INDUSTRY REPORT # 62 | CATCHING UP WITH LINDA PERRY

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INDUSTRY REPORT # 62

Catching Up with Linda Perry

May 7th, 2026 by Traci Turner

One of the most challenging aspects of introducing an interview subject, at least for me, is defining them for this first paragraph. An emerging artist is easy enough, or an established band with the current number one song is a quick one. But Linda Perry? The woman wears so many hats – both literally and figuratively.

Many know her as the voice from “What’s Up?” the mega hit song that ruled 1993 and made 4 Non Blondes a mainstream success.

Last year 4 Non Blondes reunited for several shows – which sold out instantly – and shared a new song, “Hollow.” They also announced a new album is coming in late 2026/early 2027.

To others, Perry is the Grammy-award nominated songwriter and producer who has worked with Pink, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Ariana Grande, Solange, Celine Dion, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, Unwritten Law, Brandi Carlile, and the beloved Dolly Parton.

Then there’s Perry’s solo material, including her first solo record in 25 years, “Let It Die,” arriving this Friday. The companion documentary is a heartbreaking look at Perry’s early life, her relationship with her mother, her mental health and breast cancer, and lots of incredible music.

For the first single, Linda Perry revisited “Beautiful,” the song Aguilera made iconic nearly 25 years ago. Perry’s raw version is an intimate rendition formed through decades of life experience, and its message remains especially poignant today.

Even with all of that going on, the multi-tasking Perry was able to spare time to chat with us about “Let it Die” and what’s ahead for 4 Non Blondes, leading me to believe she does not sleep!

Traci: Hi, Linda. Thank you so much for doing this. How are you doing today?

Linda: I’m good. I’m just at the studio working and feeling pretty good.

Traci: I’m going to get my biggest question out of the way first: How are Nacho and Pablo doing? (her pups)

Linda: (laughing) Nacho and Pablo actually just arrived to the studio. I had to leave them behind this morning because I came to the studio so early. They don’t like it when I leave them at home, so when they get to the studio, it’s like they haven’t seen me in five years. And they are great. They’re amazing. Thank you for asking.

Traci: Do you remember the very first song that you fell in love with?

Linda: I remember the first voice. For me, music was a sound, a tone, a vibe. It wasn’t necessarily about the song itself, but when I first heard Karen Carpenter’s voice, I instantly identified that as how I felt inside. I remember it was “We’ve Only Just Begun.”

Her tone was so dark and rich and incredibly emotional. I felt a very strong connection to the emotion she was delivering, which was, to me, sad, dark, depressed. Someone who had very complicated emotions going on deep inside.

Traci: I watched your documentary, and you sent me through a lot of emotions. We’ll get to the tears portion, but I really enjoyed you sharing your songwriting process. It seems that you just start playing music and the words spill out of you?

Photo by Heidi Zumbrun

Linda: Yeah, something to that effect. For instance, I took two weeks off, and I don’t touch an instrument. I don’t go to the piano. I don’t pick up my guitar. I barely listen to music because it’s my way of detoxing from emotions and creative. It’s like when I’m on vacation or I’m away, the creative goes away. But as soon as I sit down and I tell the universe, the creative, “Okay, I’m ready for whatever you want to throw my way,” that’s when the music comes. I’ll just pick up a guitar or go to the piano, and if there’s a song to be written, it just shows up as a written song almost.

Perry continued: It’s like I start playing the piano, the melody comes, I ad-lib whatever is on my mind, or actually, I have no idea what’s on my mind. I just start opening up my mouth and words kind of come out. It’s a pretty fast experience. I don’t labor over songwriting. I’m just so used to the creative warning me and letting me know it’s time, and then I write the song. But anytime I start thinking about writing the song, or I start thinking about, “Oh, I don’t know if I wanna write about this. Let me write about this,” then I lose the plot. Anytime I try to get too poetic, plot is lost.

Traci: After watching the documentary and seeing the history with your mom, the album seems to be inspired by the events. Did it become a method of therapy?

Linda: I guess so. I think that it’s kind of hard to understand how things come. But I had an experience, actually a few, in that short period. This wasn’t a film that was filmed for years. This was like a very short period of time, and it all kind of happened at the same time, and it was crazy. It was literally insane what happened in that short period of time. As you know, the documentary is focused on, “What would Linda do?,” because I lost my identity over all these years of writing for people. So many different characters have come into my life over the past 25 years of me being a producer and a songwriter. But, you kind of lose yourself.

Traci: When I listened to the album, “What Lies With You” stood out and made me cry. Then when I watched the documentary, and watched you building that song with the band, the strings, everything, it gave me chills. It was incredible watching you create that moment.

