The Loving Mary Band Lends Steven Tyler Its Nashville Sound

In 1981, Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks had a killer duet with “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” If Petty had followed up by actually joining Fleetwood Mac, they might’ve sounded a whole lot like the Loving Mary Band.

Lead singer Marti Frederiksen’s voice smacks of Petty. You may do a double-take at your iPod during “Right Now” or “Alone With You,” so much does the band sound like the Heartbreakers gone Nashville.

As a songwriter and producer, Frederiksen has worked with Aerosmith, Mick Jagger, Faith Hill, Sheryl Crowe, Pink, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, and Eminem among others. And although listeners may recognize him as the voice of Stillwater’s lead singer in Cameron Crowe’s cult flick “Almost Famous” — that was him singing “Fever Dog” — his voice has grown a patina in the last 16 years: It’s more twangy, more world-weary, more country.

With a Mamas and the Papas-esque balance between guys — Frederiksen, Elisha Hoffman, and Andrew Mactaggart — and gals — Rebecca Lynn Howard, Suzie McNeil, and Sarah Tomek — the folk-rockers have a flavor all their own. It’s one that Steven Tyler fell in love with, evidently.

The Aerosmith frontman, who in July released a country-flavored solo album called “We’re All Somebody From Somewhere,” tapped the six-piece to back him on his current tour. They’ll rock the Wang Theatre in Boston Sept. 4. We recently caught up with Frederiksen, 54.

Q. So how did you get involved with Aerosmith and Steven Tyler?

A. John Kalodner, an A&R guy . . . heard a song I wrote for Brother Cane, “Got No Shame.” Kalodner recommended me to Aerosmith in ’96, and me, Steven, and Joe [Perry] got together and did “Something’s Gotta Give” for “Nine Lives.” . . . I originally came in as a songwriter, then started to produce with them as well. The biggest hit was “Jaded” [their Grammy-nominated song off 2001’s “Just Push Play.”] I was songwriter and producer on that. . . . So I’ve been working with Steven a while.

I happened to put a band together three years ago, the Loving Mary Band, and . . . we’d been together about six months when Steven said to me one day, “Hey, man, do you know a band who can help me [for a concert] in D.C.?” And I said, “Yeah, I actually just put a band together.” He loved the idea. . . . Then he was going on tour to support his new solo album, and he wanted us to go with him.

Q. How did the Loving Mary Band come together?

A. Four of us were songwriters in Nashville. . . . I’d written with Suzie, and Rebecca Lynn Howard, she was a country artist who did good on her own, she’s won Grammys. . . . Elisha Hoffman, we met in 2013 in Nashville. Then Suzie’s husband, Andrew Mactaggart, we needed lead guitar, and he joined. Our drummer is a girl, Sarah Tomek. I saw her at a bar in Nashville. . . . I heard a band playing an old Aerosmith song, “Lord of the Thighs.” . . . I went straight up to her and asked if she would be interested in doing a few shows with Steven.

Funny enough, Kalodner also hooked me up with [Toronto native] Suzie McNeil. She was on “Rockstar: INXS.” It was a show looking for the next member of INXS. Remember that show? She was a finalist on the show; the last girl standing. . . . Kalodner wanted her to sing a song that I co-wrote, “Believe,” and it ended up doing really well for Suzie. It was a big hit for her in Canada [during the 2010] Vancouver Olympics.

She’d done three records I was involved with, then we put this band together. I’d been writing and producing and I wanted to try something different. . . . And the band has been cranking busy.

Q. How did you come up with the name?

A. We know a girl named Mary Loving, and she’d sent an e-mail to Rebecca and it came up on her phone, “Loving, Mary.” And Rebecca said, “Hey, what do you think of this as a band name?”

Q. You’re in Nashville now but grew up near LA. Were your parents musical?

A. My mom was a singer. She sang on Mexican radio before they had commercials — in the late ’30s and ’40s they had people sing instead of playing commercials. Pearl Blanco. She was old when she had me. My dad was quite the whistler, I’ll tell you that. When I grew up, there were a lot of little family bands. My older brothers and I were really interested in music. My dad came home one day — this was 1968, ’69 — and he had drums, an amp, bongos, tape recorders from a swap meet. I was like, 5. And ever since then, I’ve been doing music. I never fell out of it.

Q. So “Almost Famous.” That was you singing?

A. Yeah, “Fever Dog,” all those songs. [laughs] I was out one day with Steven [Tyler] and [producer] Mark Hudson and I said, “Let’s go see this movie,” and I didn’t tell them I was in it. And after the band sang, I said, “Hey, man, that’s me singing!” [laughs] They got a good kick out of it.

STEVEN TYLER WITH THE LOVING MARY BAND

At the Citi Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston. Sept. 4, 7 p.m. Tickets: $59.95 and up. www.ticketmaster.com.

Interview was edited and condensed. Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail
.com and on Twitter@lauren
daley1.

The Loving Mary Band lends Steven Tyler its Nashville sound

In 1981, Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks had a killer duet with “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” If Petty had followed up by actually joining Fleetwood Mac, they might’ve sounded a whole lot like the Loving Mary Band. Lead singer Marti Frederiksen’s voice smacks of Petty.