Ann Wilson has “pages and pages” of new musical ideas which helped fuel her latest album with Tripsitter, Consecrated Ground, which arrived Oct. 9.

Her whole journey, both working on the record — and separately, the documentary, In My Voice, has been an informative one.

For example — we all know that Wilson has one of the most powerful voices in rock and roll. So you can imagine her surprise when the legendary Heart vocalist heard herself being characterized as someone who is a quiet person.

That was one personal revelation that came about as a result of In My Voice, which had its initial screenings earlier this year as part of a special nationwide tour. It will get a wider release on Nov. 25.

“One thing that was a pretty common thread of what all the people said was, ‘Oh she’s so quiet, you know, she’s just really internal,'” Wilson tells UCR in a rare and exclusive interview to discuss Consecrated Ground. “‘She doesn’t really talk much and then when she sings, it just explodes out of her.'”

‘There’s So Much Noise Out There You That Have To Weed Through’

“I think most of them thought, ‘Wow, what a weird, ironic thing that is. Somebody who just likes to watch and listen and then when they go out and do it, they really open up,'” she continues. “You know, I wasn’t aware that was a real thing of mine. I just kind of go through life with eyes and ears open.”

“I listen to a lot of stuff that people say — and a lot of people that can’t stop talking,” she points out. “There’s so much noise out there that you have to weed through.”

Having spoken with Wilson a number of times over the years, it’s easy to see how people would have that perception, which can feel true in a certain sense. On the phone — and in more recent times, via Zoom, she has a quiet demeanor and at least initially, a tone of reservation. It’s all connected to an element of trust which can build up as the conversation progresses, depending on who she’s speaking with and the line of questioning.

What I’ve always respected about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend is that each question is carefully considered and thoughtfully answered. She takes time getting her thoughts out, punctuating certain moments with a laugh that can change in tone, based on the subject at hand. Sometimes, it’s just ruefully honest, in a way that quickly reminds you that you’re talking to a fellow human who wakes up each day in the same way that you do and faces many similar challenges.

Ann Wilson of Heart

The Observational Spirit That Drives Her Creativity

But as a fellow creative person, another element of Wilson I’ve always appreciated is her observational spirit. Moments of our conversation in late September reminded me of a prior encounter more than a decade earlier in the summer of 2011, when Heart was out touring with Def Leppard. An unexpected break in the tour left the band members with free time. What she did with hers was really interesting and further colorizes who she is as a person.

“We’ve been traveling constantly and all kinds of things have happened, good and bad. We’re always writers, but right now, there’s really a lot of stuff that’s going down on paper from our experience here, just out in the country,” she told me then. “There’s one song that just was banging around inside my head after we were in Pennsylvania. And I’ve never seen the Northeast quite so beat down, quite so poor and broke. The Rust Belt speaks really loudly about what’s going on in the economy.”

“When we went on the break, like, everyone flew home, but I said, ‘No, I’m going to take my bus and I’m just going to go back across the country to L.A. And I’m going to write on the trip,'” she explained. “I didn’t know how haunted I was by the economic situation back east and how it affects the people. I wrote all of this stuff on the trip back and when we were going through Nebraska, going down through New Mexico and stuff, the big empty out there, it just spoke really loudly to me.”

Ann Wilson

Fifteen years later, Wilson is in the midst of a similarly ongoing and incredible creative burst, in large part because of her alliance with Tripsitter. Consecrated Ground is her fourth studio album since 2018.

The roots of her collaboration with the group that fans would come to know as Tripsitter began in part with 2022’s Fierce Bliss, further locking in as the union solidified with the Another Door album the following year.

Guitarist Ryan Wariner, multi-instrumentalist Paul Moak, bassist Tony Lucido and drummer Sean T. Lane (who has since been replaced by drummer Sarah Tomek) formed the instrumental core of Tripsitter. It proved to be a potent blend with Wilson.

Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

So much so that when Heart regrouped in 2023 in preparation for their subsequent Royal Flush tour, Ann and Nancy Wilson and guitarist Ryan Waters (who had been playing with Nancy in her band, Roadcase Royale) were joined by Wariner, Moak, Lucido and Lane. The reconstituted classic rockers subsequently performed more than 100 concerts together between 2024 and 2026.

