Lily Wilson: Journal

Thank you so much to every body who has pre-ordered The Right Time!

I am so honored to have so many great fans that want to support my music. Your pre-order makes a HUGE difference in my life! It takes a lot of time and work and love and work and time and money and work and money and more love to make a CD; and I am so proud of this one. I can't wait to get it into your hands!
(Just click on "Add to cart" on the homepage to pre-order "The Right Time."

I’m flying across the country today. I’m praying for peace. I’m feeling the joy of millions and the heaviness of our place on this earth. What a beautiful place we have here. How fortunate we really are. I’m leaving the smoke and bursting into the desert. I’m meandering with the green river that cuts through Arizona’s red, red rock. Slicing it’s own perfect route through the stone- slowly, steadily, finding it’s way back to the sea. I’m skipping over a desert thunder storm, and am suddenly reminded that I’m a human in a big steel tube bouncing along with a couple hundred others. My heart skips a beat. That was a big bump. Up here, above the clouds, a dark and brooding storm is beautiful and soft and white, but it still jostles the plane.

I peer down at our beloved Rockies. I see snow. It has been a while. Chocolate mountains with feathers of white like an eagle’s. They remind me of the place where the white feathers meet the dark feathers at the base of a bald eagle’s neck. Like an eagle, I fly; and I get to look down on the beauty. Now just clouds and more clouds.

The new Coldplay album is in my ears. “Cemetaries of London.” Wow. What a song. God is everywhere. I remember when a toothless and joyful old woman in Chile said that to me with such conviction and elation. She pointed to the fruit tree in her humble dirt yard. She picked an apricot and shared a piece of God with me. “He’s in the dirt. He’s in my blind eye,” she said. “They go searching to see God in their own way,” goes the song.

Now, the farms. The green circles and half circles. The patterns that shape the sustenance of so much of the world. Please, never let us forget how to grow our own food. Never let us forget of the miracle of planting a seed and watching it grow. These crops that offer themselves up gladly for our survival aren’t afraid to grow again. They all reach towards the sun without hesitation. They never question their own beauty the way we humans do. Working with plants keeps us in touch with the cycles of the planet. Farmer’s know what’s in the soil, and where to find water. My dad’s a farmer, and I’ve learned to rely more on his weather forecast than on that of the news. Farmers and sailors just know. Their lives depend on it.

Now we’re on the other side of all the clouds and over lake Michigan. Small ocean lakes in the middle of our continent. When you’re flying over them, they really do look like oceans. I don’t see any waves today. The light is different over here in the east. It’s a little older, wiser, and a little more set in its ways. The light here above the clouds even, invokes visions of sturdy brick buildings and clock towers. Civilized navy pea coats and hearty meals. I’m a stranger in the east. It never feels like home, and it excites me. I wonder who I would be if I were from here. I’d probably be a photographer. I’d shoot things in this beautiful old light, and in a studio in a loft in an old brick building. In winter, I’d walk, holding the collar of my pea coat tightly around my neck, and I’d be comfortable in the freezing air. But I’m a guest here. I look with wonder and try to fit in a little.

I'm posting Meet Me in the Middle- all done! It's all mixed, mastered, and polished for your listening enjoyment. More info on the release of the new CD coming soon...

Greetings from the edge of the "Wild Fire!"
I'm home visiting my family this week, and all weekend this fire has been surrounding us. They've evacuated the other side of our little country road, and all the roads in our area were closed over the weekend- if we left, we couldn't come back in. The smoke is really bad. Today it's 40% contained, and they seem to have a better handle on it with cooler temps and fog coming in. To top it off, my 4 yr. old pup- cattle dog was bitten by a rattle snake on Sat. morning, so we had to take him to the emergency vet, and then we couldn't get him back from the vet till this morning at 6:00. He's O.K. now and back at home. He looked like he had a cantaloupe in his cheek on Saturday. They still have road blocks everywhere, and I guess they're stepping up the support this morning. Arnold is supposed to make an appearance just down the road. There are over 400 fires in Northern CA right now because of the crazy lightning that came through Sat. morning. I'm so ready for some peace.
Music is what gets me through times like this! I have my old Martin in the closet here, and it always comforts me to play...

I listened to the latest mixes for The Right Time this morning in the car, and I'm starting to get really excited about putting this CD out to the world. There's a song on it called "Sweet Time," that I wrote with Mark Browne and Debra Davis. That one is my current fave. Debra Davis, Bernie Barlow, and I sang backgrounds on it. I LIVE for singing group harmonies around one mic.

There is something so inspiring and magical about feeling your voice blend with others. I think it's a healing and necessary thing, actually. I think we don't sing together enough in this culture. Humans have been singing together since the beginning of time. Let's bring it back! Be prepared for many sing alongs on the new CD. And in concert. Sing, sing sing... It's good for you. (Even if somebody told you you can't hold a tune...)

Here's a clip from my last show at Molly's with Cameron Stone, Kiki Ebsen, Mark Browne, and Fritz Lewak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGt5h_ZDlwQ
we're playing "The Right Time"- the title track. This was a super special night...

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

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

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

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 website: http://www.philipsayce.com 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!

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...

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!

