Host: OK, everybody welcome to the Dixie Chicks Artist's Club chat. We'll start rollin' with your questions. Hold on one second. Yes, we're on with Martie Maguire, for the first Dixie Chicks chat. We'll start with your questions. The first question Martie is, what was the last concert you've been to?

Martie: The last concert...

Martie: Yeah, I figured. It was a fundraiser for the Democratic party and it was Joe Ely playing, Natalie's dad was playing steel, and our guitar player David Grissom was on guitar and it was a great concert. The babies were moving to the music.

Host: OK, what foods have you been craving while pregnant?

Martie: You know, I've had more aversions than cravings. I've really had an aversion to eggs, and chicken, for some reason. And I guess eating a lot of -- so I guess craving -- mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Host: Very nice, so you're not like dipping pickles in ice cream?

Martie: No weird combinations. Not really.

Host: OK, if you were not a musician, what would you be?

Martie: Hmm. I've always said I'd be a dermatologist. Because, I don't know, I just... I like picking on people. I don't know, maybe something in the health care profession. Medical profession.

Host: OK, another user wants to know what is your favorite TV show?

Martie: Six Feet Under.

Host: Six Feet Under. Very solid. Since you live in Austin, and I know South by Southwest is going on next week, are you going to be going?

Martie: Yep. Yep, I'm already planning to go see Pete Yorn and a newcomer Sandra McCracken. And I haven't gotten the official list of who's all playing, but Natalie and I are definitely gonna go hear some music.

Host: OK, do you watch American Idol?

Martie: Yeah, I kinda...I'm usually eating dinner or cooking dinner around that time, so, I kinda do it as I'm making dinner but, yes I've been watching it. And I just, I don't know...sometimes it makes me uncomfortable to watch it, because Simon's so mean, and I just think these poor people. This is their shot, ya know? And I just kinda feel sorry for them for the beating they get but yes, I do watch it, and if the lines are open I vote for who I think should go through.

Host: And do you have a favorite this year?

Martie: I, you know a lot of my favorites didn't make it through, and I was kinda bummed about that. And I can't [phone button beeps] names right now. There's one girl that I really liked that had kinda, frizzy, frizzy hair. She's a black girl that I thought was really awesome, and she didn't make it through, and then I think she was chosen for a second try, a second audition and I'm hoping she does well.

Host: Well I think that's tonight, so we'll find out.

Martie: Is that tonight?

Host: Yes it is.

Martie: Am I gonna miss it?

Host: No you will not.

Martie: OK.

Host: What's your favorite restaurant in Austin?

Martie: God, there's so many good restaurants here. I'd have to say for barbeque Opie's barbeque is the best.

Host: OK.

Martie: Out in Spicewood. And for my second choice would probably be Oochie. It's a new restaurant. It's Japanese and sushi and stuff. Of course I can't eat that while I'm pregnant, but I think it's on Lamar? South Lamar? Or South Congr--it's South Lamar.

Host: OK, do you yourself ever check out the website anonymously?

Martie: Yeah, I've been known to log on anonymously, and kinda watch what people were saying, especially during the controversy. I was really interested in where people were coming from and what their opinions were and I'm usually pretty impressed with how smart people are and what they have to say, and people don't know us from Adam and they get on there sometimes and really defend us to the hilt. And I think "Wow, I wish this person was my best friend" because it really was nice to get on, even though there's so much negative at that time. It was nice to read all the super positive things. It was great.

Host: Yeah, well, as long as we're in the political realm, we've got two more from users who wanna know...one of them wants to know that you three seem pretty united against Bush but has politics caused any discord behind the scenes?

Martie: You know, we fought about other things, but I can't remember ever fighting about politics. We tend to kind of maybe it's because we spend so much time together outside of music as well, that we tend to just kind of agree on a lot of things. Im trying to think if...you know, and sometimes we have you know, heated debates, but we usually are on the same side, it's usually us defending our positions against some other friends that don't think like we do. But I think that's the great thing about, you know, democracy and freedom of speech is that you gotta respect other people's opinions, and so I think even if we didn't agree, we would respect each others from what we know where each other's coming from. But no, no we don't really...we don't really fight to begin with.

