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  • ‘Sinners’ movie sheds light on haint, an evil spirit

    ‘Sinners’ movie sheds light on haint, an evil spirit

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    Turns out “Sinners” is more than just about vampires.

    Viewers have some thoughts about Ryan Coogler’s subtle reference to another supernatural entity in the film, released April 18.

    While a select few might have had an inkling about what Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), a Hoodoo practitioner and herbalist, meant by “haint,” others were completely in the dark.

    One viewer even thought Annie uttered the word “Hank” as she tried to determine the cause of Stack’s (Michael B. Jordan) and Mary’s (Hailee Steinfeld) death-defying transformation. Annie determines, through context clues, that her friends have turned into vampires, not haints like she previously hypothesized.

    Though haints are not the focus of “Sinners,” the spectral beings are deeply rooted in Southern folklore, not unlike the film, set in Mississippi in the 1930s.

    Here’s what to know about haints, including a compilation of viewers’ genuine reactions to Coogler’s subtle reference.

    ‘Sinners’ movie: Don’t let them in! What to know about the vampire invitation featured in ‘Sinners’

    What is a haint?

    A haint, for those unfamiliar with African spiritual traditions, refers to “evil spirits who escaped their human forms at night to paralyze, injure, ride (the way a person might ride a horse), or even kill innocent victims,” Atlas Obscura reported in January 2020.

    Though haints are only mentioned by name once in “Sinners,” some viewers noticed the way Coogler wove in the use of “haint blue” a shade of blue used by enslaved Africans and later by the Gullah Geechee to combat haints and “boo hags,” in Annie’s home and wardrobe throughout the film.

    “She’s hoodoo, she’s voodoo. She’s of African diasporic tradition,” Ruth E. Cater, the film’s costume designer, told lifestyle publication 21Ninety. “She’s every part of where our origin story led us in terms of our religious practices.”

    Haint blue was believed to trick haints into believing they had stumbled into water, which they were unable to cross or the sky, which led them farther away from their victims, according to Atlas Obscura.

    The color was first derived from the dye produced on indigo plantations across the South Carolina coast, Atlas Obscura reported.

    Some painted their homes in haint blue, while others hung blue glass bottles in trees to trap the evil spirit or spirits lurking in the shadows, according to Atlas Obscura. Not all Gullah Geechee, however, identify with the color’s use.

    While the practice of using haint blue to ward off evil spirits might not be as common, the color has bled into the mainstream, with major paint companies like Sherwin-Williams and PPG Industries, Inc selling paint inspired by the shade.

    Viewers go on ‘deep dive’ after haint reference in ‘Sinners’

    While some viewers knew what a haint was before they saw the film, others were intrigued enough by the reference that they proceeded to do some research on the evil spirt and for some, its connection to vampires.

    Those who were able to make sense of the reference in the moment remembered when they first heard about haints from relatives and the significance of “haint blue” in the film.

    Either way, those who heard the subtle reference were impressed by Coogler’s attention to detail. Below you will find a compilation of posts that encapsulates the conversation surrounding haints in “Sinners.”

  • Michelle Obama addresses skipping Trump inauguration, Carter funeral

    Michelle Obama addresses skipping Trump inauguration, Carter funeral

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    Michelle Obama is done going high for other people.

    The former first lady spoke for the first time about skipping President Donald Trump’s second inauguration on the April 23 episode of her “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” podcast, which she co-hosts with her brother.

    During a conversation with the former collegiate basketball coach and Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson, the “Becoming” author again addressed viral rumors she was divorcing former President Barack Obama by skipping the inaugural ceremony.

    “My decision to skip the inauguration — or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me — were met with such ridicule and criticism,” Obama explained during the episode. “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason. They had to assume that my marriage was falling apart.”

    Michelle Obama hits back at divorce rumors that start when she makes ‘a choice for myself’

    The comments were made in reference to viral rumors she was divorcing the former president.

    “I’m here really trying to own my life and intentionally practice making the choice that was right for me, and it took everything in my power to not do the thing that ‘was right,’ or was perceived as right, but do the things that was right for me,” she added on “IMO.”

    The “Becoming” on Netflix star said she had to “basically trick” herself into skipping the inauguration by making sure she would have nothing to wear to the ceremony.

    “It started with not having anything to wear,” she said. “I was like, ‘If I’m not going to do this thing, I got to tell my team, I don’t even want to have a dress ready,’ right? Because it’s so easy to just say ‘let me do the right thing.’”

