Quick Q and A with Carrie Rodriguez
 by Kathy S-B  ·  3 November 2010

Carrie Rodriguez has been on the me&thee radar for some time. We are thrilled to present her and know that you’ll love her too. We’ve been wanting to host her for some time and hope you’ll all agree that she’s an awesome talent. Please check out information about Carrie on her website. Here’s a video of a captivating performance.

Please tell us about your dad’s influence on your music? What kind of passion and work ethic did he instill in you?

My dad introduced me to folk music at a very early age. He used to play me serious political songs, Townes Van Zandt songs, murder ballads, etc to put me to sleep at night when I was a toddler. He gave me a Leonard Cohen tape for my 9th birthday . . . so whether or not I liked it at the time, I was certainly surrounded by GOOD music and GREAT songwriting.

I heard that you opened for John Prine for many shows. What was that like? How did his audiences receive you?

Amazing! Not only is John Prine one of America’s greatest songwriting treasures, he is also an extremely sweet and gracious man! The best part about opening up for John is that he has me sing a few duets with him at the end of his show (“In spite of ourselves, we’ll end up a sittin’ on a rainbow...”) . . . and as for his audiences . . . they are the best!

You have collaborated with oh-so-many wonderful musicians over the years. Have you had one or two truly transcendent moments that ultimately assured you that you are following the right path?

Yes. Playing with Bill Frisell, the great jazz guitarist. I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with him on a few of my albums, as well as with his band at a gig in Germany a few years ago. He feels music in such a unique and joyful way . . . and it is infectious!

You’ve worked a lot with Chip Taylor who was perhaps best known for the infamous song, “Wild Thing.” Did you sing that infamous song with him? Did you have any connection to that tune since you are so much younger than the iconic songwriter who composed it.

Yes, Chip and I would usually close the show with Wild Thing or Angel of the Morning (another one of his big hits) when we played together. I think every American has a connection to that song, no matter how old they are . . . it’s just part of our popular culture. I never imagined I would be singing that song with the man who wrote it though . . . that’s for sure!

And what’s next for Carrie?

Next . . . well, I’ve been touring almost nonstop for the last 3 years, and this winter I’ve scheduled 2 months off in Austin, Texas. I’m looking forward to some sunny weather, good Mexican food, and hopefully the inspiration for some good new songs!

Quick Q and A with Eliza Gilkyson (Oct. 2010)
 by Kathy S-B  ·  22 October 2010

Eliza Gilkyson is in a class of her own. She’s one of the most respected songwriters around. Her music is just plain powerful. Make that POWERFUL.

Check out some of the music on her latest album, Beautiful World, on her website.

Here’s a video of Eliza singing “Man of God” (see my question about this song below).

I remember seeing you for the first time at an outdoor show at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln. If my memory serves me correctly, you were on the same bill as Nanci Griffith. I’m supposing that gig was pretty early on in your music career. What’s it like playing on a multi-artist bill like that and introducing your music to new audiences. Is it intimidating or is it freeing?

I think that show may have been my first introduction to an east coast audience and I was very nervous because it was the first time these people had heard me. I was fairly well known in the southwest so I was by no means just starting out, but the east had been a giant mystery to me. I have learned to rename “being nervous” as “being excited”, so let’s just say I was very excited that evening!

Your song “Man of God” probably didn’t endear you to a lot of your Texas neighbors. What kind of reaction did you get to a song that so clearly dissed President Bush?

Because I live in Austin, a progressive city, the song was well received at shows, and even the local NPR station KUT played it a lot, though the local Americana station wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole! Initially I was scared to death to play the song out because at the time very few artists were speaking out against the Bush Regime — there was a lot of flag waving, bullying and nationalism going on everywhere in this country and the UK as well. I would get halfway through the song and think “they’re going to kill me” because they were staring at me so intensely, but then when I got to the end they would explode with applause and cheers, maybe because they were so glad someone was naming the elephant in the living room.

On the other hand, I did get heckled occasionally and got the usual hate mail. It was very offensive and belligerent, but I am happy to think some buttons got pushed along the way.

