Interview: Maggie Herron on "I Won't Wait"

Maggie Herron recorded I Won’t Wait in 1984 as a self-promotional effort to further her burgeoning career. The album never had a proper release - until now. Aloha Got Soul is happy to present I Won’t Wait in its entirety, as a continuation of its partnership with Herron following the 2019 vinyl single featuring “Another Wish” and “Holdin’ On”.

Recorded in Los Angeles in 1984, I Won’t Wait is a warm, subtly sophisticated hybrid of jazz, pop and rock created during an exceptionally busy time in Herron’s life. Paired with an impressive 3½-octave vocal range and a heart-on-the-sleeve songwriting, Maggie’s sophomore album offers twelve tracks that weave effortlessly between catchy hooks, thoughtful harmonies and emotionally honest lyrics.

For Herron’s longtime fans, I Won’t Wait is an intriguing look at her early recordings; for new listeners, this release reveals the subtle beginnings of a career which gave rise to one of the most beloved artists in Hawaii’s rich jazz scene. 

Roger Bong: Many people today will know you from your long-standing residency at Halekulani’s Lewers Lounge and as one of Hawaii’s most active jazz musicians, both on stage and in the studio. Please introduce yourself.

Maggie Herron: I have been a performing artist since I was a child. I started training formally in the classical tradition when I was six or seven years old. My oldest sister, Mary, was already an accomplished musician and educator, and one of my mentors. My mother was particularly supportive of my obsession with music and the hours of daily practice. The two of them were booking gigs and talent shows for me from a very early age. It was natural for me to continue being a performing artist throughout my life.

Take us back to 1984, when I Won’t Wait was recorded. Where were you in your music career?  What were some of your musical inspirations or albums you were listening to then? 

In 1984 I was living between the Big Island and Oahu. I was doing gigs with musicians on both of the islands. At the time, I was writing a lot of songs, but predominantly playing pop tunes at my gigs. In those days, my favorite musicians were Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. My friend and music partner, Joe Conti introduced me to Jim Williams, who was working for Stevie Wonder as an audio technician. Jim enticed me to go to Los Angeles to record an album of my songs. 

Speaking more generally (you've said your music often directly reflects your life’s story),  what did your life look like at that time?

At that time, I would say life was a struggle. I usually played five nights a week and I had two kids in school. I was on again, off again with my husband. And paying bills was very challenging. I was simply a consummate performing artist and never considered any other lifestyle. I was truly raised with that mentality. At the time, I was very much in love with my husband, and it was a volatile relationship. Some of the lyrics to my songs were written by Tarael (Thorpe). 

You’ve told me that you never actually released I Won’t Wait, and that you made just 100 LPs (collectors love to hear this kind of thing), which I’m guessing was mainly for promotional purposes. What kind of success or achievements were you hoping for in making I Won’t Wait? 

I didn't know the first thing about self promotion as a young woman. And I can't say that I ever became very good at it. I was naïve enough to believe that making the album was all I needed to do and 'voilà' I would be successful and discovered. As it was, I sold a few albums in Hilo and kept several boxes of the albums. It's really quite wonderful after all these many years to officially release it. 

Tell me about Jim Williams’ contributions to the album. What kind of influence did he have on this album that you might not've been able to accomplish on your own?

My musical partner Joe Conti introduced me to engineer Jim Williams, who at the time was working very closely with Stevie Wonder. I flew to Los Angeles for a couple of weeks to record in his home. He brought in some players from Stevie Wonder's band, and Chester Thompson, the drummer, who is playing on Sister/Brother. Some of my vocals were done in the bathroom, standing in the tub. Jim wanted to get that reverberation coming from the tile and marble. 😂 The bathtub had a mic hanging down from a boom. Jim Williams was quite innovative when it came to getting the right sound 😃. Without Jim, this album simply wouldn't have happened. He dedicated all of his time and energy into the recording, mixing and mastering.

Production aside, what kinds of musical challenges did you encounter in making I Won’t Wait? You stated in your interview with Halekulani Living that “I was always challenged by difficult music, and when I started listening to jazz the more I was intrigued". 

