Vicki Peterson: From the Bangles to New Journeys

Journey to Stardom: Vicki Peterson's Musical Evolution
In this episode of 'Almost Live Nashville,' host Tony Mantor sits down with Vicki Peterson, co-founder and lead guitarist of The Bangles.
Peterson shares her journey from high school music enthusiast to becoming part of one of the most iconic girl groups, and discusses her evolution as an artist.
They delve into her various musical projects, including her current collaborations with her husband and others.
Peterson also talks about her involvement in the Joey Song charity, her experiences in Nashville's evolving music scene, and her plans for future concerts and recordings.
Throughout the conversation, Peterson reflects on her expansive career, the importance of collaboration, and the joy of continuing to create music.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
Meet Vicki Peterson of The Bangles
Vicki's Musical Journey
Collaborations and Evolution
The Joey Song Charity Event
Upcoming Projects and Reflections
Conclusion and Contact Information

INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. Wild
Mantor Music BMI

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent. Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects. Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind-the-scenes staff, have fascinating stories to tell. Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories, which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories. This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing information on how they evolved into their chosen career. We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes, and hear from people who help them achieve their goals. Get ready for intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the fascinating world of entertainment. Hi, I'm Tony Mantor. Welcome to Almost Live Nashville. Joining us today is Vicky Peterson. She's the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Bengals, the all-female powerhouse that gave us unstoppable hits like Manic Monday, Walk Like an Egyptian, and the timeless ballad Eternal Flame. From her time in the 80s in LA to multiple reunions, platinum albums, and a legacy as one of the biggest girl groups in rock history, she's been riffing, writing, and harmonizing into our hearts for decades. More recently, she's been channeling that magic into heartfelt Americana projects with her husband, John Calso. She has a great story to tell, so before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors. Thanks for joining us today. I appreciate the time and the attention. Oh, it's my pleasure. Happy to have you here. I understand you started playing in high school and then it developed from there. Can you give us a little background on how you started putting it all together to ultimately develop into the group that you became?

SPEAKER_01 2:08

There's sort of a thread of continuity from my desires to make music in high school and play with my friends and my sister. And then that just continued into my college years. I left school. And at that point, that was right around the time uh Debbie and I met Susanna Hoff's, and we sort of shifted into being the bangs and the bangles.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

And of course, doing all this took a lot of time and a lot of work.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

It's not like one day I woke up and it's like, oh, now you're a pop star. You know, it was a it was a continued effort and something that was really, really important to me. Songwriting has always been very important to me. And playing music with people I like is a priority. And so it just it was just fun, you know, and we were very determined, young ladies, to make this happen and to do it the right way.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Yeah, I think that's just awesome. Now, what was the right way in your mind?

SPEAKER_01 3:00

You know, we weren't making demos and trying to get a record deal. We were playing out in the clubs and playing, you know, with everyone from, you know, black flag to Elvis Impersonator. I mean, we just were always, you know, we were we we're just doing it, you know, and had a really good time. And then and then we luckily did fall in with the right AR team and with uh Columbia Records and got very lucky.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

That's really good that you were doing it because you was enjoying it, because we really all do music because of the love we have for the craft. Of course. Having spent the last 30 years in Nashville as a producer working with singers and songwriters, I've witnessed the profound transformation of the city's music scene from its roots to the vibrant, evolving landscape that it is today. How do you reflect on the journey of your own music and career from your early beginnings and initial inspirations through the changes you've navigated to the artist you've become now?

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Uh well, probably like what you're seeing in Nashville. It's so different on so many levels. I'm a serial band member. I make that joke that I'm I tend to always work in a collaborative environment. And so right now I'm collaborating with my husband, John Cowstill, and then also both he and I have a collaboration with Bill Roomy with a band called the Action Skulls. And I'm still in touch with my bangle mates. We're working on uh various projects together.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

But I'm not in, I'm not married to a band right now. So that's what's different for me. I've always liked from like I was saying in high school, you know, like that was end all be all. This is all we're doing, this is important, this is it. We are, you know, monogamous. You know, it was really like that. And it was like that all the way through until 1989 for me. And, you know, and then I had that relationship with the Continental Drifters, although it it's an open marriage because we're all we're all involved with other musicians as well. So that's what's changed for me. It's not like I'm not focused on one band, one expression, one way of making music. So it's liberating, it's a different way of working, obviously.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

You've mentioned collaborating with so many different artists across various styles. How do you stay true to yourself and your own voice through all of that? Looking back, how has your evolution as an artist unfolded from when you first started out as a singer-songwriter to now, where you're working with people from such diverse backgrounds and crossing genre boundaries? A lot of artists tend to stay within their niche, but you've really embraced collaboration and versatility. How do you feel you've grown or changed as a result of this journey?

