Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzy Wilson.
Hi Suzy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up in a very small southern town, I loved to sing and wanted to be a singer. But the idea of writing the songs that I would sing never entered my mind. I didn’t even know anyone who played an instrument other than a piano or a marching band instrument.
But I was a good writer. Did really well in English Composition in high school and college. Went on to work in PR and Advertising doing writing along with graphic design and event planning. Also, up until about 20 years ago, I still had no idea how to write a song and still didn’t really know many people that did. So I started working on learning and beginning to do songwriting around the time I turned 50. This year, I am still releasing new music as I turn 69.
One thing that surprises a lot of people is the type of music that I do. When I go to songwriting workshops and we get to play a song we wrote, I am always met by a lot of shocked looks. I asked a question about the feedback I got on my song I presented. One of the participants, said that he couldn’t remember what was said as he was in shock because my song was not what he was expecting. Well, my slogan is “Older Than Dirt and Metal As F~*k” for a reason. My music has been described as Joan Baez meets Judas Priest or Joni Mitchell Meets Metallica.
As for what I write about, I get ideas from all sorts of things. For example, Breathe came about as I was talking on the phone with a friend about something that was in the news. The conversation stirred a spark, and I started jotting down ideas as we talked. Sometimes the music was already written and recorded, and I would be inspired by the music. Sometimes I will find random sentences in an article or book that I’m reading that gives me an idea. Road to Nowhere was inspired by the dozens and dozens of road trips driving alone between Houston and Dallas over a period of years. That drive is just miles and miles of nothing. Very few towns close to the freeway and just out in the countryside forever with very little “scenery” even.
My upcoming new single 21st Century was originally written and recorded about 10 years ago. Don’t remember by we didn’t release it back then. It was inspired by the way the world was changing and not for the best. Back in the 60s and 70s during the Civil Rights and Women’s movements, we were inspired by movies and shows that portrayed the future as a place where everyone got along and were equal, but it seems that now we are further away from that instead of closer. I was going through old lyrics and unreleased songs looking for ideas for new songs and found it. Totally redid the music and id a couple of minor lyrical updates and it will be released on April 21 this year.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a singer, but there weren’t many opportunities outside of the local church choir. My school was a very small school, and it didn’t offer really any musical or artistic options. I always was aware of that, but it wasn’t until I got to college and was up against kids who went to schools that had drama departments, a school choir, music classes that it really hit home. I didn’t feel that I could compete with those other kids who had so much more experience and opportunities. I had selected the university partially because they had an excellent music theatre department, but I was so intimidated that I never auditioned for a part in a show. Instead, I pursued other less grand opportunities. When my husband and I moved to Houston, Texas right after college, I was excited as there were places where bands played and there would be opportunities to audition for bands. As I started to talk about auditioning for bands, I got no support from my family at all and so even though I had never been booed off a stage, I begin to feel that they were trying to tell me that I wasn’t that good. And so, I stopped trying to pursue my dream for years.
So, I focused on my career in Public Relations and Advertising. Several years later, I was working with someone who told me you are a singer and you are a writer, so why don’t you write songs? Also, my son was involved in music and is an amazing singer and he kept asking me about why I wasn’t singing anymore. And those were the things that sparked my interest in getting back to following those dreams, around age 50.
Well because I didn’t know how to write songs and didn’t know anyone who did. So, I got a lot of books on song writing and started writing my own lyrics and found people to work with me to write the music. But I kept finding the totally wrong people to work with and things kept going nowhere. So, I spent about 5 years trying to write and record the same 5 songs over and over again with a long list of the wrong people. Just as I thought I was finally getting the masters for those songs. It didn’t happen. And since it seemed I was just getting nowhere, I was left wondering if the universe was trying to tell me that I shouldn’t be doing this.
Around that time, I got an email for a song writing workshop through the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp program. Part of what they offered was having the mentor/rock star give a critique of your songs. So, I scraped together what I had of the songs and went to Camp. I decided if they told me to keep going then I would, but if they said to stop, then I would stop. Well, they told me to keep going so I went back and found someone to help me salvage what I had of the songs I had been recording, and we released my first EP, The Best Revenge.
Then I asked a couple of musicians that I knew and trusted to help me find the right people to work with. One of them kept telling me that I should work with him. Well, I knew him and knew how busy he was, but he kept insisting that I should work with him. Well, he was right and we have been working together for more than 10 years now.
The biggest obstacles I’m facing now are trying to put together a band and people who don’t take a female or someone my age seriously. And trying to get my songs out there to be heard. Since I am a basically a solo artist, I have to do all the business side as well as the creative side. It is time consuming trying to keep up with all the changes in how to release music, market music, as well as trying to find musicians to work with.
This past year added the additional obstacles of the sudden death of my husband, several eye surgeries and breaking my foot. Now that I am coming out that very dark time, I am getting back into releasing new music and turning 69 years old. And I’m still Older than Dirt and Metal as F~*k!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a 69-year-old female rock/metal music songwriter, recording artist and performer
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Don’t really get much time for reading books or other things for entertainment. Mainly listen to podcasts regarding the music industry and latest trends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://suzyandthesubstitutes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzyandthesubs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzyandtheSubs
- Twitter: @suzyandthesubs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@suzyandthesubstitutes
