Ann Wilson interviewed by KEXP

KEXP: What do you enjoy about playing live at places like the Emerald Queen Casino?

Ann: The main thing about playing a show, no matter where it is, is being with people. I don’t really qualify people in terms of the venue they’re inside of. When you’re up on stage, doing music, it’s really all about working and connecting with people. The rest of the world kind of goes away. So, I feel good about playing there. That particular show is going to be sold out and there’s going to be people I know there.

I’m doing two shows on the west coast partly because I’m going down to L.A. to start working on a new record. So I wanted to do a little playing with my band in the northwest before we break down and go to the studio. After the studio, we’re going into Paul Rogers mode. These are going to be the last two shows — in Tacoma and outside of Portland — that we’ll do the same thing we’ve been doing for the last year. Then we’ll be closing up one incarnation before we open the next. I just feel great about it.

KEXP: What can you tell me about the new record?

Ann: The concept of the record is that all the songs are written by people who just recently died. So, I’m honoring Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty and a few others. It’s just a really great experience to get to thank them and to get back in the studio on my own. It’s only the second time ever I’ll be on my own — I did a solo album in 2007 called Hope & Glory — so I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be working with the original Heart producer, Lex Luger, who did the first five records with Heart. He and I are getting back together, that’s going to be a blast.

More from this interview

Ann’s tour dates can be found here.