You\u2019ve played many prestigious venues in your career. How do you feel about gracing the Sydney Opera House stage?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s on a lot of people\u2019s bucket list, so I\u2019m very excited. I\u2019ve been doing this show [Don\u2019t Tell Anybody the Secrets, based on Williams\u2019 memoir<\/a>] at different venues. When I play, I always tell a little story about each song anyway, but this is where I stretch out and go more into detail, and I\u2019ve got a visual screen behind me showing photographs of some of the characters I refer to in the songs. It\u2019s similar to Bruce Springsteen\u2019s Broadway show<\/a>.<\/p>\n You\u2019re touring with Paul Kelly, who\u2019s a national treasure here, but not as celebrated in Europe and America. Should he be better known beyond our shores?<\/p>\n Yes. Absolutely. That\u2019s one of the issues in America that really bothers me, because if someone stands out, instead of holding them up, we just call them a cult artist or whatever. When I was first starting out, the record companies kept saying they didn\u2019t know what to do with me, because my music fell between the cracks between country and rock, which is now referred to as Americana. Being unique and original doesn\u2019t always work in the record business. It\u2019s all about marketing.<\/p>\n You had a stroke in November 2020. Can you describe your recovery \u2013 can you play guitar any better now?<\/p>\n I can sing better; I can\u2019t play guitar better. But I\u2019ve been blessed with two brilliant guitar players, Doug Pettibone, who\u2019s been with me for a while, and a new one, Marc Ford, who was in the Black Crowes. It works really well, I can just concentrate on my singing. A lot of people have approached me and said that my singing was better now than it was before my stroke.<\/p>\n Lucinda Williams performing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2017. Photograph: Larry Marano\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n What\u2019s the most memorable first date you\u2019ve been on, good or bad?<\/p>\n Oh, Gawd. First of all, I didn\u2019t like the whole idea of dating, because I was so shy. The whole idea of going out to dinner and a movie would just terrify me, because I would just feel really self-conscious. But I remember being asked to dinner by this guy, and sitting down at the table and hearing him say he\u2019d already eaten. That just really turned me off. I thought it was extremely rude.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the best lesson you\u2019ve learned from someone you\u2019ve worked with?<\/p>\n I was working with an engineer, Dusty Wakeman, on the Sweet Old World<\/a> album. I was complaining about an itty-bitty tiny mistake that I\u2019d made, and he told me about how Native American Indians, when they\u2019d weave a blanket, they would leave a mistake in the weaving<\/a> on purpose.<\/p>\n You are a road warrior. When you check in to a hotel, what\u2019s the first thing you do?<\/p>\n I\u2019m a road worrier! People tease me all the time about worrying too much. What\u2019s the first thing I do? Well, it depends on if we have a show that night or what\u2019s going on. But after we check in, I like to sit down in a regular chair or on the couch. Just to be able to be off the bus and sit in a regular piece of furniture feels really good.<\/p>\n What was the song you last played on Spotify?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t use Spotify. Mainly because, you know, the artists hardly get paid. My music\u2019s not on Spotify. [Lucinda\u2019s husband and manager Tom Overby interjects off camera: \u201cYes it is!\u201d] Oh, wait a minute. I made a mistake.<\/p>\n Would you consider withdrawing your music from Spotify, as Neil Young did temporarily, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard<\/a> have more recently?<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to Saved for Later<\/p>\n Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia’s culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n [Tom in background: \u201cYes, we may.\u201d] Yes, we may do that. [Raises voice] Manager\/husband Tom said yes, we may withdraw my music from Spotify! \u2026 I think the new album probably won\u2019t be available on there. You have to make a stand and get your message across when this sort of thing crops up.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve enjoyed your Lu\u2019s Jukebox series, particularly the album of Tom Petty covers, Runnin\u2019 Down a Dream<\/a>. What\u2019s a song you wish you\u2019d written?<\/p>\n Oh, so many. That\u2019s the thing that\u2019s probably the hardest about covering other people\u2019s material. So many of Tom Petty\u2019s and so many of Bob Dylan\u2019s songs I wish I\u2019d written. One of the Tom Petty ones that really struck me was Room At the Top<\/a>. And of course Runnin\u2019 Down a Dream<\/a> too, it just goes on and on. He was just great.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the weirdest thing you have done for love?<\/p>\n The weirdest thing I\u2019ve done for love? OK \u2026 the weirdest thing I\u2019ve done for love. That adds a different element \u2026<\/p>\n It\u2019s not called 10 chaotic questions for nothing!<\/p>\n