Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman will forever be remembered by their first names after being recruited by Prince to join his legendary band the Revolution. But these out-and-proud musicians have earned their own musical bonafides with a music career spanning decades that’s resulted in five studio albums, collaborations with numerous other performers, and a 2010 Emmy for the theme song to the television series Nurse Jackie.
The duo are a part of the new concept album TRAИƧA features over 100 artists from different generations uniting to create a celebration of the trans community. The album includes 46 songs and Wendy & Lisa joined British-French trans singer Lauren Auder for a new version of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U.”
Other musicians on the record include Sade Adu, Sam Smith and Andre 3000, among others. TRAИƧA was released by the Red Hot Organization, an a non-profit operation raising funds and awareness through music. Many people may recognize the company’s Red Hot + Blue compilation from 1990, which focused on Cole Porter and sold over a million copies.
Wendy & Lisa spoke remotely about the project and what it means to them on TRAИƧA’s release day.
Windy City Times: I met you both briefly through Revolution keyboardist Dr. Fink at the Park West in Chicago.
Wendy Melvoin: That was a fun gig and it was a great show at the Park West.
Lisa Coleman: I like that venue.
WCT: Tell or readers how you got on board with this new project TRAИƧA.
WM: We’ve been familiar with the Red Hot Organization since they first started back in the late ‘80s. I was really taken by the quality of artists and the integrity of their work.
When the organization reached out to us they said they were doing this version of Red Hot + Blue with trans artists, Lisa and I were obviously very intrigued and felt like it was such a timely subject matter. Lauren reached out to us after she heard that we were interested and wanted to make a version of “I Would Die 4 You.”
We joined her, and she’s a soulful human being with a strong direction. She is a self-starter and knows exactly what she wants to do.
It was a nice combination. We added some good color and brought some of the nuance back from the original. We beefed the original up to make it sound slightly more contemporary without sounding forced. I think the song turned out quite lovely and she really owns that piece of music.
WCT: It takes on a new life with the lyrics “I’m not a woman, I’m not a man. I am something that you’ll never understand.” What was the original intention of the song?
LC: Well, I think Prince was talking more about a spiritual being. A lot of people think that it was Jesus Christ, but he was definitely a man, so I would say that it was more of a spiritual idea.
It’s something greater than that which is love, because the sentiment of the chorus saying, “I would die for you,” is a huge thing to say. Not only would someone give their own life for another, but that the other person’s life is more important than their own. So it’s a very heavy song and I’ve always loved it for that reason.
I think when Lauren sings it, there’s a certain passion in it that makes it really compelling.
WM: It’s a great version and it’s different enough to really be hers now. It doesn’t sound like it’s trying to be a Prince cover, which was our deepest fear to begin with.
I knew once we heard the seed of what she was doing, it was not going to be that, especially with how deep and rich her vocals are.
It’s very different from what we’re all used to hearing with Prince on that version. I think she did a beautiful job. I really do. I think he would like it as well.
WCT: There are 100 artists on this project. What did you think of Sade’s track “Young Lion?”
WM: I loved Sade’s track and there are so many amazing artists that are contributing to this one that I feel really proud to be a part of it.
LC: It really seemed like everybody brought their A-game. There are really good songs and there is a certain compassion for the subject, which comes through.
WM: I feel the same way about it, and it doesn’t sound like anybody phoned their songs in. Sometimes these compilations get artists at the very last minute and they just throw something together. It might be good, but listeners can tell there’s a certain rushed quality to it. This doesn’t [have that]. The subject matter hit people in the right way. There’s a lot of people in the music community that are really compassionate about trans issues.
WCT: This is the time for us being in the LGBTQ+ community to lift each other up and support our friends.
WM: Absolutely. In a way, I think they get it worse because they’re displaying their transformation. There are a lot of gay people out there that hide their identity, but in the trans community, they’re saying, “Here I am, please be okay with this.”
It’s forcing a lot of conversation out in the public now and people are uncomfortable. Then there are others, especially in the art community, who are like, “Bring it on.” So to be a part of this kind of project was a no brainer.
WCT: Will there be a tour for TRAИƧA?
WM: Lisa and I don’t have any plans for that, but we would support it a hundred percent. They should at least have a night with some of the artists to raise money. It would be spectacular, and I am sure there has been talk about it.
