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First off, I have to tell you that I listen to a lot of music with my job and I interview a lot of artists that I might respect but not enjoy, so I must say it’s quite a pleasure to interview an artist whose new album I am thoroughly enjoying.
Well, good!


This doesn’t happen all the time, and it’s more fun this way.
Oh, good! Excellent.


Tell me about your new album, Late December. What were some of the idea triggers that sparked some of these songs?
God, you know… Idea triggers… For instance, the lead track – the title track – that my husband wrote it. I went away to do a little tour in Europe. Sometimes he doesn’t come along, even though he’s the leader of the band. Sometimes I just go by myself … with my girlfriend and we just do like an acoustic thing. When I got back he had that track and it was written, but it had no lyrics and no melody. He told me that he had a big thing for New York in the winter time and he liked the title “Late December.” That was sort of how that one kind of came about. I tried to imagine when I used to live there. He sorta painted the picture for me in a sort of cinematic way and it was up to me to put the lyrics together. You know, writing songs is a very mysterious thing. It always has been for me. I hear something in my head and I hum it at three times quarter. Or I’ll just sit down on the piano and start fiddling around, you know. So, it’s, like they say, it’s different every time. There’s no formula for me. I’m just sort of held captive by inspiration.


What inspired some of the stories, like “Cat in the Wall?”
For me I was going through a period where I felt really abandoned by my friends and family (laughs), and I felt … there was times when I was sort of locked away writing and I feel like I’m going nuts. You wonder – you feel like you’re living in a glass house and people are looking in – ‘What do they see?’ How do you describe what they would see if they could see? It’s like clawing skin away. It’s an odd feeling. Writing can be a very existential experience. Sometimes you feel as if you’re metamorphosizing, I guess, into a creature, almost.


That’s fun. That’s a good one. “Starving Pretty” could be construed as tragic in ways… I have to admit, I haven’t quite figured it out, even after 7 or more listens. What’s this story about?
Oh, it’s just about a decaying relationship. I like to sort of describe things that are really horrific about the human condition that’s almost like a comedy manner. Lives, like all calloused – even the dialog, where people are very polite to each other, but what’s really going on beneath the surface is a lot of perjury and animosity.


Who are some of your favorite Motown artists? Why?
The Supremes. I think Diana Ross is extraordinary. My husband and I – whenever we listen to Smokey Robinson, we get very excited. Marvin Gaye. Some of his later records are amazing. Stevie Wonder. Inner Visions is one of my favorite albums.


When artists get together with their peers, sometimes the conversations can be fun. When they complain to each other, they often know they’ve got a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. Now, if you could go back and replay a few such conversations, what sort of things might you have complained about 20 years ago … 10 years ago … and now?
Oh, wow! That’s a great question! 20 years ago? I’m trying to think back to 20 years ago. Man, that’s a real good question. I think 20 years ago I would have been really complaining about the lack of imagination in the media and the radio programming here in the States – as opposed to Europe. You know, I was probably on tour, probably with my first solo album. I remember 10 years ago I was quite amazed that it seemed that the media and radio programming had opened up quite a bit only to have it be further compartmentalized and categorized. By, sort of bringing the alternative and the underground overground and suddenly everything was ‘alternative’ and nothing was alternative anymore. So, if you were really outside the norm, then it was even harder (laughs) for you as an artist – the alternative of the alternative. But with Nirvana it was kind of everything we’d always hoped for happened. It was sort of like the punk rock kid next door made it big, you know. And then, before you know it, there were all these bands that were just basically copying Nirvana – only without the real soul. It turned the music world on its ear in a way. I don’t know if it was for the better. I guess now, for me, I don’t really feel… I don’t have a lot to complain about, because I’m working outside of the major label system and I have so much freedom. I can make an album any time I want and I can make any kind of album that I want – as long as I have somebody to put it out. It’s great. I have what I always wanted, which is freedom and creative control. And confidence to do what I want.


Speaking of freedom, who are some people in your life that have set you free in a way to pursue creating the art that you wanted to?
My husband – more than anyone – has his musical and technical abilities to make it possible to work at home any time. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have a band to perform with, because they were his band. He manages me. He liaisons between the record company and me, the touring agent. He does everything. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have a career right now! Having this great band. We don’t have them on retainer. We let them come and go as they please. Sometimes, like on the next tour we’re going on, some of them can’t make it because they found another job, so we’re going out as a power trio.


