PW: You recently partnered with UScellular to promote healthier digital habits in the age of social media. What attracted you to this partnership? How does their mission align with your current lifestyle?"
AM: I was compelled at the idea [of] just a phone company that actually cares about mental health because a lot of people will say they care, but then they don't. And everyone I met from UScellular just seemed like they cared about healthy digital habits, in general. We’re all corralling around how to create balance in something that can be super addictive. For me, it’s a little easier because I was born in the 1970s, so I wasn’t raised on screens. But I know that the new generations are semi-raised on digital, so it can be a little tougher to create a lifestyle that doesn't have iPads and iPhones at the forefront. So, I resonated with that [and the message] really aligned with my value system.
PW: As a proud mom of two, how do you maintain your healthy habits? And for your children especially?
AM: With regards to digital habits and my kids, [I received some great advice from] an elementary school teacher, [who] said to me very early on, “Get in there [and] create the triangle where if your children are watching something, watch it with them.” [Oftentimes], I'll sit right next to my kids when they're watching something—and I'll be the peanut gallery. I'll be commenting, saying, “Well, that's a little misogynistic” or “That's hilarious,” so that they don't so that they don't equate digital use with isolation and intense solitude. And I kind of loosely monitor what the kids are watching and what they’re resonating with. There's so much music and so much art that they're availing themselves of in the digital world. So far, so good with a semblance of balance. But, you know, I'll keep my eye on it—and I'll invite them out if we need to.
PW: Now, you’re back on the road again for your summer tour. What has it been like performing songs from your album Jagged Little Pill and just seeing your fans again?
AM: I live for it. We’re doing this backstage experience where I lead a guided meditation, and then we do a Q&A together and just have a moment alone together. It's proven to be one of the most fulfilling experiences for me of my life because I thought being famous would preclude me from being able to have that kind of intimate exchange with people who come to my shows. So, it's a big dream come true for me. I do love connecting with people who have been listening to my music for a long time and just kind of validating their journey while they're enjoying hearing my music. A lot of the people who come to my shows, we've all grown up together. So there's a knowing that we have when we meet each other—and it is a great gift to me.
PW: During your tour, you've shared the stage with the Blackhearts and Morgan Wade. What has it been like just being able to perform with such talented musicians?
AM: [This tour] felt really appropriate with Morgan, [who is] blossoming [in her] career. And with Joan [Jett], [I am] standing on the shoulder of her giantness. I just felt like it was a real [honor] to show these different phases that women can be in and in our cases, we're in the public eye and we're touring together. It just seems like there's more room for women to lean on each other. Whereas in the 90s, for me, there was no one to lean on in that sense. So I'm heartened to see that there's a sisterhood that's been blossoming over the period of 2 or 3 decades now, and I think that's the best news.
PW: The last time you released music was back in 2023 with your EP titled Last Christmas. Are you working on more music now? If so, what can fans expect?
AM: I'm launching a platform next year that is really focused on addiction recovery and trauma recovery [in addition to] community and temperament and personality disorder awareness. So that is launching next year, which is the equivalent of writing seven records. And then I have another record in me, [which] I'm imagining will be written over the next year because I can feel it. It's like I feel pregnant with songs. So the process of actually creating the record is pretty swift. My imagination is I'll do another record over the next year or two.
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