Posted on 01/30/2006 11:41:01 AM PST by beansox
Heart of Dixie Three years later, Dixie Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines talks to Entertainment Weekly about why she's ''pretty much done'' with Nashville in the wake of her anti-Bush comments by Whitney Pastorek
On March 10, 2003, the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines stepped onto a London stage and announced, ''We're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.'' All hell promptly broke loose. A month later, she and bandmates Martie Maguire and Emily Robison finally addressed the controversy for the first time, posing naked on the cover of EW and candidly discussing the firestorm Maines' comment sparked. Now the group is prepping its first album since The Incident, and they're promising it will be a big departure from past work. Produced by Rick Rubin, it's shaping up to be an old-fashioned rock album, reminiscent of '70s rock bands like the Eagles (the still-untitled disc is due in stores this April). One highlight is sure to be ''Not Ready to Make Nice,'' which directly addresses the fallout from the big Bush bash. When we called Maines for an exclusive preview, she — not shockingly — had plenty to say.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Tell me about the songwriting and the sorts of messages you guys wanted to put into the album. I've heard you discuss The Incident? NATALIE MAINES We had tried to write about it a couple times before and it just wasn't right, you know? Sometimes you can be a little scared to rehash it or sound preachy, and I think [''Not Ready To Make Nice''] is just very honest.
Let's say the album comes out and everyone who was outraged about your comments embraces it with open arms. Are you gonna go back to Nashville and say, ''Hey, we're back!'' Or has this completely altered the course you guys were on? For me as a person, [The Incident has] completely altered the course I was on. For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was. I liked Martie and Emily's playing, but I did not grow up liking country music. And I guess I was ignorant to the fact that the stereotypes behind country music were true — and it was disappointing. And so at this stage, I can never... I would be cheating myself and not setting a good example for my children to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened... I couldn't want to be farther away from that. And it's easier when you're financially set, because you can be a little more ballsy, and just do what you want to do. I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be a part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life. All of my anger... I've pretty much gotten past that. Writing the album was therapy.
So the hair-metal album is coming out when? [Laughs] If I had my way, we'd have a hair-metal covers album! But I don't think I'm gonna have my way...
Do you think if this hadn't happened — The Incident, as we keep calling it — that you would have eventually come to the decision to leave country anyway? Gosh, who knows. I never like to guess about the future or what I would have done. I'm just grateful that all of this did happen. None of the three of us have any regrets. It was eye-opening, and positive in so many ways. I wouldn't change any of it. I want people to be clear that there is no ill will when I say that I can't be a part of the industry. I don't mean country music, I just mean the industry. I don't want it to seem immature. I want people to know that it was given a lot of thought. And it's just honesty.
Do you think you guys bore the brunt of the anti-American accusations during the 2004 election? I don't really know what happened to other people, but I think we were made the examples. I mean, Jennifer Aniston called Bush a ''f---ing idiot'' [in a 2001 interview] and nothing happened to her.
Well, Brad broke up with her. [Laughs] That must be why. A closet Republican! I knew it. No, I think we probably got it more than anybody else.
''I Hope,'' your Katrina benefit single, is nominated for Best Country Song and Performance at this year's Grammys. If you guys win, you're not gonna walk up there and be like, ''Suckas!'' [Laughs] Who knows what I'll do. But I am very... um... I'm just kind of... what's the word I'm looking for? I'm neither here nor there about any of that stuff right now. I mean, it's always an honor to be nominated for a Grammy, that's the most prestigious music award. But I just... I don't know, it's almost kinda sad, I don't really get excited about it anymore.
When did you stop getting excited? Uh... when this whole thing went down. I don't know what that comes from. I'm sure time will heal that, too. I guess it just made a lot of things seem false to me.
How do Emily and Martie feel about this? Um... I don't know. We're all on the same page... professionally. And some of us like country music more than others [Laughs], but nobody's forcing anyone else not to... um... you know, go the direction that we're going. We're all on the same page.