    Michelle Obama says ‘saying no’ is ‘muscle that you have to build’

    Since leaving life in the White House behind, Obama has reevaluated her approach to handling public situations, revealing that therapy has helped her skip events like Trump’s inauguration and former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Jan. 9.

    “We made it through. We got out alive. I hope we made the country proud. My girls, thank God, are whole,” Obama told Henson and Robinson. “But what happened to me? And going through therapy is getting me to look at the fact that maybe, maybe finally I’m good enough.” The voting rights advocate said she is trying to “actively” practice saying no to “rewire” the “neurons in my head that made me keep pushing and keep striving.”

    Obama said attending events solo, or the former president attending without her, help reinforce her newfound method of “saying no,” during a discussion with Henson about the pressures of being famous Black women.

    “It’s a muscle that you have to build,” she said of her mindset. “And I think we suffered, because it’s almost like we started training late in life to build that muscle, right? I am just now starting to build it.”

    The mom to Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, said that she wants “our daughters, I want the young women out there… I want my girls to start practicing different strategies for saying ‘no.’”

    What has Barack Obama been up to? A look at the Democrat’s life post-presidency.

    She added: “After all that I’ve done in this world, if I am still showing them that I have to … show people that I love my country, that I’m doing the right thing, that I am always … going high all the time, even in the face of a lot of hypocrisy and contradiction, all I’m doing is keeping that crazy bar that our mothers and grandmothers set for us.”

    Michelle Obama previously slammed Barack Obama divorce rumors

    This year, the former first lady has emerged as outspoken as ever since leaving the White House in 2017.

    She recently dismissed rumors that she and her “A Promised Land” author husband are heading toward divorce during an early April interview with Sophia Bush.

    While speaking on the “Work in Progress” podcast hosted by the actress, the former first lady discussed having the freedom to pursue and decline different opportunities since leaving the White House. She said whenever she makes “a choice for myself,” people are quick to assume her marriage is over.

    “We as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people,” she told the “One Tree Hill” alum. “They couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself. That they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing. That this couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself. But that’s what that’s what society does to us.”

    On Valentine’s Day, she threw lightly veiled shade at critics of the A-list duo’s marriage, captioning an Instagram selfie of the pair “If there’s one person I can always count on, it’s you, @BarackObama. You’re my rock. Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!”

    Contributing: Anthony Robledo

  • Martin House Books in Rhode Island: Community’s ‘second home’

    Martin House Books in Rhode Island: Community’s ‘second home’

    Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center diverse and new authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way and actively support the right to read and access to books in their communities.

    Each week we profile an independent bookstore, sharing what makes each one special and getting their expert and unique book recommendations.

    This week we have Gretchen Miller, owner of Martin House Books in Westerly, Rhode Island.

    What’s your store’s story?

    I was proud to open this bookstore a year ago. My mother owned a bookstore for 35 years, and it has been my joy to continue that tradition.

    This bookstore has become a cherished gathering place for everyone, from authors finding inspiration to parents connecting after drop-off and retirees enjoying coffee or lunch.

    What makes your independent bookstore unique?

    Many customers have shared that they love the welcoming atmosphere of our store. While the white oak shelves and tin ceiling create a beautiful space, my staff and I have worked hard to cultivate a warm and inviting environment for everyone. It’s truly heartwarming that Martin House Books has become a second home to some in our community.

    Westerly boasts a vibrant arts community, and Martin House Books is proud to support local artists through our small, rotating “Above The Books” gallery.

    What’s your favorite section in your store?

    The entire second floor of Martin House Books is dedicated to children’s literature. I have carefully curated a collection of beloved and cherished books from childhoods’ past. Visitors often delight in finding their old favorites, which they can now share with their own children. Instilling a love of reading early in life is so important.

    What book do you love to recommend to customers and why?

    My book recommendations vary depending on which section of the store you’re in. For parents, I often suggest the “Elephant and Piggie” series by Mo Willems as it helps children understand sentence punctuation. And for anyone looking for a cozy read, I always recommend books by TJ Klune.

    Summer is fast approaching, and I’m eagerly anticipating the influx of lighthearted beach reads that always accompany the season. I believe that now, more than ever, people could use the uplifting escape that authors like Emily Henry and Lucy Score provide so well.

    Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important? 

    Supporting local businesses is crucial, especially in these times. When you shop locally, you’re directly contributing to the local economy, which benefits your neighbors, friends, and community as a whole. By choosing local options, you can also see firsthand the positive impact of your spending.

