Shania Twain and Brandi Carlile on Teaming Up for an All-Female-Headliner Festival, and Why Women Supporting Women Is Always ‘Right on Time'

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written to be sung along with by an almost all-female audience, but the '90s hit might have reached its ultimate peak when Twain brought it out as the finale of her set at Brandi Carlile's Girls Just Want a Weekend festival. Twain is one of the top artists to have headlined the all-female lineup at the annual event in Cancun, and a series of mid-set duets between the special country-pop guest star and the increasingly iconic host raised the spirits of the thousands of festival-goers enjoying the warm Mexican weather… and taking a break from the typical toxic masculinity found at some music festivals.

About their long-planned, finally-realized stage collaboration, and how Twain realized that Carlile's dream of a fairly idealistic festival environment was no mere fantasy. They also shared stories and enthusiasm about their mutual admiration, including how Carlile had covered Twain's songs in a band at a bar to Twain's belief that Carlile still hasn't fulfilled her potential as a "rock goddess."

Shania, Brandi was after you for a while to play "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." What did she tell you, in explaining what it's about?

You have to experience it to really understand. You truly meant that it's like a family here. Everyone is united and it's very peaceful.

When I was 16 or 17 years old - and to be honest, it was 1997 - the first opportunity I had to do things on my own as a young adult was attending Lilith Fair at the Gorge in Washington state.

You mentioned that experience to me quite some time ago.

So yeah, I was just this young, spirited gay woman with a short haircut and a bad sunburn. I only had enough money to buy a large Mountain Dew at this festival. And I remember this woman behind me in line saying, "Honey, I'm putting some sunscreen on your shoulders. You're going to get badly burned. What are you doing? And what's the point of spending money on Mountain Dew when you're already that burned? You should be drinking water!" This woman really brought me back to Earth...

Nurturing you.

She made me grab a bottle of water, apply some sunscreen, and then I headed out to see Erykah Badu. "I'm not getting away with this easily," I thought. But at the time, I was just a part of a group of women who were there for something different from what most people get from a concert. They were seeking a sense of unity and caring for one another. It took me a while to understand its significance, but when I had my own daughters, I remembered that feeling. I wondered, where else can we experience that kind of energy, that unity, that people share at concerts and festivals? You know, with what we're seeing from Book More Women about predatory reports at some festivals, with reports of sexual assaults or harassment, and overuse of substances… I'm not here to criticize rock 'n' roll. There's value in people coming together to enjoy music with a shared sense of unity. I thought a way to make that happen would be to start small, by organizing a focus group here, and see if we can make it happen. And it grew into something big, and I'd love to see it happen back home again.

Oh, absolutely. And it should. We were talking about this before you arrived, but we'll bring you up to speed now... There's sisterhood, there's motherhood, and there are all these female relationships, especially in the industry, that I feel I've missed out on a lot in my life, just because my career is mostly men. I have more women in my daily show work than I've ever had before. [Twain's band includes a female lead guitarist, drummer, and violinist.] I never met a female drummer when I was younger. The only females I knew were vocalists - backing singers - unless they were in a very specific type of band. I was never part of the indie scene as an artist, so it was like I was doing rock or country and it was always all men.

There weren't really many of them in the indie scene either. There were only a few.

There were some indie bands around, but not many freelance musicians or female studio musicians. It was an unusual situation. I missed out on spending time with other women and still don't get enough of it. I have a son and a husband, and sometimes we even have a female dog, and it's great to feel like things are more balanced around here that way. It really feels good to be around other women, even just to have a break from the pressure of being the only woman in a group that's mostly men.

When I was a teenager, I had male friends who were gay, so I would often go to gay bars where they hung out. It was all about being surrounded by men, but what struck me was the sense of liberation I felt. I could express myself freely, feel confident in my appearance, and not be bothered or judged, because my intentions were genuine – I was there to have fun with my friends, not to seek attention.

I'm sure there were hardly any places you could go where you felt that way.

You know, I had a full figure and an hourglass shape when I was younger. And if I dressed to accentuate it, I found that I would get hit on constantly at bars when they were filled with heterosexual guys. It was exhausting and would ruin the experience if I wasn't looking for that. So Girls Just Wanna is one of those spots where I can relax and feel carefree and enjoyable. I feel a little giddy...

