Jane Wiedlin of the Go - Go's

Summary

Podcast Summary: Tony Mantor’s Almost Live… Nashville

Episode: Interview with Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s
Host: Tony Mantor
Guest: Jane Wiedlin
Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

Tony Mantor sits down with Jane Wiedlin, founding member of the trailblazing all-female band, The Go-Go’s. In a lively, candid conversation, Jane shares the early days in LA’s punk scene, the challenges and triumphs of breaking industry barriers, her evolving perspective on music and songwriting, and thoughtful advice for artists navigating today’s music business. Listeners are treated to personal anecdotes, reflections on the Go-Go’s impact, and discussions on the shifting landscape for women in music.

---

1. Early Days in LA Punk Scene

• Small, Close-Knit Community
  • Jane recounts discovering the punk scene in late 1976, a time when “there were so few people that when there were shows, there’d be the band playing on stage and then the band jumping into the crowd when they were dancing. And it was very much a community and a family.” (03:00)
• Diversity and Inclusion
  • The scene embraced “women and people of color and LGBTQ people and tons of people that went to art school. It was very different scene than what most people imagine. And that was at the beginning anyways. But later it changed.” (03:15)
• Misunderstandings About The Go-Go’s
  • Jane on people questioning their punk roots: “People don’t believe we were part of the punk scene. … Like, hate to tell you this, guy, things happen before you were born.” (03:51)

---

2. Songwriting Growth & Partnerships

• Origins in Lyric Writing
  • Jane began writing poetry: “I had written, like, a lot of poetry that wasn’t very good. But, yeah, I just started writing lyrics is how it started.” (04:47)
• Early Themes & Collaborations
  • Early songs were “pretty political and a lot of it was about being outcasts of society.”
  • The collaboration with Charlotte Caffey was a breakthrough: “She was a really, really great music composer and I was pretty good at lyrics. … I still consider her one of the top three writers I’ve ever written with, for sure.” (05:17)

---

3. From Punk to Mainstream: The Role of MTV

• Rise with Music Videos
  • Discussing “Our Lips Are Sealed” and low-budget video: “We just kind of ran around town being silly and not really taking it very seriously and stuff, which I guess is part of the punk rock ethos.” (06:20)
• Genre Labels and Evolution
  • “We became considered more and more commercial, mostly because after punk rock, something called new wave became a label, and that’s what people were calling us.” (06:38)
• Musical Influences
  • “Buzzcocks and Ramones. Listen to either of those bands. They’re really pop songs, just done really fast.” (07:05)

---

4. Breaking Gender Barriers in Music

• Industry Resistance

  • Facing misogyny: “All the record companies just said no, flat out. … They even said it to our faces like, there never has been [a successful girl band], there never will be. It was like misogynism was so rampant that no one even knew what it was.” (07:50)

• Go-Go’s as Trailblazers

  • Signing with IRS Records: “We were their first hit act. We kind of started the ball rolling for them, having a lot of successful acts.” (08:23)

• Being Role Models

  • “Loads and loads of letters and fans coming up to us at shows. … What we represented to them was opportunity. Not just in the music business, but opportunity to excel in any business.” (09:50)

• Memorable Quote:

  • Jane (on being role models): “What we had in common was vagina.” (09:33)

---

5. Lasting Impact and Challenges for Female Musicians

• Cultural Influence
  • “You gave women and girls hope, that must have felt good to you?”
    • Jane: “Of course it felt good. I mean, how else would it feel?” (10:19)
• The Industry’s Slow Progress
  • “I'm still hoping for that day to come. … There are almost no successful female rock bands, especially ones that did what we did, which was play our own instruments, write our own songs and go to [number one]. No one has done that since we did.” (10:34)
• Freshness of Simplicity
  • “I feel like the Go Go's were kind of fresh and raw.” (12:26)
  • Tony: “That simple four, five piece sound with great hooks, great harmonies and just simple riffs is some of the best music still out there.” (12:41)
  • Jane: “The more simple and fresh it is, maybe the closer to the heart it gets.” (12:49)

---

6. Revisiting Songs & Shifts in Meaning

• “Our Lips Are Sealed” – Then and Now
  • On co-writing with Terry Hall: “It was basically about our short and secret romance that we had and, you know, paying no mind to the gossip. But what ended up becoming of it was it became kind of a strong girl anthem … I think that’s a much more powerful message than, you know, just another love song.” (13:26)

