Debbi Peterson’s solid backbeat propelled The Bangles to the summit of the ’80s pop charts with five top-10 singles and double-platinum album sales. Then, at the height of their success, the band succumbed to internal friction. The personal conflicts ultimately led to their break-up in 1989.

Now, after a decade of healing, The Bangles are back with Doll Revolution, their first new album in fifteen years. This time around, the band bypassed the traditional yet impersonal studio atmosphere. Instead, they set up shop in a rented ranch house (dubbed “Stately Bangle Manor”) nestled deep in Beverly Hills.

“That recording session was liberating, fun, and joyous,” Peterson says. “We all felt relaxed. We were at a house, not a studio, so there was less pressure.” This liberation gave Debbi the freedom to diversify her sound. “I alternated between a really deep metal snare drum and a couple of wood ones. Brad Wood, our co-producer, is a drummer too. He had a couple of amazing snares, so it was fun to experiment during recording.” Advertisement

According to Debbi, experimentation was not limited to the drums. “Brad had a large assortment of fun percussion instruments: sandpaper blocks, jingle bells, Indian cymbals – you name it. On ‘Stealing Rosemary,’ we all did our kindergarten music session. We each took a percussion instrument, and off we went!”

Kraig Sollenberger