What happens when you put Chicago’s honky-tonk king together with the sister of rock ‘n roll royalty? You get a fantastic album that covers a range of American musical genres and features great songwriting, harmonies, and great musicianship.

Robbie Fulks has teamed up with Linda Gail Lewis, sister of Jerry Lee Lewis, to create a set of songs that rock, roll, swing, and twang with a sense of timelessness and urgency. Robbie and Linda Gale talk about the album, their mutual admiration, and the honesty of the music on their Bloodshot Records album Wild! Wild! Wild! 

Catch them live at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn on Friday Oct. 19th.

Was Robbie a little nervous the first time he met Linda Gail?

RF: Absolutely. I din’t like to meet anybody Tony (laughs), I’m a pretty timid person, but I’d been listening to her music so long and sometimes you harbor and image or stereotype of what somebody’s likely to be like and so I thought, there’s this wild lady over there, Jerry Lee Lewis’ sister, she might stab me in the heart or something if I go over and say hi (laughs)

LGL: I thought about that (laughts) but I didn’t do it

RF: I’m so thrilled that you didn’t. But we got along great, once we started hanging out a little bit. And I just love her sense of humor and her positive attitude toward day-to-day life

Why is harmonizing with Linda so easy?

RF: I think when I sing with other people I look at their mouths more. But from the very first time singing with Linda, I look off into space and I think about the words that I’m singing, and it’s a great freedom to be able to have. It’s like you’re playing tennis but not having to watch the path of the ball every moment…you’re just kinda zoning out and playing the game.

Why did you choose to work with Robbie?

LGL: I just fell in love with his style of entertainment, he’s got a great sense of humor and he’s funny, he plays the best guitar I’ve ever heard, he sings the best vocals I’ve ever heard, and he writes the best songs I’ve ever heard (Robbie: oh come on! This is getting really unbelievable)…I’m a big fan!