The Right Time

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Too long...
Current mood: creative

I want to apologize to anyone who reads this and wonders why I have waited so long to write about anything. I have no real excuse, because the truth is, I think about writing every day...
The truth is, I get distracted. And the truth is, there's nothing I'd rather do than to write about the truth. The truth as I know it...
I'm sorry for letting myself believe that there were more pressing things to be done. It really only takes a few minutes to tell the story of my day.

So, here goes:
I am still on cloud 9 after our show at Molly Malone's on Wednesday night. It was so much fun! I live for that kind of fun. That is absolutely what I was put on this planet for.

Richard, the sound guy at Molly's, really put so much thought and care into making us sound great; and I appreciate that. I think about all the music he must hear, and I know his heart is HUGE to care like he does about us.

I had a really wonderful group of musicians on stage with me. My husband/ producer/ hero/ bassist, Mark Browne was playing bass, and had helped me put together this band. Cameron Stone played cello, Kiki Ebsen played keyboards and sang backgrounds, and Fritz Lewak played percussion. Each of them has such an intense resume, I won't even start to go into it. Basically, if I think of a favorite song over the past 10 years, one of them probably played on it...

Some of the songs I played, I've been playing for years. Some of them were newer, and a little scary. I felt with this group of musicians though, that even the mistakes would sound good ☺
The thing that I am always amazed by is that I can play a song a hundred times, and feel it like it's brand new every time. Playing it with different people always adds something special too.

And, of course, the audience is a major part of the equation. Sometimes when I'm singing about a certain emotion, I can feel specific audience members' connection to that emotion. It's amazing. I rarely can make out a face in the dark- maybe it's a subtle shift in posture, or something purely energetic. I always know which songs affected certain people in the audience more than others. And sometimes it's really intense! I get chills, and I feel it in a totally new way. There was a moment during "Heavy Heart" where I got chills. I guess that's just the power of music. It's a vibration that connects us all on such a deep level. Songs are just another way of sharing the story of what it means to be human…

We played "The Right Time," which I haven't performed much yet, but is the title track of the new record; and my voice totally cracked on the first line! WOW. I actually thought it was kind of funny, because it was SO out of the blue, and I was loving the way the song started off. It was like life's way of saying, "Hey! Pay attention!" and from that line on, I completely inhabited that song. The funny thing is, I think it's my favorite of the night. Just goes to show that perfection is so overrated…

Ahhhh, it feels good to write! Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening.

For clips from the show on Wed. night (4/23), go to http://www.youtube.com/lilywilson

Peace,

Lily

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Largo last night
Current mood: high

We went to Largo last night to see the Watkins Family band.  It was amazing.  We have a couple of friends who were playing with them, which is what inspired us to go.  Jay Bellerose and Greg Leisz, who have both graced my songs with their playing, were on stage, along with Benmont Tench, the Heartbreaker pianist, and Amy Mann's bassist Paul Brian. The band was incredible, and perfectly supportive of Sarah and Sean Watkins' beautiful music.  It was raining, and we had to force ourselves out of our cozy house after a long work day.  But as soon as we got there, I knew this one night of music would inspire me for a long long time.  We looked at eachother, laughing and shaking our heads.  Wow.  And it seems like the most amazingly gifted musicians are always the most humble.  Sarah's stage presence is so unassuming, and then she wails on the violin and sings like an angel.  Their harmonies have that heavenly blend that is so unique to siblings. I just felt really blessed to be witnessing such spontaneous creativity as the rain tapped on the roof.  There was a lot of improvisation.  Benmont played the most beautiful parts on that soulful upright piano.  The stage had the feel of someone's living room with a super cool jam going on.  Greg played lap steel, pedal steel, and dobro.  Wow.  I'm even more honored that he played on my CD now. 

Here's a little piece of writing I found in my coat pocket this morning:

I live for these moments when I feel like I'm RIGHT where I need to be.  When I feel good to the core- like there's no place I'd rather be.  A simple piece of heaven.  Right here.  Right now.  I'm here, at this magical moment on earth.  And the very best musicians smile bashfully at our crazy cheers.  They know- it isn't really them.  It's the beauty and the power of the universe coming through them...

Currently listening : Why Should the Fire Die? By Nickel Creek Release date: 09 August, 2005

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Yeppie Nation interview

I just read an interview with myself on Yeppie Nation's new on-line mag.  (Thanks to my street team for always being one step ahead of me :-)  I think this magazine is pretty cool.  They're based in San Francisco.  Check it out if you'd like:

http://yeppienation.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=372&Itemid=49

Currently listening : Back to Basics By Christina Aguilera Release date: 15 August, 2006

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Philip Sayce’s music
Current mood: artistic

I had the honor of singing on some brand new Philip Sayce songs in the studio over the weekend. What fun! He is one of the most hard-working, crazy-talented, and inspiring artists I have ever known. If you aren't familiar with his music, check out his page on my top friends. We sometimes get to be in Melissa Etheridge's band together, which is always a blast. This Wednesday night, we're both playing at Molly Malone's in West Hollywood. I go on at 8:00 and he goes on at 10:00. Philip's playing there every Wednesday night this month. Check it out!

