Category Archives: Interview

February 10, 2013 · 7:09 pm

Interview – Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers

IMG_1443

Just in time for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, I caught up with Bob Crawford, bassist for The Avett Brothers, to talk about their new album “The Carpenter”, their first Grammy nomination, songwriting, and learning to play the fiddle, among other things:

EOAF: Congratulations on the success of “The Carpenter”.  How would you describe the album?

Crawford: Mature, thoughtful, intentional, poignant, pensive.  I think it’s heavy, and I think that’s where…I’ve had friends that I have had since I was 19, I’m 40 now.  I’ve had them say “I don’t know about this one.  It’s not your best.”  I think maybe we lose some people as we go, but maybe we gain people in some ways.  Maybe people come and go.  It’s not 2007 anymore, and it’s not 2005.  It’s a different time for us and I think you are being honest about where you are in life and that being reflected in your art and what you do and the way you do it.  It’s definitely going to change.

EOAF: How do you feel about how songs from “The Carpenter” have translated live?

Crawford: Oh they are great!  I think they have really translated.  You know what they have done?  Some of them,  like “A Father’s First Spring” and “February 7”, some of these song help us slow down on stage and try to meditate on being intense and calm at the same time.  It’s been a lot of fun.  It’s really fun to translate something like that live.  We’ve had slow songs in the past–God knows we have tons of them.  There’s a controlled, an intentional controlled aspect that comes musically, like a hang-there-in-space-and-time and have that patience.  I’ve always thought Neil Young did that so well with songs like “Harvest Moon”–how he could have a very intense mid-tempo.  That’s tricky for a musician.  It’s very hard.  The inclination is to play faster, because your heart is beating faster because you are on a stage and there are people.

EOAF: Is there any song from The Carpenter that you really love to play live?

Crawford: “Live and Die” is getting really comfortable.  It’s starting to feel like an old trusty.  We are getting better, with the last two albums, at holding songs back before the release.  We were never good at that before.  We’ve gotten better at that.  When you record the song, but you don’t really know them, you know your part and you know the section that you did a million times, but you don’t know it like when you are on stage and let it fall out of you.  When you record the record, there’s about a year before you really start playing the songs intently and constantly, and then they take on a life of their own.  So, they are coming.  Some of them are still in the coming phase, but some of them have been very surprising to play, like “Life” has been fun to play and “Paul Newman [vs. the Demons]” has been fun to play.  That can be really fun to play.

EOAF: You played “Life” for the first time live at The Christmas Jam in Asheville.  That was exciting to see you guys added last minute to the line-up.  How was that experience for you?

Crawford: It was fun!  Scott [Avett] and I used to live in Asheville, and I remember a time when the Christmas Jam came around.  For a couple of years we were asked to participate, but we do our New Year’s show in Asheville.  So it was finally good that this year we could be a part of it. It was really great, because we hadn’t played together in about a month and a half.  I mean we had practiced, but we hadn’t done a show.  It was fun because I was actually really nervous, but we did great.  I was like, “This is great I am nervous!  This is awesome.”

EOAF: That is a great feeling, and it was also a very different crowd.  The majority of the people there were sort of that jam-band crowd.

Crawford: Yeah!  It was nice to get that support.  I could also tell from the stage that [the audience was] really there to see String Cheese [Incident].  That made if fun.  It was nice to be in a room that we’ve sold out, and played two nights there before, and for it to be a new room—for the lighting to be different and for there to be no backdrop behind us.

EOAF: “The Carpenter” was nominated for the Best Americana Album award for this year’s Grammy’s.  Congratulations!  Where were you when you found out? 

Crawford: Thank you so much.  I was at home in bed.  I started getting texts saying “Congratulations” and this and that.

EOAF: How does the Grammy nomination play into your or The Avett Brothers’ definition of success?

Crawford: I think it’s always nice to be patted on the back, or nice to have someone tell you good job.  Let’s face it.  It’s great to get a compliment.  I mean, it’s always nice, but I don’t think it’s why we do it, and it’s not even necessary for us to continue doing it—to get those kind of accolades.  We’re going to keep doing what we do probably until it doesn’t seem useful anymore, until there’s no need to write songs, until we feel like we’ve plateaued, or we feel like we have nothing to say, or until people stop coming to see us live.  But I think the first thing, besides a tragedy, that would hasten us not doing it would be if we had nothing to say.  We always told ourselves earlier that we would stop doing it if it seemed like we plateaued—if it seemed like it wasn’t going anywhere any longer, you know.  I don’t know that we are there yet.  I think we hope to do it forever. Maybe there are years to take off, or we can take a break, but I hope it can still exist in the same light.

