Many Lifetimes Over & Then Some…A Conversation with Rock Legend & Icon Bebe Buell (INTERVIEW)

Singer, model, author, muse, mentor, mother, grandmother…these are just a few words to describe the legendary Bebe Buell. With a voice that packs a punch with its soaring and powerful vibrato, bringing to mind the likes of Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, and Debbie Harry, Buell has carved a niche for herself with gripping albums like Hard Love, which just recently became available across streaming platforms, and emotionally heartfelt and releases like Baring It All: Greetings From Nashbury Park. In the midst of preparing for shows later this year and working on her new book, Buell was kind enough to sit down with Glide and chat about everything from performing to spirituality and finding her rhythm within the chaos of this past year. 

How has the last year been for you musically in regards to COVID? I know you’ve done some live-streamed shows during quarantine. What have you been up to lately?

I’ve booked my first show for October 21st in New York City and am bringing The Scent with me to New York City. I am very happy I’ve got a solid show on the books right now. Hopefully by October venues will be more full capacity. I live in Nashville which is already a lot more open than other places. I performed in a tribute for The Cramps and then several months later one for Sylvain Sylvain from the NY Dolls after he passed away. I’ve been also putting a lot of energy into getting my second book written in addition to mentoring The Scent here in Nashville.

The Scent is a project by Kurt Lowney–his voice is absolutely mind-blowing. So yes, I’ve been doing many things even though I haven’t been able to play a live show recently. I miss the stage because of the interaction and energy that comes with performing for an audience, and the feeling I get when I’m communicating with a group of people through music. I’ve also been growing spiritually– when you’re alone with your thoughts for so many hours a day, you really get to know yourself. Both my husband and I are vaccinated now. I believe in the vaccination– I hope people go out and get their COVID shot. My arm didn’t even hurt on the first one! The anti-vaxxers really get me upset. One positive about COVID is that it has helped heal mother earth a little. 

Can you speak more about your collaboration with The Dandy Warhols on Femme Fatale? How did that relationship with the Dandy’s first come about? 

I’ve known The Dandy Warhols since the ’90s. My daughter (Liv Tyler) loved the song Bohemian Like You and all those people. A few years ago they came through Nashville and I flippantly said to Courtney that we should do cover the Velvet Underground song, Femme Fatale. So when they came to Nashville and played the Mercy Lounge, I performed it with them and then played it on stage in New York at the Highline Ballroom. People really responded to it so we decided to record it and put it out as a single. COVID destroyed the first record store day release date and the second record store day, so when it finally came out I was elated. I also sang it on stage at the O2 Academy/Brixton London and that was an amazing high. They do a great version of the song sans whoever is singing. They’re all very talented musicians. 

Your career has been dynamic, to say the least. When did you start singing and who are your biggest inspirations? Your voice has a definitive raw and punk feel to it. 

Rock n’ roll comes from a place that is unexplainable. Iggy Pop and Patti Smith is the stuff I grew up on. I remember when Patti first started singing. I don’t really think about the technical side of singing but my singing is based on feeling. Not everyone that is a great singer has perfect technique. I get a little sad from people that only judge on the technical aspect. The first time I heard MC5 and the Stooges it ripped my head off in the best way. I love Arrow DeWilde from Starcrawler. She’s a great rock voice. When I was growing up, I was the only contralto in my choir. The nuns would always encourage me to sing and told me to be proud that I’m not a soprano. I like so much music– I like all kinds of music. Some days I just want to listen to chamber music. A good song is a good song. I miss the radio that used to play when I was a kid. You’d get Motown, then an Alice Cooper song would come on, followed by Blue Cheer. 

Your album Hard Love was recently added to Spotify. Can you talk about that a little bit?

After Ronnie’s passing, Wendy decided to close down the label (Niji Records) that the album is on. Hard Love can be streamed now, as people were wondering how they could listen to the album since it had just been sitting for a while. I tried to sequence my record so that it almost felt like you were reading a book from the beginning to the end. I like albums that you want to listen to from the first to the last song. 