WCT: You both were out of the closet publicly very early, like pioneers, honestly.
WM: I don’t think we’ve ever not been out! I mean, I’ve been out since I was 13. We didn’t use it as a selling point, at least consciously. We were very young when we came out.
Being the two gay women in Prince’s band and a couple, we were very private about not using that as a tool for pushing our agenda forward, be it just musical agenda, but nevertheless, being seen as real musicians. We weren’t waving the flag of “I’m gay” first; it was more “I’m a musician” first, so that was our identity.
It was only later in life when I was dealing with more things, other than the music community, that I felt freer to open up about being a gay woman in my life at that time.
WCT: Dr. Fink told me that Prince encouraged you both to be provocative about it with lyrics such as, “Is the water warm enough?” in “Computer Blue.”
WM: Yeah he toyed with it. Yes, he did. He thought it was hot.
LC: He was definitely always trying to push the boundaries. Honestly, in a way, it was more of are they or aren’t they lesbians? To me, that was a good thing because it made people think. They could question if it makes any difference or what makes them that way.
It just seemed to open up people’s minds a little bit more than just saying, “Here are Wendy and Lisa, the lesbian couple in the band!”
WM: Yes, that was intriguing.
LC: That was more interesting, especially back then, I think.
WCT: Now that I think about it, “Is the water warm enough?” doesn’t blatantly say anything.
LC: No, but it’s seductive. It’s toying and it’s suggestive, but it’s not saying, “Come on, dyke, get in the bath!” It’s pretty clear though.
WCT: Back at that time I didn’t think about how the Indigo Girls were making safe spaces for the queer community at their concerts.
LC: Those girls just being who they are in that particular folk community, were the tip of the spear, not me and Lisa. Melissa Etheridge and k.d. lang were both out at the time too.
WCT: Let’s talk about a more recent out musician Brandi Carlile. How was playing at last year’s Joni Mitchell Jam concert at the Hollywood Bowl?
LC: So great.
WM: Lisa and I have been disciples of Joni’s for forever. We did something for Joni for the Grammys a couple of years ago and got to know Brandi through that. They had just done the Newport Jazz Festival and Joni came out to perform some songs for the first time.
We had known that Brandi was going up there with a handful of people to kind of warm her up post-aneurysm. It was to get her feeling comfortable with at least hearing her music, and then maybe tinkling on a guitar if she wanted to. They gave her the microphone and a little teleprompter on the base of the floor so she could look at her words.
In just a few years, Brandi has single-handedly acted as a caretaker for Joni in the most beautiful way. There was something about Brandi and her relationship with Joni that helped her explore the musical healing process. She got better and better.
After that, Lisa and I got on board with the jam sessions up at the house over the past year and a half. The community in that room, I mean, it’s a tiny room and her living room, with 15 to 20 of our closest musician friends, where we played instruments and sang her songs. She slowly started singing them back, and we stopped to let her sing.
By the time we hit the Hollywood bowl and she was doing two nights in a row, two sets a night, it was astonishing from where she was when she had that aneurysm. Brandi is single-handedly responsible for ushering in that healing for her music to come back.
Brandi is wickedly smart at publicity and I think she’s been able to gain a lot of new listeners for Joni and the older audience is glad she’s back. My hat is off to Brandi.
LC: Something I would like to add is Brandi is a consummate professional and very good at the business. I think what really got Joni involved more was that Brandi is very childlike in the way she approaches music. It’s very joyful. It’s like a kid when she comes up to you and asks to play a song. She will ask us to play a circle game and we might as well be skipping while playing our instruments.
WCT: I interviewed Maya Rudolph for the cartoon series The Best Hospital in the Galaxy and she’s a huge Prince fan with her band. We talked about you making the music for the show. Any new plans for making more soundtrack music?
WM: We finished some stuff a few months ago and we’ve just been working on a new album right now. After we are done with the album by the end of January, then maybe we can hook onto a score or two.
WCT: Aren’t you working with Annie Lennox in the future?
WM: That’s the new record we are finishing up. We have a new band called Wendy & Lisa & Annie. We are 10 songs in and it’s great!
TRAИƧA is out now and find more information at https://transa.world.