Amy Grant is emotional about returning to the road for ‘Heart in Motion’

Emotions got the best of Amy Grant when she started rehearsals for her tour in July. “I had a big lump in my throat,” Grant said. “It was about performing with my friends, which I hadn’t done in such a long time. We just launched a tour in 2020, and it ended just like that with the pandemic. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated coming back.”

Grant, 60, will return Monday to the First Interstate Center for the Arts and primarily focus on “Heart in Motion,” which turned 30 this year. “I can’t believe so much time passed since that album came out,” Grant said while calling from her Nashville home. “I love singing those songs.”

“Heart in Motion” went five times platinum thanks to anthemic pop hits such as “Baby, Baby,” Every Heartbeat” and “That’s What Love Is For.’ “I think those love songs are more resonant now than ever since, after all we’ve been through, I think that love is what it really is all about for everyone,” Grant said.

“Everything else is attached to control, disappointment and ego. How many times do we have to relearn this lesson that it’s all about love? Another big lesson is learning that there is no perfect thing. When we were young, we all looked for that perfect relationship.”

Grant has been happily married to singer-songwriter Vince Gill for 21 years, but she admits that her union with her fellow platinum-plus-selling artist is far from perfect. “Vince and I just had a knocked-down, drag-out fight the other day, and it’s OK,” Grant said. “That happens. We’re fine.”

Gill called during our interview. Grant let the call go but gushed about being married to such a creative partner. “Vince is writing all of the time,” Grant said. “Vince is so talented, and he’s wonderful to be around.

“The silver lining to the pandemic was that it was the most time I’ve ever spent with Vince. The spring and summer of 2020 was lovely. I spent so much time with Vince and our daughter Corrina in our beautiful garden.”

But it’s back to work for Grant and Gill. The latter is on the road with the Eagles, who are headlining arenas for the rest of the year. The closest the iconic band comes to Spokane is Nov. 5 and 6 in Seattle. It’s a great story for Gill, who once turned down the opportunity to play guitar with Dire Straits during the ‘80s when he was a struggling singer-songwriter.

“If I joined Dire Straits, I knew I would never have a solo career,” Gill said. Gill made the right move since he sold more than 20 million albums and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. The following year, he was asked to join the Eagles.

“I never even thought about Vince turning down the Mark Knopfler gig with Dire Straits, but it’s beautiful how it worked out with the Eagles,” Grant said. “The offer came around at the right time. He was 60, and his records weren’t getting a lot of traction, so it put some wind into his sails to join the Eagles. It couldn’t have happened at a better time.”

Simultaneous tours are working for the newly empty-nesters. “It’s true since we have a big house with nobody in it,” Grant said. “It’s good to be on tour. I grieved when it was time for my kids to move out. I stretched that period for as long as I could.”

Grant had a typical case of separation anxiety but can laugh about it now. “I remember when one of my daughters was getting married, and there was a mug that said bride and the letters ‘om. I thought, ‘That’s so nice, bride and mom, but it was bride and groom.’ “

Look for Grant on a bike trail before she performs at the First Interstate Center. “I always have my hybrid bike with me on tour,” Grant said. “I used to do 30 miles before I performed, but I’m not going as far as I used to. But I’ll get out and ride around. I love pedaling around Washington. I remember how much I enjoyed riding around the Columbia River. It helps me get into the right frame of mind before I perform.”

Even though Grant has been working on fresh material, don’t expect to hear anything new until the next tour. “I’m hoping to get back in the studio in 2022,” Grant said. “I’m overdue for a new album. I have that to look forward to after this tour. I’m excited about the dates.

“There’s nothing as exhilarating as touring since there’s nothing like live music. I was recently at a show with Jackson Browne and James Taylor. There was nothing like everyone singing ‘Fire and Rain.’ Music brings us together.”