EOAF: It is great that you guys have been getting recognized more for what you are doing.  In that notoriety you have been asked to play with some pretty big names over the past two years—Bob Dylan, you’ve played for Tom T. Hall, and you did the Crossroads sessions with Randy Travis.  Is there anything from those specific experiences that really stands out to you? 

Crawford: Well they are all really touching and exciting.  Obviously the Bob Dylan thing is surreal.  It’s even surreal now because it doesn’t even feel like it really happened.  You know? It’s one of those things.  “Did that really happen?”  It was really exciting to work with Randy Travis.  He was great, I mean really awesome.  He was great to be around and a really nice guy.  I think we really blended well together.  I think it’s a nice match and definitely a connection there.  They are all really great, but we have to keep in mind that to share the stage with somebody or to collaborate isn’t the main thing.  To be able to do these things is great, and we should be thankful for them, enjoy them and savor the moment, but it’s not the main thing.  Take it as it comes, but we have that thing that we do and that needs to come first and foremost.

EOAF: Did you grown up in NJ?

Crawford: I did, I grew up in South Jersey.

EOAF: So is it safe to assume that you didn’t grow up listening to people like Doc Watson and Tom T. Hall?

Crawford: Yes, I started listening to Doc Watson in 1992.  A friend of mine drove me down to MerelFest.  Actually, the first time I saw Doc was at the Cowtown Bluegrass Festival with that same friend who told me about MerleFest.  Then I saw Doc I saw at The Bottom Line in New York City before I moved down here.  I remember the first time I saw him my friend was like, “That’s a legend.  You got to see a legend”.  I didn’t even know who he was at the time.  I was fortunate enough to see him many, many times after that.  We opened up for him one time and of course we played MerleFest all those years, and the last time I saw him was when we played the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco.  He was out there and he was playing with David Holt, and we watched him from the side of the stage.  I’ll never forget it.  It was a very sad day when he passed–very, very sad day.

EOAF: You have recently added the mandolin and fiddle to your contributions to the band.  How did that come about?

It came about because Scott and Seth [Avett] are very open to and very supportive of things that I try to do.  The fiddle has been the most recent, and I seem to be getting some traction with it.  Beginning to play something at the age of 40, you know, I wish I’d been playing all of these instruments when I was 15 or 16 years old, but that wasn’t the case.  But the fiddle has been a real mental savior the past couple of years for me, and I feel myself growing in it in a lot of ways.  Scott and I–before my daughter got sick–we started playing old-time music like Tommy Jarrell and Skillet Lickers, Charlie Poole, and Uncle Dave Macon–just old-time music and we would just kind of go do our thing.  Doc Watson when he was very young with Clarence Ashley, that’s a really good album if people can find that—really, really good.  Doc was very, very young.  It’s awesome.  Anyway, we’d just be backstage and play these old-time tunes and try to learn them.  They were just claw hammer banjo and fiddle tunes.  It just kind of grew out of that.  We still do it.  When my daughter got sick, he’d come visit me at the hospital, and we would play.  It’s kind of our thing.  Hopefully someday…well maybe even not…maybe it doesn’t have to be something that we do for people.  Maybe it’s actually something that we can do for us, but it’s been a lot of fun.

EOAF: The cool thing about when you get in the spotlight on stage, is that everyone just goes crazy.  I think it stems from the fact that the spotlight is always on Scott and Seth so much, but the fact is that you are the third brother.  When you sing your songs or do your upright bass spin [the crowd goes wild].  By the way how many revolutions can you get on that thing when you spin it around?

Crawford: (Laughs) Well like I always say, any monkey can spin a bass, and someday I am going to teach one to do it just to prove my point.  But I love this job I have and the guys I travel with and play with. I’ve been blessed in so many ways, and I am so thankful for that.  I just want to enjoy my remaining years, as many as they may be, just playing music and loving music and learning songs.  I have just been fortunate with life.

EOAFr: Have you done any songwriting recently for yourself or your side projects?