---

7. Advice for Upcoming Artists

• Don’t Sell Your Publishing
  • “You'll be very tempted to do it when you're poor. But if you have any success at all, you're going to really regret it because that is a big stream of income." (14:27)
• Be Your Own Advocate
  • “You're going to have big periods of your life where you have no advocates whatsoever and nobody believes in you.” (14:45)
  • Example: Her parents encouraged a “real job,” but the Go-Go’s succeeded because they didn’t give up. (15:00)

---

8. Today’s Music Industry & Streaming

• LA Scene vs. Today
  • “There are not as many clubs. … I think that the whole advent of streaming is kind of destroying the music business. … By depriving artists of income, you’re gonna prevent artists from existing.” (15:45)
• Struggles for Songwriters
  • Tony on Nashville: “It’s very tough when you get fractions of pennies for streaming and songs that you have written.” (17:00)
  • Jane: “I don’t know how young artists are doing it, to be honest.” (16:21)
• Current Strategies
  • “A lot of artists these days are just going with tiny labels or their own label because … at least if you're controlling your own career, you're controlling your own career, which is always a positive.” (18:06)
  • “A lot of those musicians tour all the time and that's how they make their income.” (18:21)

---

9. Life on Tour & Dealing with Fame

• Touring Memories
  • “Touring was both fun and exhausting. … Just spending all that time making each other laugh. … We called ourselves a five headed monster. We were just so out of control.” (18:48)
• On Fame
  • “The thing about fame is I don’t think anyone’s ever prepared for it. … For us it just kind of killed everything, to be honest. … I really just felt like a regular person who had been thrust into this really weird, crazy world.” (20:00)

---

10. Current & Future Projects

• Music & Charity
  • “The Go Go's did a bunch of festivals, which we'd really never done before, and that was exciting. I also do a lot of charity work, a lot of concerts for free, just to raise money for different causes.” (20:44)
• Side Projects and Collaborations
  • Side project on hiatus: “People would be surprised how little people are interested in musicians from a big band if it's not the actual big band that they're looking at.” (21:09)
  • No current manager or label: “I'm pretty suspicious of business people in the record business.” (21:22)
• Upcoming Event – Joy Song
  • “I'm actually kind of wildly excited because I get to see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in years. And from what I hear, everyone just loves playing this event, that it’s just really fun for both the people on stage and the people in the audience.” (22:16)

---

11. Social Media & Activism

• Connecting with Fans
  • “Mostly through social media. … DMs are a great way to connect with people." (24:54)
  • For updates: “It’s just Jane Wiedlin. As long as you spell Wiedlin right, you’re in like Flynn.” (24:59)
  • Prefers Instagram and routes posts to Facebook and Threads (25:13)
• Jane on Self-Promotion and Politics
  • “I almost never post selfies. Almost all my stuff is political content. … There was a time not too many months ago where celebrities were absolutely afraid to speak out and I was like, what do I have to lose? … A lot of people … feel like they found a home.” (25:59)
  • “I don’t have a huge following, I have a really, really active following. … That’s something to be happy about.” (26:45)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can’t really know true history if you weren’t there.” — Jane Wiedlin (04:30)
• “What we had in common was vagina.” — Jane Wiedlin (09:36)
• “If you’re a good songwriter, you’re never going to get what the songs are actually worth.” — Jane Wiedlin (14:30)
• “The more simple and fresh it is, maybe the closer to the heart it gets.” — Jane Wiedlin (12:49)
• “For us, [fame] just kind of killed everything, to be honest. It just got hard.” — Jane Wiedlin (20:00)

---

Key Timestamps

• 02:44 — Jane enters; reflects on 1970s LA punk scene
• 03:47 — Discussion on Go-Go’s punk credentials and misconceptions
• 04:47 — Songwriting development and partnership with Charlotte Caffey
• 06:01 — MTV’s role in Go-Go’s mainstream breakthrough
• 07:45 — Early industry misogyny, breaking through barriers
• 09:36 — On the comparisons with other female bands (“What we had in common…”)
• 10:34 — The impact (or lack thereof) on the industry for women rock bands
• 13:26 — “Our Lips Are Sealed” meaning then and now
• 14:21 — Advice for young musicians (“Don’t sell your publishing”)
• 15:45 — Changing music landscape: fewer clubs, streaming’s impact
• 18:31 — Memories: touring, backstage antics
• 20:00 — Reflections on coping with fame
• 20:44 — Ongoing music and charity engagement
• 24:59 — Social media handles and connecting with fans
• 25:59 — Jane’s activism and approach to her online community

---

In summary: This episode is a heartfelt, illuminating journey through Jane Wiedlin’s groundbreaking career, from the LA punk underground to pop stardom, and her ongoing advocacy for authenticity, equity, and compassion—on stage and off.

