Bebe Buell
Back in October, pop culture legend and Nashville Renaissance woman Bebe Buell went into surgery as part of the treatment plan for stage I breast cancer. As she prepared for the extensive process of treatment, she revisited a concept she had conjured two years prior — a self-reflecting ballad titled “Skin Suit.”
Her plan was simple: complete the surgery, begin recovery and release the song by December. However, as Buell well knows, life doesn’t always go according to plan. Rather than makng the immediate recovery she hoped for, she struggled for months with fatigue and the grueling task of sifting through treatment options. So the track went on back burner for a while. She recovered quietly, focusing on her health and taking the time to put some final touches on the single. Through it all, though, Buell knew her return to releasing music would come soon.
“I was like, ‘I’ve danced around the Empire State Building with David Bowie,’” says Buell in a recent interview. “‘I think I’ll be alright.’”
Fast forward six months, and Buell is back to her mystically uninhibited self — with a strict diet from her doctor, she adds begrudgingly — and “Skin Suit” is finally ready for its debut. We’re very pleased to premiere the track today; check it out on Bandcamp and find it on your favorite streaming service.
Through her signature silky-smooth croons, Buell sings about living with her “skin suit” — her physical body, the vessel we enter the world with. You’re born with your body, but you learn to love what’s inside. As she sings while the piano, strings and insistent percussion roll on: “This is just my skin suit / Hanging next to my Manuel / This is just my skin suit / Hanging next to my Coco Chanel.” Since Buell finished the single, it has taken on multiple meanings for her.
“For me, ‘Skin Suit’ has an entire complex umbrella,” Buell says. “I want everybody to get something different out of it. … If it's a love song to some people, that's great. If it’s a song about healing, that's great. If It's a song about political intelligence and education, that's great too. I'm open for all cause and effect.”
“Skin Suit” is the first new music from Buell in a few years, but she plans on much more coming in its wake. She also plans to continue gigging around town, including her frequent appearances with Thee Rock N’ Roll Residency. For those looking to see Buell in her down-to-earth-yet-also-otherworldly element, catch her when she joins The Smithereens onstage during their show at City Winery on May 4.
