LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� A little too country for rock 鈥榥鈥� roll, and a little too rock 鈥榥鈥� roll for country, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has always played by her own rules.
That's never changed 鈥� even after November 2020, when she . Williams underwent grueling rehabilitation, eventually leading to her , 鈥淒on鈥檛 Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You,鈥� and her album, 鈥淪tories from a Rock N Roll Heart." The latter, released earlier this summer, features contributions from Bruce Springsteen, his wife Patti Scialfa, Jesse Malin, Angel Olsen, Margo Price, Jeremy Ivey, Buddy Miller, and more.
鈥淭he recovery part is really hard because you get impatient,鈥� Williams told the Associated Press. 鈥淵ou want it to happen all at once.鈥�
On Saturday, Williams reaches another recovery milestone: Her 2023 tour kicked off at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
In a phone interview earlier this year, Williams spoke to the AP about her recovery, collaborating in new ways, and what鈥檚 in store for the future.
This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.
AP: You鈥檙e hitting the road for 鈥淪tories from a Rock N Roll Heart,鈥� since your stroke. Did the process of writing and recording change?
WILLIAMS: I wasn鈥檛 able to write how I usually write, which is with my guitar, because I haven鈥檛 been able to play. But I was able to make enough of a chord to make a note, and I鈥檇 figure out something in my head. And, you know, my friends jumped in and helped by playing the chords. It turned into a collaboration, a collaborative effort. So, in a way, it was a mixed blessing. We ended up with songs we might not have otherwise.
It ended up being kind of liberating to work with other people because I hadn鈥檛 really done it before, to that extent.
AP: And, I imagine, the chemistry had to be right 鈥� like getting to work with some really impressive collaborators in and .
WILLIAMS: Margo, we鈥檝e started to (become) really good friends. She鈥檚 in the same neighborhood we鈥檙e in Nashville. We were in the studio and I think (my husband) Tom (Overby) suggested seeing if she wanted to come in and sing some background stuff and she was excited about it. She鈥檚 just so fun to work with because she鈥檚 real enthusiastic, and, you know, she鈥檚 fun to be with. And then, Angel Olsen was in town already. She didn鈥檛 live here. She鈥檚 living in Asheville. But she was in Nashville when we were recording, so she came in and an added amazingly beautiful, really small little part vocal to 鈥淛ukebox,鈥� which I think just makes the whole song.
AP: It seems like you were never going to throw in the towel and stop writing and performing.
WILLIAMS: People are just amazed. They can鈥檛 believe I鈥檝e been going out and playing shows and I鈥檓 in the studio. I mean, I鈥檓 still doing the same stuff. I can manage things well enough. I鈥檝e got a lot of great help. I鈥檝e got a great band, two fantastic guitar players 鈥� they play, and I sing.
AP: Are you hoping to one day play guitar again?
WILLIAMS: Yeah. The physical therapist gave me hand exercises that I do. I kind of stretch my fingers out. I do about 50 of those a day with my left hand. And I do some with my right hand, too, just in case. It鈥檚 mainly the left side of my body that was affected. But, you know, I just try to think positive. I keep thinking, 鈥榃ell, I didn鈥檛 know if I was going to be able to walk across the room without falling down at one point.鈥� But I was able to, you know, I overcame that.
AP: At this stage in your career, I have to ask: Do you still feel too country for rock 鈥榥鈥� roll, and too rock 鈥榥鈥� roll for country?
WILLIAMS: I think the world鈥檚 caught up, with Americana, you know, that's exactly what that is. I wish they would bring back 鈥渇olk rock.鈥�
AP: What鈥檚 next for you?
WILLIAMS: Another album. We鈥檙e already talking about that.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