Transcript

[Grainger Announcer]

If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference. That's why, hands down, you count on Grainger for auto reordering. With on time restocks, your team will have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift and you can end your day knowing they've got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it Done.

[Tony Mantour]

My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent. Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects. Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind the scenes staff, have fascinating stories to tell. Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories. This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing information on how they evolve into their chosen career. We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes, and hear from people who help them achieve their goals. Get ready for intriguing behind the scenes stories and insights into the fascinating world of entertainment. Hi, I'm Tony Mantour. Welcome to Almost Live Nashville. Joining us today is Jane Wiedland. She's a true trailblazer in music and culture. She's a founding member of the Go Go's the first all female band to write their own songs, play their own instruments and top the charts. Beyond the music. She's an acclaimed songwriter, actor, activist and voice for compassion and creativity. From timeless hits to a career rooted in creativity and purpose, she has such a great story to tell. So before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors.

[Grainger Announcer]

If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident. Confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Tony Mantour]

Thanks for coming on.

[Jane Wiedland]

I'm happy to be here.

[Tony Mantour]

Yes, nice to have you here. Looking back, what was it like being a young woman in the LA punk scene? And did you ever imagine the Go Go's would have the impact that they have had all these Years now.

[Jane Wiedland]

Well, it was a very small scene, and I discovered it at the end of 1976. Let's see. And it was one of those things where there were so few people that when there were shows, there'd be the band playing on stage and then the band jumping into the crowd when they were dancing. And it was very much a community and a family, and it encouraged, like, women and people of color and LGBTQ people and tons of people that went to art school. It was very different scene than what most people imagine. And that was at the beginning anyways. But later it changed.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, the music scene changed for sure. Now, when you look back at the early LA punk scene, what part of the Go Go story do you feel is still misunderstood or in some cases just overlooked?

[Jane Wiedland]

I guess the main way we're misunderstood is people don't believe we were part of the punk scene. You know, there's ample evidence and I sometimes get in arguments with trolls online, you know, like in their 20s or whatever, and they're not punk. Like, hate to tell you this, guy, things happen before you were born.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. I have had the same thing happen to me. Talk with younger people about how the business has changed and they don't understand.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

So how do you address it? How do you go about it? How do you handle all the things that they're talking about? Yet you're not condescending.

[Jane Wiedland]

I don't care if I come across as condescending. I was part of the punk scene. It doesn't matter what somebody younger than me thinks.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Jane Wiedland]

You can't really know true history if you weren't there.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, absolutely. I agree with you 100% there. Now, your songs. As a songwriter, how has your approach to songwriting changed as you've grown, both personally and artistically?

[Jane Wiedland]

Started out, I mean, I'd never been in a band. I wasn't a musician, I wasn't a songwriter. But I had written, like a lot of poetry that wasn't very good. But, yeah, I just started writing lyrics is how it started. And back then, a lot of it was pretty political and a lot of it was about being outcasts of society, honestly. Not really caring, but definitely not being part of the mainstream. And then as time went on, I, you know, I started writing some music and. But the big breakthrough came when Charlotte and I started writing together because she was a really, really great music composer and I was pretty good at lyrics. So there was ton of Sharon Jane combination writings in the career of the Go Go's, and I still consider her one of the top three writers I've ever written with, for sure.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. That's nice. So as you evolved, how did you see yourself changing? Because now, all of a sudden you're mainstream music, and like you said, they didn't really believe you as part of the punk rock scene. So how did you see yourself evolve in the way that you approach things or the way you may not have approached things?