You can still be playful and flirtatious, embracing the sensual aspect of it, and it's all just a lighthearted and enjoyable experience.

You deserve praise for continuing with this effort. It's going to become even more significant.

After you're here, it will, I think. I'm not sure I could honestly overemphasize how much you've changed the direction of the festival by being here. That kind of recognition for these people was really life-changing for us. Thank you, since you were way too big to come and do this. I mean, every performance you do draws five times this many people, and it's just incredible now that you showed up for us. We will never stop expressing our gratitude.

Honestly, you're the foundation that holds everything together, and I really look up to you. That means a tremendous amount to me.

Have you ever had the experience of performing "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" in front of a crowd, and having almost all of them be women, which would be a whopping 95% of the audience?

Something in between that was certainly the coolest part of it.

You know, it's a line that just about everyone can relate to. Which is what makes it so appealing. It's so universal, and can be applied to almost anyone in the audience. I mean, sometimes, like when I hear little kids sing it, I laugh, because…

My daughter sings it all day, and it's hilarious. She keeps going [loudly hums the guitar riff] "Man, I feel like a woman!" It's actually quite amusing to hear a 6-year-old singing that.

Everyone makes it their own special thing. And so it feels at home here as much as it would anywhere else. But the audience really came through. They didn't let us down.

The large number of queer women here is well-known. Honestly, one of the things I expected less than the strong enthusiasm for "'Man! I Feel Like a Woman!' was the scene of thousands of lesbians singing 'Any Man of Mine' at the top of their lungs. And amazingly, straight-faced, as far as I could tell.

I knew about that, actually. I was even considering it before the show. Or even "Honey, I'm Home"… There are many songs I've written that make light of, and poke fun at, male-female relationships, whether it's from personal experience or just observations of hetero relationships - the man, the woman and their unique quirks as separate individuals. Often, it seems like things are pretty cut and dry, black and white, and I like to use humor to exaggerate that.

You definitely have that commanding presence in your music, particularly in your songs about relationships, where you always hold a strong stance. I think that's one of the reasons you're looked up to as an icon in the lesbian community. I covered your song "Any Man of Mine" with my band before I became a recording artist, playing the guitar and singing along to the lyrics with no hesitation, even though I've never been in a relationship with a man. You inspire that kind of confidence in your character, similar to Tanya Tucker, and I can really connect with that.

I firmly believe that women already possess a strong, unwavering determination.

We certainly draw motivation from our art, though. And it gives us a boost of confidence, you know? And ultimately, you are that character throughout all of your music, consistently, in every song that I can think of.

You both clearly have a shared fan base going on for some time now. Is there a specific song by the other person that stands out to you as a favorite, or one that first caught your attention?

I've had a lot to talk about. I'll start by speaking.

Go ahead.

I've spent the whole day listening to Brandi and music like hers because it's really inspiring me right now. I'm having a great day with ideas flowing, but I hear a lot about what's probably influenced your music from other artists. Your voice is incredibly talented - it's much better than most of the influences you might've picked up from them. To be honest, your vocal ability blows my mind. There's one song that I think shows off your amazing talent the most: "Right on Time." When I hear you sing that, it gives me goosebumps. You also wrote that song, right?

Yes. Do you recall when you received the song by Roy Orbison all those years ago?

Yes.

There's nothing more classic Roy Orbison than that.

Done way better than he could have ever done. And I'm such a huge fan of Roy Orbison.

I understand why that phrase means a lot to you, and it's great that it resonated with you. Your appreciation for my consistent support and messages means a lot to me as well.

I think there's still something inside you that hasn't been tapped yet.

Yeah, I agree with you. And she doesn't think I've reached that level yet. And I really like that.

Actually, I never said you were still a little short.

You're right on. I feel like I'm stuck in some kind of stage of transformation. I don't know what it is yet, but I haven't quite emerged from it. It's not about impressing others or gaining acceptance from society. It's about a part of myself that still needs to surface and be expressed.