Speaking of You Tube...
I have an official page there now, and there are a lot of clips from my shows posted on it. Check it out: http://youtube.com/lilywilson
Become a subscriber, and you'll get an email when we post new things...
http://youtube.com/lilywilson

Thank you to everybody who either watched the web-cast, saw it on youtube, or was actually there in person on Saturday night. That was so much fun! Sometimes it's so right to strip the songs down to their essenses and to remember how they sounded when I first wrote them. Kulak's is perfect for that. It's such a beautifully intimate room, and I love the sound there- no distractions distractions. I also love that people can bring their dogs and snuggle up on the big bed in the middle of the room. It's so cozy! thanks to Debra Davis and Jim West for adding their magic to the night. I'll be playing there again soon...

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!

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.

I'm so excited to have a NEW SONG to share with all of you!

I wrote "One Suitcase" after I had a dream that I was waking up in a
strange place as someone else. I knew that I had fled a disaster,
and I knew that I had lost everything except for the suitcase at the
foot of the bed. I could tell I was at a friends' house- far from
the home I had known my whole life. The precious things in my
suitcase had taken on such a new importance, as they were all I had
to remind me of the past.

I'm really grateful that this song came to me in this way. I wish
they all did ;-0)
I have never been to New Orleans, and actually don't know anyone who
went through Hurricane Katrina, but through the dream, and through
writing this song, I have developed a much deeper compassion for the
people who are still dealing with the loss of their homes. When it
comes down to it, all any of us really have is what we can carry.

I recorded this track with some amazing Nashville musicians through
My Record Label. I love working with this label. Their motto is
"Empowering the Independent Artist," and they really mean it. If you
download "One Suitcase," or any of the songs that we'll be posting on
the site, the money actually comes straight to me. They don't take a
cut. They just want the traffic.

Right now, "One Suitcase" is at number one on the home page, which is
pretty great. I hope you will go to http://www.myrecordlabel.net and
check it out.

They also just put up a video clip of my performance at El Cid in
Hollywood last Saturday night. If you click on my name under the
song, it will take you to the video.

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)....
Seriously, check it out: http://www.myrecordlabel.net
Right now, my new song, "One Suitcase" is at number one on the song chart. If you rate well, it might stay there for a while...

WOW!
What an amazing day! 7-7-07. It’s the beginning of something big. A change for a beautiful future. People are waking up. People are coming together. People are realizing that we only have one planet to share and we have the power to destroy it in our own lifetimes. So, let’s not do that, O.K.? Let’s create ways of nurturing the planet. Let’s think about our impact. Let’s be conscious of our actions.

I was pretty nervous in the morning. I ordered a delicious breakfast of corncakes and eggs and I could barely touch it. What if I forgot my part? What if I walked out on stage with all of the cameras and 60 thousand people and fainted? Or what if I forgot the lyrics? Or fell off the stage?
The truth is I figured out a long time ago that if I think it’s about me and my little insecurities, then I will DEFINITELY mess it up. I feel really lucky to have witnessed Melissa Etheridge’s journey over the last couple of years. I know that her message is powerful and true. And I know, like she does, that it’s not really coming from her, but through her. She opens herself up to the magic and the beauty and the truth, and she doesn’t try to hold it back as it absolutely pours from her heart.

As I wrote about the coming day in my journal Friday night, I thought about what my part really was on stage with her. The thought I kept having was that it felt like I was going to attend a birth. I remembered the feeling of anticipation in the delivery room when my sister was having a baby. Everyone could feel the energy of a new life coming to earth. We were excited and nervous and blown away by the intensity. I held a vision of hope and peace, of health and positivity…

After Melissa introduced Al Gore, and the stage rotated around, we all hugged and laughed and felt a HUGE sense of accomplishment and relief. Melissa had nailed it, as usual; and we were all so happy to have been a part of the delivery of her message.

There is a link to watch the show on http://www.liveearth.org

So we're in New York and it's raining on the 4th of July. It's a beautiful thing to be in this soft air after so long in the sun. Los Angeles is a beautiful place, but we were happy to escape the 100 degree weather today. The sunrise was amazing as we drove to the airport, as the temperature was rising along with it. Now here we are in the big city. We're close to the park, and to Whole Foods, so I'm happy... We had the best Indian food I've ever eaten for dinner- super fresh and authentic. I've actually never seen this city so quiet. There was relatively no traffic on the way in from the airport, and we can keep the window open tonight and not be bombarded with the usual sounds of hustle and bustle. Who knew? Everyone is BBQing and watching fireworks I guess...
Tomorrow we have a day off in the city...

We’ve had a beautiful mother Mourning dove nesting right outside our bedroom window for a little over a month. She and her husband moved in and built a straggly nest in the rafter under the awning. Then he left, and she sat and sat on her two precious eggs for weeks. We wondered if we should maybe bring her some water or a little birdseed. She was looking VERY parched, when, a week ago, we spotted a fluffy speckled baby beneath her wing! Indeed, there were two of them; and they grew like weeds. About 5 days ago, Mama dove started going out to get food, and Papa dove came back to keep an eye on the little ones. Two days ago, she left for longer, and the babies seemed almost too big for the nest. I snapped their picture as they looked down at me and warily blinked their little black eyes.
Then this morning, Mama dove was in the nest, and the two babies were perched on the rafter. She watched and cooed, as they preened and stretched out their little wings. We knew today was the day, but we didn’t feel ready. It came so fast. He called me to tell me that Mama was in the magnolia tree, beckoning them to fly to her from their safe little home right outside our bedroom window.
I came home at dusk, and went straight to the window, as I’ve done everyday for the past two weeks. Their straggly nest was down to a few dangling pieces of dry grass.
I felt sad and happy and relieved and empty and worried and hopeful. Our baby doves have left the nest.