Currently listening : Peace Machine By Philip Sayce Release date: 03 July, 2006

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Oh, the places you will go...

So, yesterday morning I put on my red raincoat and walked a few blocks to my neighborhoos kids' clothing store. It was brisk and gray, and it was actually raining- which is a welcome novelty in L.A. It was early for me, even though it was 10:00 a.m. We had stayed up till 3:00 recording the night before. I warmed up my voice as I walked.
I met Mark, Tor, the keyboardist, Marc Schulman, the drummer, and Vivienne Campbell in the back studio. We were there to play a free concert for kids (ages 0-5).
Vivienne plays guitar with Def Leppard, and we actually did an amazingly beautiful acoustic rendition "Hysteria." Remember that song?!?!??? Vivienne is an awesome singer. I got to sing the high harmony on it. The kids went crazy! They were shakin shakers and twirling- by FAR the cutest audience I've ever seen. The rest of the time we did Beatles songs, and a few of mine. It was such a blast. What a way to start a Sunday. I love my life...

Currently listening : Hysteria By Def Leppard Release date: 25 October, 1990

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The Los Angeles Music Awards
Current mood: accomplished

It was kind of a random way to be nominated for an award. I was asked by a booking agent to come and fill the slot at a showcase for the Los Angeles Music Awards because an out-of-town band had just cancelled. So, I took it. Why not? I sent out a few frantic emails to my peeps begging them to show up and make some noise, scrambled some of my favorite musician friends together to come back me up, and ended up playing a really fun show at the Palmer Room in West L.A. It was the last showcase of the year, and I ended up being nominated. (THANKS to everyone who was there that night!!!)
So, the main event, where they pass out all the awards, happened last Thursday night, and guess what? I won! Imagine that! "Best Adult Contemporary Female Vocal of the Year" for my song "A Little Life" which you can hear on MySpace, but won't be released until next year.
If you watch the awards on their website, mine is the second one given out, but it took me a while to get to the stage. It was a pretty hilarious comedy of errors, actually. We were told to be at the awards at 5:30 to sign in and to do the red carpet walk (ahem). So, when we got there, there was a beautiful line of nominated musicians winding around the block on Hollywood Boulevard, patiently awaiting their interview and red carpet walk. We ended up standing out there for two hours (I can't believe Mark didn't bail!), and making friends with some REALLY cool people (that's why he didn't bail.) We met Julie Gribble, and Claire Reynolds, both super sweet, super talented, and in my same category for the night. By the time we got into the theater (which wasn't easy even when we did get to the front door,) all we wanted was a drink, so we headed upstairs to the balcony bar. As soon as we entered the room, we heard the DJ announce my name over the loudspeaker, and then they started playing my song! "Come to the stage, wherever you are, Lily," he was saying. O.K. so we scramble down three flights of stairs and get to the door of the main room where the stage and all the VIPs are. But, apparently, I didn't have the right color wristband to get into the room, as I was informed by the huge security guard (who happened to have a VERY thick Russian accent.) I finally was able to sweet-talk another security guard at another door to let me in, and Julie, her friend Steve, Mark and I squeezed through and into the exclusive room. I found my way through all of the tables, and onto the stage, where the DJ and some pretty model girls presented me with a big plaque and took my picture. YAY!!! Then they ushered me off stage, took the plaque (said they'd send me one with my name on it), and pushed us through the door and into the cold concrete hall. Mark and I stared at each other. "Did that just happen?!??" I guess it did, because I was able to just watch it on the internet.
Thank you so much to The L.A. Music Award Panel, to my producer/ bassist/ hubby, Mark Browne, to my awesome band, James Harrah, Dave Beyer, Kiki Ebsen, and Nick Kirgo, and thank you Julie Gribble, and Claire Reynolds, and everyone else in my category. I feel very honored to have been in the same category with you!

Currently listening : Bella Donna By Stevie Nicks Release date: 25 October, 1990

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NYC with MLE
Current mood: accomplished

I'm just getting used to being back in L.A. and on a relatively normal schedule. Last week was a whirlwind! I feel so happy and blessed to have been a part of the promotion for Melissa Etheridge's new record, "The Awakening." The songs are so inspired, and everyone is so great to work with. I had high hopes of keeping up with my blog while we were in NYC, but I barely had time to eat a proper meal, much less sit down and write. So, here I am, piecing together all the bright light memories of our adventures in the big city…

We got to New York on a Monday. It was cold and dry in L.A. when we left, and it was hot and humid in New York. Our hotel was hip and tiny in Manhattan and we rarely saw it. We grabbed the little bit of time we had on Tuesday morning to walk up the east side of the park and visit our favorite little Italian café where they make the best espresso outside of Italy. Ahhh- coffee and perfect panini's with Bernie and Mark- a great way to start the week...