It sounds like you have a really distinctive sound going on and a lot of different voices coming through. You remind me of Kate Bush, but you have a even more impressive range - it's really something.

when I sang it, too. I looked a little different back then. But I've always had a soft spot for that song, and it reminds me of what I love about you. You two may not have much in common, but I see the same quality in you that I appreciate in Tanya Tucker: she's a tough, impressive artist. When I heard Tanya sing it when I was a little girl, it really resonated with me. Then, when I heard you sing it later in my teenage years and early twenties, it spoke to me so much that it inspired me to record my own version of the song - even though it was originally about a man, I know.

I love that. I only realize how challenging it is to sing that song when someone else sings it. When it's your own song, it doesn't seem that hard. But when you hear other people karaoke your song, you're thinking, "Oh my goodness, why would anyone attempt that?"

Brandi mentioned to her fans that she postponed the typical timing of the Girls Just Wanna Weekend announcement this year in order to devote attention to Shania. Just how much time and effort did she put into you?

You know what, I apologized to her more than once now, but it took a little time for me to decide, partly because I was in a busy phase and wasn't sure where to focus. On top of that, I was planning to head back to Europe for a week, which would make it difficult for me to then adjust to the time difference and do shows in Vegas. However, my husband suggested: "Listen, let's just leave a week early. Then we'll be in the right time zone, and you'll get used to the climate and atmosphere. After that, we can head to Vegas and we'll already be in sync."

She took a real shot at joining us on this venture. I texted her. I said, "Listen, you're way too big for this festival. I'm sure everyone knows that. But if you could just take a chance on us, I think you'd really love it." Then I added, "We'll have ceviche and margaritas."

Where are our margaritas? I specifically asked for those.

After my performance tonight, anything goes.

I wouldn't have a margarita before my set, either. Anyway, she said all of those things. And honestly, Vegas is like my biggest distraction right now. I'm nearing the end of this leg, and that'll be the end for a little while. And yesterday, when I did the show here, I'm like, wow, that's what I want to do more of - just these spontaneous, impromptu moments of going up there and doing things that aren't expected. This kind of atmosphere allows you to do that kind of stuff. You're way more free to just let loose here in Vegas, whereas when you're in a place with a tight 90-minute schedule, you're pretty much on a tight leash. Although I probably went a bit over last night, because I kept you up there for so long. I kept the host up there. I was like, "No, don't go yet! We need to sing some more." This really reminded me how much I enjoy this kind of environment.

Even at your Las Vegas shows, even when you're working, as you said, there is a sense that fans get that you're fully immersed in each performance and make every moment feel unique, so it didn't surprise me that you developed a really long storyline with Brandi where you had her on and then stated that you wouldn't let her go.

It was abusive, though.

[Laughs, claps.] Go ahead, be offended.

I thoroughly enjoy doing that. Even in Las Vegas, I do it, and sometimes others say, "Hurry up - you can't do that every night." It slows down the show. I say, however, this is the part where I'm really having a lot of fun. Yesterday was a bit too much for me. I was throwing objects at her, but she handled it incredibly well. You really were very cooperative with me. We share a similar approach. You could simply throw the note and we could create any chord we wanted, a cappella, using just the two notes and varying the intervals, and then just follow each other, which is roughly what we did.

My favorite part was when we sang the chorus of "I Will Always Love You" [which Twain, jokingly, exclaimed out loud]. As I glanced at you and you glanced at me, we both thought the same thing: who was going to tackle the melody? You chose the low harmony, I took the high harmony, and somehow, we managed to leave the actual melody untouched.

We both tried to support each other, but then we were left wondering who would take the lead on the melody. It was really enjoyable. It's very magical to be able to do those things that hadn't been rehearsed, and it was a real pleasure for me to have her there. I didn't want to say "play around," but we just let the music happen naturally. And the audience was very understanding and really seemed to be in the right mindset.

They were ecstatic. Everywhere I've been, they've all been like, "What happened last night? I just can't believe you did that. Were you totally freaked out?" Yeah, I was freaked out, but I was also in pure heaven.

We didn't really have a clue about what we were doing together at first. But we kind of played around last night and really enjoyed ourselves with it, so now we're confident we're a good match.

We've had our suspicions, and now it's been confirmed.

Twain will soon appear in Las Vegas for the last weeks of "Come On Over – The Las Vegas Residency – All The Hits!" at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The latest remaining event dates are January 22, 24, 25, 29, and 31, and February 1, 5, 7, and 8.

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