Showing posts with label Jack Ingram. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Ingram. Show all posts
Aug 28, 2024
Every #1 Country Song of the 2000s: 2006
2006
January 14: "She Let Herself Go" by George Strait
I love a song that lets a woman have agency. This woman breaks free from her relationship, and the man thinks she'll be a wreck without him. And sure enough, once it's over, she "let[s] herself go" -- on multiple vacations, a trip to the spa, a blind date, and off to buy a new car. It's not a mere punch line; it's surprisingly feminist in how she's able to regain control so quickly after freeing from an unsavory man. It's the kind of wordplay you'd expect from Dean Dillon, and Strait gives a breezy vibe that's slightly different from the usual for him. As I said in the previous entry, "twisting a formula around is almost always a good move," and this one sticks the landing. Let yourself go listen to this again and again; you won't regret it. A
January 21: "Jesus, Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood
I have a term for this early-noughties trend of motivational/inspirational songs: "Chicken Soup for the Soul Country." This one is squarely within those paramters, but other than the odd scansion of the date being both "last Friday" and Christmas Eve, it really does nothing wrong. If you have a near-miss car accident that puts your life in danger, you'd probably take it as a wake-up call too. It's not a terribly original narrative, but the change from a literal wheel to a metaphorical one is far less contrived than it sounds on paper. Sure, she hadn't fully fleshed out her interpretive skills yet (it could've been a little less belt-y), and as her first real bow post-American Idol, a song of this nature can come across as pandering. This is made more for the Hallmark Channel crowd than it is for me, but for what it is, it more than does the job. B
March 4: "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley feat. Dolly Parton
I have no problem with the "what will happen when I get to Heaven" narrative, as George Strait's "You'll Be There" and Trent Tomlinson's "One Wing in the Fire" are among my all-time favorites. Conversely, this one isn't nearly as wrong-headed as Diamond Rio's utterly awful "God Only Cries." I just think it starts off wrong with lines about petting lions and riding drops of rain, which give an almost infantile tone. The chorus and second verse are fine, and it doesn't really stumble again until the generic "and so much work to do" which calls to mind Annie Coghill's "Work, for the Night Is Coming" (probably the most popular hymn I've seen since "In the Garden" that has nothing even remotely Christian to say). And maybe it's the 20 years of church organist speaking, but can we please start referencing hymns other than "Amazing Grace"? From a vocal and production standpoint, everything here is perfectly fine -- it's not bombastic and I like the modulation on the bridge, although I would've had Dolly sing a few lines herself and not just backup. Overall, it's not the worst; it's just the first time since "Little Moments" that one of Brad's ballads did nothing for me. C+
March 11: "Your Man" by Josh Turner
This one got mauled by overplay for me, but in the years since, I've come to find renewed appreciation for it. It's just chill, reserved, and sensual without feeling icky -- not even when he sings "I can't believe how much it turns me on." It helps that Josh Turner's asset is being laid-back and smooth; while it can occasionally spill over into stuffy conservatism ("Everything Is Fine"), that's thankfully not the case here. The gentle shuffle melody and lighthearted production (I hove how piano and steel cut in and out between verses, playing something a little different each time) make this a smooth little treat. While overall it's not really breaking any new ground, it's covering familiar territory in a way that never feels dusty or stodgy. B+
March 18: "Living in Fast Forward" by Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney spent most of this decade in high gear, so I can believe the narrative of a hectic life from which he wants to escape -- even if it's a well he went back to a few too many times. But as one of his first takes on that formula, this one's more than likable enough. It's got a good hook and some great guitar work. (Is the line about treating the body like a honky-tonk and not a temple an homage to Confederate Railroad, or was that already a joke before then?) While I doubt that Kenny Chensey was partaking of "greasy cheeseburgers and cheap cigarettes," I'll allow the artistic license. And then I'll get distracted halfway through the review and realize how un-memorable this song ultimately is, and wonder why I'm not reviewing the infinitely superior "Who You'd Be Today" instead. You almost had me there, Kenny. B-
April 8: "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts
First I hated this song. Then I liked it. Then I hated it again. Now it's probably my favorite of theirs. I think the different production style threw me -- it's definitely harder than most of their songs prior had been. "I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house / That don't bother me" is a great opening line. This man is vulnerable but, despite his brave front, he can't deal with a lost love that slipped through his hands. It's a surprisingly nuanced and emotional lyric, a very different style for Jeffrey Steele to be sure. Literally everything works on this song for me; I think I just had to peel back some of the layers first. And it probably also helps that hindsight has shown that compared to some of their more bloated efforts in later years, this is practically Nickel Creek by comparison. Either way, it's dramatic, deep, and unique in a lot of small intangible ways, and I think that is ultimately its greatest asset. A+
May 6: "Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Bon Jovi feat. Jennifer Nettles
May 20: "Wherever You Are" by Jack Ingram
Jack Ingram is one of many Texas country artists who spent years building up a cult following with tough, gritty songs before finally breaking through with his only major hit. While fellow Texan Pat Green managed to break through with a song that didn't sacrifice the grit ("Wave on Wave"), Jack Ingram instead leaned into the generic. Against a guitar riff that sounds like someone needed a royalty-free rewrite of Radney Foster's "Nobody Wins," Ingram gives an admittedly textured read of an uninspired "find the one I love" narrative. There are no emotional stakes; just a bunch of "I'm missing you and want to find you" vagueness without anything to make it stand out. And yet it's still less infuriatingly bland and derivative than "Maybe She'll Get Lonely." I wonder what would have happened had he gone with "Love You" as the first single to a fully studio album, instead of stapling two tracks -- that much better song and this generic radio-bait -- onto an existing live album. Maybe he could've found a more convincing way to balance artistry and success, and we could've been spared the desperation of covering "Lips of an Angel" while we were at it. C
May 27: "Why" by Jason Aldean
I wish I didn't have to talk about Aldean at all, but I will begrudgingly admit there was a time when he didn't suck, as a musician or a human being. I once heard someone say this song sounds like an abuser spewing out half-hearted apologies to regain trust in a woman before abusing her all over again (probably not helped by Shannon Brown's pronoun-flipped version, where "abuse victim" is a legitimate read). But even with Aldean's later scumminess in mind, I can't get there myself. To me, this is a guy who knows he keeps making mistakes in his relationship, and is throwing out rhetorical questions about why he can't fix his own stupidity. That's a level of self-awareness this kind of narrative usually lacks, and it's all the better for it. Aldean always had kind of a weird singing voice and he never sounded great in concert, but this is legitimately one of his best vocal reads to date. I have to wonder what his career arc would be like if he had more songs like this and "Amarillo Sky," and fewer like "Try That in a Small Town." B+
June 3: "Settle for a Slowdown" by Dierks Bentley
I like the narrative here. Not unlike "Nothin' but the Taillights," he's stuck outside, watching her car drive off. He doesn't want her to turn around and come back to him; he just wants her to stop for a moment and think about it. It's a clever punch line, and the verses mesasure up. I like how he admits he looks stupid standing out in the rain, and how he reveals she wanted to leave him for Hollywood. I also like how the last chorus changes the words to show that she's further away now. While the melody is a bit repetitive at times, the gritty delivery, spaghetti Western-tinged guitar hook, and resolution to minor key at the end of each line all make up for any other shortcomings in sound design. I'm not settling for anything here; this is a damn good song. A
June 17: "Summertime" by Kenny Chesney
This was the first Kenny Chesney song since "I Will Stand" that really missed for me. And that was before I read a Country Weekly article where he said he asked the writers to remove a line about snow cones because he didn't know what they are. While it's the only song I can think of that name-drops Yoo-Hoo, it's about as appetizing as a warm bottle of Yoo-Hoo that's been sitting on the floorboards. The melody is a static so-mi-so-mi-so pattern on the chorus, only to reach painfully out of his register on the chorus (seriously, it hurts my ears to listen to), and the guitar textures are equally harsh. Plus, the hook is just a dull thud: "It's a smile, it's a kiss / It's a sip of wine, it's summertime." Almost no thought feels like it went into writing this, and very little went into the production or arrangement either. Seriously, one of his worst. D+