SPEAKER_01 5:29

Yeah, it's interesting. It's sort of sometimes I do have to go back and say, well, wait, where where am I in this? I was not a good collaborator in my early songwriting days. I was a solo writer and had to learn how to co-write, actually, which is a definite skill set. I now enjoy it very much, but with the acknowledgement that when you are collaborating, you are creating something that's very different than what you may be doing alone in a room. And you know, it could be a superior effort, you know, it often is something greater because of the efforts of your collaborators. But I've evolved, but obvious stylistic evolution for me has been my exploration into classic country recently. That is reflected in the the album that I made with John recently called Long After the Fire. And because half of that album is comprised of songs that were written by John's brother Bill, and he tended to worship the, you know, Roy Orbison, you know, Everly Brothers, all the old school guys in a country world. And we covered six songs of Bill's on our record. So several of them are very like, you know, one of us it's like full on country swing, you know. And so now playing that live is like that's a whole different thing for me. You know, that was like I had to learn how to do this. This is this is cool. Learn new things when you've been on the planet for a while.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

You just mentioned that this direction feels fresh and exciting. Something different for you. How have your audiences responded to this evolution? A lot of fans have known you primarily from the Bengals. Now they're seeing you step into this more collaborative genre crossing space. What's the reaction been like from your fans?

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Um, you would think they'd be confused and very welcoming, like extremely welcoming. I mean, I think it helped that we made a really wonderful sounding record, and I give the credit for that to our producer Paul Allen. He's a Nashville guy, phenomenal talent he is. He made us sound really good. So we made an album that we felt super confident about and proud of, and we go out and play these songs live, and people just are responding really beautifully.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Yeah, that's just so good. Now, out of all the things that you've done, and you've done so many different things here, what stands out to you? What are you really proud of?

SPEAKER_01 7:42

I don't know exactly. I'm very proud of the work that the Bengals did. I'm very proud of the band that we became and our perseverance. You know, I tend to be very stubborn, which I guess can is a can be a good thing as well. Tenacious, we'll say, let's say that. Just keeping the band together. I think I'm pretty proud of that. For as long as we were able to do that was pretty great. And then learning how to shift perspectives and look back on things with fresh eyes and with empathy and perspective, that's been a really nice thing. So I'm very proud of that. I'm proud of a lot of the songs I've written, but I'm not done. So I always say what's your favorite song is usually the one you just wrote.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yes, and you know what you just said is so very true. As active as you have been in this business, people on the outside looking in, they just do not understand the different things that you have to do, not only to evolve, but to stay consistent in what you're doing and creating. Also keeping the relationships that you've built over the years so that you can keep moving forward. That's a skill set all in its own.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Yeah, it can be it can be tough. I I'm sort of I often find myself in the role of the diplomat, you know, or I'm I'm Switzerland. Just I just am.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

Yeah, I get that 100%. I've been that way too, trying to keep everybody on the same page so that we can keep moving forward.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Yeah, we're good, we're good.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Exactly. Now let's look forward a little bit. Friday, January 9th, and Saturday, January 10th, you are performing at a show with others for a charity called Joey Song. I understand that you've done this one before. So what led you to get involved with this particular charity?

SPEAKER_01 9:28

I heard about it through some friends who had um participated, and the first time it was sort of I didn't know what I was getting into. And I think that's fair to say, and I think I think probably most participants say that when they first get there. And then you are just overwhelmed with love when you arrive. You are overwhelmed with love, with purpose, with direction, with musical chaos in the most beautiful sense, because people who come to see these shows, it's a phenomenal two or three nights of music, however many we get to do this year on several levels. But the big show with all these musicians on stage, you have to realize that most of us have not played those songs before. Some of them, some of them we're just sort of holding on, you know, for dear life, trying to remember what the well are the words. And that kind of chaos and energy is very propelling and very fun and very addictive. And the people who run the Joey song from the organization and the insane amount of logistical uh arrangements that need to be made to make this thing happen, again, so full of love and coming from an absolutely pure place of let's get this done, let's get this word out, let's get this money raised for this beautiful cause and help save some lives.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Yeah, sounds like a great cause. Now, how many years have you done this particular show? This will be my third. Your third. So you've seen it evolve from the beginnings all the way up to what it is today.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

Oh, yeah. I mean, the first year I really didn't know what to expect or what I was what my role was. And then last year, kind of it was fun. I kind of took the reins because we did a um like a bangles set. So I put together like a super group, you know, we had the most amazing female musicians on stage with me. You know, I had my angel choir, you know, with some of the women who were there and just you know, like rock stars of the 80s and 90s. It was a really special thing. So I was definitely more hands-on at that one, you know. That was like, okay, I can okay, this is mine. Okay, I'm gonna do this. Let's let's take care of take care of this. And Debbie and I kind of just let that charge. It was really fun. And yeah, as you do it, you know, over the years, you kind of show up knowing a little bit more about what to expect, and that's helpful.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Yeah, that sounds great. He compared it to musical boot camp.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

It is. It is, but everyone there is on the same level, um, even the experienced ones. You know, everyone's in a slight state of like, what's happening? And it's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Now, Friday night is just an acoustic night where you get to play and take questions and answers from the audience. That's a pretty great atmosphere where you can get a chance to actually meet and greet, so to speak, take questions from the audience and them get to know you a little bit more on a personal basis. They get to find more out about you, kind of like we are today on this podcast, getting to know you. Plus, they get kind of like the story behind the song. That's pretty cool. Have you done this before and how does it feel to do this?

