> Kelly Willis Mounts Her Horse > Once Again > Kelly Willis is to be forgiven a certain amount > of professional bitterness. > > After all, the last time she had a new album on > the shelves was in 1993. Her last label deal > fell apart two years ago with nothing to show > > for her troubles but a four-song EP released > > only in Texas. And for an artist with three > critically lauded albums behind her and a > reputation as one of the best female voices in > Texas, her total sales sure are a long ways > from the half million mark. Jaded? You bet. > > Or maybe not. If any of these things genuinely > trouble the thirty-two-year-old > singer/songwriter, she hides it remarkably > well. At the moment, Willis seems to be a > model of optimism. Her new label, Rykodisc, > has just released What I Deserve, her first > album in six years, and the reviews thus far > have been encouraging. But most importantly, > she finally feels the freedom to pursue her own > artistic vision. The title track of the new album, > which she co-wrote with Gary Louris of the > Jayhawks, seems to sum up perfectly where > Willis has been and where she stands now: > "Well I have done/The best I can/Oh but what > I've done/It's not who I am/And oh what I > deserve ..." > > "I was only twenty years old when I got my > first deal with MCA, and I just hadn't really > developed yet," Willis explains in a phone call > from her adopted hometown of Austin. "I was > young, but I wanted to be like Nanci Griffith, or > Steve Earle or Emmylou -- that's how I wanted > to develop. I didn't think I was that talented at > the time, but that's where I wanted to go. > [MCA] tried to compromise with me, but they > just really wanted me to look good and sell > music. So it was a struggle, and being so > young and not sure of myself, I always felt bad > when I disagreed." > > When MCA dropped her after three albums > failed to register on country radio, Willis set > about reinventing herself. She turned her > attention to writing her own songs, a luxury > she had scarce time for while caught up in the > country music star-making circus. Fading > Fast, a promo-only EP released in 1996 on > her new label, A&M, found her collaborating > with alt-country forerunners Louris, Son Volt > and 16 Horsepower, and hinted at the more > rock-oriented, stylized arrangements which > characterize What I Deserve. But before she > really got started on the album, the A&M deal > fell apart when her trusted A&R rep was fired > and Willis asked to be released. > > "I had a really strong feeling that if I stayed > there I would end up with a person who either > didn't get me or who really felt like I would > have to change what I was doing. I had already > been in a record deal like that, and that's not > what I was up for. And I thought it would be > really easy to get another deal, but no > ...(laughs). I had a horrible time, and ended up > having to make [the album] myself." > > After finishing the album in December of 1997, > Willis began shopping the finished project to a > handful of labels. "Ryko was the most > enthusiastic, and loved the album exactly the > way it was," she says. "At a label like > Rykodisc, the pressure is just to make a > really good creative record that contributes to > the musical community at large, whereas at > MCA it was to make a record that would sell a > lot." > > If Willis is clearly happier with her new label > situation, however, she's not about to look > back in anger on her MCA years. "It was a > great learning experience, and I had a > wonderful time as well," she says. "I got to > work with really talented people, and created a > career that has carried me through to this > record. So it was a chance of a lifetime. It > wasn't all bad." > > Likewise, even though Ryko will be marketing > What I Deserve primarily to American and > Triple A markets, Willis has by no means > abandoned her country roots. "I don't think > they're going to try for the full-on country chart, > but that's where I made my audience, and I > think it would be silly for me to ignore it > because I really love country music and I think > there is a strong country feel to this record. I > guess I'm just one of those cursed people that > doesn't fit in really well anywhere, but it's not > impossible." > > As for the bottom line, Willis says she'd love > to see the new album hit the 100,000 sales > mark, which would be a modest improvement > from the 60,000 or so she averaged on her last > three. "I don't think that's really unrealistic to > hope for, but it's not going to kill me if it > doesn't," she says. Hopefully, Ryko will prove > just as flexible. "I can handle losing a deal, but > I feel that Rykodisc would not be freaked out > ... I think they would be into making another > record or two. > > "I feel confident about that at this point > anyway," she adds, laughing quietly. "Talk to > > me in about a year, and I'll let you know." > > RICHARD SKANSE (February 24, 1999) >