Crawford: Not since my daughter got sick.  David Childers and I did another Overmountain Man record, which will be out January 22 (“The Next Best Thing”, Ramseur Records).  It was recorded before Hallie (Crawford’s daughter) got sick, and I’ve got several songs that are on that [album].  The fiddle was kind of that thing that I did when things got out of the critical phase and I had time to tinker, you know like 45 minutes a day, or a half hour a day in the hospital.  I just kind of tinkered on the fiddle and tried to get to know that more.  I feel myself closer to writing now.  I write down little things here and there.  I think at some point, there was a time after Hallie got sick, I thought, “I’m living it, I don’t have to write about it,” you know?  Life is so intense I don’t have too much time for that.  I think the big thing that we’ve been though–my family and people who have been through far different and far worse things—in some ways sometimes I think there are far worse things that you can go through as horrible as what we have gone through.  You kind of get the feeling, and not in a bad way, that no one can really understand what you are going through or what you feel, like your friends and family members.  You kind of just feel like, man, you kind of feel frustrated and angry.  You don’t want anyone to go through what you are going through.  You certainly wouldn’t even want your worst enemy to go through what you are going through, so you feel like no one really understands what you are going through.  The idea of writing about it—if someone can’t truly understand or empathize, for good reason–what would be the point?  Other than journaling, which I have done intentionally, how would it come out and what would you say?  I think it’s just a matter of getting my head to the right place to write about it.  I think I am going to write at some point, I just don’t know what or when.

EOAF: In terms of your daughter, the entire Avett Nation community has been hopefully uplifting for you and your family.  Since then—and probably before then–a lot of the fans have gotten together around Avett Brother shows, and organized community events or fundraisers.  How does that make you feel, and what part do you think you guys play in that?

Crawford: I don’t know what part we play in it.  We do what we can, and we do as much as we can.  I know we all have charities that we support and try to do all we can for.  I am really glad people do it.  Any kind of service, I’m glad people do it.  I’d like to dedicate my life more to service.  Any time you can serve someone else, it’s probably the greatest thing you can do as a human being.  When I think about God and practicing your faith, I think that service to others is probably number one to what we can all do as human beings.  I don’t think I’ve served anyone as well as I think that my wife and I and our family has been served during our time.  We’ve been served amazingly by so many, so many friends and family members, and of course the Avett family and the Avett community has served us as well. I think that is something that I always keep my mind present to—ways to serve.  I just think service is one of the most important things that we can all be doing.  Look at the world and the country and people’s attitudes, people being divided along political lines—I think if people just focused on serving each other and serving someone other than themselves, a lot of these compromises we need would be evident.

EOAF: You guys used to play at Peasants here in Greenville, right?

Crawford: Yes, we did.

EOAF: Did you know they are reopening?

Crawford: No, but I am glad to hear that.

EOAF: There is a push to get music back in Eastern NC, so if you all are ever back in this neck of the woods, even if any of your side projects want to come through here, I know the town would be very happy to have you. 

Crawford: Thank you!

EOAF: By all accounts you were pretty instrumental in pushing the [Avetts] out of their comfort zones and having them go on tour in the beginning.  There are obviously tons of young singer/songwriters and bands in the Eastern NC area trying to make it, for example, Nick and The Babes is just one of them.  What would be your advice to a young band or singer/songwriter out of this area who really wants to get noticed?

You mentioned Nick.  He and I are friends and have worked together a little bit.  I definitely think that people should take notice to them.  I think that the advice is to get out of the area.  Spend as much time as possible on the road and just travel around and around and around and around and just try to share what you do with the country.  There really is no easy way.  I can only say this because this is what we did, and this is what works for us.  There are probably other ways to do it but I don’t know those ways.  I haven’t experienced that.  I know there is a ton of talent out there, and I wish this was a time in my life when I could go out and see more of it.  I know there are a lot of really great musicians and there is plenty to be taking notice of.   I hope they will have the presence of mind to reach outside of their comfort zone and listen to some other music.

The original interview appeared in Mixer Magazine.  I would like to thank Bob Crawford for his time. To learn more about The Avett Brothers and their music, please visit www.theavettbrothers.com.