Sometimes I wonder if there should be an Outspoken Frontmen Anonymous support group or something, where the people who aren't at the microphone saying the thing that gets everyone in trouble can go off and be like, ''Man, she did it again.'' ''I know, man, you should have heard what Bono said tonight.'' [Laughs] Well, I think what makes it different is, we were never political. It was totally circumstances. And when it all came down, Martie — we were in the elevator in London and she was like, ''I could have been the one that said that.'' There was no finger-pointing or blame. And Emily and Martie joke that even when they've said, uh, colorful things on stage, usually someone puts my name on it. [Laughs] It's not a problem. Every day a soldier dies, I am more proud that I spoke out. For the last three years, I am at a loss for words as to... what this country is. Who we are. I really think people have just gone insane. And they think we've gone insane. I think it's sad that you have to truly seek out the truth these days, because CNN and Fox News don't give it to you. So you can't really point a finger at individuals, because it's exhausting to seek out fact from fiction. I used to try and make sense of it but when Bush got reelected, I just didn't know what to do. Keep livin'. It's gotta change back. Politics — I just think it's all corrupt. The entire country is controlled by money. And I think that's what people feel, they don't — their voice isn't heard. They don't have a say. It's corporate America. My friend made up the word corpocracy. I love that word.
Do you think you'll ever publicly take a stand about anything that loudly again? Oh yeah, sure. Now I say we have nothing to lose. [Laughs] Nothing to lose. And I feel a responsibility to do it now. I didn't realize how quiet I was being. But it's exhausting to keep doing it. You feel like you're fighting an uphill battle. But — it's just not in me to shy away from things that I truly believe in. I have to stand up for them. So no. I'm not afraid of any of that.
There would be backlash if she made that kind of comment about rap but not for smearing "ignorant barefoot and pregnant hillbillies".
And not an original thought in sight.
Nothing new. I read some of the hardcore fan sites. They have about 300+ memmbers to them and not all are fans... anyway, this article isnt going over well with the diehards. ROFLMAO~ Of course you have the mindless minions who would buy their toenail clippings if they could, but its looking pretty dismal for the chicks! I LOVE IT!
I like what you're saying. Of course, as N pointed out, they are financially "set" so they're just doing their thing to please themselves.
I hear Chavez is a big fan.
The problem wasn't that they said what they said, so much as they did it behind their country's back. If they were in Dallas, and made that statement, and took how th3e audience reacted, at least they had the courage of what they believed in. But they said it in a foreign country wher ethey knew they'd get applause. Apparently, Natalie Maines was the girl in high school who went up to the girl who hated her sister and told her all the bad things about her sister she knew. Just for a few seconds of approval...
I wish she'd leave the country.
The Eagles were rock? Puhhhleeeez.
On the way UP the ladder, the chicks claimed to be "personal friends" of the then owner for the Texas Rangers. Who was the owner then? George W Bush. They would have the announcer introduce them as "presonal friends" to gain favor with HIS fan base. They would sit and watch ball games and eat hot dogs and chat it up with Geroge W Bush & Co. in HIS box seats. They even sang for one of his innagurations. Despite their short term memory loss, they kissed his butt so the people that liked him, would like them.
They played the same game in London but sat on the other side of the table this time.
Natalie Maines has always looked down her nose country music. She would say things like "Country music has no soul, I would rather be rock n roll." Well Daddy didnt have any ties in Rock N Roll and the only job he could get her was country. Since waitressing was becoming a real drag for her, she took it. And dont you think for a second she didnt kiss every REDneck conservative ass that came her way. She did indeed.
She is a liar and fraud and will say and do anything for cheap applause, including sellling out a "personal friend" that kept her ass from being an overweight waitress the rest of her life.
So instead of being an overweight waitress, she's an overweight bigmouth like Rosie O'Donnell or Roseanne Barr...
But how does she feel about "Western?"
What passes for country music today is pretty much a rehash of 70s mellow rock.
What is interesting about the whole thing is that the "tolerance" "forgiveness" and "understanding" that she so vehemently demanded from everyone, she has none to give in return.
NATALIE MAINES IS A FRAUD!
Bob Wills is still the king!
Never had any of her music, never will; I'll just remain a Tower Of Power/Motown fan...
You really ought to look again...
Unless you think Uncle Tupelo and Wilco are country bands.
Even Joe Ely is a lot closer to rock-n-roll than he is to Nashville country.
Did this conjur up images of the T-Mobile cheerleader for anyone else? "You're not concieted. Your just honest. I was going to wear the white bathing suit and then she had it too!"
Apparantly "country rednecks" arnt the only one who cant stand fatalie maines!
http://www.perezhilton.com/topics/music_minute/we_love_chicks_with_dix_20060130.php
never heard of them.
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