Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go’s chatted about her solo music and her 2023 summer shows as part of her “Decades” Tour.
The Go-Go’s made music history becoming the first all-female rock band to score a Number 1 album on the Billboard 200 all-genre charts with their seminal “Beauty and the Beat” album.
‘Kismet’ EP
“Kismet” is Carlisle’s first new music in over 25 years. She noted that there was no song selection involved for “Kismet.” All of the songs were written by Honorary Oscar winner Diane Warren. “I was handed five amazing songs that I didn’t have to say ‘no’ to, which is weird for me because I am so picky,” Carlisle said.
“Usually, from my experience, when people submit songs, I would possibly pick one out of 20. The fact that I picked all five in a row was the first time that ever happened, and they were a joy to sing,” she said.
While her favorite song on the EP is always a revolving tune, for the time being, she listed “Sanity” as her personal favorite. “I don’t think there is one stinker in the bunch,” Carlisle admitted. “I am really excited about this EP, it’s a great piece of work.”
Her “Kismet” EP is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
“This EP has some really solid and well-crafted pop songs,” she acknowledged.
‘Big, Big Love’
Her EP’s lead single “Big Big Love” was the No. 1 most played record on the BBC R2 network for three weeks as it launched straight to A-list rotation and it stayed there for five weeks!
“The video for ‘Big, Big Love” was good,” she said. “There are different types of love and diversity. I was really pleased with the way the video has turned out.”
“The response to it was amazing. It was a good song and apparently, it was everywhere. You couldn’t escape it,” she said.
Working with Diane Warren
On collaborating with acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren, Carlisle said, “Working with Diane 30 years ago, and meeting with her and working together again felt like no time has passed, and it was a blast. Diane hasn’t changed much and it was a lot of fun, it was a great process.”
“Diane’s songwriting is a joy and a mystery for sure. I don’t know how she does it, but she comes up with incredible songs. She is so prolific, and that’s an amazing thing to experience,” Carlisle added.
‘Gonna Be You’
She enjoyed being a part of “Gonna Be You” along with Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, and Debbie Harry, which was featured in the Paramount+ film “80 For Brady.” “The experience was amazing even though we didn’t get to work in the same studio when we recorded the song or did the video, it was fun,” she said.
“I am hoping we will all we able to do it all together in the same location and the same room,” she added.
‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’
A defining moment for Carlisle was the success of “Heaven Is A Place On Earth.” “That song really changed my life, and everything for me,” she said. “When people hear my name, they probably associate that song with me, so that’s pretty defining.”
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Carlisle revealed, “Bliss.” “I feel very blissful,” she exclaimed. “I feel grounded too.”
‘Decades’ Tour
This summer, Carlisle will be touring as part of her “Decades” Tour. On July 17, she will be playing Sony Hall in New York City, while on the following day (July 18), she will be headlining the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Long Island. “I am very excited about the ‘Decades’ Tour,” she said. “I’ve played Westbury before with The Go-Go’s, so I’m looking forward to that.”
“I start the tour in two weeks,” Carlisle said. “I did some dates last year, which were a part of it. I finished a month-long tour in January and February in the UK, and this is a continuation after four months off. I am revved up and ready to go.”
“I will be doing a mix of songs from my solo albums, as well as a couple of Go-Go’s songs (two or three) and some new material from the ‘Kismet’ album,” she added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Carlisle said, “I am pretty old-school. I dip in and I dip out. You can’t fight it, it’s here and it’s going to continue to be here forever, so just go with it.”
Advice for hopefuls in music
For young and aspiring musicians, she said, “Stay focused, believe in yourself, don’t compromise, keep your integrity intact and don’t do drugs.”
Carlisle listed New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn as her dream male collaboration choice in music.
Pre-show rituals
As part of her pre-show rituals, she shared that she does her vocals warmups, and her breath work, “When I am on the road, I am very isolated, it’s like a bubble,” she said. “I travel with four humidifiers, and I have a routine every single day when I am out on the road. I have to be very careful with my voice, and I put a lot of work into it.”
Superpower of choice
If she were to have any superpower, it would be flight. “I would love to fly,” she said.
Success
Carlisle equates the word success simply as “fun and freedom.:
For more information on Belinda Carlisle, follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