SPEAKER_01 12:24

This will be the first time I do that. I participate in the folk storytellers night. I really wanted to be involved with it. So I'm very happy that I'm gonna be doing that this year. Because I love doing that. It's not too far afield from what John and I do on stage when we play out these days. It's we're just a duo. Sometimes we have a bass player with us, sometimes it's fun playing bass with us, which is fun. But we tell a lot of stories, you know, and we will answer questions if someone shouts out something, you know. We have a lot to say. We have to remind ourselves to shut up and sing sometimes. But um so I don't know. I'm really looking forward to that aspect and that that night of music.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Okay, if you don't mind, let's give them a little bit of a preview of what to expect. Have you picked a song yet on what you're gonna do to tell the story behind the song? This way they may be ahead of the game if they come to see the show live.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

Well, um, I haven't decided yet which songs, but I am gonna look back into my sort of deep bangle catalog, I think, for fun. I was thinking about maybe doing a song called Return Post is a possibility. I have to I you have to understand I have to relearn these songs because I haven't played them in 40 some years for the most part. And I need to spend matter of fact, that's one of my things that I'm gonna be doing this weekend is kind of sitting down and rethinking about these songs and re-educating them. But a song like Return Post is funny in that it it's kind of it's about well, it's not about ancient technology, but it refers to ancient technology because it was written on the road when I was touring with the Bengals, and I had a boyfriend back in LA, and it was all about writing, actually writing paper and pen letters, which one then puts stamps on and hands to the reception at the hotel and says, Will you please mail this for me? These are all words that are very, very old, old, old words. And uh you know, sort of thing. And just the idea, it's a it's really it's about communication, which I realize actually a lot of my songs are about communication and or the lack thereof. But it was a lot more challenging when you're on the road, you know, in the 80s. You'd call home if you were able to call home. For a while there we had have phone cards and you'd have to like punch in, you know, 17 a string of 17 numbers, and you have phone cards, and it would be a satellite call, so you'd have this delay in your phone call. So you'd be like, Hi, hi. I miss you. Yeah, I miss you too. And you're like, oh rewarding.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

I remember those days. Yeah, I remember going up and down the road and trying to get off and find a payphone and just anything that we could so that we could stay in contact. It was tough back then. Even though we went through those days and they were hard, there's still a little warmth to them when we talk about it for sure. Now you just mentioned that you've been sifting through songs that you've recorded and performed. You haven't thought about them for so long. It's been like what, 30, 40 years? You've got such a body of work. When you start listening to all the songs that you've done, performed, and ultimately released over the years, not just the hit records, but the album cuts as well. What's it like when you hear something that you haven't thought about for so long and you say, Whoa, that sounds pretty darn good. You have such an extensive catalog, picking any one of them is almost like saying, Oh well, I like this child better than my other child.

SPEAKER_01 15:48

There are many songs that are like, I have no idea how that goes. I just I remember the title. I you know, we recorded it and we released it, and I can't even think of what what key is it and where I even start. Yeah, it's it's funny because I could there's some people and I do know some people who are like this where they just they remember everything. They just never forget. You know, they could pick up a guitar right now and play play the song that you wrote when you were 19, you know, and you rehearsed it twice with your band, but you never recorded it. Go. I know people who can do that. I am not that person.

SPEAKER_00 16:18

Yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

So I do have to to go through a few things, but it's fun, it's kind of like a rediscovery. Yeah. You know, and then you listen to the record and you think, oh my god, I forgot we made that choice. That was such a weird thing to do, you know. And sonically, some of them really hold up well, and some of them are like, oh my, that is such an 80s snare sound, I cannot believe. You know, just like whoa.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

And it's a really great footprint of your past and your history. If you listen to what you've done throughout the years, all the records you've recorded, and then you listen to what you're doing now, you not only get to see how you evolved as a singer and as a songwriter, but you get to see how you evolved through the structure of the songs and how you told the stories throughout your music career.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

Yeah, absolutely. Well, I definitely found that when I was in a state of unrequited love, I was way more prolific. So it's kind of a um, you know, it's I'm happily married for 22 years and my songwriting is just You're gonna have to tell them to light the fire, right? I know we're gonna have to have to start fighting with my husband or something.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

So what's on the table now for the rest of this year once you finish up with the Joy Song concert?

