Vandals, Thieves and Lovers: The Many Lives of Lisa Bouchelle

Vandals, Thieves and Lovers: The Many Lives of Lisa Bouchelle

There’s a rare kind of artist whose journey feels both timeless and ever‑evolving, and Lisa Bouchelle has spent her career walking that line with fearless grace. From early prog‑rock recordings as a teenager to arena tours with Meat Loaf, duets with Jon Bon Jovi, and collaborations with icons like Waddy Wachtel, Amanda Shires, and members of the E Street Band, Bouchelle has carved out a path that’s uniquely her own.

With her new album Vandals, Thieves & Lovers arriving September 4, Bouchelle steps confidently into a fresh Americana chapter—one shaped by gratitude, grit, and the belief that music can still bring people together. In this conversation, she opens up about the stories behind the songs, the legends who’ve inspired her, and the light she hopes her music continues to offer.

I just saw the press release this morning, Lisa — your new single Game to Play. Tell me about it.
Yes, Game to Play! I actually wrote that song the morning after a really late performance and an even later after‑party. When I woke up, it was raining, I had a million things to do, and I honestly didn’t feel like doing any of them. But I had to get up and go. The song became a mantra to myself — sometimes the best thing you can do is just show up.

“I’ve got a game to play. Life’s just a game. I’ve gotta get back out and do my thing.” That was the initial spark. Recording it was a blast because it’s one of the more upbeat tracks on the record. Clay Cook from the Zac Brown Band opens it with this great crunching guitar part, and it really sets the tone.

When I perform it live, people love singing along. There’s a “hey, hey” section that’s a real crowd‑pleaser.

And you also have Tim from Railroad Earth on the track. How did that come about?
Yes, I do! I tend to have certain musicians in mind once a song is written and we start talking production — like, “You know who would be perfect on this?” My bass player and manager and I kicked around ideas, and he reached out to Tim, sent him the track, and he liked it. We were fortunate to have him. He’s such a great player.

Let’s talk about the album title, Vandals, Thieves and Lovers. Is there an overall story or concept behind it?
All the songs relate to different aspects of life. The album takes you on a journey — different moods, different musical textures, bittersweet moments, happy moments. It’s not a one‑mood record.

The title came from thinking about how people in our lives often fall into one of those three categories. Vandals — metaphorically — are the people who leave a mark on you, whether you asked for it or not. It can be positive, bittersweet, or even negative, but they leave their mark.

Thieves are the takers — in life, in the world, in the industry.

And Lovers are the givers: friends, family, other musicians who lend their talent, actual romantic partners. Vandals, thieves, and lovers — three types of people who shape our lives.

A Light to Come Home To — tell me about that song and working with Amanda Shires and Larry Campbell.
That song is so near and dear to my heart. It was originally inspired by a lamp a good friend bought me. It sits in my bay window, so when I come home late at night from a show or drive in from a tour, it’s there waiting for me.

But I realized a “light to come home to” doesn’t have to be a literal light. It can be a pet, a significant other, a cold beer, a book — and for me, probably my guitar. I come in, see it sitting there in the dark, and it reminds me of that Kenny Rogers song where he picks up his guitar and starts to play. That can be my light to come home to.

Everyone needs something that renews their spirit before they go back out and give their all again.

In that spirit, I thought it would be wonderful to have a bunch of my musician friends collaborate on it. When Larry came on board, he elevated everything — he’s such a versatile, well‑known studio musician.

And Amanda was amazing. We actually got to work with her in person, which is rare these days. She flew up from Nashville, and we met at The Hit Factory in New York City. We tracked her parts for several songs, including A Light to Come Home To, with her right there in the room. It was such a creative, wonderful experience.

Waddy Wachtel — a legend. How did you wind up having Waddy on your album?
That’s an interesting story. It was actually a surprise gift for me. I collect vinyl — my mother had a huge vinyl collection, God rest her soul — and we used to listen to Stevie Nicks together. We even saw her twice. I saw her again two years ago. And every time, Waddy Wachtel was such a huge part of her sound. His guitar, his live duets with her — he’s just an amazing talent.