[Jane Wiedland]

One of the biggest breakthroughs for us was when MTV started, because even though in Europe, especially England, there was a pretty long history of music videos being made, we didn't have that in America at all. And so when it started, it was very exciting. MTV was looking for content that really helped us. And our first video, Zach. I remember our first video was Our Lips Are Sealed. And we had a budget of $6,000, which really was no budget at all. And so we just kind of ran around town being silly and not really taking it very seriously and stuff, which I guess is part of the punk rock ethos. We didn't really take ourselves that serious, even though we were pretty determined to make a mark in the business. But I guess as time went on, we became considered more and more commercial, mostly because after punk rock, something called new wave became a label, and that's what people were calling us. In retrospect, when I look back, I see that there were other bands before us that really influenced us. Especially I would say, the Buzzcocks and the Ramones. Listen to either of those bands. They're really pop songs, just done really fast. And what our whole thing was.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. So how did you feel? Because back then, most of the bands out there were all male bands, and here you are an all fema. You're trying to make your mark by putting out the music that you record and perform. How did you see that change things for you in your career? How did the people within the business react to you? And more importantly, how did the people in the audience and your fans react to what you were doing?

[Jane Wiedland]

Well, at the beginning, we were very welcomed, open arms. There wasn't a lot of misogynism in the punk rock scene at that time. When we started trying to get a record deal, that was another story. All the record companies just said no, flat out. Because there'd never been a really successful girl band. And they even said it to our faces like, there never has been, there never will be. It was like misogynism was so rampant that no one even knew what it was. So there was a ton of that. And, you know, it pissed us off. Continued to push Forward. And in the end, as you know, we ended up signing with IRS Records, which was a tiny label at the time, and we were their first hit act. We kind of started the ball rolling for them, having a lot of successful acts.

[Tony Mantour]

Sure. Now, the one great thing that happens in this music business is when someone has success, then they duplicate it and try and create that same success. So you were a founder. You know, you were one of these bands that broke all the barriers down. How did you find yourself when you started looking at others, trying to duplicate what you were doing?

[Jane Wiedland]

I want to say there wasn't really a ton of that going on. I'm not sure why. I think maybe because even after we got successful, I think most people in the record company still thought it was a fluke.

[Tony Mantour]

Right, Right.

[Jane Wiedland]

To my knowledge, there weren't a lot of men in suits trying to put together all female bands. I could be wrong. Luckily, you know, we had the Bengals, who were friends of ours and were also from la, and, you know, they managed to do really well, which was great, and they had a sound that was pretty different than ours. But, you know, we kind of did get. And I know they got compared over and over to the Go Go's, because the Go Go's came first, which I'm sure was extremely irritating when, you know, what we always say is, well, what we had in common was vagina.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay. So did you get anyone that would reach out to you and say that because of what you was doing, that you was someone that they looked up to and wanted to try and emulate?

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah, I mean, loads and loads of letters and fans coming up to us at shows. More than young women and girls starting new bands, what we represented to them was opportunity. Not just opportunity in the music business, but opportunity to excel in any business, any job that people were interested in. You know, it gave women and girls hope.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. And the fact that you gave women and girls hope, that must felt really good to you?

[Jane Wiedland]

Of course it felt good. I mean, how else would it feel?

[Tony Mantour]

Absolutely. I mean, I'm thinking that you must feel really good because you're out there trying to make change.

[Jane Wiedland]

I think it was more like we were hoping that it would make change. I'm going to be honest. I don't think as far as the music business, it didn't really make a lot of change. I mean, when you consider there are more women on the planet than men, and that there are almost no successful female rock bands, especially ones that did what we did, which was play our own instruments, write our own Songs and go to. No, I mean, in fact, no one has done that since we did. So that's, you know, it's a pretty high bar to leap over. I'm still hoping for that day to come. I completely appreciate the female singer songwriters that are out there, but I sure would still like to see more women and girls playing instruments and, you know, more women and girls in bands in addition to just being a lead singer. Not just being a lead singer. Being a lead singer, very important. But, you know, let's face it, that's still the majority of what you see as far as women.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, I get that. I think you have made more of an impact than you realize. I've been here in Nashville for a long time now. I have seen females come out as bass players, guitar players, drummers, you know, doing things that you wouldn't have seen back in the 70s or 80s. I mean, back then you didn't see that all that often at all.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah, that's true. In the LA punk scene, there were a lot of women musicians.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. And you didn't see that a lot across the country at all.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

