ROLE MODELS: Pegi Young

Suitcase of Songs

Probably half of them were written years ago. The oldest one was written around ‘73 and the most recent one was probably last year. “Fake” was written in the last five years. “Love Like Water” is definitely one of the newest ones. I didn’t even play for a lot of years. I was taking care of a lot of things, but I had this little brown suitcase that was my mother’s and had a lot of these lyrics tucked away in there. From time to time I’d pull them out. Some of them were written as songs and some of them were written as poems. Like “Key to Love” was just a poem at first, and I wrote that around ’73 or ‘74 when I was living in my tee pee. But these lyrics really stayed with me.

Suitcase of Songs

Probably half of them were written years ago. The oldest one was written around ‘73 and the most recent one was probably last year. “Fake” was written in the last five years. “Love Like Water” is definitely one of the newest ones. I didn’t even play for a lot of years. I was taking care of a lot of things, but I had this little brown suitcase that was my mother’s and had a lot of these lyrics tucked away in there. From time to time I’d pull them out. Some of them were written as songs and some of them were written as poems. Like “Key to Love” was just a poem at first, and I wrote that around ’73 or ‘74 when I was living in my tee pee. But these lyrics really stayed with me.

Poetry to Lyrics

I would write poetry and all kinds of other creative writing and stream-of-consciousness. It’s such a great way to express yourself.

The Road

Well, [“The White Line and the Sun”] is the oldest song on the record. I wrote that after I’d done a big, cross-country hitchhiking trip. There is a mystery about the road and it’s a place where your mind can wander. Things are passing by you, but you’re sitting still. I think it’s one of those recurring themes. I think it’s a really safe place.

Motion Fuels Expression

When you’re home or you’re working, your mind just isn’t allowed to just roll on like it does when you’re watching the scenery go by. You’re hurdling through space but you’re not really moving. I wrote a song called “Sink or Swim” that’s not on this record but it’s on Neil’s [husband Neil Young] website. That’s one that I wrote on one of our many trips across the country by air last year. It’s that dreaminess, that ability to just get dreamy while you’re looking out the window and you see something…and it makes you think of something else, and all of a sudden the words are just flowing out of you.

Old Song, New Interpretation

I never have heard Jimmy Buffett’s version of [“When the Wildlife Betrays Me”], even though he is one of the writers on it. Will [Jennings, co-writer] sent the song to my producer, Elliot Maser, as something I might consider doing…and I loved it. I’m kind of glad I didn’t hear it so I could just make it up [laughs]. I can’t remember if I saw it on paper and just figured out a tempo or what [laughs].

Elvis & The Jordaniares

I can’t say that he influenced me musically; I was a little young for Elvis. I knew who he was, but what’s really cool is that The Jordanaires sing background on “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet,” and I mean, that was the sound behind Elvis. So when we first got that song, one of the guys from Nashville who was working with us in the studio-named Rob Clark, who was a huge Elvis fan-said, “Oh man, I hear the Jordanaires on that.” We went back to Nashville to mix it, and we were listening to it with Chad Haley, who did all the engineering on the record. He was like, “Man, I hear the Jordanaires on that.” So I decided we’d better call the Jordanaires [laughs]. They were in the phone book, which blew my mind. They were magnificent, and it was such an honor to have them sing on my record.

My Faves

One of my favorite songwriters on the planet is Lucinda Williams. I just think she goes so deep. She’s amazing. I tried one of her songs that I didn’t put out on this record, but it’s in the wings, and maybe it will come out on the next one. It’s called “Side of the Road.” I love Willie Nelson. He’s an amazing songwriter. Some of these songs people have done, like Patsy Cline singing “Crazy”…you’d always think that she wrote that, but it’s like, “Wow, Willie wrote that, too?” JJ Cale is another one that I love. I wanted to try one of his songs on this record, and that song “Magnolia”…that just kills me. That song’s so good

Young’s self-titled new album was released June 12 on Warner Bros. and is available online and at retail locations.