My manager knew how much I loved his work. When I recorded “Vandal,” which has this dark, swampy vibe — minor chords, moody atmosphere — he reached out to Waddy to see if he’d be interested in playing on both the full‑blown version and the bonus acoustic version. And he was.

I’ll never forget seeing his email. I was out for a walk‑run, took a break, checked my phone, and saw it signed “Waddy.” I sat down on the curb like, What? I called my manager, and he said, “Yes, it’s him — you have to hear it.” I listened, and I started crying. It was so good.

Back in the day, those signature guitar riffs defined a song — you’d hear them and instantly know what track it was. That’s what Waddy brought to “Vandal.” It was everything I hoped for.

That’s so cool. He’s a legend. In addition to Stevie Nicks, he played on a bunch of Linda Ronstadt albums.
Yes! And I got to talk with him on the phone and tell him the story about my mom. He’s such a nice guy — super laid‑back.

Now — the E Street Band. You have saxophonist Jake Clemons on the album too. Tell me how that came about.
That’s on the song Wild Again. Sly Stone had just passed, and I’m a huge fan. My bass player and I wrote Wild Again with Sly’s vibe in our hearts. It doesn’t sound like Sly necessarily, but his spirit was definitely there while we were writing.

Once the song was finished, I kept hearing this recurring riff — ba‑ba‑ba‑ba — and one of us said, “That has to be saxophone.” We even put “saxophone” in the lyrics before we had a plan. Then we asked, “Who should we get?” And of course — Jake Clemons. We reached out, he was totally down, and he did a fantastic job.

I believe you’ve worked with Bruce Springsteen in the past. In what capacity, and what was that experience like?
I sang backup vocals for Bruce at fundraiser concerts — including shows at the Count Basie Theater. It was amazing. He’s such a great bandleader. I have a musical director, and it takes a couple of us to wrangle everything together on the fly. But Bruce? He’ll turn around, give a look, and everyone just knows where to go. It’s like telepathy.

He’s an incredible writer, someone I’ve always looked up to, and working with him was thrilling.

I had just recorded an acoustic version of his song Spirit in the Night for my album, and I wanted to give him a copy. I went downstairs to the cafeteria area at the Basie — I’ve performed there many times — and as I was running down the stairs, he was coming up. We literally almost collided. I said, “Sorry — I was looking for you!” And I handed him the CD. It was very exciting.

Another artist you worked with was Jon Bon Jovi. What was that experience like?
That was amazing. We were doing a fundraiser concert in Sayreville, New Jersey. Jon wanted each of us to perform one of his songs, and he also gave us a classic favorite of his to cover. He asked me to do Build Me Up Buttercup, which my friends teased me about because it was never one of my favorites — but I ended up having a great time performing it.

For his own song, I wondered which one he’d choose for me. I lucked out — he asked me to do Who Says You Can’t Go Home as a duet with him, the version Jennifer Nettles had done. There’s a solo version and a duet version, and he wanted the duet.

Growing up, my mother listened to Bon Jovi, and I used to tell her, “When I sing along with him on the radio, our voices blend perfectly. I should do a duet with him.” And then there I was — singing with him. I looked up to heaven and said, “Mom, look — it’s happening.” And our voices blended just like I always said.

If you want to check it out, the performance is on YouTube. It was a blast.

You’ve opened for so many legends. I want to talk about a few — otherwise we’d be here all day. Don Felder of the Eagles — what was that experience like?
He’s a great guy. The whole band was wonderful to me. And the songs he’s written or co‑written — one after another, you’re like, “Oh yeah… oh yeah…” It’s incredible.

What’s funny is when you’re on stage with him, sound‑checking, you can look down at his guitar pedals. They’re not labeled “wah,” “distortion,” etc. They’re labeled with one word — Hotel, Victim — for Hotel California, Victim of Love. I got such a kick out of that.

I love that Laurel Canyon‑style music so much — Eagles, that whole California sound. Touring with him was awesome. And when you’re on a bill with artists like that, you get to watch them every night. It’s really fun.