July 22: "The World" by Brad Paisley
After the great Mud on the Tires, this was around the time where Brad hit a rough patch for me. While this album cycle started off strong with the genuinely clever "Alcohol" (a comedy song that name-drops Ernest Hemingway is clearly going way smarter than songs like that usually do), this one is just an endless barrage of "To X, you're Y" lines with no real punch lines. And of course it builds up to a lame, predictable girl/world rhyme. I don't think a single joke lands in the entire song, and it's not helped by how much plainer Brad's voice was already getting by this point. While I'm also hit-and-miss on his guitar work, that's one of the few points in this song's favor -- 32 tracks, if I recall correctly, layer in a lot of interesting textures that make this a cut above sonically. It's just a shame the rest of the song couldn't measure up. C
August 12: "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" by Rodney Atkins
A motivational song with actual tempo and some degree of a narrative? Be still my heart. This one brims with energy from the get-go in a way this kind of song usually lacks. Every line runs into the other in some of the most creative wordplay I've ever heard ("You step off the straight and narrow and you don't know where you are / Use the needle of your compass to sew up your broken heart/ Ask directions from a genie in a bottle of Jim Beam and she lies to you"), leading to that killer of a chorus. This song is just plain fun to listen to, and it hits even harder if you know about Rodney's back story -- he was allegedly born through date rape and subject to a number of health issues in his youth, and his early recording career was plagued with production and management issues (two words: Curb Records). This one is as sympathetic as it is fun to listen to, and it's all the better for it. The "I Hope You Dance" crowd would be better served with songs like this. A
September 9: "Leave the Pieces" by the Wreckers
Michelle Branch going country feels like a no-brainer. She had that folksy kind of approach with just enough polish, and adding Jessica Harp for some extra texture only made things even better. This was good for the Sheryl Crow/Jewel crowd, but the fiddle and banjo recall the Chicks as well. It's a breakup song, as you'd expect, but the hook is the real killer here. "There's nothing you can do or say / You're gonna break my heart anyway / So just leave the pieces when you go." I also love how confident she is in telling him to just get on with it, because she can bounce back. This song is sturdy, feminist, folksy, and meaningful in ways that weren't in vogue at the time, and I have to wonder if the decline of the Chicks played a factor in them not sticking around longer. Because from this song alone, they were too damn good to have only one album. A+
September 23: "Brand New Girlfriend" by Steve Holy
This song walks a fine line between funny and obnoxious. We start off with a diminished-chord intro where he lays out that she needs some time to herself. I like how there's a little "um" between "I did what any gentleman would do" and the more cheery "I got a brand new girlfriend." Lines like "kissy kissy smoochy smoochy" may wear on you after the 20th listen or so, but for the first few listens it's kind of funny. Maybe I'm a bit biased because I haven't heard it in years by now, but it did get a chuckle after a re-visit. The only real letdown here is that this was the song that got him back to the top, and not the stunning "Go Home" or "Put Your Best Dress On." But at the same time, at least it wasn't nearly as loud and obnoxious as "Men Buy the Drinks (Girls Call the Shots)." B
September 30: "Give It Away" by George Strait
We've seen George Strait broaden his horizons considerably in this stretch, and here's another example of him doing just that. The bluesy guitar tone recalls "Gone as a Girl Can Get" (one of the few George Strait songs where he was backed by the Ace in the Hole band). His talk-singing is delightfully laid-back but never muted, laying out the divorce narrative. She doesn't even want his things, and tells him to just "give it away" because they're too tired from fighting. And after a few more failed attempts with other women, he's got a broken heart that he can't even give away. It's clever as hell, and the spoken-word narrative reminds you that yes, Whispering Bill did co-write this (although if I recall correctly, it was actually one of the other writers who suggested that). I especially love the little "hmm"s, as if he's trying to sort out the story himself. This was the song that claimed Strait's record for the most #1 hits, and I think it was a fantastic, inspired song worthy of that honor. A