Linda: Thank you. You know, that was real time. That wasn’t over 10 hours; that was like three hours that happened. I think we just need to listen a little bit more to ourselves, you know? We have guardians everywhere. We get warning signs. We get signs about a lot of things constantly. Over the years, growing up, I’m more in tune. I think that that was a good example of just, “I’m not gonna try to control this narrative.” And as much as I don’t wanna sing a song like this or write a song like “Let It Die Here” about how sinister my mother is, it’s almost comical because it’s so true.

She continued: I’m not even trying to be poetic in that song. That’s just how it feels and felt living with my mother. What a con artist and incredible and powerful lady; so, as much as the damage she has caused, my mom is my hero and the villain, my muse. She’s all of it. I think what is amazing about what was gifted to me was I was able to give you a full understanding. So you get to watch this documentary about how fucked up I am, and then you get to hear this album that basically kind of explains a little more in detail. And by the time you get to “Sunday Best,” it’s like, you know what, I fucking did what I need to do. And before I die, I’m going to leave something fucking behind, whatever it is.

Traci: “Albatross” is, I think, a hopeful ending for it too.

Linda: Exactly right. That was the last song I wrote. I thought I was done with “Sunday Best.” I was like, “Oh, that’s a great closer.” But then I was sitting at home, and I just went to the piano, and albatross just showed up. I didn’t even fucking know what albatross, besides a bird, meant. But this fucking word keeps coming out of my mouth, and I’m like, “Why am I saying albatross?” So finally I looked it up, and it’s like carrying a weight, a burden, you know? It’s like, “Oh my Jesus, did I just… how… where the fuck did I go? Where the fuck did that come from?” So that’s why I left it as simple as it is, too. It’s like the most simple recording. It’s hope. I’m getting rid of this guilt. I’m dropping this weight, and I’m just going to move forward from here.

Traci: I heard there is a new 4 Non Blondes album coming?

Linda: Yeah, that’s what I’m working on right now. Roger is in; I had him come down ‘cause we recorded all the songs which are so fucking good. It’s like, I am beyond myself right now when I’m listening back to these songs. It’s so ‘90s and in the best possible fucking way. I just didn’t want to play the “Bigger, Better, Faster, More!” album when we played all these festivals last year. I couldn’t bear it. I was like, “I don’t want to play that album. I don’t like that album. I’m not that album anymore.” And that was the caveat. “I’ll do this, but we’re only playing ‘Train’ and we’re playing ‘What’s Up?’” You know, those are the two songs I can relate to, and that’s it. And then I just popped out these fucking songs and I was thinking people are going to be hearing these songs for the very first time so I got to make these choruses really simple and I want to rock out.

She paused and continued: They’ve got to be emotional, but they’ve got to be dumb too. They’ve got to be just dumb rock songs with hooky choruses that people can just jump in and start singing along. And I kid you fucking not, that’s exactly what happened. So Roger’s here this week, and we’re doing overdubs with all his guitars, and then I’m gonna do my vocal and my guitars. If the universe allows, my ideal situation would be to drop a video and two songs on this side of the year, try to play as many shows as we can on this side of the year, and then drop the album at the top of the year of ‘27. I feel like that feels good to me. I’m not being strategic here; this is just what feels good to me. I got the documentary and Linda Perry album I’m working on, so I don’t want to overextend myself, and I don’t want to favor one over the other.

Traci: You’ve got a lot of babies right now.

Linda: I’ve got a lot of babies I want to give some attention to. In the past, when I try to do everything at the same time, it doesn’t work for me because I’m all in. I’m not 50% – I am all in.

Traci: And what a different time it is now in the industry versus when you started.

Linda: Breaking artists and releasing music… it’s not the fucking ‘90s anymore, for sure. I’m not trying to compete because, I guess I could say that honestly, I wouldn’t even know what I’m competing against. I don’t think there’s anybody like me out there right now or an album like this. So will anybody join me, or will I really be out on my own on this and just, “Oh, I made a great record, I should be proud of that?” Nobody fucking does that. I’ll be honest. I don’t think I’d like to meet the person that released a record that failed that says, “You know what, I loved my record and I’m really proud of it, I stand behind it.” You know, your ego, your heart, your emotions, your mind, everything gets bruised. Yeah, it’s a hard fucking pill.

Traci: When you create something, you’re showing your entire heart, and it hurts.

Linda: God, Jesus, now you just really fucked me up, you know. Fuck you, Traci. (laughing)

Traci: (laughing) Sorry! I will let you get back to the chaos, but I need you to give the dogs a treat.

Linda: Okay! Yeah, Nacho, the overeater, will love that!

“Let It Die,” Linda Perry’s new solo album, is out Friday and she has some very special appearances ahead. Catch her at Amoeba Music in Hollywood on May 14th for an intimate performance and vinyl signing. There is a “Let It Die” documentary screening May 13th at TCL Chinese Theater which includes at Q&A with Perry and an acoustic performance. She will also do a Q&A and performance May 7th in New York City.

TO FOLLOW

LINDA PERRY

SID 260508 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR