In a new interview with Guitar Player, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale has named the 10 records that changed her life.
Among the records was Stevie Nicks’ ‘Bella Donna.’ The singer shared her thoughts on the album and said it inspired her a lot. “I think of this album as a gift for ‘future me,’ because the guys in my band are always telling me to do a solo album so they can have some time off,” she hinted at the possibility. “Here was Stevie Nicks, without Fleetwood Mac, absolutely defining herself. This is her fingerprint. She put herself under the microscope and really showed everybody what she was made of.”
“The record is a grower, not a shower. The songs mean something different to me each time I listen to them. Actually, for a long time I wasn’t ready to listen to this album because I just wanted to listen to Fleetwood Mac. But as I got older, I started to listen to it, and it kind of forced me to ask myself some questions like, ‘Who am I without my band?’ That’s really something, when an album can provoke those kinds of thoughts. Believe me, very proud of the shadow I loom over Halestorm, but it’s neat to take a beat and think, ‘If this were just me and I didn’t have my support system around me, I think I’d still be all right. I’d find my way.’ ‘Bella Donna’ is kind of a guide for me,” Hale added.
Earlier in 2022, Hale once again talked about the possibility of making a solo record, and apparently, ‘it’s gonna happen.’ She also mentioned ‘Bella Donna‘ again and how it influenced her.
“I have a lot of songs that are very much… If you’re thinking of Stevie Nicks’s ‘Bella Donna’… You can hear when you’re listening to Fleetwood Mac and when you’re listening to Stevie Nicks’s solo records where her voice is in the band,” she explained. “Fleetwood Mac would not be the same without her, but you can really accentuate that corner of the world of the band.”
She added, “I feel like if I were to do a solo record, which I have plenty of songs that have never seen the light of day that I could choose from, you would definitely be able to hear what my specific influence is on the band. I think it most likely will be in the future. Whether it’s my decision or the guys are, like, ‘You just go!’ Either way, it’s gonna happen.”
In Fleetwood Mac, Nicks wanted more control over her music, as her songs were often changed by other band members, including ex-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham. She also had many songs that didn’t get released.
After a break from Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ sessions, Nicks began working on ‘Bella Donna,’ using songs from her past, including ‘After the Glitter Fades.’ She worked with her boyfriend at the time, producer Jimmy Iovine. Iovine brought in musicians from Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty’s bands. The album also featured Davey Johnstone from Elton John’s band and Don Felder of the Eagles.
Nicks originally wanted Dolly Parton to perform the song. This might have contributed to its delayed release.