October 14: "Would You Go with Me" by Josh Turner
This song is utterly charming in its promise of undying love. I think the narrative is inspired, in how every line forms a question. The lines are whimsical -- fields of clover, edge of the sea, etc. -- but they never feel like they're going to spill into Care Bears territory. That pretty production does a lot to set the scene, with its frequent mandolin and Dobro runs, along with its unexpected resolution into minor key. Josh Turner's voice also gets a hell of a workout, going all the way from basso profondo on the verses to falsetto on the chorus. Rarely since the heyday of Vince Gill has a love song sounded so warm, pretty, and evocative. If I were the woman in this scenario, I'd say "yes" before he even got to the chorus; he's just that damn convincing here. A+
October 28: "I Loved Her First" by Heartland
Who the hell let a bar band onto the charts? This was a baffling success: some nobodies on an indie label zoom up the charts and then immediately disappear. Everything about this record seems like it should have "not ready for prime time" written all over it (looking at you, Perfect Stranger), but it actually does manage to be slightly more than the sum of its parts. I like that it's a waltz, and that the production is actually laid-back; it gives a bit more nuance to a "father giving his daughter away" song. And "I loved her first" is actually a pretty good hook to explain the sentiment. Maybe overall it's a tad generic and lacking in artistic identity. But just enough charm manages to shine through in a way that I think this record would have lacked with more mainstream gloss behind it, and its endurance is proof that it did something right. B
November 4: "Every Mile a Memory" by Dierks Bentley
The melody's a bit clunky, but I like the imagery here: old theater marquee signs (fun fact: there used to be a farm supply store near me in an old small-town theater, and they kept the marquee up), mossy town squares, and red sunsets all paint clear images that evoke that "desert sky" feel I saw in a lot of '90s country (e.g., "Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'"). And of course, all these memories of a traveling musician just remind him of the woman who isn't there anymore -- which is summed up in the great line "'Round every bend I only see just how far I haven't come." I almost wonder if the slightly better "Long Trip Alone," where he pleads for someone to be by his side, is a sequel song. Even if it's not, that's still some interesting artistic cohesion showing how far he has come as an artist by the third album. A-
November 11: "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood
December 16: "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts
Somehow, a blatant retread of "I Hope You Dance" manages to be slightly less irritating than that song. Maybe it's because this kind of slick sentimentality isn't as far off the mark for Rascal Flatts as it was for Lee Ann Womack. It's also not quite as bombastic, even if it is still more than a little bit list-y. (To be fair, I do like that Jeffrey Steele wrote in a nod to Van Zant's "Help Somebody," a great song he also co-wrote.) The melody is rather sing-song-y, and there's really nothing that makes it stand out among other songs of its ilk. But knowing what's to come later on in Rascal Flatts' catalog, this is merely mediocre and derivative -- which is far from the worst a song can be, but still not my cup of tea. C-
December 23: "Want To" by Sugarland
They may have lost a member, but they didn't lose any of their talent. Jennifer Nettles' phrasing is on point, and maybe it's the lack of Kristen Hall, but Kristian Bush is higher in the mix than usual too. The energy of trying to play it cool while on the brink of love is palpable, thanks to lines like "We could keep things just the same / Leave here the way we came, with nothing to lose / But I don't want to, if you don't want to." It's by little details like how they're out having a picnic on the lakeshore. The acoustic production style is yet another example of a song evoking the heyday of the Chicks; as someone who can actually play one, I am forever in favor of more mandolin in country music. Also, since I'm here, can I ask: why did they lower the pitch for the music video? (No, that's not a Vevo glitch; I rememeber it being that way on CMT too.) A+
Nov 10, 2023
One Texas Town Doesn’t Have a Country Song About It
“We’re pretty much the same exact size we were in 1910, write about our consistency!” laughed Guzman. “But seriously, you can zoom into any area in Texas on Google Maps and pick a town and there’s a 99% chance there’s at least a mediocre Casey Donahew album cut about it.”
“Freakin’ Gatesville has a song!” he frowned. “River floating, vista gazing, dust stirring, beer drinking, lie telling, domino slamming, chili without beans… we’ve got it all, but Gatesville… ptuih!”