    What are some of your store’s events, programs, or partnerships coming up that you would like to share?

    I’m pleased to announce that in the coming months, we will be partnering with two Westerly organizations: nonprofit organization the United Theater and The Ocean House Hotel. We will be hosting author events at both locations.

    Additionally, we are fulfilling a significant number of orders for our local school systems.

  • Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan shut down Santa’s Pub: Go inside the show

    Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan shut down Santa’s Pub: Go inside the show

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    Folk-pop superstars Noah Kahan and Ed Sheeran played a show for an unusually small crowd on April 22. In a surprise team-up, the pair performed for about 100 people at a dive bar.

    Sheeran, who has sold about 200 million singles in the past dozen years, joined Kahan, his friend of the past seven years, for a set that included hits like “Dial Drunk” and “Stick Season.”

    “We’re going to play songs until someone gives up,” said Sheeran as the impromptu, but invite-only event began at Santa’s Pub in Nashville, Tennessee. “It’s going to feel like a freestyle battle for depressed people,” Kahan joked. “I’m the Jewish Ed Sheeran.”

    “I’m the Catholic Noah Kahan,” Sheeran quipped.

    Ed Sheeran is the hit of Coachella for sheer talent

    Inside Noah Kahan, Ed Sheeran’s intimate Santa’s Pub performance

    Santa’s Pub is the kind of cash-only, single-serve cans or bottles, no-liquor-available type of dive bar, that’s rare in areas near downtown Nashville of late. It’s where $100 can buy a drink for everyone living on a nearby neighborhood block.

    By tradition’s standards, this wasn’t exactly country music. It was “Cheers,” but the whole world — and not just bar patrons — knew the names of two people occasionally stomping their feet on the floor for rhythmic emphasis, but primarily, rather quietly, playing some of the saddest, most healing songs of the past decade on their guitars.

    Masters golf ad prompts outrage over Noah Kahan’s ‘Georgia on My Mind’ cover: Here’s why

    Ed Sheeran’s joyous, bar and festival-hopping world tour

    Sheeran is preparing to drop a new album entitled “Play,” which he largely recorded with a dozen musicians in Goa, on India’s southwestern coast. No release date has been revealed.

    As part of the promotion, he’s bar-hopped across the country for small shows in cities including Boston, Los Angeles, and New York as well as a headlining set at Coachella.

    Stops have seen him appear with everyone from Megan Moroney and songwriter Amy Allen in Nashville, to Post Malone, Shaboozey and pop star Alex Warren at Coachella. Not content with that, he’s also performed for pink-hatted bachelorettes at Tootsie’s in Nashville’s Lower Broadway neighborhood.

    In this cycle of his career, sitting across from Kahan and providing a bittersweet paradise by the dive bar neon lights is par for the course.

    “Even outside of playing at the Ryman or somewhere, these crowds make four-part harmonies (feel almost) automatic when you perform in Nashville,” Sheeran whispered to Kahan after playing the first verse and chorus of his breakout hit “The A Team.”

    “Yeah, man, Belmont students are all like, ‘My moment is right now,’” joked Kahan in response.

    Kahan and Sheeran, the perfect pair

    Kahan is a superfan of Sheeran as much as he is a friend.

    As he performed several songs, which he described as chronicling a troubled relationship with his father, the clearness of a star able to tap into and concisely express his soul’s rawest potency became clear. Sheeran also has that quality in spades.

    As Sheeran performed the decade-old “I’m A Mess,” Kahan gazed on, stunned that he wrote the song while standing in a spare shower in his home with superb acoustics.

    “You’re… lathering yourself to that — I can’t take a shower anymore,” he joked.

    When Kahan sang a new song, “Porchlight,” which again dips into fraught family dynamics, Sheeran smiled, occasionally strumming along as a backing player.

    Over the past dozen years, notably during a nine-month stint in 2013 when he lived in Nashville, Sheeran has drunk many a night away at Santa’s Pub. Thus, more than any festival or stadium stage, it’s where he felt it appropriate to create an evening that was equal parts a night at a Scottish pub and a melding of two super-star talents.

    Sheeran and Kahan kicked back bottles of Modelo and played A-sides, B-sides and new material, clearly enjoying themselves, the crowd and each others company most of all.

  • Jelly Roll pardon in reach as board recommends wiping of crimes

    Jelly Roll pardon in reach as board recommends wiping of crimes

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    Jelly Roll may soon see his criminal record cleared.