Host: OK, and then staying in the political realm for a moment, what do you think of Michael Moore's statement that the Chicks should be President and Oprah Vice President?

Martie: Well, obviously, it was a joke. There've been a lot of bumper stickers around Austin, saying "The Dixie Chicks for President", and I just laugh. My neighbor put one on his trash can, and I don't know whether it's a slam to me, or whether it's to support me, but no it's kinda I just think it's funny. It's, you know of course, ridiculous. But, Michael Moore, everything he does, is, is hysterical, or really, really makes you think. And he's just, I love the way he approaches things. I know he rubs people the wrong way but everything he says like that is meant to be taken a joke obviously.

Host: Yes, OK. What part of your career do you like best: writing music, recording in the studio, or performing live?

Martie: Definitely live, definitely.

Host: OK. Can you explain why?

Martie: I just love the feeling of being on stage. It's funny, growing up I was a really shy person actually and never wanted attention on me, you know, I'd much rather have the attention on somebody else. It's just...I dont know, just grown to really, really love that interaction with the audience, and that's what I really loved about being so close to them this time, and being in the round and they just energize you and are there because they wanna be there and they paid their money to see you do what you do, and it just blows my mind everyday that I have this incredible job. But, yeah, it's just the pump of a bass and the drums and it's so loud in your ears and, it's just, it's like you're at a concert every night

Host: Do you get nervous?

Martie: I don't get nervous, I get excited. And sometimes have nerves in that respect but unless it's something like a live situation. Weird technical things, like, I'm sorry...like a TV live situation where, you can't, you cannot mess up! You know, an audience is very forgiving if you mess up in a concert but on TV when you only have the 3 minute song, or something like that, I get nervous that technical things will go wrong. And I want everything to sound really good, and usually TV sounds sound horrible, so, in those situations I get nervous for those technical things.

Host: OK. Another fan asks. We've seen you collaborate with James Taylor and Willie Nelson. Is there anyone that you guys are really looking forward to working with?

Martie: Hmmm...you know we were really bummed...we missed the whole Dolly collaboration thing. We were gonna be a part of her album that was all Dolly Parton songs, a tribute to her, and we really wanted to do something with her, and, I think it was in August, when we had just gotten off the road, we still had some dates, and it was just impossible to go do that. So I'm still looking forward to the day that we get to perform with Dolly. We've had several opportunities and for some logistical reason it slipped through the cracks but somebody, who personally, I'm excited to even be in the same room with.

Host: Yeah. OK. Another user wants to know, with no pressure, how many kids do you plan on having?

Martie: Of course I haven't had baby one yet and all my friends who have kids just laugh because I guess your number changes the more kids you have, but we're thinking four.

Host: OK.

Martie: I came from a family of three, my husband came from a family of six so, you know, four is good.

Host: OK. Another user wants to know what Chick burps the loudest?

Martie: Hands down, it's gotta be Emily.

Host: Hands down Emily...

Martie: It's actually something to be very proud of. She's got the power of a truck driver when she belches.

Host: OK, do you have a nanny yet?

Martie: Yes.

Host: OK, I think there were probably a lot of applicants.

Martie: Awww

Host: Can you describe your song writing process for us? Do you always go about it the same way?

Martie: I tend to co-write a lot and with different people we seem to have different chemistry and start things different ways. When we wrote together, the three of us, it seemed like we just kind of go around the room and talk about different ideas for songs or sing a hook line or a little intro lick and an idea for a song, and then we'd decide which idea seemed to be the strongest, and then work on that idea. So we'd all bring, you know, 5 to 10 different ideas and then contribute to that one idea but different people write in different ways. I tend to be more music driven and let somebody else help me with the lyrics more. Natalie I think seems to be pretty equally good at both. Emily...I think equally good at both. I don't know, maybe it's just my own insecurity. I like to pair up with people that are really strong lyricists. It's like the music comes easy for me. But I've also written kind of poem-like verses and choruses that turn into songs. So, actually White Trash Wedding started as words, not as music. So, it just depends.

Host: OK. At what age would you consider introducing an instrument to your child?

