‘It’s a Breath of Fresh Air’ (Exclusive)
“The concept is so much fun to sing with the guests and cook with them. And, and just this whole like celebrating music and whether it’s celebrating Van Halen or Queen or Sugar Ray, or even honorary Beach Boy, John Stamos,” The Wilson Phillips front woman gushed while dishing on her new AXS TV series.
Carnie Wilson is combining her love of music and food for something that simply sounds delicious … a cooking show!
The Wilson Philipps front woman’s new aptly named series, which will premiere on AXS TV April 16, will see the “Hold On” singer joined in the kitchen by some of her favorite fellow musicians and friends, to cook some very special dishes — from her infamous fall to your knees mac ‘n’ cheese and Philly cheesesteaks to cupcakes and more!
TooFab spoke to Wilson ahead of Sounds Delicious‘ premiere, where she shared why making a show like this has truly been a dream come true.
“I’ve been thinking about and sort of manifesting, if you will, a cooking show for a long time. And, I believe in timing, you know, I really believe in timing, and it’s like, the stars weren’t aligned. The collaboration was not there. AXS TV gave me the perfect outlet to do music and food combined, and bring guests on. I just said, you know, I have a lot of friends in the business over the years. It was a music channel. They have great programs all based around music. I think I fit in perfectly,” Wilson shared.
She continued, “The concept is so much fun to sing with the guests and cook with them. And just this whole like, celebrating music, whether it’s celebrating Van Halen or Queen or Sugar Ray, or even honorary Beach Boy, John Stamos — David Archuleta, I make these chocolate cupcakes with him, and we have so much fun.”
While Wilson’s a longtime musician, her love of food and cooking spans her whole life, with home cook picking up some of her most valued lessons in the kitchen with her grandmother.
“I learned to cook by watching my grandmother, and making soup with her and watching her make her cookies, brisket,” Wilson revealed. “But then. I started watching, believe it or not, the cooking shows on TV years ago, all these different chefs like Emeril [Lagasse] and Tyler Florence, and Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa. And I really got into, just watching the whole process and watching them on camera. And I always envisioned myself doing it.”
So Wilson got in the kitchen and started practicing, working her way up through trial and error.
“I sort of taught myself through trial and error, and years and years of cooking and baking. And then when I got pregnant, I got obsessed with baking,” she continued. “And so, I would have like the Baby Bjorn, and have my daughters in the sack and start just cooking at the stove with the kids, believe it or not. And I became obsessed with feeding people.”
The feel of the show is very much like being transported into Wilson’s own kitchen, but with some superstar guests, all of whom, she said sings with her while whipping up some seriously delicious dishes.
“I make the guests sing with me — wee have to see every single show, so, music is definitely a part of it, too,” Wilson shared, before diving into what sets it apart from the rest, “The music part of it alone. I think that the whole thing, like the tone, is sort of whimsical. The graphics are fun. It’s modern. It’s just like a breath of fresh air.”
As for her favorite guest, while her sister and bandmate, Wendy Wilson, also appears on the show, she said she doesn’t have one, but revealed that it was Sugar Ray front man, Mark McGrath, who star’s in the show’s premiere episode, that really got his hands dirty alongside her in the kitchen.
“The most hands-on was probably Mark McGrath. He was really getting into the mozzarella with the lasagna with the mini meatballs. I was feeding him lasagna — I think I feed all my guests,” she quipped. “And David Archuleta — he could barely talk after we both — the chocolate cupcakes are to die for. And he was completely speechless. It was great. And I love him, and I love his voice. He was a darling and just wonderful.”
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The show allows viewers to see both Wilson and the musicians she brings on, in a different light, stripped down, in the kitchen, just chatting and cooking.
“This is something that I dreamed of. I have been dreaming about having other singers and celebrities come in the kitchen with me to cook and see what it’s like. I feel like I’m almost vulnerable around food because I love food so much. It’s a sensitive part of my life. It’s a meaningful part of my life. And I do think that food brings people together,” Wilson passionately remarked. “So, I think it brings out the best in people because it’s just so enjoyable.”
She added, “To sit there with a strand of spaghetti and go towards John Stamos’ mouth, and then we bust out laughing. It’s the stuff I want to see. And it’s just fun.”
It also allows her to be herself, telling TooFab, “I am crass and I am sort of crazy. So, I hold nothing back. And it’s just… I want to entertain because I naturally love to make people laugh. And I’m actually just kind of crazy, you know, cuckoo. But food makes me feel happy. So, I want to spread that joy.”
See Wilson do just that when Sounds Delicious premieres April 16 on AXS TV.