Cruising the Nile
Songwriter Willie Nile, 67, hits the road behind his ‘World War Willie’ album
Willie Nile rocks. On the surface, that seems a facile, clichéd and perhaps even lazy description.
But consider Nile’s influences. Now 67, the songwriter grew up in a musical home and early on learned piano and guitar. After graduating from the University of Buffalo with a degree in philosophy, he determinedly dove into a music career inspired by a rich expanse of artists. He happily digested Buddy Holly’s early rock as well as classic folk reimagined by Bob Dylan. He relished the work of across the pond-sters from The Faces and The Beatles to The Clash and The Who, then dug into the joyous New York punk scene that included Lou Reed, the New York Dolls and Jim Jarmusch. And Nile also drank deeply from such stylistic fountains as Springsteen, Levon Helm and Warren Zevon.
In the end, over the course of his own righteous career — 10 studio albums, countless international tours and a long break where he came to terms with the divide between the music industry and creating art for the sake of it — Nile developed his own sound, style and identity. It, ah, ROCKS.
In fact, for all the appreciation Nile has for colleagues, the feeling is mutual. Among his fans are Bono, Richard Thompson, (the late) Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams, Ian Hunter, Peter Townshend, Springsteen, and more.
Astoundingly, his greatness is particularly typified by a latestage fun of oft-brilliant albums he’s written and released in the past few year — at a time when the creative wellspring might, in other artists, be running dry. Consider “American Ride” (2013, winner of the Independent Music Awards’ Best Rock Album of the Year award), “If I Was a River” (2014, a wonderful collection of self-penned piano ballads) and this year’s raucous “World War Willie,” a non-stop barrage of energized barroom rock.
Just back from a European tour, Nile — who is like rust in that he apparently never sleeps — is already back on the road and will perform a free show Sunday in the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den. From England last Sunday, he responded via email to some questions. Highlights:
On the making of “If I Was a River” — a beautiful album with such a gentle tone and vibe it could be construed in the same sort of reflective and melancholy context as Sinatra’s “September of My Years”:
“It wasn’t a mellowing phase or slowing down at all — just a collection of more intimate songs from the heart. Piano is the first instrument I learned to play, and I have so many songs I’ve written on piano there’s no way I can get them released. After ‘American Ride,’ I figured I could go in and make a quick piano-based/stripped-down album. In fact, I’d already started writing the songs for ‘World War Willie’ and knew it was going to be a pretty rockin’ collection of songs, so I thought putting ‘If I Was a River’ in between ‘American Ride’ and what became ‘World War Willie’ would be a nice change.”
On whether artistic success is measured through album sales and arena-headlining status or through creative satisfaction:
“I’ve been lucky in so many ways. I get to do what I love — write and record what I want and when I want. I get to travel around the world singing songs for very appreciative audiences. I traveled across the U.S. opening for The Who when my first album came out. I got to tour and sing with Ringo Starr, and Bruce Springsteen has joined our band onstage a number of times. I don’t measure success by awards shows or bank accounts. There are some things money can’t buy, and I’ve experiences my share of them.”
On whether being on the road is draining or the physicality of playing concerts actually energizes:
“It really does keep you young. The tour schedule I’ve been on was a bit daunting at first, but it’s been a blast! It’s a lot of hard traveling and very demanding, to say the least, but it’s magic, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It also keeps me pretty fit, and I’m grateful for that.”
Similarly, on whether he and his band feed off of audience enthusiasm:
“My Mom used to always say it’s better to give than receive. I used to kid her about that, but she was so right. The audience can tell if you mean what you sing and play — and the reward from giving everything you’ve got, every single night out, is the crowd’s love and appreciation. I’m deeply grateful for so many good people I’ve met along the way. Here’s to music from the heart that’s real and full of life!”
Willie Nile, 7 p.m. Sunday, Mohegan Sun Wolf Den; free; 1-888-664-3426.