    On April 22, the Tennessee Board of Parole recommended a pardon for the 40-year-old, formerly oft-incarcerated performer. The final decision regarding the pardon now belongs to Gov. Bill Lee.

    The board held a nearly two-hour hearing with deliberations that included testimony from Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall, who cited the emotional growth of Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord.

    “This was incredible. I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless,” DeFord wrote in a press statement.

    One board member recused themselves from voting.

    Jelly Roll to speak at literacy summit at London’s Oxford University — how to watch

    What has Jelly Roll done to earn his pardon?

    Jelly Roll’s pardon application notably included statements from friends, civic leaders and numerous music industry executives, including Live Nation Entertainment CEO and President Michael Rapino, who noted how the artist has used his live concert earnings for considerable charitable giving for at-risk youth in the past few years.

    DeFord has also used his growing musical success to help support the rehabilitation of others in the incarcerated community. In mid-January, for example, the artist held a celebration for his 2024 hit “I Am Not Okay” at North Nashville’s Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.

    “(Songwriting) started as a passion project that felt therapeutic and would end up changing my life in ways that I never dreamed imaginable and opened doors that I’ve never thought possible,” he continued in his statement.

    Jelly Roll’s growing worldwide stardom impacts pardon necessity

    DeFord is seeking a pardon not just for the symbolic effect it may have on other incarcerated people, but also to be able to freely share that message on a global tour.

    He described his goal during the parole hearing as: “to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be — to let them know that change is truly possible.”

    He also plans to “take (his) message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world. God willing, to go do missionary work in my 50s and 60s.”

    As a burgeoning global superstar, his next career step includes a world tour. But his criminal record continues to prevent him from freely traveling the globe.

    To perform in Canada, he requires a special permit that can include long wait times for a decision, according to a letter from an immigration attorney submitted with his clemency packet.

    As his career has taken off with a vengeance, DeFord continues to reach back to support causes he cares about. He received literacy awareness honors at Oxford University earlier this month and appeared in January 2024 on Capitol Hill to testify in a hearing on the use of fentanyl.

    When will Jelly Roll’s pardon be decided on?

    Jelly Roll has a lengthy wrap sheet that will factor into his pardon.

    In 2002, he staged a breaking and entering robbery with two armed men and a woman for $350, though he was unarmed. The robbery’s victims knew the woman involved, and she and DeFord were immediately arrested. He was sentenced to serve a year in prison and additional probation.

    In 2008, on-patrol Nashville police officers found crack cocaine and marijuana in DeFord’s vehicle, resulting in a sentence of eight years of court-ordered supervision.

    He also has two misdemeanors for driving without a license and possession of drug paraphernalia.

    All those offenses will factor into the governor’s final decision.

  • Slightly Stoopid's DELA talks new music, Snoop DoggEntertain This!

    Slightly Stoopid's DELA talks new music, Snoop DoggEntertain This!

    Slightly Stoopid’s DELA talks new music, Snoop DoggEntertain This!

  • Demi Moore talks Bruce Willis relationship, co-parenting

    Demi Moore talks Bruce Willis relationship, co-parenting

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    Demi Moore and Bruce Willis have never stopped putting their family first.

    In an interview with People magazine published April 22, the Oscar-nominated “Substance” actress, 62, reflected on what she’s “most grateful” for when it comes to her relationship with her ex-husband.

    “Regardless of what the outside relationship has been, we have maintained being a family in various forms, and that the foundation of where it started has stayed,” she shared. “The foundation of being a family, the foundation of making our children our priority, has never wavered.”

    Moore and Willis were married from 1987 to 2000, and they share three adult daughters: Rumer, 36; Scout, 33; and Tallulah, 31. The “Die Hard” star, who retired from acting after being diagnosed with dementia in 2023, also shares two daughters with his current wife, Emma Heming Willis.

    In 2021, Rumer Willis told People magazine that she is “incredibly grateful” that her parents “made such an effort my entire life that I never felt like I had to choose between them” after their divorce.

    “I have a lot of friends who grew up with parents who got divorced at a young age and I watched their parents, like, pit them against each other or have to choose between holidays,” she said. “And I didn’t have to do that, and I feel so grateful that my parents made it such a priority that we could be a family, even though it looked different.”

    Bruce Willis’ wife and daughters celebrate actor on 70th birthday: ‘Greatest of all time’

    In March, Moore marked her ex-husband’s 70th birthday on Instagram by sharing joyful photos of the two celebrating with their daughters. One snap showed the family of five all sitting on a couch together and smiling from ear to ear.

