By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Content Agency
April 26, 2016
As the daughter of Eagles rocker Joe Walsh, Lucy Walsh grew up with music. It didn’t surprise her famous family (her uncle via marriage is Ringo Starr) when she launched her own musical career. But, like her father, Lucy has also delved into acting. After roles in “Criminal Minds” and “NCIS,” she appears opposite Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston in the feature film, “Mother’s Day.” Her song, “On My Way,” is also featured in the soundtrack. Fans may follow the Los Angeles-based artist on Twitter.
Q. Have you traveled to a place that stood out so much that you felt compelled to incorporate it into your work?
A. Yes, absolutely. My songwriting is very influenced by places I’ve traveled. The craziest experience I had was when I discovered an abandoned mansion in Tennessee way out in the woods. I just went driving and stumbled upon this mansion just as the sun was setting. I got out of my car and walked around the house and grounds until after dark. I looked in all the windows and really felt like I had been there before. I dreamt of the place that night, and awoke the next day with a song about it in my head. It’s called “The Awakening” and it’s on iTunes. It felt as if I was drawn to the house and compelled to write the song. Crazy.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child? And did you love it … or not so much?
A. My first trip was camping with my parents in Yosemite. I loved it! Nature walks were a constant thing for me as a kid. I had a table in the house for all my nature walk treasures: sticks, stones, dried flowers and bird nests. … Nature is important for my emotional sanity.
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A. People, no matter where they are on the globe or what their life experience has been, are all in search of the same thing. We are much more alike than we are different. I’m fascinated by people I meet and by experiencing cultures different from my own. Not to sound creepy, but getting inside people and places and just learning as much as I can about them is a natural high for me. It teaches me more about myself. As an artist, this is necessary to become better at storytelling.
Q. What is your favorite thing to do on vacation?
A. I love fishing. I’m sure that surprises people about me. I don’t seem like the type, but I love it. I grew up with a large pond on my property and I always had my own tackle box and fishing rod. If I was missing from the house, I was on the dock of the pond catching catfish. I throw the fish back, though. I just like the excitement of catching them.
Q. If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A. I rented a cabin in Lake Tahoe for my family one Christmas. We had the best time and my mom and I drove everyone crazy with wanting to go sledding on the back hill over and over and over. We couldn’t stop laughing.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. I am aching to go to Scotland. I feel such a strong pull there and I constantly research its history and watch documentaries. I am far too busy with acting to take vacations, so my goal is to get there on location.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. A good book. I can’t use a Kindle. It’s just not the same as a book in my hand. My camera — I love photographing interesting things in my travels. And face moisturizer is a must.
Q. What would be your fantasy trip?
A. My dream trip is starting in London, renting a car and driving up through England, Wales and Scotland and looping back down and taking about three weeks to do it.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A. Truck stop shopping! Their discount DVD bins are amazing. You can find classic movies. I collect movies, so I will splurge all of my per diem (on them).
Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A. I watch documentaries, I go to the library and read history books. I find out where the locals go to eat. I want to make sure I am going to the most authentic spots. The deeper the research, the deeper the experience once you get there! I think that’s a secret to life.
Q. What is your worst vacation memory?
A. My worst vacation memory was one time camping with my family in the Redwoods, and I got really sick. It was pouring rain and I had such a fever in the tent. They got me a hotel room and we all ended up in it, along with a wild forest cat that would not leave the room. He stayed curled up on the bed the whole three days.
© 2016 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
