Photo: Danny Clinch

Lucinda Williams‘ 2007 album West was powerful and soul-baring but also sort of a downer (sample lyric: “My joy is dead”), but her new album Little Honey (which just debuted in the Billboard top 10) is a more upbeat, rock-oriented affair. Finding true love and getting married helped. “I actually started writing positive love songs,” she says, citing Little Honey tracks like “Tears of Joy” and “Plan to Marry” — both inspired by husband Tom Overby. Click below for more from Williams, including where she likes to write and what’s on tap for her upcoming EP of protest songs.

• How Lucinda Williams Got Her Joy Back

Related Stories:

• Album Review: Lucinda Williams, Little Honey

• In the Studio: Lucinda Williams Cures Her Blues

• Classic Feature: The Essence of Lucinda