Culture
Rita Wilson reflects on ‘Sound of a Woman’ journey, facing fears and sparking connections on tour
By: Ian Saint
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PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (WOUB) — Rita Wilson may be a celebrated actress (Sleepless in Seattle, Runaway Bride) and film producer (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Mamma Mia!) with a star-studded comedy revue (Celebrity Autobiography) currently playing on Broadway. But the Hollywood Walk of Famer tells WOUB that the musical journey she began in her mid-fifties is where she has most harnessed her creativity: “I feel I’m just finding my own artistic voice since I started songwriting, 14 years ago.”
Wilson’s 2012 debut album, AM/FM, was released 40 years after her network television premiere on The Brady Bunch. Sixth album Sound of a Woman is her most candid yet — both lyrically, and by recording her vocals alongside a live band. This week, Wilson launches her Sound of a Woman tour of City Winery locations including Pittsburgh (1627 Smallman St.) on Sunday.
“These are full-band shows, and I’m bringing strings. It should be pretty fun.”
Ian Saint: Pittsburgh was home to a special chapter in your film career. What feelings does Pittsburgh provoke as you bring your music there?
Rita Wilson: Pittsburgh was one of the most wonderful work experiences I’ve had. We were doing A Man Called Otto, a film I produced (starring husband Tom Hanks). I really felt connected to that city. It’s beautiful — so many rivers, that access to nature — but really, it was the people. Working with all these local crews; everyone was hardworking, lovely, helpful, loved their city. We were in the middle of winter, and peoples’ moods were still wonderful and cheery — I loved it. We walked a lot there. Pittsburgh brings back wonderful memories.
Ian Saint: You can understand how Mister Rogers was from Pittsburgh.
Rita Wilson: It makes complete sense, doesn’t it?
Ian Saint: I love this album’s instrumentation — “Whose Body Is This,” that searing synthesizer really underscores the feeling of dysmorphia. Even the shakers on “Marriage” makes me visualize walking through life together. You selected Dave Cobb as your co-producer, which is a very striking match-up after I’d just discussed Dave with The Oak Ridge Boys. What were your intentions with approaching the instrumentation and ambience?
Rita Wilson: Ian, those instrumentation associations are so cool — I love that. Dave and I became acquainted through mutual songwriter friends. He’s wickedly creative and inspiring. When he was in Los Angeles for the Grammys, we had lunch. He said, “I want to do something different with you. I want to record live.” I said, “No, that’d be too scary.” He said, “Why? You perform live all the time. You’re just doing it live in the studio.” I think when I get that scared, that’s probably something I should be doing.
Recording live really opened my eyes — it was encouraging for letting go of control. I sent Dave the album demos; he said “yes” right away and beautifully transformed them. I said “I need more up-tempo songs,” and he could transform a ballad into something that had lots of movement. He also has this encyclopedic knowledge of music, so that he can reference anything you want and throw stuff at you. (Recording vocals with live musicians) was so much fun, because you’re creating in real time. Dave creates the most beautiful, perfect environment to do that with the right musicians in Nashville’s gorgeous and iconic RCA Studio A.
Ian Saint: I love the lyrics. “Jury of One” could be my anthem; at one point in my life, “Better for Her” could’ve been too, although I’m not a “her.” Which songs were most challenging or revelatory to compose?
Rita Wilson: Hmm. I wouldn’t characterize this album as challenging to write. Amy Wadge and I co-wrote 9 of the 11 songs; it was so specific, what we wanted to say about “what is the sound of a woman?” That (sparked) conversations about voice, identity, courage, bravery, artistic voice. Even though we’re writing from (our) own personal histories or thoughts, and it’s targeted towards women, I had this beautiful experience. I was in England, listening to rough (tracks) on a 45 minute drive to give Dave notes — they didn’t have strings or choir yet. The driver was this young British man, very proper and quiet; he’d never talk in the car. But when the album was done, he said, “Is that you? You’ve made me very weepy. It’s like every story I’ve heard my mother, sisters, or girlfriends say — I’ve just never heard it put like that.” I’d never thought it could be received that way… That opened this idea that every man has women in his life.
Ian Saint: It’s uncanny you share this. I had a similar experience to him, watching the “Your Mother” video. We just lost my grandmother on Valentine’s Day…
Rita Wilson: Oh, I’m sorry.
Ian Saint: Thank you. Nana was born in Scotland in 1932, weathered WWII; and I’ve been contemplating how deeply her being an immigrant shaped me. Seeing your silhouette watch “Your Mother” on the projector, thinking about her growing up in her Greek village in Albania… it’s hard to express how that moved me.
Rita Wilson: Thank you so much. The questions we were exploring were: do our children really know us, and did we really know our mothers? Like you mentioned, the impact of my parents’ cultures — Mom being Greek, Dad being Bulgarian, and me being born and raised in America — has formed me in so many ways. You have a different appreciation when your parents come to a country because they want to live in freedom, escaping oppression or poverty. Mom was born in America; her father died when they went back to her Greek village in Albania when she was 4 years old, so they ended up staying in the village and not returning to America. (Her unique) idea of “home” — being born in America and getting back was very important, but this village she grew up in for 15 years was also “home” because that’s all she knew as a young woman — I carry all of that with me.
Even though my mom was my best friend, and she was 93, I still feel there were questions I wanted to ask. I wonder, “What would you ask your mom? And if you’re a mother, what would you want to tell your kids about yourself that you haven’t told them?” Because they come into the world and meet you as “Mom” — that’s it, you’re “Mom,” and they forget you had a very different life before. The response to that song has been beautiful. My wish for this album is to (spur) conversations with people you love, about all these things we go through.