Soulful singer-songwriter Rebecca Aadland has always been a human condition observer. She is drawn to inspirational tales of pursuing fulfilling careers and discovering true love, having previously worked as a teacher, psychotherapist, and public speaker. The Minneapolis-based performer has been presenting her folk/pop originals with honesty and humour at music clubs, colleges, and conferences for over 35 years. Rebecca was the seventh of ten children born in Billings, Montana, into a musical family. All of the children sang; her mother played the church organ, and her father built pipe organs and served as a minister. From an early age, she had an interest in psychology, family, and religion as well as how these factors influence our life narratives.
Rebecca obtained a bachelor’s degree in music with a focus on music instruction and voice. Prior to spending 14 years teaching choral music in public schools, she was a member of an all-girl cover band in the 1980s. After raising three children and earning a master’s degree in psychology, Rebecca took a hiatus from her career as a teacher to work as a psychotherapist, while continuing to write songs. However, Rebecca frequently incorporated musical numbers into her lectures and public appearances. Rebecca’s story took a significant turn in 2001 when she left her first marriage, venturing into the unknown in search of true love while penning songs in the process.
She published her first album, “Foreign Soul,” in 2007, and in 2009, she was chosen as a Midwest Regional Finalist for the coveted New Song Contest. She met Brian Tillotson, her soulmate and future husband, a year later. He became her closest ally and largest supporter. Brian co-wrote one of the tracks on her new album and was significantly involved in its production. Brian tragically passed away from abrupt cardiac arrest, and the physical CDS arrived two weeks after his passing.
We completed this interview with Rebecca just before Christmas 2024, and there was some debate between the little team here about whether this interview should go up at the end of 2024 or the start of the new year. Either way, it is being written up in that interesting lazy space between Christmas and the New Year when we all wonder around wondering what day of the week it is!
We started the interview, passing on our collective sadness over the passing of her husband. We don’t want to dwell on this, but it needs said. We moved on noting with Rebecca that one of our team members, Stevie, had just had a baby boy and we asked Rebecca to take the fairy godmother role and provide a gift/talent to the new arrival.
Rebecca: The quick answer would be something like love, but the ability to discern between truth and the BS along with a strong sense of self. We get so damaged by those voices that take us down.
We feel luck would be a good one; we all need some luck. And with this interview being two days before Christmas, which Christmas single would Rebecca most like to play in a live show?
Rebecca: That touches on so many elements from my past. My father was a Christian minister, so I was immersed in all of that. I have a much broader view of religion now. I do love “In the Bleak Midwinter.” It is a picture of winter; the beauty of it and the bleakness—it does touch my soul that one. “Drummer Boy” too and those old standards; I was a choral conductor and have a choral tradition from my family roots. Christmas is such a rich time.
The influence of gospel music, of course, in how it influenced those early rock performers such as Elvis was profound. Gospel lies at the heart of so much early blues and rock tradition. Elvis was always a gospel performer in his heart.
Rebecca: It is true, and true of my early music too. With that, you have an automatic stage. I was singing from an early age and was placed in front of a church congregation audience, whether I liked it or not. I learnt to harmonise early.
But then Rebecca moved into an all-girls cover band in the eighties. So what was happening there?
Rebecca: I was in my first marriage at the time, an unhappy marriage. We were farming; I think I did this partly out of boredom and partly out of marital stress. I was stuck there in the middle of the prairie and I was always writing songs. I formed a band with my sister and my best friend and we added a male drummer. We auditioned female drummers but they were not so great. But everything I do now is on the shoulders of those experiences. This was a great time—a first band, playing in clubs and all that. We played Go-Go’s, some country ballads and rock. We played Crosby Stills, Nash and Young; maybe we shouldn’t have, but we loved the harmonies so much. We put a crazy spin on things and when you don’t really know what you are doing, then it allows the artistic freedom.
Is “Stronger Broken” the debut album?
Rebecca: No, “Foreign Soul” was the debut. I see that as a novice project; my son, Ben, was a student in audio-engineering, and neither of us really knew what we were doing, but we decided to try an album. Then he got student access to the studios and I could use these big studios in Minneapolis, where Prince had recorded. But I learnt so much from this album and Ben was amazing as a novice engineer.
Lorraine did the review for us (here) and she held out three standout tracks that she loved. We did enjoy the pop-folk feel of “Twist in the Plot.” There was Little Miss Muffet in there and it was lyrically interesting. Nursery rhymes can be so dark anyway; look at “I do not like thee, Dr. Fell” (from which Dr. Fell syndrome is drawn); nursery rhymes can be very dark.