How are you going to do some of the backup singer vocals?
Well, I have a friend who’s going to come and sing the background vocals. But we’re not going to be able to replicate the album – at all, really. We do our own versions of the songs. Sometimes three people can make a really good sound – especially with this rhythm section.


You had the chance to perform on Saturday Night Live with Lone Justice. Tell us about that moment. How did it feel? What did you notice? What do you remember?
It’s unfortunate that the period that I had the most visible success, I was always in haste. You’re young and stuff is happening for you. There’s always these little complications that prevent you from enjoying the moment. I felt completely overwhelmed and overworked and terrified. I was sick. I had laryngitis. I could barely sing. I see these artists today and I feel for them. I remember when Fiona Apple was kind of going through her moment where she felt lost a bit in the public eye. She was around the same age as I was and my heart just goes out to her. I know how that feels. You feel completely overwhelmed. A lot of times you’ll hear an artist where their work is more than entertainment. You think of it as an expression of, you know, what’s really going on for you as a person. It’s hard to have everybody looking at you! (laughs) I find that I’m a little more comfortable sort of working under the radar. However, now that I’m older and more confident, I think I could handle it. I could probably go on Saturday Night Live and not be terrified and worried and overwhelmed. I could probably handle it and encourage more of the crowd … or at least try. It took a long time.


Some of that stuff doesn’t come easy. What are some of your as-yet-unfulfilled dreams?
Oh, gosh. I’d love to play Carnegie Hall (laughs). I always had a fantasy about it when I was a kid. I recently started writing plays, and I really, really enjoy it. I would like to see one of my plays realized somehow. I wrote a musical and now a non-musical. Travel is a big thing for me. I would love to see the world. I don’t know. Spend more time with my God-children.


Cool. Some of the songs on Late December kind of sound almost Broadway…
Yeah, that’s kind of a dividing line for people. Some people are along for the ride and others are like, ‘Oh no!’ It’s sort of an anathema, really. They don’t want to know about it. It comes very easy for me. It works with my voice and I genuinely enjoy a lot of that stuff – in particular Stephen Bernhardt. He is my favorite. I don’t enjoy just any old musical – just sort of a narrow band is an influence for me.


That’s funny. I’ve had some similar conversations with a friend. He doesn’t quite enjoy it, but something about those songs really resonates with me and I just am thrilled with it.
Yeah, it’s funny. Some people really don’t like it and the ones that do really see it as almost refreshing in a way. Not many people can pull it off. That’s why I enjoy it. I really actually love artists who can bring it into the rock and roll genre – like Bowie … and even Meatloaf (laughs). And Bruce Springsteen did it, too. Born To Run is very thematic and magical and beautiful and ambitious in that way.


How does a person nurture a healthy spiritual life in the sometimes harsh realities of the rock and roll entertainment industry?
Well, I’ve always been a Christian and always tried to maintain those values personally. I think that … I have theories about it. I think that… I really think that it’s difficult to be largely, largely famous and have a lot of money and maintain a Christian value system. (laughs) It’s next to impossible. Not that it’s held me back in any way, but maybe it has for a brief time. It’s almost like I’d be selling my soul. Because power brings you to your knees – and not in a good way. But, because of that I live a pretty quiet life. It’s so short. It’s a lot of ego. The temptation from the outside – whatever it is, drugs or sex or whatever – for me it’s more of an ego thing. It’s more of being brought down by self reflection and just getting lost in the house of mirrors and sort of forgetting the core issues and really remembering to be grateful and to live with gratitude.


You mentioned hard work. That’s pretty cool. It’s not something any of us likes to hear, though. We wanna hear, like, an easy formula.
Yeah…


Fill us in on the short version of the creation, the career, and the end of Lone Justice. What were some defining moments in each of these phases?
The creation was just Ryan Hitchcock and I really just enjoying roots music and sitting in my house with my mom and my brother and listening to records and hanging out, eating Mexican food. It was something you love to do and it’s fun and it’s innocent and we were young. For some reason, when we started playing around, we just got a lot of attention from a lot of powerful people and it spun our heads around. The next thing we knew we were being sighted and brought to the public eye as, like, this ‘greatest thing since I don’t know what. It was too much for us. We were so young. We came from, like, this sort of punk rock background, where we really wanted to change the world with our music. And instead I think we got sort of caught up in what it takes to ... And we were sort of influenced by people who tried to make money from the band, and everything got confused. The band broke up and it was horrible! (laughs) Some of the members are still reeling from it. It was hard for them to get past it. When you’re, like, 19 years old and you’re in this recording studio in New York and Bob Dylan is there and members of The Rolling Stones and (laughs) everybody’s hanging out and playing on your record and you’re just kind of going, ‘How did I get here?’ And then I was just sort of going from the band. I just rebelled and moved away. I moved in Ireland when it was all over. I left town. That was that.