And because of what you've done, I think that changed the landscape completely.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah, I mean, it was weird. I mean, people were kind of shocked when they first saw us. I think though, our music kind of won people over. Cause it was catchy and fun and the videos were fun and colorful and lively. And we were coming out of a musical age that was a lot of overblown experience, expensive productions, too many tracks laid and.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, I remember being in the studio working all kinds of overdubs with so many tracks.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah, yeah. I feel like the Go Gos were kind of fresh and raw.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, it was almost like the Beatles. Simple four or five piece band. Simple melodies, simple riffs. Everything flowed well together and that made it sound great.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

That simple four, five piece sound with great hooks, great harmonies and just simple riffs is some of the best music still out there.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah, I feel like, you know, the more simple and fresh it is, maybe the closer to the heart it gets.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's right. Is there a song you wrote that is in your catalog? When you wrote it, it had a meaning to you. Now that the years have passed and you listen to it again, you realize that you looked at it and wrote it with a different frame of mind. Now others can hear it and have a completely different view than you did when you wrote it. So is there a song that is very different to you now to what it was when you first wrote it and performed it.

[Jane Wiedland]

Absolutely. The song Our Lips Are Sealed that I wrote with Terry hall of the Specials was basically about our short and secret romance that we had and, you know, paying no mind to the gossip. But what ended up becoming of it was it became kind of a strong girl anthem, you know, like, just be yourself, do your thing, and don't worry about what people say. And I think that's a much more powerful message than, you know, just another love song.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, it absolutely is. You've been out there doing this for a long time. Have you had anyone that comes up to you and asks you for advice? What do they do? How do they do what they want to do in music? The music business has completely changed from what it was. So what kind of advice do you give them?

[Jane Wiedland]

Well, it's become something that I don't even recognize anymore.

[Tony Mantour]

Yes, I completely agree with you there.

[Jane Wiedland]

First piece of advice I always give people is to don't sell your publishing.

[Tony Mantour]

Yes.

[Jane Wiedland]

Because you'll be very tempted to do it when you're poor. But if you have any success at all, you're going to really regret it because that is a big stream of income that you're not going to get if you sell it off. If you're a good songwriter, you're never going to get what the songs are actually worth. So that would be my biggest. His piece of advice. And I guess the second one would be to be your own advocate, because you're going to have big periods of your life where you have no advocates whatsoever and nobody believes in you.

[Tony Mantour]

Can you give us an example that people out there might be able to relate to?

[Jane Wiedland]

My parents sat me down after a couple of years at the Go Go's and said, you know, we're really proud of you attempting to achieve your dreams, but now it's time to knuckle down and get a real job. And then a couple months later we made our record and then the record went to number one and all this stuff happen. And that's because we didn't give up and we were our own advocates.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's absolutely correct. You have to be your own advocate. Now. Did you have to move at all? I mean, with me, I was originally from Maine, in a little town in Maine doing music for a living. It was a pipe dream. The only way that I was going to stand a chance of doing anything in music was to move 1300 miles away to Nashville. So did you find yourself in that situation at all of having to move?

[Jane Wiedland]

My family moved to the LA area when I was 6. So that was, you know, pretty ideal for getting in the music business. And in the 70s and 80s, there were a lot of clubs. You had a lot of opportunities to play live. I feel when I look around now at California, there are not as many clubs. And I think that the whole advent of streaming is kind of destroying the music business. Like, what I understand, and I feel like it's very typical of the current political climate, is aren't these people thinking before they make these huge decisions? Because by depriving artists of income, you're gonna prevent artists from existing. And it's, you know, it's true of a lot of things in our culture right now. And I find it very upsetting that you see these people that are writing and performing these amazing songs and they're, you know, making pennies. I don't know how young artists are doing it, to be honest.

[Tony Mantour]

It's one of the toughest situations I think I've ever seen in the music business as far as writing and getting out there to perform the music that you have written and recorded. I've got a friend of mine here in Nashville that has written one of the biggest songs of all time. If he hadn't made his money off of it early with the streaming today, wouldn't be all that much.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

So you're right. It's very tough when you get fractions of pennies for streaming and songs that you have written, unless you get a big artist that sells millions and millions and millions of. You don't make any money. Yeah, this whole situation has made it very, very tough for songwriters.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah. And I actually think that that's the only possible answer to this, is that record companies are just throwing shit at the wall, hoping that one thing will stick, because all they need is, you know, one Mariah Carey, one, whatever, you know, somebody really huge. And then it doesn't matter that all these other bands are doomed to failure because there isn't the support and there isn't full income coming in for these people.

