Listen to new single from Nancy Wilson’s Roadcase Royale

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Roadcase Royale release stream of new track The Dragon - which Nancy Wilson wrote in the 90s as an open letter to Alice In Chains' Layne Staley

Roadcase Royale
Roadcase Royale (Image credit: Jeremy Danger)

Roadcase Royale have released a stream of their new single titled The Dragon.

The band, headed up by Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson, will launch their debut album First Things First on September 22 via Loud & Proud Records, with the new track joining Get Loud which arrived earlier this year.

Wilson tells Billboard that she wrote the song in the 90s as an open letter to late Alice In Chains vocalist Layne Staley who was battling addiction issues at the time.

Wilson says: “Staley was still around when I wrote it, but everybody saw it coming – that he was on his way down the chute. I mean, he was really in big trouble. He was completely destroying himself.

“So I saw it coming. It was a cautionary tale – ‘Don’t go there, Layne! Stop!’ But now there are other people it can also be about, and it’s always going to apply to anything that pulls people down into the addiction dungeon.”

Wilson resurrected the song once she formed Roadcase Royale with Chris Joyner, Ben Smith, Liv Warfield, Ryan Waters and Dan Rothchild.

She continues: “I said, ‘I have this song. It just needs finishing.’ It’s a big rocker even though it starts very mellow, and everything about it is the Seattle ethic.

“So Dan helped me finish it – he found a cool little bridge part, and the rest is Roadcase Royale history.

“I guess it feels right for this band and there’s a reason it was never supposed to be for Heart in the first place.”

Wilson put the plans in place for Roadcase Royale following Heart’s hiatus, which came after Ann Wilson’s husband Dean Stuart Wetter, was arrested on charges of allegedly assaulting Nancy’s 16-year-old twin sons.

Nancy says: “I don’t really seem to have much dialogue with my sister any more – she doesn’t write, she doesn’t call… and that’s fine with me.

“If down the line we kind of restore our relationships a little bit and put a little work into that, that’s one thing. But for right now Roadcase Royale is what I’m doing. I’m ready to just do this new thing now and not look back.”

First Things First is now available for pre-order, while Roadcase Royale are currently on tour in the US – including dates with Bob Seger.

Roadies Royale First Things First tracts

  1. Get Loud
  2. Not Giving Up
  3. Hold On To My Hand
  4. Even It Up
  5. Cover Each Other
  6. The Dragon
  7. Insaniac
  8. These Dreams
  9. Mind Your Business (Live)
  10. Never Say Die

Heart’s Nancy Wilson talks "cool" new project Roadcase Royale

Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.