Another one — Meat Loaf. What was that like?
That was a tour with my full band, performing in arenas — twelve‑thousand‑seat arenas — doing songs I wrote. Standing there singing for crowds that big… it’s incredible.

I don’t have a favorite size venue. I love intimate shows — last night I played barefoot on the beach in Longport, New Jersey with a generator powering the PA. I love all of it. But those huge venues, with massive side‑fill monitors facing us, everything bigger than life — that whole tour was amazing.

We toured across the U.S., Alberta, British Columbia. And Meat Loaf had a huge amount of gear — tractor‑trailers full. His stage show had giant inflatable props and all kinds of wild elements. You can’t even imagine how big that production was.

I want to talk about a few anniversaries. Tricks With Pretty Words came out in 2006, marking the 20‑year anniversary. Looking back, what do you think of that album now?
For being so young when I made it, I’m proud of it. The writing is cool. Styles have changed — production, where I’m at as an artist — but I still perform a lot of those songs.

It was an independent album. I wasn’t even working with a label at the time. It’s nostalgic, but I’ve also re‑imagined some of those songs in new versions. To me, my songs don’t have a shelf life. They’re like my children.

Now we’re going back to 2001 — twenty‑five years ago — when you were the prog version of Lisa Bouchelle performing on The Absolute Man. Tell me about that experience, working with James LaBrie, and the fact that it’s been twenty‑five years.
I was a teenager, so it was a thrill to get to do something like that. I’d been on stage since I was four, so by my teens I wasn’t new to performing — but I had never recorded on an album with someone from Kansas, or with James LaBrie, or on a concept album like that. Those songs were really challenging. They were not easy to sing, and it was important that I had years of vocal training — Italian arias and all that — because I applied that technique directly to the project.

I wasn’t really in that genre of music. I had been asked to be part of a band doing that style at the time, just part‑time, and through that they heard about me and asked me to record for Magna Carta Records. It was something else — not many people that young get to do something like that. I’m proud of it.

And that was the first time I heard you sing — on that album. Lisa, have you ever played out here in the Los Angeles area, or is that something you’d like to do in the future?
Yes — many times, on tour. And I’d love to come back. It’s always been a good time. I’ve done writing sessions out there, performances, music conferences. It’s beautiful out there.

Do you plan to tour in support of the new album — and maybe bring Amanda with you?
Well, Amanda’s very busy. I’m not saying we’d never guest on each other’s shows, but to kidnap Amanda? She’s as busy as me, if not busier! We’re mover‑and‑shaker women. I’m sure we’ll jam together at some point — maybe impromptu, maybe when I’m in Nashville or she’s here.

As for touring, I’ve been doing terrestrial radio tours — Americana stations have been playing my stuff. I just got back from two weeks up north and down south, and it’s been so much fun. That’s what I’m doing right now. When fall and winter come, we’re planning a tour — probably partly solo and partly with the band — in support of Vandals, Thieves & Lovers. The full album drops September 4, and all updates will be on LisaBouchelle.com.

Do you have any messages for fans or friends who’ve been following your career since day one — or people discovering your music now?
Whether you’ve been with me from the start — and that warms my heart and chokes me up — thank you for your belief in me. More than looking for support, I’m looking to give. I want to give through my music, give entertainment, bring people together who might be divided — even just for a little while — through my recordings and especially our live performances. A time to get away and be together in the music.

So thank you. I hope I’m providing something meaningful. That’s my driving force. And I hope you enjoy the new record. My albums sometimes take three listens to really re‑center — like your navigation system recalibrating — because I change, we all change. This one is a little more Americana. I hope you give it a few listens, and I hope it touches you.

In Conclusion

Whether she’s singing in a twelve‑thousand‑seat arena or barefoot on a Jersey beach, Lisa Bouchelle carries the same mission: to give more than she takes, to connect more than she divides, and to leave listeners with something that lingers long after the last note fades. Vandals, Thieves & Lovers is another step in that journey—an album shaped by the people who leave marks, the ones who take, and the ones who give.

As Bouchelle heads into a new season of touring, recording, and creative exploration, one thing is clear: her light still shines bright, and she’s inviting all of us to come home to it.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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