Making a living as a performing artist was very intimidating for me. I was consistently surrounded by a sense of competition and aggressiveness that 90% of my male partners in music, and the club owners demonstrated working in Hawaii. Going to LA changed all that. Every one of the musicians I worked with there treated me respectfully and encouraged me as a songwriter and performing artist. That's when my personal confidence started to bloom. Jazz was always on the peripheral and pulling at me. I was too busy between late night gigs and taking care of the kids to ever study jazz formally. Over the years I made it a point to perform and record with jazz musicians and I learned from listening. 

When we did the 7” vinyl single together in 2019, it was really difficult for me to decide which song should go on the B side. We eventually went with “Holding On”, but to be honest each song has such a catchiness yet sophistication, a lightness yet great depth, that it made it difficult to decide. Can you tell me more about your songwriting approach for I Won’t Wait? 

I had a 3 1/2 octave vocal range which opened up melodic possibilities. Add that up with thousands of hours of performances and practice and knowledge from years of training. Plus, every day seemed fraught with life events, so it was a particularly emotional period in my life. Stir all that up together and the 'I Won't  Wait' album was the outcome. 

Your first album, Listen, has a much stronger folk/pop/rock sound, which can still be heard on I Won’t Wait even though it's much more jazz-forward. How was your songwriting evolving during this time? You continued to lean further into jazz with each successive album!  What kinds of similarities (or differences) are there compared to your songwriting approach nowadays? 

Yes I agree with you that the "Listen" album was more pop rock. That is specific to the producer at the time. He brought in the bassist, drummer and the guitar player and that rhythm section dictated the feel. I think we recorded the album in one day. I think with my songwriting, it's not so much that the songs come from a jazz sensibility, but more so the arrangements and players themselves transform each song into the jazz genre. 

I’m curious about your Hawaii Home Grown ‘Best Song’ — I wasn’t aware! Did the song make it one of their vinyl compilations? Where can we hear it? 

The year that I won Hawaii Homegrown with Peter Skrabak was the last year that the competition happened. It was the first year that they offered a prize for the top song of the album for a recording contract. Peter and I won that prize, but then we had to sue in order to make them fulfill their promise. Instead, we settled out of court, and there was no recording contract. 

From what I can tell by looking at your discography listed online, there was a quiet period from “I Won't Wait” until your next album in 2013, “The Trio”, and since then you’ve been prolific in recording and releasing a new album almost every year. What was the reason for this quiet period, recording-wise, from ’84 to ’13? What was your music career looking like during those years? 

During those years I had been working in Honolulu performing and raising my kids, and in 89' I was remarried. We moved to the island of Lanai where I played six nights a week at Manele Bay Hotel, and later at Koele Lodge. That was about 13 years of my life. During those years, besides playing music almost every night, I did a lot of gardening, running, swimming and biking.

Our life paths share a similar journey, from Seattle (where I was born) to Hawaii. You’ve said that coming to Hawaii, it really felt like home here. What were your first impressions of Hawaii when you moved to Hawaii in 1976? 

One of my first impressions was going to the beach in Keaukaha, and people were sitting on the grass singing and playing guitar and ukulele. What struck me was how naturally gifted everyone was. And music was so integral to who they were, I felt like it was the right place for me. And the second impression was the water itself. I loved swimming in the ocean every day.

You’ve played with the best of the best in Hawaii — for everyone who hasn’t yet had the chance to experience it, in your own experience please tell us about Hawaii’s jazz scene.

There are so many phenomenal musicians in Hawaii. My weekly partner for many years now is bassist, Dean Taba. I have learned so much playing with him over the years and I'm constantly in awe of his skill and intuition as a musician. I released my album Yesterday’s Lives, on Dec. 31, and that recording included some of my favorite musicians in Hawaii; Abe Lagrimas, Reggie Padilla, Christina Sochor, Chris Fuchigami, Dean Taba, my good friend Paul Lindbergh, Matt Spencer and Sarah Surprenant. 

What’s one thing you’d like people to know about I Won’t Wait? 

Here's an album produced and recorded in the most unlikely of conditions with all players donating their time and artistry just for the love of it.

What’s next for Maggie Herron? 

For now, I hope to keep performing a while longer in life. I really want to find four or five dedicated students here on the Big Island. And if my dear friend and executive producer feels up to it, perhaps we'll do another album in a year. I have a few more songs I'd love to record.