Interview with Heidi Newfield
by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Christian Lamitschka: I’m Christian Lamitschka and today I present Heidi Newfield.
Heidi Newfield: Hi, good to see you.
Christian Lamitschka: Heidi, I know you are very well-known here in the US, you played together with Trick Pony and now you are solo. Could you please tell us something about yourself and the kind of music you’re playing now?
Heidi Newfield: I actually have been singing country music all of my life and although my music is very diverse, but country music is what I grew up in it. It was sort of a natural place for my vocals. I have always been bluesy in country and it has a natural fit. I started coming back and forth to Nashville, TN from my home in Northern California, when I was about 13 years old and started networking. I moved here in Nashville permanently right after high school. I kind of learned through time, how to kind of make this happened and we formed a band with my buddies Keith and Ira, which ended up being Trick Pony. Had a wonderful round, we were together around ten years. We got signed with Warner Brothers late 2000 and came out with that record, which was a Platinum selling record here in the states. As Paul McCartney says ‘if you sell a million of anything, you’re doing ok’. We were very fortunate, we had a really good run, a lot of great memories. Our music was very raw, sort of like barroom rock-a-billy. We had an upright bass, Ira played, on most everything. Kind of a raw sound, kind of branded ourselves and about three years ago, I wanted to evolve musically and move on to a creative place. I left Trick Pony and stepped on my own. The first solo record was a song called “Johnny And June”, which I co-wrote. I had the opportunity to record with Johnny Cash and befriended him and June Carter Cash. I know they were huge in Europe, and Waylon Jennings and a lot of country greats we were fortunate to collaborate with. When I was recording the new album, I was writing the first solo record; Johnny and June, wanting a love like that, but making it relate to all of us, and how we wrote that and the approach we took. Made a huge hit for me here in the states. I was nominated for a lot of awards and was very fortunate. It was a wonderful new start on a solo venture. Now I’m able to do my own thing. This second record we are about to release this year, the new single is called “Stay Up Late” comes out here momentarily. It kicks off the second solo record, which is a little more diverse, a little more care free. I’m a harmonica, blues harp player, so there is a lot more of that on there. It has a lot more temp. It’s got substance and very relateable. From kids to grandparents, they think people will relate to these songs. I want to make a record that I think people want to listen from start to finish without just wanting to pick songs. They gonna want to listen to this record because it’s chocked with full of hits, good Lord willing. It also has a lot of personality in it and a lot of character. I think people buy music because the want to know a little bit about you and who you are as an artist and so that is what this record is represents.
Christian Lamitschka: Heidi, you are one of the most wanted ladies in town; where the guys say, she could be my next wife. Why is that so?
Heidi Newfield: Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate that. I don’t know the answer, I’m awestruck, thank you. I’m just so glad you’re German, I’m German and you pronounced my name properly, which is wonderful. Yes, I think it’s taking care of myself and I work out a lot and I have a lot of energy. I just don’t stand there and sing, I like to work the stage. I like to get the crowd involved; the rowdier they are, the rowdier we are. My band is fantastic, we are really tied and they are wonderful musicians. So when you come and see a Heidi Show, I think it’s wanting people to come back, I want to experience something. It’s a combination of rock, southern rock, blues, and traditional country. It’s all the things I’ve been inspired by musically.
Christian Lamitschka: To show more personality about you what was the last book you found time to read?
Heidi Newfield: “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”.
Christian Lamitschka ( Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de )