    Demi Moore shares update on Bruce Willis amid actor’s dementia battle

    “Happy birthday, BW!” Moore wrote. “We love you ♥️”

    Moore previously told Variety in February that she and Willis “will always be a family, just in a different form,” adding, “For me, there was never a question. I show up because that’s what you do for the people you love.”

  • Harvey Weinstein trial redo begins in New York: What to know

    Harvey Weinstein trial redo begins in New York: What to know

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    Harvey Weinstein’s retrial on rape and sexual assault charges is set to begin Wednesday with opening statements.

    The retrial comes before a Manhattan jury a year after New York’s highest state appeals court overturned the disgraced movie mogul’s conviction.

    Weinstein, 73, faces one rape count and two criminal sexual act counts. The Oscar winner, once one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers, has pleaded not guilty and denied ever assaulting anyone or having nonconsensual sex.

    At the center of the retrial are three women, with two alleging that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on them in 2006 and another who claims he raped her in 2013. The retrial began in New York court April 15 with jury selection.

    Jailed Harvey Weinstein allowed to stay in a hospital during his retrial

    The legal redo, a proceeding that will largely mimic Weinstein’s original state trial, is expected to last roughly six weeks. Weinstein, who is experiencing a variety of health problems, has been brought into the courtroom as of late in a wheelchair.

    His original trial conviction was a capstone moment for the #MeToo movement, which saw women in the entertainment industry emerge with claims of sexual misconduct perpetrated by powerful men in media, politics and other spheres.

    Harvey Weinstein trial expected to last 6 weeks

    The new trial before Superior Court justice Curtis Farber is expected to last roughly six weeks. All 12 jurors must vote unanimously to convict Weinstein.

    A New York jury found Weinstein guilty of rape and sexual assault in 2020, and he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. A state appeals court threw out the conviction in April 2024 and ordered a new trial, finding that women who accused Weinstein of assaults that were not part of the charges against him should not have been allowed to testify.

    More than 100 women, including famous actresses, accused Weinstein of misconduct, and the allegations against him were a focal point of #MeToo. Since the #MeToo movement snowballed in 2017 with sexual assault allegations against the “Shakespeare in Love” producer, Weinstein has repeatedly denied all claims that he engaged in nonconsensual sex acts.

    Harvey Weinstein health issues

    In September, Weinstein was rushed to a hospital and underwent emergency heart surgery. The episode was one of several health scares while he was held in New York City’s Rikers Island jail, where his representatives have said he was receiving inadequate medical care.

    In the months leading up to his retrial, the Miramax co-founder, who has yet to serve a 16-year prison sentence stemming from his 2022 California rape conviction, urged a judge in New York to start his trial sooner citing his health concerns.

    Harvey Weinstein #MeToo retrial: What to know as movie mogul returns to court

    Is Weinstein still in jail?

    Weinstein is not currently in jail. Weinstein scored a win last week with a judge ruling in his favor after transferring in and out of the hospital several times while serving his jail sentence.

    A New York judge on April 17 ruled Weinstein can be transferred from Rikers Island to Bellevue Hospital’s prison ward in Manhattan as his retrial moves forward in criminal court. In a statement to USA TODAY on Friday, Weinstein’s lawyer Imran H. Ansari addressed the news.

    “Harvey Weinstein is pleased with the Court’s Order directing the City to transfer him from Rikers Island to Bellevue Hospital so he can receive the medical treatment he needs as he begins his trial. It is without question that Rikers Island is the prime example of a deficient and dangerous prison,” Ansari said in the statement.

    His lawyers added: “Mr. Weinstein has suffered tremendously within its walls and no human in his medical condition, no matter what they are accused of, should be treated so inhumanely and without any regard to the protections of our Constitution.”

    Contributing: Jack Queen, Reuters

  • Fans flock to Lorde's surprise pop-upEntertainment

    Fans flock to Lorde's surprise pop-upEntertainment

    Fans flock to Lorde’s surprise pop-upEntertainment

  • Bryan Adams talks tour with Pat Benatar, new album

    Bryan Adams talks tour with Pat Benatar, new album

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    Bryan Adams has been rolling with the punches for 45 years, when his self-titled debut introduced his knack for arena-primed rock songs.

    This summer, he’ll release “Roll with the Punches,” his 17th studio album and first since 2022’s wryly titled, “So Happy it Hurts.”