Leave a comment

Filed under Interview, Music

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 18, 2012 · 4:04 pm

Interview: Rebekah Todd

A girl and her guitar

Thus far, the height of my musical “career” was winning first place at my elementary school talent show for singing I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.  I was five.  I was a complete ham, and wanted to be a star.  My older brother told me the only reason I won was because I was cute–fair enough.  Fast-forward almost 30 years, and I’ve realized that my feverish desire for stardom is much better served in the confines of my car and home, rather than on the main stage.  Instead, the main stage should be reserved for those people who possess that innate gift of musical creativity and mastery that inspires and makes us feel alive.  It was a pleasant surprise when I recently stumbled upon one of those people right here in eastern NC.

I was introduced to Rebekah Todd when she opened up for Paleface at The Tipsy Teapot in Greenville, NC a few months ago–a lone young lady on stage with just her acoustic Alvarez guitar and a mic.  She did a quick mic check, and politely introduced herself to the audience.  I watched and waited, thinking how brave she was to get up there and sing by herself.  I was envious and impressed before even hearing her voice.  And then she sang.  A boisterous yet angelic, soulful, bluesy voice filled the room, and I was floored.  Who had been hiding this homegrown gem, and why hadn’t I heard of her before?  She quickly captivated the crowd with original songs like  Jordan, Citizen, Gallows, Little by Little, and Walked Right Through Me.  That evening, as her powerful voice echoed off of Tipsy’s glossy, cherry red walls,  I was happy to tag along on her musical journey.

A few weeks after the show I sat down with Todd to talk about her music and big plans for the future.

Todd grew up in the small town of Benson, NC and was surrounded by music as early as she could remember.  At eight years old, she started formal piano lessons, but soon figured out that the structure of reading music didn’t quite fit her style of learning.

“I play by ear 100%, so I don’t read music unless you have a sheet with chords.  If it’s the notes on the staff I can’t do it at all.  When I was eight, I figured that out.  I remember my teacher was teaching me the Titanic theme song.  I was reading it on the paper and I got a note wrong, so I stopped looking at the paper and listened and figured it out.  She yelled at me and told me I had to read the paper, and she was really mean so I dropped it and never went back,” she recalled.

Soon thereafter, Todd’s father suggested she learn how to play the guitar.  She fondly remembered those early memories of her dad and his love for music.

“[My dad] was classic rock all the way.  It’s pretty cool because it really influenced me.  I am happy that I know all of these artists now because I meet people my age who say, ‘Who are the Beatles, or who is Bob Dylan?’.  He was musical and played guitar and he was the one who taught me.  He bought me this crappy Washburn guitar that was black, and when I was eight I thought it was awesome,”  she said with a chuckle.

Rebekah Todd @ Tipsy Teapot

She continued to laugh as she told me that the first song he taught her to play on the guitar was Wild Thing.  Todd and her father continued to play together at home until she started playing in different high school bands with her friends.  Over the years of playing with her dad and others, Todd pulled inspiration from a wide range of musical genres, which has shaped the music she writes and performs today.

“I went through the classic rock phase, and then I really got into people who had a soulful voice, like Lauryn Hill, who is one of my favorites.  I literally wore her CD out [The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill].  Now I am into the more bluesy sound with singers like Susan Tedeschi and the Derek Trucks Band.  I really admire artists like that,” said Todd.

Though she can cover songs ranging from Led Zeppelin to Katy Perry, Todd’s bread and butter is in songwriting.  To date she has recorded about 16 original songs, but admits that there are many more waiting the wings that need to evolve a bit before she will bring them into the studio.

“Sometimes I will be sitting and playing and [a song] will come then, and other times I will get a tune in my head and I will literally pull my cell phone out, hit video, hold it out, and sing into the video.  I used to carry around a tape recorder before cell phones.  I think that started because when I was really young my parents bought me a karaoke machine that I could put a tape in and record my singing and listen to it.  It’s funny how the steps that your parents take totally mold what you become,” Todd shared.

Songwriting for Todd is a very natural, organic, and “in-the-moment” process.  Her songs are passionate and moving because they are honest.  Like most artists, Todd finds inspiration in her life experiences and channels those emotions into her songs as well as her art.