Well, imagine if mass communication was about to stop and you were booked to play a concert that was to be the last broadcast – possibly ever – what would be on your setlist?
Whoo! Actually, I don’t know. I’d probably do several of my brother’s songs. Probably some spiritual ones – the ones that he wrote when he left rock and roll. Probably a lot of songs off Life is Sweet. That’s one of my favorite albums that I ever did. I’d probably do a cover of “Born To Run.”


It’s a great song.
Maybe “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” And then end it with “Amazing Grace.”


Cool. Tell me a little bit about your brother and his songs.
Well, you know, he was in this band called Love and they were a very influential band from the 60s. They’re still writing about them. They always make the “Desert Island Top Ten Albums” by music journalists. He wrote their biggest songs. He was my biggest influence – personally and musically. He taught me everything about everything … and then he died. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me. It was so sad. Later on he left. He stopped making rock and roll and he was doing, you know, Christian music. And that was when he died that was his life. That was all he cared about – was the Christian music. A lot of it was recorded and my mother released it on her website, because she wants it to get out to people. She feels that it’s very important, because he definitely had a spirit that was very powerful and working in his music.


What’s the website?
lizzymckee@aol.com Lizzy with a “y” at aol.com.


A lot of times, when you record an album and you come to the process where you’re doing interviews, you think about some core statements that you want to make or something that you want to communicate to an audience and maybe during this interview we bypassed opportunities to comment on that, so if we have, what would you like to tell our readers now about Late December?
Late December is an album from a couple of artists who are working together to get to the core of … ‘What kind of album would you make if you had all the time in the world and nobody telling you what to do and looking over your shoulder and you basically had a studio in your bedroom and you’re best friends and married … that kind of says it all. That’s what it is. We’re also the product of a generation of the post-music business generation. The music business is in shambles, but there’s a lot of people like us who are still doing it and doing it in a way that’s completely unfettered from any kind of corporate influence – sort of like a new renaissance in a way.


Wow, it’ll be interesting to see how we all get through it.
Yeah. As long as we can make a living, I’m okay. It’s harder and harder to come up with more and more clever ways to get paid, but as long as you’re not sacrificing the music, which we refuse to do. Meanwhile, I have to go haul my butt out on tour more, but as long as I’m with my husband, that’s okay. I hate leaving the dogs behind. That’s the hard part.


What kind of dogs do you have?
Well, I have a black pug, who’s my princess. My husband has an Italian Greyhound.


Cool. I’ve got a Shelty here with me at the office.
Oh, lovely!


We’re dealing with the whole thing right now. I just went to press with – it’s supposed to be our biggest issue of the year, we have a big convention that we showcase at and stuff – it was, like, dismal as far as ad sales go. I think it’s indicative with where the record business is right now, so…
Yeah, for me the most telling thing was when Universal made their entire catalog available for free. (laughs) And, in order to listen to a song, you have to watch a commercial first. That was like, ‘Oh! Okay. Yowza!’ Pretty intense. It’ll be interesting to see how it all pans out now.


Anything else you’d like to add?
Ummmm. I’m trying to think. I don’t know. We covered a lot.


Good deal. Well, I sure wish you the best. I hope I get to see you on tour.
Where are you based?


In Austin.
Oh, wonderful! My husband and I fell in love in Austin.


Oh, cool! It’s a great place. I’ve been here twenty-something years. I guess 26 years now.
Great place. I love Austin.


That’s where I sunk my roots.
Excellent. Alright.


Take care. God bless you.
God bless you. Thanks, so much. Bye.




For a special treat, check out the music of Maria’s dear departed brother, Bryan Maclean, who wrote songs for the 60s buzz band, Love, and then went on to write specifically Christian music later before his untimely death. [bryanmaclean.com]




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