Rebecca: I also work as a psychotherapist and I do focus on how people can be happier in life. I observe the human condition and look to change the narrative of our lives. Can we see things in a different way? But there is an irony in the song, because after my big album was completed and released, my husband dies. I was suddenly a widow when I thought this was the love for life. So I am singing this song, and “Move Outside” is another with a similar theme about navigating pain and finding joy again. And the nursery rhyme—my mom would sing that one to me when I was little; nursery rhymes and camping songs sung in rounds were part of my youth. As for Miss Muffit. I had a bunch of sheets of verses when I was writing the lyrics and some just lyrically fit better. The spider that frightened her away does link with fear.
Turning to “Carnival,” it is a pleasing upbeat number with the references to clowns (but we won’t head toward a clown discussion). Was it based on a true event?
Rebecca: Religion plays a big part in people and how they decide to conduct their lives, and I was immersed in that. It gave me problems when my first marriage went so wrong, as there was a belief that you married for life. I stayed in something painful. So after I left, I had 8/10 years of being single and the idea of three clowns with painful smiles was maybe in my novice dating time, I think. Perhaps “The Carnival” represents the weird adventure in my life. So there is something in that song that makes me laugh; it was a rich and colourful time but you learn who the sinister players are. Once you hook into the imagery, writing it is fun.
The last of the three songs that Lorraine focused on was “Maizy,” with the country music touches. It seemed a change in direction?
Rebecca: We have played that live. I am now in the studio working on my third album and planning a show. I don’t gig that much, playing in some noisy club where everyone is out of it and not listening has little appeal. So when I do play live, I want my full band and I want people listening; I am fussy like that! At my age, I am not trying to be the next pop star. But “Maizy” is always well received. There was one lady who came up to me after we had played to say that she was dumping her boyfriend tonight! “Maizy” was her favourite song, I see so many people staying with partners that they complain about all the time, but they never dare leave, they just seem to enjoy blaming someone else for their misery..
Well… everything is so wonderful at the start.
Rebecca: Yes, until you actually get to know the person. We have to come to terms with the harsh reality that every human is flawed and accept that. That’s what loving really is, and it’s not easy.
And you were the seventh of ten children, which is an interesting aside. Large families like that are far less common today. Was this a fight for recognition in a family?
Rebecca: We talk about this as it is a high-achieving family. A lot of PhD’s, one brother was an army general, two siblings are authors and then another is trying to save the planet as an environmentalist. So maybe we were all trying to make our mark and be noticed. But the house was full of creativity and music; my dad was someone with a spark for life and would tell us we could do anything. He built several twelve-rank pipe organs! He was a pipe-building minister in a pre-internet age. He had these huge manuals and we would watch that creativity become something amazing. That has to be in there too, but by the time number 7 comes along, the parents are no longer watching! Numbers 7 and 8, my little brother and I would just come home when we were hungry!
This album came out 2 years ago, and you were working on it some time before that. This is old history for Rebecca.
Rebecca: I was working on it for about 6 years off-and-on before its release. I am not a full-time musician. I try to be more so now but I rewrite things and it was a long gestation. I am happy to see it getting recognition now. But look at the beautiful cover by Michael Teel, the filling of cracks with gold. The idea is that through the cracks, through the beauty and the compassion, flows gold. Even losing Brian and the experience of being a widow gave me a different connection with humanity.
And what is on the agenda in 2025 musically?
Rebecca: I have enough tracks recorded for a new EP right now. But I may wait for the album. I think I will do a single release called “God Stuff,” which is all about religion and it breaks my heart when religion creates wars and hatred. It is a powerful song and it even feels dangerous to release it. I will say that in the interlude I have recorded my father before he passed away saying, “May the Lord bless you and keep you,” that benediction. Then comes the Muslim prayer from a friend of mine and a Jewish voice, Hindu, Buddhist and it closes with the Native American, for “we are all related.” It blends religions praying for peace and that is a big number for me to release. I had an old version, but I redid it all. The chorus for this is “Take me through the meadows of your grace.” There is something out there and it can come to us directly. To finish with the twist in the plot, “Stronger Broken,” I will share that I have met someone. This is my third Christmas without my husband, but I have Michael in my life. I believe we should be open to things and if you listen to my album, I am a firm believer in love.
With that happy end, we draw 2024 to a close at the magazine. Happy New Year everybody and let us all pray for a good one.
And I hope you liked the feature, dear reader! If you did, please check out the other pages of the magazine; we have many great features, merchandise, editorials and even poetry! We work hard for you, and if you want to show some appreciation and support what we do, then do use the Support Us link below and buy me a drink for New Years Eve! Always appreciated.
Stream Music by Rebecca Aadland here
By Mark C. Chambers
and
Lorraine Foley