You are a legendary artist and rebel in more ways than one. Did you have aspirations to become a musician before you got into modeling?

Being a musician was always my dream. I always wanted to be a singer. When Eileen Ford (Ford Modeling Agency) summoned me, that was the fastest way to get to New York City, the place I’d always wanted to be. I was able to make some money modeling so I could travel. I linked up with Todd Rundgren right away and dove headfirst into rock n’ roll. I wasn’t as attentive to my modeling career as my agent would have liked me to have been. They used to call me the rebel girl. In life, we have a certain destiny that we can’t argue with. Sometimes when I look back, I think I should have done that cover or signed that contract. To think I blew off a Glamour magazine cover to go on with Todd– but if I hadn’t made that decision, I would never have met Cameron Crowe. We become besties. We were the kids. He was 16 and I was 19. I made a decision to run around with rock people. I was running with my herd. It was sometimes difficult because I’ve always been a feminist. I hang out with people that get my soul. You go where your karma and soul lead you.

People that are control freaks miss out on a lot. I believe in past lives and reincarnation. We’re here to learn. There’s so much to this life that we don’t understand. I want to live as long as I can. I just want to be here as long as possible. I want to keep being on stage no matter what. I want to keep rocking that mic stand. Being on stage is a happy place for me. It’s all about the feeling I get with the audience. I consider it a gift that I can connect with audiences. Some entertainers struggle to do that. They’re frightened and they don’t know how to communicate. I’m so grateful that I have that gift and can share it with people. I love the feeling of getting a crowd excited. It’s so rewarding when people will tell me that they feel healed after hearing my music.

What brought you to Nashville? 

I got this bee in my bonnet in May of 2012. I didn’t even know where that bee came from, but I had this instant pull and infinity for Nashville. By May or June of 2013, we were living there. I love Nashville. People here help each other out. There’s some kind of special energy and vortex that pulls you in. Eight years later I’m still here. We built a house and don’t have any plans to move anywhere else. Nashville has become along with LA and New York one our music hubs. I’m surrounded by music all the time. 

A couple of years ago you released Baring It All: Greetings from Nashbury Park which I still find to be one of, if not the most heart-wrenching and emotionally charged albums you’ve released. Can you talk about the songwriting process behind that album? 

Jon Tiven has a studio in his house and he just suggested that we tried writing. The songs just poured out of me. Every one of those songs was written around a table in his kitchen. I had a lot to get off my chest with that record–it carried a lot of pain. 

I know your daughter Liv is in London. Are you looking forward to seeing your family across the pond or in the states soon? 

I haven’t been able to see my grandchildren in a year because of COVID. That has been awful. I think Liv is getting her second shot really soon so I’m hoping we can all reunite. I just want to get a little further along with the vaccinations. I’ve told my daughter to come visit when everyone feels comfortable. 

What do you find yourself listening to these days? Who can’t you stop spinning on your record player?

I really like Starbenders. Once you hear the song “Bitches be Witches” you can’t get it out of your head. I am obsessed with this kid Kurt of The Scent. He’s got one of the best voices I’ve ever heard. I also love The Struts earlier stuff. There is a band in New York called Beechwood that I like. I’ve been inspired by so much new music. I love Harry Styles– my taste is diverse. There’s so much to listen to out there! And I’ll always be a Dandy Warhols fan of course. They’ve stayed in the game for over 25 years. I really like listening to local radio because it plays all the local talent. I like the new Kings Of Leon record that’s out. Not to mention Jack White and Third Man Records. I adore him and everything he does. He’s one of the best rockstars. I like a rockstar to act, walk and talk like a rockstar. I’m also a huge Sarah Tomek fan. She was in Steven Tyler’s solo band and she was in my band. I love Margo Price too!

That’s why I get a little frustrated when people say there’s no good music out there. There’s never going to be another Hendrix but we shouldn’t want that. Every generation gets turned onto Hendrix and gets affected the same way. I think every 14 or 15 year old should listen to Jimi. There’s a lot of talented musicians out there right now making great music. 

Stay tuned for more show announcements from Bebe Buell stream all her albums across streaming platforms now.