Neither Cody Johnson, nor Willie Nelson, nor Randy Rogers, nor Pat Green, nor Rich O’Toole, nor Bri Bagwell, nor Robert Earl Keen, nor K.T. Olin, nor Jack Ingram, nor Rodney Crowell, nor Joe Ely, nor Nanci Griffith, nor Larry Gatlin, nor Mac Davis, Gary P. Nunn, nor Clint Black, nor Alejandro Escovedo, nor Jamie Lin Wilson, nor Beyonce, nor Steve Earle, nor Radney Foster, nor Kelly Clarkson, nor Cody Canada has bothered showing even 3 1/2 minutes of interest in the forlorn municipality.
"It rhymes with a bunch of stuff depending on how you say it," laughed the Mayor. "fall, in all, call, pal, Cristal... uh saddle if you pronounce it weird."
A small sampling of other Texas cities and towns that DO have country songs written about them are as follows: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Amarillo, Texarkana, Stephenville, Waco, College Station, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Odessa, Monahans, Wichita Falls, Nacodoches, Plainview, Fort Worth, Indianola, Lubbock, Galveston, Alpine, Austin, Luckenbach, La Grange, Beaumont, Midland, El Paso, Abilene, and Laredo. But not Sabinal.
The town has put together a discussion panel to find ways to make the area more amenable to being documented in the next TRRR smash. “First of all we’re looking to expand the Dairy Queen parking lot, at city expense, to draw in more young people who like to hang out yelling “Let’s go!” in parking lots with their pickup trucks. That’ll cover the more middle of the road Texas country sensibilities.” said Guzman. “But we also have to find ways to add more ennui, whatever that is, for the artsy-fartsy Texas poets.”
“We’ll figure it out..” he trailed off, with a tear in his eye.
At press time, out-of-state country songwriter Cody Wolfe had volunteered to write a song about Sabinal, provided that a nearby airport can accommodate his private jet.
Jun 22, 2021
May 12, 2021
Ten Favorite Albums of 2021 So Far: 1/3 Report
The usual disclaimer: Our year-end list will be staff-voted; this is just Trailer’s list.
It’s been a weird year and I’ve listened to more old music than I have new, to be honest. I’ve still heard a lot of new stuff and I’m pretty sure these are my favorites, but it’s entirely possible I’ve completely left out an album I listened to multiple times and enjoyed. Feel free to let us know your favorites or make suggestions!
(this one may end up higher, but it's new so I haven't listened a lot yet)
Mar 29, 2021
Jun 19, 2020
Male Country Singers as Women For Some Reason
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| Luke Bryan |
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| Koe Wetzel |
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| Eddie Montgomery |
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| Jack Ingram |
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| Kane Brown |
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| Gary Levox |
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| Garth Brooks |
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| Billy Joe Shaver |
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| Sturgill Simpson |
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| Cody Jinks |
Aug 25, 2018
Feb 27, 2018
Courtney Patton: The Farce the Music Interview
By Kevin Broughton
Courtney Patton was in a good place, a really good one. And
she had been for a little while, having settled into a marriage with her
songwriting soul mate, the kind and humble Jason Eady. Having received critical
acclaim for her 2015 album So This Is
Life, followed up by the husband-and-wife collection of duets Something Together, Patton was finally
happy and content as she set about to write, record and produce her own record
for the first time.
But happy ain’t country. Fortunately, though, like the
scorpion catching a ride from the frog, Patton’s nature prevails on an album
full of truth, three chords at a time on What
It’s Like To Fly Alone. Collaborating with heavy-hitting songwriters like
Micky Braun and Larry Hooper (who along with Eady helped pen “Barabbas” on
Eady’s self-titled album), she captures heartbreak, hope and a dash of
redemption throughout. Her vocals combine the boldness of Kim Richey and the
sweet, quavering vulnerability of Kelly Willis, while telling stories of
characters both real and familiar.
Patton, with her self-effacing, hearty laugh and genuine
humility, is a woman comfortable in her own skin. Her gregarious wit stands in
contrast to the darkness of her songs’ characters, but the common thread is a
genuineness that pervades. This is a compelling album by a woman serious about
her craft.
She’s between Dallas and Houston when we connect to talk
about hawks, snakes, rats, cigarette smoke and Botox.