[Tony Mantour]

That's so true. If you remember back in the 90s, the major labels had one or two major stars, and that was on a roster of 25. Yeah, those one or two singers were the ones that supported the other 23 that was on the roster at that time. So because of streaming and because of all the things that are going on, it has made it so difficult for any singer to work up the ladder of success within a label.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah. As you know, a lot of of artists these days are just going with tiny labels or Their own label because in a sense, like, it's not any worse than being on a major because the chances of them paying attention to you are almost nil. And at least if you're controlling your own career, you're controlling your own career, which is always a positive. And I know a lot of those musicians tour all the time and that's how they make their income.

[Tony Mantour]

All the years you've been on the road doing the things that you've done, if someone was to ask you name something that stands out and it can be something good or it can be something not so good, the very first thing that comes to your mind, what would it be?

[Jane Wiedland]

I'm actually drawing a blank there. I mean, touring was both fun and exhausting. We had a lot of good times. Especially like driving around America in a touring bus and just spending all that time making each other laugh. That's kind of the happiest sort of memories I have is that. And also being backstage in the dressing room. I mean, I don't know what people were picturing we would be like. But every once in a while, like a guy would sneak backstage and within about two minutes he would run away screaming because we were what we called ourselves, a five headed monster. We were just so out of control. We would do anything to make each other laugh. And those are again the fondest memories I have of touring.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, I get that completely. I remember being on the road lots of good times, lots of times that you scratch your head and wonder how you got through it, but it was still very good. Overall, it's a very unique experience and not a lot of people get a chance to have that opportunity, if they ever have the opportunity. For 15 to 20,000 seat venues, traveling from city to city, meeting people, being rushed around, it's a total whirlwind of emotions.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah, it really is a whirlwind. And the thing about fame is I don't think anyone's ever prepared for it, you know, for us it just kind of killed everything, to be honest. It just got hard. And I mean, how do you deal with fame? I was from the Midwest and taught from, you know, toddler age. I'm not any better than anyone else and, you know, I shouldn't be prideful, I shouldn't be boastful and I mean, I had my moments, but. And most of the time I really just felt like a regular person who had been thrust into this really weird, crazy world.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. So what are you doing now, music wise? Are you still collaborating and still out there doing your Thing this year, the.

[Jane Wiedland]

Go Gos did a bunch of festivals, which we'd really never done before, and that was exciting. I also do a lot of charity work, a lot of concerts for free, just to raise money for different causes. And I have had a little side project, is kind of on hiatus because my partner Pietro is actually Italian and he moved back to Italy. You know, at this point, people would be surprised how little people are interested in musicians from a big band if it's not the actual big band that they're looking at. It's definitely. It's tough.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, I hear that from a lot of people. It is tougher than it's been in the past.

[Jane Wiedland]

I haven't had a manager or a record company or any of that stuff in, like, decades. I'm pretty suspicious of business people in the record business. So part of it is my attitude, and part of it is that maybe things are less misogynistic, but it's practically against the law for women to get older. I mean, seriously.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, I get it. I've been in this business since I was like, 20 years old. I've been coming back and forth to Nashville, and then I finally moved here. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of it. I completely understand why you don't trust many people, because unfortunately, if they find someone they can take advantage of, of, they certainly will. Not everyone is like that. There's a lot of good people in this business, but you do have to watch out for sure.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

I love it that you do a lot of work to help charities. You've got one coming up here in just a couple of days. It's Joy Song. How did you get involved with that particular charity, I believe?

[Jane Wiedland]

Well, it's one of two ways, or maybe both ways. One that I actually born in Wisconsin, so. And you know, in Wisconsin, that's pretty well known. So I'm pretty sure that Mike, who runs the organization, probably knew that. And secondly, there's so many musicians that have been doing this every year, and I happen to know a lot of them. So it was kind of natural that eventually I do it too. And I'm actually kind of wildly excited because I get to see a lot of people that I haven't seen in years. And from what I hear, everyone just loves playing this event, that it's just really fun for both the people on stage and the people in the audience. So I'm looking forward to it.