‘I Have Pages and Pages of Stuff’

Consecrated Ground offers audible proof of how much the chemistry between Wilson and Tripsitter has really found its footing as a result of that extensive live work.

As the vocalist shared during our interview, she’s also found focus through their method of collaboration in a way that is inspiring. It can feel effortless at times as the ideas begin to show up and take shape.

“We just get together and they jam and I write,” she explains. “I’m sitting out in a little connecting room where I can hear them and I just listen to them. I just let it wash over me, and for Consecrated Ground, that worked really well. I have pages and pages of stuff that I wrote while they were jamming. Not all of it works, but some of it does really well. It just fits like a puzzle.”

How Wilson Embraced a New Kind of ‘Chaos’ With Her Songwriting

“Reverse Chaos” is one of the songs from Consecrated Ground that she highlights as something that was “a little bit harder” to see the final outcome of where it was heading. It felt like something that was outside of her wheelhouse compared to the kind of material she usually writes.

Wilson would discover a path forward which helped to inspire the title of the song. “I just thought, ‘Well, let’s take these lyrics and write them in couplets and have each couplet be in opposition,’ like each line is the opposite of the next,” she remembers. “And so I wrote the whole thing that way; yeah it was chaotic. It was reverse chaotic.”

There’s a tribal vibe to the sound of “Me and Comanche,” which fits well with the spirit from where the song itself came from. As Wilson shared with fans during a recent performance in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, it’s “kind of a true story,” though perhaps romanticized a bit. In writing it she took inspiration from things both past and present close to home as well as far away.

Listen to Ann Wilson and Tripsitter’s ‘Me and Comanche’

“Five generations ago in Germany there were two brothers,” she told an attentive audience at Wind Creek Event Center. “Five generations ago in Texas there were two Comanche sisters. What happened was the brothers and sisters got together and got married. They all moved up to Idaho [and] went on over to Washington State.”

“Many generations later what was left from that original bloodline bore a beautiful baby boy,” Wilson added chuckling as she shifted to reveal something personal. “And well I married him; he’s got a wide streak of Comanche in him; it’s many generations diluted but you could tell.”

“It’s very very good,” she shared regarding her ongoing relationship with her husband Dean Wetter whom she married in 2015 decades after they first met briefly went on one date back in the ’80s.

READ MORE: Ann Wilson Gets Married

Consecrated Ground also takes stock of health issues that Wilson has weathered over recent years. In May 2024 Heart was forced to cancel European tour dates so she could recover from a “time-sensitive but routine medical procedure.”

By July of that same year they’d postponed remaining concerts on schedule; “I underwent an operation to remove something that as it turns out was cancerous,” shared singer at that time; “The operation was successful I’m feeling great but my doctors are now advising me to undergo course preventive chemotherapy which I’ve decided to do.”

Five days before Heart was set to return to road early part 2025 Wilson had another setback after falling injuring elbow pinned back together screws three places; while others might have canceled concerts she decided carry on sitting down perform members Heart; it was series gigs demonstrated while had perhaps down faced many challenge preceding years months not out.

Ann Wilson

Ann’s Health: ‘I Feel Really Good’

Thankfully things are better now here fall 2026; “I don’t have tell you life not all smooth beautiful perfect wonderful sometimes things happen there bumps road sometimes they’re big sometimes they’re just little blips but I had big one,” detailed during Oct 2 concert Tripsitter Bethlehem.

“About three years ago went doctor routine physical they found worst…they found cancer,” detailed; “It not very fun pretty hard took while took lot agony but I’m getting all back now feel really good.”

“The treatment kind worse actual thing thought chemo radiation [would be the hardest part], songwriter said; “One worst side effects thought aching bones [It was] just constant [and] nothing would stop it nothing would resolve you just had ride it out.”

She documented part experience appropriately titled “Bone Pain,” dark atmospheric highlight arrives second song Consecrated Ground; at least offered some sort resolution creatively moment didn’t feel like could find physically.