Rebekah Todd

“One time I played with this band called Cool Hand Luke out of Tennessee and Mark came up to me and said, ‘I really like your music because you are honest with what you are going through and what you are feeling’.  Ever since he said that I took it and tried to apply it to everything I was doing.  I’ve come to find that people can relate to your stuff if you are brutally honest with your feelings because then they can say, ‘Oh yeah I feel the same way’.  With my situation now, with having a loss in the family, everyone can relate.  Sometimes it’s hard because you really have to go into your emotions and that can be painful.  It’s the same with art.  You pull it out and you put it on a canvas or put it into a song and hope that people can relate to it,” she revealed.

Having just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from East Carolina University, Todd is ready to hit the road and share her music with the world.  She’s completely devoted to throwing herself into writing and touring as much as she can, while maintaining a realistic outlook.  She knows that with a hopeful heart must also come a level head, and she’s willing to put in the time and work to pursue her dream.

“It’s tough as an acoustic girl to say, ‘I promise that I can bring it’.  It’s something you have to slowly prove and know the right people.  I am working on it.  It’s a weird road.  A lot of people say I should think about getting a band.  That could be cool, but I just don’t feel right with it right now.  I feel like I want to prove to myself that I can do it without the band.  I just graduated and I have all of the time in the world,” she said with a hopeful grin.

So far she’s got a great start with several club shows and festivals booked across the state, and hopes to add a small northeast tour towards the end of August.  In between shows Todd will continue to write songs and dabble in her second love, painting.  Though Todd admits to being very comfortable in the “opener” slot, I suspect she’s  going to be pushed out of her comfort zone fairly soon.  She wont be able to hide in the shadows of bigger acts for too long.  The main stage awaits her.

To learn more about Rebekah Todd’s music and upcoming shows, please visit her website.

Leave a comment

Filed under Interview, Music

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

January 3, 2012 · 8:13 pm

Interview: Nick Bailey of Nick and the Babes

Nick and Graham Bailey

Songwriter Nick Bailey isn’t just writing music for TV shows; he’s writing his life’s soundtrack.  From guitar teacher to banker, singer to guitarist, and songwriter to DJ, Bailey is proof that when music is your passion, it will sneak into every facet of your life — yes, even banking.

A native of eastern NC, Bailey started playing music at the age of 13 years after receiving his first guitar for Christmas.

“I got a guitar and [my twin brother] Graham got a drum set.  He wanted a guitar but I said, ‘No you can’t get a guitar if I am getting a guitar’.  Back then I wanted to start a band because I was really into (shamefully) Guns N’ Roses.  When that song You Could be Mine came out I saw the video and watched the bass player, because I thought he was playing a guitar.  I thought, ‘Man that guy is so cool.  I want to learn how to play the guitar’.  That was really what made me want to pick up a guitar, which is just funny to me now,” he recalled.

After a year of music lessons, Bailey and his brother formed a 90’s cover band with their childhood friend Rob Wank.  Soon after, the twin brothers found themselves playing their first gig at the tender age of 14 years at a bar in the historic waterfront town of New Bern, NC.  Little did the brothers know that many years later they would reunite with Wank under the new band name Nick and the Babes (NATB).

“It’s kind of funny that we’ve come full circle.  [Rob] and I both played in a bunch of other bands.  We’ve known each other since high school.  We know each other very well, so it’s cool to have him back.  He is very versatile, and basically my wing man in the group,” Bailey said of his bandmate, who now plays keys, banjo, and mandolin while adding harmonies for NATB.

Though Bailey’s journey as a musician started that fateful Christmas, he never had goals to study music formally.  After only a year of instruction, he stepped away from lessons and began experimenting on his own.

“As far as the composing goes, that was just something that I had to just kind of plunder through.  I wasn’t a music major at [East Carolina University] or anything.  I stayed away from that.  I am not one of those guys who sits there with a classical guitar and reads music.  I felt like if I went to school for music I may end up hating it.  I didn’t want to have music homework.  I’d rather learn about the theory on my own and discover it through learning songs.  So I just learned it by doing it,” he said.

Thankfully, his self-taught approach has worked.  After two years of persistent emails and calls to a top TV music composer, Bailey was signed on to compose music for TLC’s show Nineteen Kids and Counting.  Soon thereafter he was hired to work on various TV series like Crime 360, Pit Bulls and Parolees, and Last American Cowboy.  To date he has written music for nearly 50 different episodes, and was just singed on for another season of Nineteen Kids and Counting.