Martie: Hmmm...I'll probably start them just getting intrigued and, you know, holding instruments and getting to strum on instruments when they're pretty young. I'd say 2 years but actually in trusting them with an instrument to take care of and you've gotta be able to take care of it. It's not a toy. And they do make some toy instruments but usually they're not very good. You can't really teach children on those toy instruments. They're hard to tune. I started Suzuki violin at five, and I'm thinking, like, age 4 or 5 when they have a respect for the instrument, that it's not a toy, and that it's never too young to kind of get them intrigued. It's so amazing to watch kids around music. They just stop whatever they're doing. It's great.

Host: A lot of our users are asking the question who swears the most?

Martie: Hmmm...Who swears?

Host: Who's the crassest Dixie Chick?

Martie: God...we all get pretty potty-mouthed on the road. It's funny, when we're home, we're a little more subdued, and then when we're on the road, I don't whether it's from hanging out with band guys or life on the road, I don't know. We all kind of are guilty of having a potty-mouth. I'd say probably mine's the worst right now just because I'm not around toddlers all the time, and I think Natalie and Emily have had to learn to not, you know, say the F-word in front of their kids and things like that.

Host: OK. A lot of our users also want to know when are you guys gonna start working on the next album?

Martie: We have plans. We've already started writing together and we have plans to go in the studio in the fall. Of course, Natalie's due with her baby in July so we wanna give her a little time to recuperate. Well, we're thinking maybe, I don't know...September, October.

Martie: Oh, that's very sweet. What is in mine right now? Right now, Emmylou Harris' new record, and gosh, let me walk over there 'cause I just bought a bunch of things.

Host: OK, a real live action moment in the Dixie Chicks audio chat.

Martie: (laughs) Yeah.

Host: The walk to the CD player.

Martie: Gareth usually has some weird Irish stuff in here. Let's see...what's in here. The Very Best of Roy Orbison is in here, the Levelers. Have you ever heard of the Levelers?

Host: Yes, I have.

Host: Wow. Nice eclectic mix. Next fan wants to know do you watch any sports? And if so, what is your favorite?

Martie: Boxing.

Host: Boxing?

Martie: And that's pretty much the only sport I watch.

Host: Really?

Martie: I like basketball too but I've become a pretty big boxing fan.

Host: Who's your favorite fighter?

Martie: I like Sugar Shane. Shoot. Shoot. I'll have to think about that because I have a favorite. My husband knows who he is. What's his name? Roy...

Host: Roy Jones?

Martie: Roy Jones Jr.! I really like him. I know he's a cocky son-of-a-bitch (laughs). I really...I was so sad to see him lose his last fight because I really think he's indestructible and one of the best fighters. And I like fighters that are professional in the ring. It really turns me on when they do kinda underhanded things. And I like it when they are good sports about things and take their sport very professionally because you know it's... I used to think it's just a slugging match, and it's not. It's a sport and there's an art to it. And I have a lot of respect for those fighters, who think it's the toughest job in the world to have. But yeah, I'm a huge boxing fan.

Host: OK, one of our fans wants to know...they said that they first saw you at Lilith Fair. What was playing Lilith like?

Martie: It was one of the best early experiences of my music career.

Host: Why?

Martie: We weren't really big then. We were just kind of on the cusp of gaining popularity, and it was so neat, it just, it, it brought me back kinda to the bluegrass days where people all kinda share music. It's not "oh, I go on stage at seven, you go on at eight", you know, "then they go on at nine", and we never really talk or jam or watch each other's shows. It was so... it's just all-inclusive and the Indigo Girls hung out in our dressing room, we hung out in theirs, and we swapped ideas and we jammed together and we performed together and we performed with Sheryl Crow that year, and I just thought, "Wow, we're performing with Sheryl Crow" and everybody was just so supportive. I don't know if it was the environment of having all women together, or what it was but it's never been recreated. And, I hope it is somewhere down the line.

Host: OK, another fan wants to know if... there's rumors that the Chicks have considered doing a Christmas CD, when are you guys going to do it, please, please, please? And I quote.

Martie: You know I've never really liked Christmas CDs. I'll go to Wal-Mart or whatever and get my favorite artists Christmas CDs. I'm always just kind of let down. If we did one I wouldn't wanna just remake traditional tunes. It seems like everybody does that. They get an orchestra in the studio and they remake these traditional tunes. Boring.