Songwriting: ‘I Always Write From The Inside Out’

This one number songs new album highlights vulnerability within Wilson’s approach chosen craft; long been crucial element something often makes personally identifiable people hear them form their own attachments meanings words within.

“I think lot people go at from outside looking in looking themselves can’t do that,” tells UCR; “I always write inside out whether means iconic way sounding like can’t stop can’t help but [with] some people it’s obvious because they’re writing songs sound like themselves you know that’s weird through looking glass thing.”

Occasionally Things Come Full Circle.

This experience led standout track “Renaissance Kids,” another highlight Consecrated Ground; listening gives impression could about Wilson past; however if we think back trip took bus across country unexpected break Heart’s tour Def Leppard actually another example observational spirit work.

“When first moved Nashville there are all these younger people there they’re seekers young seekers,” explains; “They have get-togethers where go each other’s houses sit floor love read poetry get literary heavy into phases moon.”

“It’s very cool watch them discover all this stuff my generation discovered back maybe ’70s all these same metaphysical things,”

This interesting we suggest see things familiar herself experienced carried through years.

Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

“Yeah [that’s] right And there’s part song says everything new again,” points “You know hey this recognize did like 30 years ago.”

“But I’ll never be one look down nose people who starting because have do,” continues “They wake up day go ‘Hey know world’ cry laugh do all stuff get together sit floor metaphysical.”

Listen Ann Wilson Tripsitter’s ‘Renaissance Kids’

What Comes Back Through All Of It

If stick around long enough they say you’ll perhaps get see at least have time consider impact work both peers those perhaps came along bit later

For past decade Ann been covering Black Crowes’ “She Talks Angels” live set something means lot Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson

“It’s humbling see people love what do cover bring their own thing,” tells UCR separate interview “It’s those things don’t think about you’re teenager when write these songs.”

“Living song 40 years you know was 17 when wrote,” adds “So never once million years thought anyone would even hear would hear [that] song.”

“She does amazing cover,” says “One first tours ever did opening Heart too Ann really cool very gracious like we kind snotty little kids always such sweetheart — her voice stunning.”

Watch Ann Wilson Perform ‘She Talks Angels’

Chappell Roan Lucy Dacus got share how they’d been affected directly singer during conversation backstage 2025 recorded podcast After Dinner Thinks With Ann Wilson

“Nothing ever made feel powerful when sang ‘Barracuda’ stage Austin City Limits [in 2024],” Roan told Wilson regarding Heart classic kept set since then “I actually coolest song ever feel like real rock star.”

READ MORE: Top 10 Heart Songs

“It’s whole different thing,” noted three women acknowledged differences between genres rock pop

“Pop so fun…but rock different beast never embodied before,” explained Roan “So like let channel ‘Barracuda.’”

“Yeah song like others think can’t hold like has kind independence soul where just let go go what f–k know?” expressed Wilson.

Listen Ann’s Conversation With Chappell Roan Lucy Dacus

Conversations Wilson has After Dinner Thinks spool out naturally She friend Criss Cain discuss work life home life universe movies politics music dogs magic anything between description show says.

Working On ‘In My Voice’ Was ‘Quite An Experience’

Flip side can found documentary In My Voice which says started come together they were about three-quarters way finished album became Consecrated Ground.

She took film tour May June share audiences cities across United States including evening Cleveland Rock Roll Hall Fame Wilson director Barbara Hall there each night discuss In My Voice after screenings.

“If you’ve ever had documentary made about you it’s quite experience because suddenly there are all these people you admire respect saying good things about you,” says.

The one thing she conscious not want film be whitewash like some she’d seen past; “I wanted tell story,” explains during interview UCR; “Nancy I had book about Heart [2012’s Kicking Dreaming: Story Heart Soul Rock Roll] came out some years ago.”

A lot stuff left book because all young children tells us; “It would little much listen tales mothers doing cocaine stuff back bad old days So more real picture what life been like,” shares.

“Like says [the film], asked Nancy participate speak know didn’t want really wanted wait Heart documentary [and] that’s okay.”

Watch Preview In My Voice