One of your fans asked me to inquire about your desert island records! And more importantly, are any of your desert island records lacking the recognition that you feel it deserves!

Right now, I guess I would say I would like to have some Blind Boys of Alabama to keep my spirits up, and the following:

Bruce Cochburn, Life Short Call Now
Joni Mitchell, Blue
Bob Dylan, Infidels
The Chieftains with Van Morrison
Beatles, Day in the Life
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Elysium
Emmy Lou Harris, Ballad of Sally Rose
Greg Brown, Covenant

Those got plenty of recognition, and as for the more obscure ones I love the following artists:
Rachel Harrington
Dueto Zacan (Indigenous music from Michoacan — I’m crazy about this stuff!)
Dougie Maclean
Ray Bonneville
Lynn Miles

Can you tell us about a concert that you have performed that was extra special for some reason?

A few years ago I played a show in a small outdoor courtyard in a city (possibly Gronningen) in the north of Holland, a balmy spring day, with my guitar player Robert McEntee. At the end I launched into “Beautiful World” on the keyboards and a large bird in the blackbird family (they are all a little different looking over there) came down onto a branch nearby and sang with me . . . It waited for the space between my phrases and sang these beautiful counterparts in each interim. At the end when we solo out it took charge and sang its heart out right to the end of the song and then sat there silently looking right at us. We were all terribly moved by it. We just sat there afterwards in shock. On the flip side, I have had many disaster nights for all manner of reasons, everything from sound system hell to showing up a day late. But the all time worst was a house concert where the host had a nudist swim party on the day after the show outside the guest house where the artists were lodged. Imagine waking up to that!

Quick Q and A with Slaid Cleaves
 by Kathy S-B  ·  19 October 2010

How can one not like a guy whose website intro says this:

Slaid Cleaves. Grew up in Maine. Lives in Texas. Writes songs. Makes records. Travels around. Slaid tries to be good.

What more can you say? We’ve got to admire a man with so much talent and is so humble. So I’ll leave you with these words:

Listen.

Watch.

Enjoy.

You may be the only singer-songwriter who has an endorsement from Stephen King. When did you first learn that he was a fan? It must be the Maine connection, am I right?

Mr. King is a big fan and supporter of Americana music. He first heard my music on satellite radio in 2004 and mentioned me in his Entertainment Weekly music column. He also owns a radio station in Bangor. James McMurtry is another one of his favorites. I think the Maine connection probably helped solidify his fandom.

I understand that you were an English major. (I’m part of that club as well) Do you think that studying literature helped give you the basics for songwriting?

Studying literature and poetry in college certainly opened my eyes to the various techniques and possibilities and potential power of language. I was also lucky to have, in my freshman year, one of those teachers who convinced me I had something unique to offer and gave me the first glimmer of confidence to think I might be able to “be” a writer.

Have you ever looked at the All Music Guide in which they describe your music with these adjectives: melancholy, literate, intimate, gentle, bittersweet, romantic and reflective? Does this mean that you never get down and dirty and rock out?

No. And yes. Those adjectives seem about right. I just don’t have the burning passion, extroversion, ego or lack of inhibition or whatever it takes to “rock out.” I did play with “abandon” one night. There’s a story about it somewhere on my web site.

How do you think your life would be today if you had never moved to Texas?

If I had never moved to Austin I fear I never would have developed my skills enough or been given enough opportunities to develop a national career. I might be playing some local gigs and working a day job.

What basic differences do you perceive between the Boston and Austin music scenes?

I don’t know much about the music scene in Boston today. But twenty years ago, when I decided I needed to leave Maine, I thought of the Boston scene as predominantly college/indie bands, loud smokey clubs, high rent, bad parking.

Austin has more of a variety of music, I think, and more of the country/folk/songwriter tradition, listening rooms, lower rent, cheap parking and MILD WINTERS.

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re at home or on the road?

Not much, really. iPod shuffle is always fun. And when my wife Karen and I do switch on the stereo it’s usually a combination of friends and colleagues (Eliza Gilkyson, Adam Carroll, Jimmy LaFave, Sam Baker, Rod Picott, Ray Wylie Hubbard) and always some Tom Waits.

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