BR: I know from experience that having a workspace at home has both the advantage of convenience and the disadvantage of being too convenient. How do you and Derek manage that?
ST: Well, it’s really about knowing your role in different things. When I’m in the house, I’m “Mom.” I’m taking care of the kids; I’m cleaning; I’m cooking; I’m doing the dishes … or maybe we’re out in the backyard for playtime. But when I’m in the studio, it’s time to work on music. Just the atmosphere itself helps me to change between the parts.
BR: Who’s more likely to be out in the studio at 1:00 AM?
ST: Derek. (laughter) But that’s because he’s awake at that time no matter what. I’m tired and I’m going to be up at 6:30 every morning with the kids, you know?
I mean, I’ll work late sometimes, but Derek’s always up late and his mind never stops. The poor guy – he dreams about stuff while he’s sleeping … he’s still working in his dreams. (laughs) He’s just a workaholic who loves music.
But there are nights when we’ll sit down and watch a movie together or do something totally different. You can’t just write or play music all the time; you have to have life experiences.
BR: Like …
ST: Well, yesterday we went fishing about 50 miles offshore with our son and Derek’s brother – caught some mahi and cooked them up here for dinner.
We have a lot going on all the time, but we also try to make room for doing other things: we swim, we surf, we golf, we hike, we fish, we bike, we do yoga … whatever. The two of us like to keep active, but when Derek broke his ankle last year, he had to stop for a while.
BR: I remember him out on tour with the Brothers last year after that …
ST: That’s right – hobbling, the poor guy. (laughs) But we try not to do anything too crazy – just be active.
BR: I’ve admired the way you two have balanced your separate bands and road schedules with family. Now with TTB being your main gig, the two of you are more in sync than ever – which is probably great for you as a couple, but how do you work it with Charlie and Sophia?
ST: Well, it’s interesting – on one level it really is great because we spend more time together. We’re not both on different continents with our kids in a different state. But the only thing that’s tough right now is when Mommy and Daddy both go away together and the kids are in school.
Charlie and Sophia have this ongoing thing with me: “Mom, when are you going to home school us?” And I really can’t – I have just enough time to get them to school, come home and do my work, and then pick them up and get him to baseball and her to music lessons, or whatever. It’s a busy enough life for anyone just being a mom and I’m trying to work in the middle of it all. I just wouldn’t have the time to home school – nor the cash. It takes time and money to do it properly.
Personally, I believe in social development around kids at a young age. Our kids are amazing around adults, because they’ve always been around them … they’re friends with Herbie Hancock and Eric Clapton, you know? (laughter) Sometimes I stop and say, “Wait a minute, when you’re growing up, it’s one thing to have those be household names – but it’s another thing to have them as buddies.” (laughter) You know?
They’re kids, and I don’t think they have a huge understanding of the whole picture on a certain level, but generally they’re very respectful of all people – every color, creed, religion, whatever. I think they have a very good head start there from the things they’ve been exposed to, both from the music world and from going to public school – they’ll thank me later. (laughter)
And then in the summer, they get to come on tour with us. They’ll be with us during school vacation this year except when we’re in Europe for 10 days. It’s so expensive. And it’s not like it would be fun for them either – we’re not traveling on an awesome tour bus where you can sleep and everything. We did that a couple years ago with my band, but it was a much smaller group.
This is a much bigger band to travel with, so now it’s “B.B. King-style” with the Greyhound bus going from country to country. It just wouldn’t be fun for the kids where they’re still little – six and nine. They do love adventure and they love to travel, but there’ll be plenty of chances for that … they’ll be going to Iceland with us in August, for instance. They definitely have big adventures. (laughs)
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