‘Leather and Lace’: The closest Stevie Nicks came to country music
Stevie Nicks might be one of the most celebrated women in rock, but she is also one of the most underrated. This isn’t just because those of others have sometimes overshadowed her achievements but also because there is an enduring expectation about how her music should sound. While Nicks’ contributions to Fleetwood Mac remain in heavy rotation, her work as a solo artist rarely receives the same level of attention.
There are several reasons why this might be the case, including the fact that anyone who breaks away from a globally popular band to pursue a solo career faces an uphill battle. For Nicks, however, this challenge was compounded by bouts of imposter syndrome and a loss of direction, which often left her unsure of where to find inspiration when she needed it most.
When she finally knew what to do, it was clear that all she needed the whole time was to go back to basics and start from the ground up. Nicks’ charm was always rooted in her ability to infuse rock with whimsical folk and pop sensibilities, but she also drew from the best from genres across the musical spectrum—from the raw energy of blues to the potency of country.
Country, in its most traditional form, isn’t usually a label connected to Nicks, but the many that she surrounded herself with and that she unexpectedly became inspired by ended up infiltrating her world, resulting in layered musical experiences and songs like ‘Leather and Lace’. The song materialised after the King of Outlaw himself, Waylon Jennings, requested that she write a song for him, and so naturally, she put herself in the shoes of a country romantic singing a duet with his wife.
The track has a distinct country feel from the moment the guitars begin. Nicks’ voice, with its melodic accessibility and reflective themes, enhances this atmosphere, allowing the song to slip into the country realm effortlessly. Country’s staple arrangements, like acoustic guitars, emotional vocals, and the duelling perspectives between Nicks and Don Henley, make this feel reminiscent of classic country duets, not too distant from those delivered by the great country partners of our time, like Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.
Nicks had toyed with the country before, like the song she wrote with Dolly Parton in mind—’After the Glitter Fades’—but ‘Leather and Lace’ feels more like a deliberate push in that direction, especially considering its inception. Her voice always has a rich and textured feel, but this song also takes this to new heights, its sentimental quality conveying a sense of nostalgic longing and personal reflection.
The emotion that you hear isn’t fabricated, either—Nicks and Henley had been dating a while by the time they recorded the track, and Henley only stepped in because Jennings had broken up with his wife, Jessi Colter, by the time it came to recording. Despite the sudden change, however, it ended up becoming one of Nicks’ favourite memories in all of her musical career.
As she later reflected: “It became one of the most special love songs that I would ever write… and remains that, even today, after all these years. All in all, it was an unforgettable experience, as was he. Blame it on my wild heart.”