Over the past few years Bailey has become accustomed to the process of TV music composition.  Typically, he is given an idea or direction from which to work.  Sometime he gets to view the scene for which he is writing, other times he does not.  Regardless of the amount or type of direction, Bailey’s job is to complete the scene with music–a process that can be both exhilarating and daunting at the same time.

“I was doing a scene for Animal Planet and they sent me this video clip from a helicopter viewing over this mountain.  They said, ‘Write something epic and grand for this scene’.  I thought that was pretty cool and I was inspired [by the video].  Sometimes they will say, ‘We need you to watch this movie and listen to the score and write something similar’.  They give me good direction as far as what to write.  I am familiar with a lot of different music, which does help me out with the TV music writing.  People tell me what they want and I can create that,” he shared.

Bailey draws his inspiration from a very eclectic background of musical influences, including funk, Motown, grunge, folk, jazz, indie rock, and more.  This aids him when he sits down to write a TV score, but can make the process difficult when sitting down to write songs for NATB.

“To me it is easier [to write for TV] than sitting down and trying to create an identity for yourself.  That is what you are essentially doing when you sit down to write.  You are creating a brand and an identity that people can latch onto or relate to, like a certain sound.  Sometimes I struggle with that.  I like so many different bands, so finding that perfect mix of everything is sometimes a struggle,” admits Bailey.

Rob, Nick, and Dail

These days when he is not up against a TV deadline, teaching guitar lessons, DJing, or working at the bank, Bailey sits down with his Martin acoustic guitar to write new material for NATB.  While the band’s sound continues to evolve, Bailey often describes it as ‘Americana’, which encompasses a number of different genres.

“I am trying to get [our music] to sound like NATB as opposed to sounding like another band.  A band like The Avett Brothers did something amazing because there really aren’t other bands out there that sound like them.  You can’t call them bluegrass, or indie rock, or folk because they really aren’t those things.  When I go to write, I try to write in a certain vein and not steer away from that.  I am not going to write anything that sounds like Metallica, but it is fun to try to mix everything that I like,” Bailey said.

Just as the music of NATB has evolved, so too has membership since the band’s 2007 inception.  Currently NATB is made up of Nick on guitar and vocals, Graham on drums and vocals, Dail Reed on bass, and Wank on keys/banjo/mandolin and vocals.

Though their touring schedule was sporadic this past year–all band members have other full-time jobs–show attendance was great and reviews positive.  They shared the stage with the talents of Jason Isbell from the Drive-by Truckers and Jim Avett, and developed relationships with a number of creative NC musicians.  One particular musician is Bob Crawford, bassist for The Avett Brothers.  It was through Crawford that the band was asked to perform Christmas Time is Here on Crawford’s My Favorite Gifts Christmas Album this past year.

“Initially the Christmas album was supposed to come out last Christmas and we were just going to be session musicians with Samantha Crain.  Thankfully it didn’t come out last year because then Bob approached me and said that he’d like to produce a track for NATB for the album.  I said, ‘Absolutely’.  We went to the studio where The Avett Brothers [recorded some of their music].  To be in the same studio where all of that happened was really cool for us,” recalled Bailey.

My Favorite Gifts Christmas album showcased the music of many popular and up and coming musicians, including The Avett Brothers, Paleface, Jim Avett, David Mayfield, Jessica Lea Mayfield, The Wood Brothers, The David Wax Museum, Overmountain Men, and Mark Crozer.  The album was produced by Crawford and Dolph Ramseur (Ramseur Records) with the intent of sharing unique holiday music in the name of charity.  All profits from the album will be donated to The Vickie Honeycutt Foundation, which benefits teachers with cancer.  This very important detail appealed to Bailey’s philanthropic side.

“[Crawford] told me profits were going to a charity for teachers with cancer.  My mom is a teacher, and there has been cancer in my family.  I have lost several family members to cancer.  To be involved in something that would benefit something so personal made it even better.  That was definitely a major motivator for us to do it right.  Being part of the bigger cause was definitely a cool thing for us,” Baily added with a smile.

Bailey also has high hopes that the Christmas album will expose NATB to a wider audience.  He is eager and excited to get the band back on the road touring and into the studio to record a full-length EP of new material this year.  In the meantime, Bailey continues to pursue his passion of music with an easy attitude and steady patience.  Experience has taught him that works.  I am sincerely looking forward to the catching the next episode of Nick and the Babes.

