usually just come up at strange times when something jars a memory... etc.
All I can say is that we spent so much time together. It was almost non-stop studio time, and all over the world. We would go from city to city looking for studios or hotel rooms with a piano. All we did was watch movies, eat, and write music. It was incredibly prolific. Everything was a song. Anything we thought of or joked about or felt would be written five minutes later into a song.
ALSO... at the time NEW GEAR was coming out. Prince got a FAIRLIGHT! This was the coolest sampler keyboard monster ever! We loved it and it inspired a lot of unique ideas. The type of songs that used sound FX and Flutes and orchestral samples... etc. It was a brand new box of crayons in a preschool with no grown ups around to tell us not to color the walls.
If Prince asked you to produce an album for him from scratch, what would you try to pull out of him that you haven't heard from him either of late or ever?
Wendy:
I have told him OVER AND OVER. I would do it in a NYC minute.
Lisa:
I would pull out more personal acoustic songs. Maybe get back to a more simple and raw expression without any worry about attitude, but only the innocent self discovery and honesty of self love, excitement of a beautiful chord, and softness that might be raging inside.
Like a picture of a prize fighter when he first wakes up in the morning.
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