A few years back on Jack Ingram’s Songwriters Series, you said, “I think sad songs, the way
they’re produced and written, are the fabric of real country music.” It seems
like you’ve really put your money where your mouth is on this album. We’ll get
into some specific tracks in a minute, but how did this album come about
thematically?
If I’m being 100 percent truthful, I was in a rut. I was in
a writer’s rut, because I was happy for the first time in a really long time.
And it’s hard to be the kind of songwriter I am when you’re happy. Happy songs
are so hard for me, because you’ve really got to know how to do it without
being cheesy.
And I had never co-written before, so I had made a goal
after So This Is Life came out in 2015
that I was going to co-write with some of my friends and really get better at
it. So I’m really proud that seven out of the 12 songs on this record are
co-writes.
That being said, I couldn’t go about it this time with a
theme. Every other time I’ve said, “Okay, the theme for this record is this.” This album, I just wanted to
write songs and have a big pot of them to choose from. But when it came down to
it and I started singing these songs, I realized they all kind of centered on
the idea that we have to make ourselves happy. At the end of the day, we have
to choose the person we’re with; we have to choose to get over addiction. Or
whatever it is. We have to decide to
make the best of what we have.
What about the title
track?
I was driving home from Austin, where I’d had a really bad
gig. A couple of fans had gotten up and left during the first song – and asked
for their money back -- because they had driven in from out of town to see
someone else -- who happened to be my husband. Jason was supposed to be there but wasn't, so Josh Grider was filling in for him. It had nothing to do with me, but it threw me off. I started
forgetting lyrics and doubting myself.
I was crying the whole way home. I called Jason and told him
I was going to quit: “I’m gonna go back to college and get my master’s, and
teach public speaking in college. That’s what I’m want to do!” He said, “Get
home, go to bed and wake up tomorrow. It’ll all be okay.”
And right as I’m wiping my tears away, this hawk shoots out
and flies almost into my car. It shocked me out of my stupor and forced me to
say, “Okay, focus, you’re almost home.” And it was 2:00 in the morning and I
got home and wrote the whole song. And the whole point of it is at the end of
the day, that hawk’s out to find a snake or a rat or whatever he can to
survive, and he’s gotta do it by himself. I’m out here playing songs, singing
songs that come from deep inside of me, and I’ve gotta do it by myself. I have
to choose; when those two couples walk out, I have to be able to say, “I’m good
enough. My songs are good enough. I can do this.” I made the choice to do this;
I’ve gotta play that show and not let it affect me. I’m doing what I love, and
I don’t want to go back to college
right now.
You’re a big fan of
waltzes. Why? (And I have a follow-up question.)
So…I don’t know why, but all my life I’ve liked slow, sadder
songs. I’ve listened to Counting Crows and Carole King and they’ve been huge
influences on me. Willie Nelson…I love Merle Haggard. I just love slow songs.
People have told me, “You’re in a waltz rut,” and I just can’t help it. The way
that I write poetry it phrases itself in a waltz meter without my trying.
That was another challenge because I thought I was gonna end
up with another slew of waltzes – and again, I’m not apologizing – but some
people think it’s too much.
I asked Jason this last year, and I’m curious about your take. How does
one go about writing a waltz? I mean, do you have lyrics ahead of time and bend
them into a One-two-three cadence? Do
you write the words with a ¾ time in your head? Or is it something else
entirely?
Man, for me it just really comes out that way, in a waltz
meter. I’ll have a phrase in mind and I’ll write the phrase out and as the
words start coming, I realize that’s just the way it’s going to be. I really
don’t try, “This is a melody, let’s write a song to it,” I never do that. I
guess my heart beats in the rhythm of a waltz.
On the surface one
would think, you know, you & Jason have been married for going on 4 years
now, and y’all are perfect for each other – you should be in a really good
place in life. But so many of these songs are dark and sad. How much of this
album is autobiographical? I mean, obviously
“Fourteen Years” is about the sister you lost…
Yes…
…but, for instance,
“Round Mountain,”
Completely fictional.
Oh it is? Good!
Yeah! This was one of the first challenges I gave myself. I
drove between two towns -- I wanna say Johnson City and Fredericksburg – maybe
just past Johnson City, and it was literally just a sign: “Round Mountain.” And
I looked into the history and around 1900 there was a church there, and so people started settling there. And when the
church closed they all went back to Johnson City.