Host: Yeah, the Rum-Pa-Pa-Pum songs?

Martie: And there are a lot of Christmas CDs I think are beautiful but I think it'd be great to do some original Christmas music if we ever get around to it. We never even write enough for our record, to fill up our records. I think that's our first goal, to write more for our mainstream records, and then maybe we'll move to Christmas music. I don't know.

Host: OK, who is the most athletic Dixie Chick?

Martie: Well, I win at all the wrestling and I'm not lying. You can ask all the girls.

Host: We will.

Martie: I definitely am the reigning champ at wrestling. I would've said Emily, though 'cause she was always varsity sports, this, that, and the other, really athletic. But, I guess I'd have to say me, since I'm the reigning wrestling champ.

Host: OK, next fan wants to know if you watch any daytime soaps, and if so, which one?

Martie: No, I don't. I don't since I have satellite there's so much more on in the day. I've been addicted to Discovery Health channel. They've got all those birthing stories. I'm such a dork of a pregnant woman but I watch those live births on there. Birth Day and those kind of shows. I don't know if that's TLC...it's Birth Day, and what's the other one? There's one other where they actually show live birth, and I guess it should scare me off because it's always some complication. Some woman's bleeding out or going into cardiac arrest or something.

Host: Yeah for sure. They don't put the easy ones on there.

Martie: It doesn't scare me. I swear I could deliver babies. I go to the doctor and she tells me stuff. I'm like "Yeah, yeah, I know. I know. I watch Discovery Health. I know."

Host: Well maybe if this whole music thing falls through, you can be a...

Martie: Like I said. Something in the health care profession! Maybe I'll deliver babies.

Host: Yes. A mid-wife. Are you familiar with Spongebob Squarepants?

Martie: Oh yeah.

Host: You like him?

Martie: Sure.

Host: That's actually a question, it's not me. Next question. Do you prefer end- stage setup or performing in the round like last tour?

Martie: Definitely in the round.

Host: Really, why?

Martie: Definitely. Like I said before, just the proximity to the fans. It's energizing and inspiring and awesome. I love it. I hated being down at one end and you'd feel like people were so far away from you. You didn't know if they'd gone out for popcorn and left or not. like you couldn't even see their face. The lights were so bright you just couldn't see that far back in the room, and on this tour I really feel like I could see somebody on the street that was way back up on the balcony, and I would go, "oh, they were at the show." It's amazing how much you can see when you're in the round. Sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes it's a bad thing. But no, I loved it. It didn't intimidate me at all, even though they could see you from the front, from the back, from the side, whatever. It felt really comfortable and I could see us wanting to do something like that again.

Host: OK, next fan says, "I have traveled a grand total of 1,000 miles once to see the Chicks. What is the longest road trip you've ever took to see your favorite band, and who was it?"

Martie: Wow!

Host: Great question.

Martie: Yeah...I don't think I've ever done that. I think that's really a compliment. We had a lot of people telling us they were kinda following us around like the Grateful Dead, coming to a lot of our shows and it was a huge compliment.

Host: Who would you travel 1,000 miles to see? If you had to do it once.

Martie: Gosh...a lot of artists I'd go pretty far to see. I feel like I miss everything 'cause I'm always on the road.

Host: Is there one concert that you've missed that you just... has not made it into your itinerary that you're just dying to see?

Martie: Well, I'm a huge Rod Stewart fan and he was in New York and some of the crew that had worked on our tour, they were on his tour, and they had e-mailed me, knew I was a huge fan, and said, "Do you wanna come to the show?" and I couldn't fly. I wasn't feeling well with my pregnancy and I live in New York part time and I have an apartment there and I was so bummed because I could totally have stayed in my apartment and gotten to go backstage and possibly meet Rod Stewart and watch the concert and I was really gutted. That's a recent concert I missed that I was really upset.

Host: How many hours of sleep do you get per day while on tour?

Martie: This is all gonna change with twins but I would get about 10 or 11 hours a day. I was the laziest one on the tour, definitely.

Host: OK, this next one fan wants to know. I'm a twin and my mother used to dress us in the same clothes. Do you plan on doing that with your girls, if so, what age would you stop?

