Rolling Stone
By Rob Sheffield
August 28, 2014

These songs are little jewels,” says Stevie Nicks of her new album. “Each one is the story of what was going on at the time – new relationships, new friends, new Fleetwood Mac albums.” 24 Karat Gold – Songs From the Vault (out October 7th) is full of songs Nicks had written but never previously recorded, dating back to 1969. Some are so private, not even her Mac bandmates have heard them. “‘Lady’ was on a cassette I kept in a box, in a sacred trunk that my mother had,” she says. “It just said ‘Lady’ on the front.”

Nicks faced a severe time crunch in the studio – she had to finish before rehearsals for Fleetwood Mac’s fall reunion tour with Christine McVie began. “I called [producer] Dave Stewart and said, ‘I’ve got the songs, but how do we make a record in two months?'” she says. “He said, ‘Nashville. That’s what they do.’ It’s like checking yourself into music rehab.”

The Nashville session cats helped Nicks crash 17 tracks in just three weeks. It was a new experience for her. “I’m usually up till four or five in the morning, but [for this album] I had to get up at nine, do a vocal lesson at 10, then watch Wendy Williams just to wake up. I’m in the bathtub at 12, then dressing as fast as I can, and driving across town to be in the vocal booth by two.” It was exotic in other ways, too. “I’m used to bands where we argue over how to do the song. These Nashville guys just say, ‘Yes, ma’am.'”

The album is decorated with Polaroid selfies taken by Nicks over the years. “People would ask to model for me, and I’d say, ‘Be at my hotel room at 2:30 a.m., dressed in lipstick and gowns and hats and rhinestones and diamonds,’ ” Nicks says. “And they’d say, ‘Uh, no, I’m good.’ So I was the model, photographer and furniture mover.”

Like the photos, the songs document Nicks’ private life. “‘Lady’ captures the mood of me and Lindsey [Buckingham] being scared to death when we moved to L.A. in 1971,” she says. “Our producer Keith Olsen gave us this white carved piano – I wrote ‘Rhiannon’ on it. But I didn’t know how to play. ‘Lady’ was me figuring it out.”

Nobody from Fleetwood Mac has heard the album yet, but she’s confident her mates will like it. “Lindsey will love it,” she says. “Half the songs are about him!”

Stevie Nicks to Release New Album “24 Karat Gold — Songs from the Vault” in October

Stevie Nicks hinted earlier this year that she might release some older songs that had never seen the light of day.  Now, she’s making good on that tease: her new album 24 Karat Gold — Songs from the Vault is due October 7

According to Stevie, the album features mostly songs written between 1969 and 1987, with two that were written in 1994 and 1995.  “Each song is a lifetime.  Each song has a soul.  Each song has a purpose. Each song is a love story,” she says in a statement. “They represent my life behind the scenes, the secrets, the broken hearts, the broken-hearted and the survivors. These songs are the memories — the 24 karat gold rings in the blue box. These songs are for you.”

The artwork for the album includes never-before-seen Polaroid photos taken by Stevie throughout her career.

24 Karat Gold — Songs from the Vault is available for pre-order starting August 5.  That same day, Stevie will debut her new, official Instagram account, StevieNicksOfficial, where she’ll begin previewing snippets of the music.

In addition, a limited edition double vinyl version of 24 Karat Gold — Songs from the Vault will come out September 29.  Also available will be a Deluxe Photobook CD, which will include two bonus tracks, as well as 48 pages of exclusive photos from Stevie’s personal collection.

Stevie and Fleetwood Mac will hit the road for their On with the Show tour — featuring the return of Christine McVie — starting September 30 in Minneapolis.

Rolling Stone Online
By Jon Blistein
July 24, 2014 12:00 PM ET

Album will focus on songs the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman wrote between 1969 and 1987