SPEAKER_01 17:32

Joey Song starts off the year beautifully strong. I'm very excited about it. It's always really fun because it's always the weekend of my birthday as well. Last year, my birthday fell on the big night of our performance and cake that I came so close to smashing my face into, but I didn't. I really wanted to do that. So Joey Song is gonna be a great way to kick off the year. And then right after that, John and I go to New York City and we're playing a a show to celebrate the artistry of Jill Sobul on her birthday, honor and memory of her. And then we headline at a room called the Cutting Room in New York City.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Oh, yeah, great place.

SPEAKER_01 18:07

We start there, and then starting in February, we are on the road. I mean, we're sporadically, but we're gonna be in the Midwest, we're gonna be up in Canada, we're gonna be, you know, in New York State, we're gonna be in the south. So right now we are booking 26 and it's getting pretty robust.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Wow, that's really good. Are you doing mostly duo and trio, or are you still doing the band thing as well?

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Right now, just duo and trio.

SPEAKER_00 18:31

Well, that's a nice way of doing things because that's real intimate and it's not the full-blown travel schedule with a full band and then rehearsals and all the setup involved, sound checks and all that. So a duo and a trio, that's actually pretty sweet. It really is.

SPEAKER_01 18:47

I mean, we travel light and we are mobile and we're flexible and it's quick. I mean, we're like a 10-minute sound check. It's beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

Yeah, yeah, that's great. I remember those. So any recording and releases this year?

SPEAKER_01 19:01

Yes, we are definitely we've been involved in a few projects from friends. We contributed to a Christmas record that's coming out next year, but we're also thinking about maybe doing one of our own and working on some other projects together as a duo, possibly more action skulls. We're redesigning and rebuilding our studio here at the house, so that's gonna be a big project, but that'll be in the top of the year, and then we'll be able to use it all year long.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Yeah, so what's your home base now?

SPEAKER_01 19:28

Right now we're in California.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

California. Oh yeah. That's uh pretty nice. It's actually warmer there than it is here in Nashville today.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

It is. I know you guys are having a bit of a chill, uh, which I love personally. I mean, I lived in New York for two years recently and absolutely loved it. And so still kind of toying with the idea of doing that again as well.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Well, cold and snow, it's really good for short term, but when it's long term for months, that's when it's not so good. Well, I'm originally from Maine.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

Oh, yeah. Yeah. So this is nothing for you.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Well, it's still cold. It was like seven degrees this morning.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Yeah, it's chilly. It's chilly.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Oh yeah, absolutely for sure. Well, we're talking about cold weather, and that's definitely where you're gonna be with this show that's coming up here in a couple of days.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

But we want people to come because it's uh it's a very special weekend.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

Yes, it's not just a show for people to enjoy, it's also a show to raise money to help a lot of people that need the help.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

That's the best. I mean, that really when you asked about what what am I most proud of, that is one of the biggest gifts, you know, that you know, people will care enough to listen to what you have to say, and you get to maybe hopefully spread some hope and love. What's wrong with that? What's so funny about peace, love, and understanding, as a wise man once said.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Absolutely 100% correct. Anytime you can use your platform to help people, it's a win-win. So if you would give the listeners a little information about you on how they can contact you and keep up with what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

Well, I hope you just stay in touch with me. Um, I have Vicky and John music on socials, and I have my own, you know, Vicky Peterson pages. Right now, it's it's just a lot of things keep popping up. I'm going to be co-hosting the She Rocks Award at NAM this year, which will be quite amazing. One of our honorees is Kay Hanley, who's also a Joey Song veteran. So that's pretty fun. Just things keep popping up that are exciting, but we're looking at making some new music and then getting out on the road and playing for people.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

It's always great to get out in front of the fans. You get to meet new ones, you get to do the meet and greets, keep up with everybody. It's really nice. I'm sure you must be seeing a lot of this type of thing at your shows, is that your fans are coming out to see you, but right along with them, their sons and daughters are coming along to see you too.

SPEAKER_01 21:49

Absolutely. That's been happening quite a bit, and I love that.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

Yeah, a lot of the people that I talk with, they tell me that a lot of their fans have kids. And grandkids that are following them now. And that's pretty impressive that they would live, grow up, listening to their parents' music, and then still like it enough to follow them, be fans, and buy their merch.

SPEAKER_01 22:13

No kidding. That's very impressive.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Yeah, that is truly awesome. Well, I'm so glad you're having continued success. This was a great conversation, great information. I really appreciate you taking the time to join us today. Thank you. I appreciate you speaking with me. Oh, it's been my pleasure. Thanks again. Thanks for joining us today. We hope you enjoyed the show. This has been a Tony Mantor Production. For more information, contact media at plateau music.com.