All Grown Up
Apr 10, 2014 By Frank Valish
When one thinks of Lydia Loveless, Fleetwood Mac isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. The 20-something Ohio-born country punk has filled three albums with her own particular brand of Americana-laced rock and roll and, as her blistering live shows can attest, she doesn’t exactly hew to the Stevie Nicks style of flowing gowns and mystic balladry. However, on her third album, Somewhere Else, Loveless evidences a new, more sophisticated side. Lyrics are more nuanced. Guitar playing is more developed. Themes of drinking and sexual innuendo are (gasp!) toned down. The title track even echoes Fleetwood Mac, resembling “Dreams” from that band’s legendary Rumours. Time will tell whether Somewhere Else approaches such legendary status, but for now, suffice it to say that with this album, Loveless has created her masterpiece. She sat down with Under the Radarjust prior to the album’s release to discuss artistic growth, the dangers of being pigeonholed, and why she’s still obsessed with the innuendo.
Frank Valish (Under the Radar): What’s the build up like, waiting for the record to be released and the tour to start? Are you able to relax, or is it anxiety-provoking?
Lydia Loveless: It’s very much anxiety-provoking. But I’m just a super-anxious person anyway. But I think lately it’s been pretty bad. I’ve been waking up and wanting to throw up, and I had no idea why. I think I just realized as you asked that question why that keeps happening to me. Just thinking about how I’m going to be in a van for six weeks with no escape from the people that are also in the van with me is anxiety-inducing.
When and where did you write the songs on this album? Did you write them when you were touring?
I would say it was about half and half. I’m constantly touring, so probably a lot of them were written on tour. But I would say that this is the most I’ve ever written while actually on the road. I wrote a lot of them while at SXSW.
I read that you’ve said that these songs came very quickly for you. Is that different from how it was for you when you wrote Indestructible Machine?
Not particularly. I think I always have a big writing spurt right before I go into the studio. It’s almost like I have to give myself a deadline and then just book the time and hope for the best. [Laughs]
Read the rest of this interview here: Under The Radar Magazine