by Best Classic Bands Staff
April 20, 2022

While it’s not known whether Fleetwood Mac will be recording or touring again, the band’s two female members have plans of their own in 2022.

While Stevie Nicks isn’t touring, per se, she has been adding live performance dates to her calendar one by one. As of April 19, the songstress has ten concerts planned this year, many of which are taking place at festivals. They span from May 7, where she’ll be the headliner on the final Saturday of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, through Sept. 30. Though McVie hasn’t announced any concerts, she is releasing a new solo collection, Songbird. The album is produced by Glyn Johns and emphasizes songs from her solo career. It arrives June 24 via Rhino. It first became available for pre-order on Apr. 19.

Fleetwood Mac last toured in 2019, with Mike Campbell and Neil Finn joining Nicks, McVie, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. News of Nicks‘ 2022 appearances began trickling out in January, when the Bonnaroo festival announced its lineup.

Stevie Nicks 2022 Dates (Tickets are available here and here)

May 07 – New Orleans, LA – Jazz Fest
May 11 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
May 14 – George, WA – The Gorge Amphitheatre
Jun 19 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
Sep 04 – Snowmass, CO – Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Sep 08 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia
Sep 10 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia
Sep 17 – Asbury Park, NJ – Sea Hear Now Festival
Sep 24 – Bridgeport, CT – Sound on Sound Festival
Sep 30 – Dana Point, CA – Ohana Festival

McVie‘s last studio effort was 2017’s collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham. The title track of the 2022 release originally appeared on Mac’s 1977 Rumours album. Other songs are culled from various aspects of her career, including her solo work. McVie says the songs, with a string orchestra, “sound completely different.”

The album includes a selection of songs from two of her solo albums – 1984’s Christine McVie and 2004’s In the Meantime – plus two previously unreleased studio recordings.

The first release, “Slow Down,” was originally written for the 1985 film American Flyers. Of the song, McVie says, “I was asked to write a song for a film about a cycling competition. So, I thought we’d give it a go. So that’s why the lyrics are sort of muddled up with a little bit of a love song, a little bit of cycling. And it turned out really well, but they didn’t end up using it. We thought it was a pity to waste it, so it’s on here.”

Listen to “Slow Down” from the new album

Another song that has never been released is “All You Gotta Do,” a duet that McVie recorded with George Hawkins while making In the Meantime. The track was never finished, and Johns added Ricky Peterson on Hammond and Ethan Johns on drums and guitar.

Christine McVie Songbird: A Solo Collection Track Listing
Friend
Sweet Revenge
The Challenge
Northern Star
Ask Anybody
Slow Down
Easy Come, Easy Go
Givin’ It Back
All You Gotta Do
Songbird (Orchestral)

The new album goes back to 1984 for a selection of tracks from Christine McVie, in which she was joined by several legendary musicians. “The Challenge” includes backing vocals by her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Lindsey Buckingham and lead guitar by Eric Clapton. “Ask Anybody” is a song McVie co-wrote with Steve Winwood, who adds backing vocals and piano to the track.

Buckingham released a self-titled solo album in 2021, and has returned to the road. Tickets to see him perform in 2022 are available here and here.