[Tony Mantour]

Part of it is a Friday night acoustic where everyone gets to tell the story behind the song. And this is a great way of interacting with the audience as well. So I imagine it would be fun not only to see your friends, but hear the stories behind their songs, which you might not know as well. The great thing is everyone is collaborating together to make a difference for those that need it.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. I gravitate towards people that are kinder and want to help people and stuff. Well, I guess it's silly to say I'm not a big fan of people that are selfish and self centered.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, me too.

[Jane Wiedland]

I don't know. People who are selfish and self centered actually get a lot more attention because they're very driven because of their egos. So this thing I get the feeling is just musicians that want to make music, they want to hang out with their friends and they want to make a difference in the world.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, absolutely. And that is the beauty of music. You have a platform that you can get people in the seats, you can get them interested in what you're doing, tell your stories, and all the same time the both of you, from the audience to the people on stage, are helping people that need the help so desperately.

[Jane Wiedland]

Yes, agreed.

[Tony Mantour]

So this show is in January. What is your schedule coming up after that?

[Jane Wiedland]

I had gigs lined up that I'll be doing with a group of friends of mine. We did a charity show a few months ago and it was acoustic and it was three friends and me and I had a really good time playing acoustic. I really love the power of an SG guitar and a Marshall amp.

[Tony Mantour]

Oh yeah, Quite the sound.

[Jane Wiedland]

You know, there's something to be said for playing acoustically when you can hear yourself singing and people can hear you singing as well.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, absolutely. That's a great vibe to have. Now, how do people follow you and find out what you're doing?

[Jane Wiedland]

Mostly through social media.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay.

[Jane Wiedland]

You know, DMs are a great way to connect with people.

[Tony Mantour]

So without sounding foolish here, can you give us the name of the site so that people can follow you?

[Jane Wiedland]

You? Oh, it's just Jan Wiedland. As long as you spell Weedland right, you're in like Flynn.

[Tony Mantour]

So you're on all the social media platforms. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, all the ones everyone would know.

[Jane Wiedland]

Early on I started using Instagram more. I find, like, however it's set up to make more sense to my brain. But I kind of have it set up so it goes straight to Facebook and then I believe it goes straight to Threads too.

[Tony Mantour]

Oh yeah, I know I'm not on.

[Jane Wiedland]

TikTok and I'm not on any of the newer ones yet. Because I got to tell you, I have terrible brain fog and I've never been good at technology either. So those two things kind of slow me down quite a bit because I'm not very good at doing Internet type things.

[Tony Mantour]

I totally get it. I'm limited on some of those things myself. Unfortunately, in order to do this you've got to self promote and I'm much better about promoting you than I am about promoting me.

[Jane Wiedland]

That's why if you look at all my socials, I hardly ever talk about myself. I almost never post selfies. Almost all my stuff is political content. Just because now it seems like more celebrities are stepping up. But there's a time not too many months ago where their celebrities were absolutely afraid to speak out and I was like, what do I have to lose? So I've been super, super vocal about my politics and about kind of rally the troops which I think I've done to a. I mean a lot of people like when they are on my pages that they feel like they found a home, someone that thinks the same way they do. So it's kind of a nice warm fuzzy feeling. I really appreciate everybody that follows me and though I don't have a huge following, I have a really, really active following. Like a lot more I think than most people that have a big following. So that's something to be happy about.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. The biggest thing I think is the most important thing is that you have interaction and people are following what you're doing. I like to look at the positive side of things. Most people are generally good hearted. They want to help people when they can and that's the right thing to do. Well, with that said, this has been great, great conversation, great information. Hopefully we can get together again on my other podcast and talk about some interesting things that there.

[Jane Wiedland]

Hopefully. Yeah. Well, maybe in the future.

[Tony Mantour]

Absolutely. Thanks for joining us today.

[Jane Wiedland]

No worries.

[Tony Mantour]

It's been a pleasure. Thanks again. Thanks for joining us today. We hope you enjoyed the show. This has been a Tony Mantour production. For more information, contact media plateau music.com. If you like the show, please take.

[Grainger Announcer]

A moment to rate review and subscribe. It really does help the show to grow.

[Jane Wiedland]

Thank you for listening.