Jackie Lomax "Fall Inside Your Eyes" [Apple Records] The Beatles George Harrison

The Singles Series: “Fall Inside You Eyes [Eric Heywood pedal steel]”

Transparent recording process reveals all. Eric Heywood came in yesterday and set pedal steel down on two new recordings. If you’ve seen Over The Rhine, Tift Merritt, Ray Lamontagne, Andrew Bird or The Pretenders over the past few years, you’ve definitely had Eric blow your mind. First, we tracked Jackie Lomax’ “Fall Inside Your Eyes” – plainly, a song I …

Winston with cape and CD's ready to save the planet

New Kids Album Will Save the Planet!

Michael Ryther’s “Kids of the Earth: Songs For the Green Generation” produced by Willie Wisely. Michael Ryther, a grade school teacher here in Los Angeles, approached me about producing an album of kids music. He had a batch of awesome rough demos, each with an important message about environmental activism. Gathered together these songs would become “the Soundtrack to Save …

Invisible unseen peacock white shirt

The Singles Series: “Invisible [unmixed, tracking complete]”

Transparent recording process reveals all. I do believe all components of this recording are present and complete, the first song in The Singles Series to reach that mile marker. It now requires some objective ears to mix the thing. Gotta tease out each part more separately: Kelly Jones backing vocals, John Fields bass drums production, Mike Railo piano, Ken Chastain …

Funkytown Studio, guitar, bass drums, velvet pants, plaid suit, long hair, Tamla drums

The Singles Series: “Invisible” – Electric Guitar, Piano, Bongos, Conga & Triangle

Transparent recording process reveals all. I’ve known John Fields a long time. It’s a friendship that veers between collaboration, BBQ, the camaraderie of our same-aged daughters, and our passion for the great music. With long-time relationships, comes funny stuff. Truth becomes unavoidable. Walls come down. And elephants in the room suddenly begin screaming. He and I met at his studio …

70s, 80s, puka shells, white belt, moustache, lite rock, drink a toast to innocence, monsters

Scooped To The Right – The Monsters Of Lite Rock

A Tribute Album: Well now isn’t this the height of revisionist hypocrisy! That we, some 30 years on, sit here creamin’ over Ambrosia, Climax Blues Band, Firefall, Andrew Gold, Little River Band, Rupert Holmes and all manner of 70’s and 80’s musical polyester. In their heyday, this crowd of artists felt like sonic grave stones wafting from radios everywhere––making me …

circus shrine freak show

Wisely band plays the C.I.A. in North Hollywood – Sat. June 15th, 2013

Freaky gig, Freaky venue. Pay fealty to the the shrines of The California Institute of Abnormal Arts––the most absurdly wonderful music joint in Los Angeles. No, it’s not a front for Scientology! It’s just a great place to see my band play on Saturday, June 15th. We headline at 11:30pm with an artist I dig, Michael Miller Crusade, just before …

Brass slide on Guild guitar neck with mid-60's Gibson 125 on the floor.

The Singles Series: “Invisible” – Slide Guitar, Mellotron, New Drums

Transparent recording process reveals all. After years of not playing the slide guitar, “Invisible” beckons to shake off the rust. It’s something I love to do, having learned how in the 90’s, playing along to “Love In Vain” on The Rolling Stones‘ “Let It Bleed”, and J. B. Hutto & Lightning Hopkins records. It got to the point where we …

John Fields plays bass in a recording studio to a new song called "Invisible" by Willie Wisely

The Singles Series: “Invisible” – Tracking Bass

Transparent recording process reveals all. Originally I’d shown up at John Field’s studio to talk him through my drum vision for “Invisible”, a new song by Cliff Hillis & myself. Instead, John picked up his trusty Harmony bass, and got to work laying it down. Without any thought or discussion we kept last week’s rough drum edit muted. Besides, he’d …

suitcase drum kit, tambourine

The Singles Series: “Invisible” – Rough Drum Ideas

Transparent recording process reveals all. I emailed him, “play the drums like on Matthew Sweet’s ‘Girlfriend’ or ‘Rhiannon’ from ‘Rumours,’ or both simultaneously.” Then, night fell. The next morning John Fields, producer of two Wisely albums (“She” and “Turbosherbet“) sent me his big messy test pass of drums. Suddenly, the arrangement for “Invisible,” co-written with pal Cliff Hillis, leaps off …

cassette tape, wood floor, scotch tape residue, j-card, Memorex

The Singles Series :: No More Albums!

Transparent recording process reveals all. Thirty-one years ago this May, my band “The Addition” and I were LITERALLY arrested while making our first album––caught breaking and entering into our own recording studio. These days, a band making an album couldn’t even FIGURATIVELY get arrested. Music is too ubiquitous, or as former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren once told me and …

Wisely Plays The Standard Hotel on 12/12/12 – West Hollywood

Debut Gig for Kristin Mooney & Claire Holley’s New Project! Wisely Plays “Desert Nights” at The Standard Hotel in West Hollywood – Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 7:30pm For a couple years in the early oughts I DJ’d in the lobby at The Standard Hotel–until they fired me for playing entire sets of cheezy vintage easy listening music. In any case, …

Rock The Playground – Sat., June 16

“She” and “Turbosherbet” producer (and old friend) John Fields joins me for a rumble on the playground. Nestled in our rough-hewn Laurel Canyon neighborhood is the gem of the Los Angeles Unified School District: Wonderland Avenue School. With my two kids there next year, I’m psyched to be performing at the annual “Rock The Playground” festival this weekend on June …

Screen Grab of Newsletter Video

Wisely’s “True” Album Release Concert – Guests Andy Dick, Bleu, John Fields & Mike Ruekberg – Los Angeles (Limited Seating)

Wisely Returns to the Los Angeles Live Music Scene With Celebrity Guests & A New Album, After Conquering Traumatic Vocal Chord Condition. Seating is limited. Special ticket bundles available exclusively below (click the buttons). Buy now and receive free downloads from the new album “True.” On Saturday, April 14, 2012, Willie Wisely plays a momentous solo show marking the release …