    That the Canadian hitmaker behind such sonic wallpaper as “Run to You,” “Heaven,” “Summer of ’69,” “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started” and “(Everything I Do) I Do it For You” – all Top 40 smashes – is still crafting fist pumpers laced with melody isn’t surprising.

    But that he sounds as appealingly raspy at 65 as he did as a twentysomething warrants notice.

    “You make it sound like you discovered an Egyptian tomb,” Adams says with a laugh when asked how he preserves his distinctive voice.

    He’s calling from an airport lounge on his way to Iceland, where he and his trio of bandmates played this week before hopscotching to Europe for shows through August.

    On Sept. 11 – shortly after “Roll with the Punches” is due – Adams will embark on a 40-date North American tour with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo joining him for the U.S. concerts and The Sheepdogs and Amanda Marshall pulling opening duties for shows in his native Canada.

    The tour kicks off in Kamloops, British Columbia, and will sprint through Canada until launching in the U.S. Oct. 25 in Uncasville, Connecticut. The American leg includes Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Tampa, Cleveland and Phoenix and will wrap Nov. 21 in Seattle.

    A Citi card presale runs from 10 a.m. local time April 29 through 9 a.m. local time May 2 via citientertainment.com. The general on sale begins at 10 a.m. local time May 2 at bryanadams.com.

    During his chat with USA TODAY, Adams expounded on hitting the road with Benatar and Giraldo, working with longtime collaborator Mutt Lange on new material (the title track from “Roll with the Punches” and “Make Up Your Mind” are out now) and rediscovering a recording with his “It’s Only Love” partner, the late Tina Turner.

    More: AC/DC storms back on Power Up tour, the band’s first US trek in nearly a decade

    Question: So how do you keep that signature tone to your voice?

    Answer: I think regular touring, which is what I do, helps … it’s like a muscle, you have to keep it in training. What I will do is a rehearsal with the band (Keith Scott on guitar, Pat Steward on drums, Gary Breit on keyboards and Adams on guitar and bass) to make sure we all know what we’re doing, or at least some idea of what we’re doing, and then just go for it.

    Given the name of the new album and tour, are you good about rolling with the punches?

    I certainly am. It feels like the right title for the right tour at the right time. I’ve recently become an independent artist and when I say that, I’m self-managed and have my own label, Bad Records. Extracting myself form the past and moving into the future has been enormously liberating and inspiring. I kind of feel like (“Rolling …”) is also a song for anyone who has felt they’ve been knocked down with the idea of getting back up again and dusting yourself off. That’s the theme of the song and it’s part of my newfound freedom.

    You’ve had a nice history with Mutt Lange (who produced Adams’ “Waking up the Neighbours” and “18 Til I Die” albums, as well as co-writing several songs). What is it about working with him that appeals to you? 

    Mutt and I are just writing now, he’s not producing me, but when you work with Mutt you get such good ideas if you’re open to it. I like writing with Mutt and there was a time we didn’t work together when he was working with Shania. But I feel the same as I do with Keith (Scott), which is like he’s my brother.

    How did Pat and Neil get tapped as your U.S. openers?

    I’m really excited to have them open for us, it’s really cool. We were looking for the right opening act. We had Joan (Jett) out with us last time and I wanted to have a good rock opening for us and Pat fits the bill.

    Do you know each other well?

    I’ve never Pat in my life! I was probably busy touring in the ‘80s and she was touring, too.

    When you’re on the road, are there certain things you need to have with you? And how do you stay fit?

    Not really. I try and keep my stuff as minimal as possible. I don’t like suitcases that much, so I try to keep everything packed into one or two small bags and have other things at the venue. My health routine is to eat really fresh food and I’m vegan. I have a routine for exercise every day. I do yoga and a bit of weights as well. Swimming, cycling and yoga are are my go-tos. The only thing I miss when I’m on tour I don’t get to walk my dog.

    I know you’ve been a longtime advocate for animal rights. Do you have just one dog?

    I have a mutt, Peaches. I rescued her. She’s just the love of my life along with my family.

    You had a special Record Store Day version of “It’s Only Love” (Adams’ 1985 hit with Tina Turner). What was it like hearing Tina’s voice again on those tapes that you found?

    It should be out on (digital service providers) within the next month. But it was so exciting. I contacted Warner Brothers (Music) and they found a couple of different versions of her vocal and we created a new version. The Midnight Mix, I call it, it just our voices and keyboard, completely naked. When you hear it, you’ll understand the power of Tina’s voice.