So I just made up a fictional story of a character named
Emily, and she had an affair. And I don’t know if that kind of stuff happened
back then, but I kind of wanted to go for a Chris Knight-type of song. I saw a
head stone that said something like “Fare the well, Emily Bell,” and just made
up a story about her, and her not wanting anybody to know she’d had a bastard
baby.” I’m sure she doesn’t appreciate that, if she can hear me. (Laughs)
And she had died young, I should mention that, probably of
dysentery or smallpox or something that actually happened back then. I just
made it way darker. (Laughs)
Yes. Dark. And
fictional.
You know, I got a Face Book message from a fan who said,
“I’m kind of concerned, are you and Jason okay? The title of your album concerns
me, and I don’t see any pictures of y’all together.” And I said, “You know it’s
actually nice to have a private life where we don’t have to share everything we’re doing! But we’re
sitting here having dinner, laughing at the absurdity of your concern. It’s a
song about the music business. Calm down.” (Laughs)
You mentioned dealing
with addiction; speaking from any kind of experience there?
Uh, not necessarily,
but I have a grandfather who struggled with alcoholism and a brother who just
celebrated two years of sobriety. But it’s hard for all of us, watching him
struggle with that and not knowing what to do to help. But it’s not me; there’s
nothing in me that says “I’ve gotta have that,” and then I’ve gotta have it
more. I can have a drink, and I can not
have a drink for three months and not think about it. Luckily it wasn’t
something that was passed on to me. I just think everybody struggles with their
own thing.
You’re on your way to
a house show to help finance this record, and as best I can tell, your albums
have all been self-released. Was this a business decision on your part to
forsake getting a label and do it all on your own?
I’ve never looked for one, and I’ve never had anybody
approach me. So I guess it’s mutual. I enjoy having creative control over my
material and I think I’d be very disheartened if anyone told me I couldn’t do
it the way I wanted to. I just think we’re very fortunate to live in Texas
where you can make a living touring and driving around playing guitar. I don’t
even play with a band. And I make more money doing this than I did at my day
job…which wasn’t much, you know, but
it’s a pride thing. At the end of the day I look at my guitar and say, “Me and
you: we did that.”
And nobody told me, you know, that I had to shoot Botox in
my lips…
Ha!
…or lose 40 pounds. I mean, I think of all the things – I
hear horror stories from my friends in Nashville…these girls in their twenties
who are gorgeous, but with these
ridiculously plump lips and no wrinkles on their foreheads. And that’s just not country music! Country music is
supposed to have wrinkles. And cigarette smoke and beer.
And that’s just not – I would not want anything put on me
that way, because it’s frightening to me. I think they’d take one look at me –
I’m a curvy girl – and say, “You don’t belong here.” So it’s never anything
that’s come into the realm of the possible with me. And I’m okay with that.
Drew Kennedy produced
the last album, and you did this one yourself. What was the recording process
like? Did y’all lay everything down live?
I was nervous about it. But I’ve been missing a lot over the
last few years. I’m a mom – going to basketball games and soccer games. But I
had the opportunity to make and album in my hometown and I’ve never done that
before, so I jumped on it. So two
of the guys who tour with Jason – Jerry Abrams on bass and Giovanni Carnuccio
on drums – we went in the studio and tracked it live. I was in the control room
and they were in the main room, and what you hear is what we did. There are no
overdubs on that part.
Now when you hear Lloyd Maines, he did that from home. But
the basic tracks – guitar, bass drums and vocals – we did that live, in about
two and a half days. But I’m just so fortunate to have Lloyd and a bunch of
other friends and people I trust who helped out. I just sent them my songs. And
the thing is, they – and especially Lloyd – they listen to words, and they play
things that match. A lot of musicians don’t do that. But Lloyd can hear me take
a deep breath, and you can hear it correspond on the steel – inhaling.
It’s just cool things like that; I don’t think I could have
asked for better people to play on it. But I was very excited to try and do it
myself, and it’s been a very proud moment for me. I don’t know if I’ll ever do
it again, but I loved it.
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