Martie: (laughs) I'm definitely gonna dress them alike and dress them in mortifying outfits that later I can pull pictures out and they'll just be mortified because I think it's so cute. I'm so excited to have two little girls that I can dress alike. And my husband and I have already been shopping and picking out clothes and it's so much fun but probably at the time where they just say, "Mom, stop". Because I'm so goofy, I mean I'd probably dress alike with 'em. Mom and two daughters all in the same thing.

Host: One of our fans wants to know exactly where you're talking to us from.

Martie: From my red couch in my den at my house in Austin.

Host: Sounds perfect. Another fan wants to know, I love watching you perform and I was wondering, what is your favorite song to perform?

Martie: Sin Wagon. 'Cause it's challenging on the fiddle and it's fun and it's kind of a great mix of that hard driving bluegrass meets heavy metal in a way, like, it's just one of those songs that I never get tired of.

Host: OK, I guess maybe we should've started with this one, but a fan wants to know what question do you hate being asked during interviews?

Martie: Why, 'cause their gonna ask it?

Host: Well yeah, maybe we've already asked it and it's too late.

Martie: "How'd you get together?" Things that are so old, that have been in the bio for years. Its just boring questions like that that everybody knows.

Host: Uh huh. Do you believe in UFOs?

Martie: I don't rule anything out.

Host: That is a very PC answer. Covering your loose ends.

Martie: I don't think we can claim to know what is hard to know. You know? I think some people do believe in them, and have had experiences that have led them to believe so who am I to say that they're not real.

Host: Favorite outfit, yeah

Martie: Marjan Malakpour has been our wardrobe person for the last couple years and she did the tour as well as all the press in the last few years. And she's great. We get a lot of stuff from different designers and I guess I like on the tour, I wore a lot of those little, kind of leather skirts that had little patchwork of different things on the plaid, kilt-like material and different buttons and different things sewn on them and I really like some of those. We've actually been asked to give some of those away to auctions and things, and I just really wanted to hold onto them because I think they're so unique. I forget...I wish I knew who designed them because they're really ingenious but that's something I'll hold onto for a really long time.

Host: Great. Our next fan says, "I recently saw your picture on a University of Missouri newspaper with Rock the Vote. What kind of things have you been doing with that organization?"

Martie: Well we started a website with them. We made a donation and it afforded a website where people could go especially in this election year to go get more information about the candidates, and kinda break everything down. It's called "Chicks Rock, Chicks Vote" and we're gonna do a concert hopefully. It's in the works right now. It's nothing definite. But we've planned on doing a concert in the fall to get the excitement building for people to go register to vote and vote in November. So we're in weekly conversations through management with Rock the Vote on what we can do to get people energized about this election year 'cause it's such an important year, I think the race is gonna be really close and no matter who people vote for, I think it'd be nice to see the numbers go up. Have everybody be participating.

Host: Yeah, absolutely. Next fan wants to know is Gareth home? And if so, say hi.

Martie: Yes, he is home and that was his phone ringing in the background.

Host: OK great.

Martie: And what, you want him to say hi?

Host: No that's, well yeah, if you want him to.

Martie: (yelling) "Gareth! Come here, come say hi!" He's gonna come say hi.

Host: OK good.

Martie: Does anybody have a question for Gareth?

Martie: Would it take a while?

Gareth: Hi.

Host: Hey. Gareth, you're live on the Dixie Chicks Official Artist's Club fan chat.

Gareth: How exciting.

Host: And a lot of our users are wanting to say hi and hear from you.

Gareth: Oh, cool.

Host: OK, one of our users -- we just got a question -- wants to know, can you dance Celtic?

Gareth: Yes I can actually. We just call it Irish dancing. And I've been doing...well we did a bit at home, like growing up and it's funny actually. I was doing like a two month workshop. An acting workshop of all things in New York in the neighborhood playhouse and I had to do a dance demonstration. It was just a part of the acting workshop and I ended up doing a Irish dance.

Host: 'Cause rumor had it, you taught Martie.

Gareth: I taught Martie how to dance?

Host: Yes, someone said you -- in an interview I think she said you taught her Celtic dancing.

Gareth: Maybe she said I do Celtic dancing for her. But I do that just to try and lure her into bed at night.

Host: What is it like being married to a Dixie Chick? One fan wants to know.

