Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are equal parts ribbing and respect ahead of summer tour
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You might not expect a comedy routine during a conversation with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.
But the rock 'n' roll lion and the bluegrass chanteuse who became an unlikely musical pair 17 years ago with their rootsy collaboration āRaising Sandā are relaxed, playful and exceptionally respectful of each other.
And very funny.
In a joint interview a few days before the June 2 launch of another summer of touring behind āRaise the Roof,ā their 2021 acclaimed follow-up to the Grammy-winning āRaising Sand,ā the pair begin by disagreeing about when their last tour ended (it was July) and tease each other while answering how they might change the set list for this run of dates.
āWe havenāt started yet, but we have 39 shows. so I think weāll consolidate and play to our strengths initially,ā Plant says.
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āAnd then weāll play to our weaknesses,ā Krauss jokes.
āSee what Iām dealing with?ā Plant responds with mock exasperation.
For 25 minutes, the pair banter about aging (he is 75, she 52), why sleep is ācrucialā while touring and the art of harmonizing.
āIām trying my best to learn how to get it right,ā Plant, one of the mightiest singers in rock history, says with discernable humbleness.
Here is what else the twosome had to share.
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Question: What have you both been doing since getting off the road last year?
Robert Plant: Iāve been very busy following my north star and reaching into the great old world of R&B for songs I might do something with down the road. And watching football (soccer).
Alison Krauss: Iāve been watching documentaries about The Mothman. And have been in the studio with Union Station working on a new album.
What is it like making the shift from touring with Robert to going back into the studio?
Krauss: Itās much more laid-back with Robert. The studio has its own unpleasantness, and itās a much more relaxed environment here. I canāt believe I get to do both.
Plant: You have a lot more notes to worry about in that band. Iāve learned a lot in my time around Alison and the world that comes with her, and itās been a spectacle of charm, politeness and peach cobblers.
You mean, Southern?
Plant: Yes! You do a studio session in Nashville and you have to make your way through the baked goods. In England itās much more rough and ready. The people in Nashville, there is a standard and quality and texture there.
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Youāve had these songs out on the road the past couple of summers. What has changed in either the setlist or your approach to the music?
Krauss: All of these songs, they turn into something else the longer you live with them ā like I wish we would have recorded it this way or phrased it like that. When you sing the same song (live), the stories change.
Is your rapport deep enough now that you can look at each other onstage and know the song is going somewhere?
Krauss: I know when he looks at me heās going somewhere, but I donāt know where.
Plant: I never sang harmony in Led Zeppelin except for āThank You.ā I really didnāt know about singing with another person. I do believe that Henry āThe Horseā (Smith), our guitar roadie, and Jimmy (Page) sang the harmonies with me on that one. But I loved listening to what Alison sang.
Robert, do you think if you hadnāt connected with Alison a couple of decades ago, that you would have stayed in music?
Plant: Iāve been really fortunate because it was such a formative time in my life when Led Zeppelin came to a screeching halt and I had to keep moving and find a new place to do what I do and challenge myself. ā¦ This woman sitting next to me is manna from heaven.
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Youāre also going on tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Are you technically the opening act?
Plant: I think theyāre doing ice cream sundaes and hot dogs when we play. But I do think there is one person on before us. Regardless, Iām proud to be standing next to Alison before the master (Dylan) takes the stage.
Alison, tell me about your friendship with Def Leppard since you sang on a couple of songs on their "Diamond Star Halos" album.
Krauss: All of the bluegrass-ers love Def Leppard. Their harmonies, the way they would blend. It was so incredible to do those songs. They were so generous and nice.
Plant: So different than Robert (laughs).
Krauss: Right, not like Robert. I said they were so generous and nice (laughs). It was a fantasy. There are plenty of people who grew up playing the kind of music I did and fantasized about playing a (rock) part.
There are always a few reconstructed Led Zeppelin songs in your show. Robert, do you enjoy doing them or is it more obligatory?
Plant: I love them and am very proud of them, and to get to change them around and to hear that voice next to me, it allows for an exotic overview of the more dramatic elements. At times Iām emotional about it because Iām hearing these songs ā they are all beautiful adaptations that I could never have dreamt. Itās a great achievement.
Since itās been almost a year since you last toured, do you have to do anything health-wise to get ready?
Krauss: Just sleep.
Plant: Sleep is crucial. Having jet lag, thatās a crippler. Youāll be awake at 4 a.m. sending notes to people, thinking "Should I read a book for awhile? No, go to sleep!"
Have you discussed any future recordings together so it wonāt be another 14 years between albums?
Plant: Time is a funny thing, isnāt it? Alison is going back on the bluegrass trail, so I guess if she wants me back, she can give me a call.