Our first show was Tuesday night at the Hard Rock Café in Times' Square. We performed "The Awakening" from start to finish for a DVD. It was a magical night. Melissa was amazing, and the band rocked. David Cole, who produced the record, was in the audience and said it sounded great. Sometimes it's hard to know how it sounds to the audience when I'm on stage with the in-ear monitors, because I have my own mix going on (with mostly the vocals.) The other cool thing that night was that Al and Tipper Gore were in the audience, and we got to meet them. They were so nice! They're huge fans of Melissa's music, and were raving about the new album. Apparently they were really rockin out in their seats…

The next day, we went to Tyra Banks, where Bernie and I were immediately shuttled into the hair and make-up room. Wow. I don't know if it translates on camera (it will air on Oct. 10th at 11:00 am), but I looked a LOT like Daisy Duke when I came out of that room. Huge wavy curls, and TONS of blush. We watched Melissa's awesome interview with Tyra (definitely worth watching!) from the Green Room, and then joined her on stage for "Message to Myself." That song is always fun to sing. I love the melody, and of course the super positive lyric…
That evening we did a special NARAS tribute to Bon Jovi at the Cipriani Ball Room on Wall Street. I had never been to that part of town, and was totally awestruck by the scale of everything. Security was really tight getting into the financial district, and there were guards and dogs checking our van for explosives. We also drove by the site of the Twin Towers, which was very heavy. It's a huge area, and it's impossible not to feel the loss of so many lives when you're near it…

The tribute was amazing. Melissa had chosen to do "Wanted Dead or Alive," and "Living on a Prayer;" and both songs shone like never before. I love the way we did "Livin on a Prayer"- really soft and heartfelt all the way through and then a rockin ending on that great chorus. I think I was actually most nervous for this show- probably because Richie Sambora and John Bon Jovi were sitting right in front of us… Of course they loved it though- Richie grabbed Philip on our way out and raved about his playing. It was all pretty exciting.

Day 3 was a 4:00 am wake-up for The Today Show. We set our cel phones, the alarm clock, and had 2 wake up calls from the front desk to make sure we would get up. Once we were out on the street, it was actually beautiful. I so rarely see that time of day, but I do love it. The sunrise was amazing. I usually have the job of singing Melissa's parts at the sound check before she gets there, and for this one, I had to sing "I'm the Only One" at about 6:30 am- NOT easy! Every time I sing one of her songs, my respect for her pipes grows tenfold. Of course she and the band blew everyone at the show away with that one, and "Message to Myself" was awesome too.
We had a little nap at the hotel after that, and then piled back in the bus to go to David Letterman. For this show, I had had to buy a special sweater, because the set on Letterman is extreeeeemely cold (I think about 45 degrees). It was so surreal being on that stage. During sound check, Paul Schaffer came up and introduced himself and complimented me on my singing (woohoo!) The lights were bright (too bright to see the audience), the air was brisk, and the sound was amazing. I didn't get to actually meet Dave, but I did exchange a friendly wave. The whole thing was over way too fast…

The next morning was another super early wake-up for Regis and Kelly, and by that time, singing "Message to Myself" was second nature. Melissa nailed it again, and we went back the hotel for our luggage and then off to the airport…

I still haven't seen all of the shows we did, but have been getting the sweetest emails from friends all over the country. Thanks for all of your support and for tuning in! I love working for Melissa. She has such a healing message to convey, and it's a great thing to be involved with. Love and light!

Currently listening : Undiscovered By James Morrison Release date: 13 March, 2007

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Singing backup with Melissa
Current mood: awake

This spring I had the amazing opportunity to sing on Melissa Etheridge's new record, "The Awakening," which will be out September 25th. We've recently been doing some promotion for the album, including this show for Yahoo Live Sets:
http://music.yahoo.com/ar-314766---Melissa-Etheridge
Click on "Full Concert" under "Music Videos" to watch it. To pick up where that ends, click the "The Universe Listened..." link. If you can only watch a little of it, I recommend clicking on that 3rd link with "The Universe Listened..." It's pretty exciting. Melissa is such an inspiring songwriter and performer; and this new album is truly amazing.
We'll be doing some T.V. promotion later this month also:

9/26 Tyra Banks show
9/27 The Today Show
9/27 The Late Show w/ David Letterman
9/28 Live w/ Regis & Kelly

Other than that, I've been recording more with Mark Browne in our sweat lodge of a home studio for my upcoming record (any day now...), growing cherry tomatoes in the back yard, and writing, writing, writing...

Life is good.

Currently listening : The Awakening By Melissa Etheridge Release date: 25 September, 2007

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My Record Label.net
Current mood: busy

I love it when I meet someone in the music business who is actually doing something on behalf of musicians. Travis Allen, who recently started My Record Label, has a great vision. He has set up a super cool web site (http://www.myrecordlabel.net) where independent bands and artists can post their music and videos; and then fans can come and vote for their favorite artist, listen to the radio station, download new and unreleased songs, and find new music. When someone downloads one of my songs, I actually get to keep the whole dollar. So, my plan is to get this out to a million people asap :-0)....
Right now, my new song, "One Suitcase" is at number one on the song chart. If you rate it well, it might stay there for a while...
Seriously, check it out: http://www.myrecordlabel.net

Currently listening : Easy Tiger By Ryan Adams Release date: 26 June, 2007

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