Gareth: Oh it's great. I mean she's just the best. I love... and it helps as well the fact that I love and respect her music so much. I love what she does and she does it really well and it's just great going out on the road and seeing just how their music can move people. That's really a special thing.

Host: Great. Well thank you very much for the cameo. Our fans definitely appreciate it.

Gareth: My pleasure. I'll give you back to my wife.

Host: OK, great.

Gareth: See ya, bye.

Martie: Hey.

Host: We're getting a lot of "Gareth, you are a hottie" comments, so I think you're definitely getting validated on your...at least on the physical aspects of your husband choice.

Martie: Good. He is a hottie.

Host: Yes. OK, next question is can you describe what you're thinking that last second before you walk out on stage?

Martie: "Do I have a booger in my nose?" (laughs)

Host: Very understandable.

Martie: That's the last thing we do. We check each other's noses and teeth.

Host: That's hilarious. OK, next fan. What would you say to someone like me who wants to learn to play the fiddle like you do? What do I need to do?

Martie: Awww. Get a fiddle and find a good teacher that you like. There were several times when I almost quit playing because I had teachers that made it a miserable thing to go to the lessons. So I think finding a good teacher that kinda inspires you is important and play the music you wanna play,and bring them tunes and ask them if they can teach you certain songs. I think it's a really fun thing to do and I don't think anybody's too old to start. You can start at anytime. I mean, it is an instrument where, unless they're already playing the violin, it sounds like crap for a really long time because it's such a squeaky instrument. It's not like the piano where you push a key and it sounds pretty decent. But I think once you get over that hump and start sounding good and smooth, it's such a pleasure to play. So, I think the challenge is finding a good local teacher that does that style. A lot of teachers teach classical music but there aren't a lot of fiddle teachers out there.

Host: OK. So we know we've run over our time a little bit. We're gonna go with three more questions here. So, first one is, have you decided what you're going to name your other baby?

Martie: We're still looking. I looked at the all the...our management compiled all the lists of names that were coming in from the fans, which was so helpful and so sweet and definitely, we're closer, but haven't picked the second name yet. We might have to wait and see her little face and decide who she is.

Host: OK. Do you guys ever go checkout other artists while you're on the road?

Martie: Yeah. I can't remember where we were but we caught a John Mayer concert. We're usually playing and then getting on the bus and driving all night so a lot of times we don't get to do that. Who else did we see on the road? I can't think of anybody other than John Mayer, which was great.

Host: Yeah, he's fabulous. One of our fans wants to know, whose box fell over at the concert? And I guess you should probably tell the story to fill everybody in.

Host: OK. So we've got one last question but before we ask it, I just wanted to thank you for joining us and taking the time. I know the fans definitely appreciate it. So the most burning question that everybody wants to know that we've saved for last, is a two-parter, and it is the following. If you had the chance to kick Toby Keith in the nuts, would you? Or would you forgive him?

Martie: You know, everything I've read, I try to not be, you know, a lot of people don't read their press, and we get this thick packet of press at the end of every month from our publicists in case we wanna peruse it and read it and you know I've become so fair about everything, and I guess maybe, open minded to people's opinions that it doesn't bother me to read negative things, so sometimes I'll just go ahead and spend the night reading through the press for the last month. And, I read a lot of Toby Keith's stuff, and I think a lot of what he had said was misrepresented, especially toward the end. He was really kinda trying to end the conflict and the media seemed to keep playing this Toby vs. Natalie thing. I think he found himself in a position he really didn't wanna be in. And, you know, I've never met him. Well, actually I met him a long time ago when he first got signed to Mercury, and I don't even think he remembers. We were at some club or something, and I just briefly was introduced so really I don't know him, but he seems like a sensible enough guy and I have nothing against Toby Keith.

Host: OK well I'm sure he'll be walkin' around backstage at the ACM awards a little more comfortably now.

Martie: You know what I really think? I think now that everything's blown over. I think if Natalie and Toby find themselves in the same room, at some event or something, they're gonna just laugh their asses off about all that's gone down. Because it really is silly, and it's water under the bridge and stupid. I think it was mainly media-driven. I don't think anybody hates anybody.

Martie: OK, thanks!

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