The Vancouver band parted company with their long-time label Epic Records following the release of their 1983 album Passionworks, which peaked at number 39 on the Billboard 200 chart. Passionworks and its predecessor Private Audition (1982) failed to sell more than 500,000 copies in the US, and within much of the music industry, it was believed that the band had long since peaked commercially. But, as Wilson reveals in conversation with Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan on his The Magnificent Others podcast, the group were picked up by Capitol Records thanks to the support of A&R man Don Grierson, but with conditions attached.
"He said, 'Well, I really believe in you guys, so come to Capitol and I'll help you find the right songs," Wilson recalls. "It was sort of presented like, You can do this or you can just say bye-bye. At that point we were we were using big-time corporate LA management, which is scary enough on its own. But yeah, it was a complete devil's bargain. The songs that we were presented with, you just kind of had to swallow real hard and and go, Well, there's something about the song I like, but it hasn't got any substance. That was the problem I had with most of the songs that we got in the 80s that we did. Even the hits." (Read the full story on Loudersound)
Ann Wilson Shares First Single From New Album, ‘Consecrated Ground’. It's her second studio collaboration with her band Tripsitter, and contains nine tracks. According to a press release, Consecrated Ground is a "fearless collection of songs that blends heavy rock, psychedelia, blues and raw emotional storytelling."
Ahead of the album's release, you can listen to its first single, "I Will Not Be Coming Back,"
Although Wilson is not presently touring in the traditional sense, she is hitting the road later this year to participate in events related to her upcoming documentary In My Voice, a trek that first launched earlier this year.
The film, which features home movies, photos and other never-before-seen clips from Wilson's personal archives, will be shown in various cities across the United States through early October. At each stop, Wilson and the film's director, Barb Hall, will hold at Q&A sessions.
"I'm something more than just that singer you see standing up there with the mic," the Heart singer recently told Good Morning America. "I wanted them to know about my life, my kids, my husband, everything."
Ann Wilson and Tripsitter, 'Consecrated Ground' Track Listing:
1. "I Will Not Be Coming Back"
2. "Bone Pain"
3. "Me and Comanche"
4. "Hard Fought"
5. "Ruby Rose (Lady of the Night)"
6. "Hot Foot"
7. "Dissonance"
8. "Renaissance Kids"
9. "Reverse Chaos"