Nick and the Babes @ The Tipsy Teapot

Many thanks to Nick Bailey for taking the time to do this interview.  To learn more about his TV work, visit his IMDb page.  To learn more about Nick and the Babes, visit their website:  http://www.nickandthebabes.com/.

Leave a comment

Filed under Interview, Music

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 22, 2011 · 12:45 pm

December Music Mindblower – Finding Local Music

Technology is quite mind-blowing, isn’t it?  We live in a day and age when online music sources like Spotify or Pandora can recommend new music to you based on your preferences.  While I often marvel at the sophistication of these programs,  I also try to remember the magic that occurs when a friend or stranger recommends new music, rather than a computer.

As my musical tastes evolve, so do the avenues through which I find new music.  In eastern NC, you would be hard pressed to find big name acts playing in your area so you have to dig a little deeper and do a little more investigating to find talented musicians in the region and even across the state.  Since moving to NC, I have learned to rely on the magazine Our State and the spin-off TV program on UNC-TV to aid me on my quest of musical discovery.   Where better to learn about local music than from the people who are hitting the dirt roads, sidewalks, and jam sessions in all corners of the state?  Each month I await the arrival of Our State in my mailbox, eager to learn not only about the music of NC but also about all of the citizens who make this state a wonderful place in which to live.

While I can’t wait to receive my January issue, I am especially excited to see the next Our State program on UNC-TV next month.  On January 5th, 2012 (8pm) Our State UNC-TV will present a segment on the music and everyday life of Jim Avett.  Avett, who is often mentioned in reference to his sons Scott and Seth (The Avett Brothers), deserves attention and accolades all his own.  Whether perched on the front porch swing with his wife Susie or atop bales of hay in their old barn, Avett talks candidly with Our State about the blessings of raising their family on a working farm, the importance of staying grounded in faith, and the joy of being surrounded by great traditional music everyday.

Please check your local listings and tune in on January 5th at 8pm.

For those of you not in NC, go out and find resources like Our State or your local PBS station so you too can stay current on the people and events that make your state great!

Leave a comment

Filed under Interview, Music

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

December 10, 2011 · 5:24 pm

My Favorite Gifts – Christmas Album

I often measure music by its ability to transport me to another place, whether it be traveling back through my memories or somewhere I’ve never been.  By this measure, among others, the music on My Favorite Gifts – Christmas Album is some of the best I’ve heard in a long while.

Upon first listen I was transported from neighborhood streets once alive with song and spirit to the lonely muddy banks of the Mississippi, from an upbeat Mexican celebration to the birthplace of Jesus, and from a smokey Irish pub in New York City to the bedroom of a little boy too eager to sleep on Christmas Eve.  Lyrically, each song touches on different elements of the season, including introspective reflection on the past, jovial celebration of holiday traditions, hopefulness, goodwill to man, the blessings of Jesus Christ, and even the role of organized religion in the commercialization of Christmas.

Released last month, My Favorite Gifts brings together the musical talents and creativity of Overmountain Men, The Avett Brothers, The David Wax Museum, Jim Avett, siblings David and Jessica Lea Mayfield, Paleface, Nick and the Babes, Mark Crozer, and The Wood Brothers.  This compilation leaves behind the overdone holiday standards and treats our ears to unique interpretations of those not-so-well-known songs, in addition to a few original pieces.

The idea for this album was born from a conversation between Bob Crawford (The Avett Brothers) and Dolph Ramseur (Ramseur Records) on December 26, 2009.  Crawford, who shared his thoughts via email, recalled the conversation.

“I knew at some point we (The Avett Brothers) would be asked to be involved in a Christmas album.  I wanted us to do it ourselves and with our friends first.  Dolph immediately said that it needed to be a project for charity.  At the time, our good friend and Avett tour manager Dane Honeycutt’s mother Vickie was fighting breast cancer.  Sadly, a few months later Vickie passed away and we knew then that we were going to direct the charity towards some cancer fighting organization,” he wrote.

Musicians quickly signed on to the charitable project.  Crawford and Ramseur, who produced the album together, encouraged artists to choose songs that were special and intimate to them.  This approach fostered the creation of a purely eclectic and original collection of Christmas music.

When I first listened to the album in its entirety I was immediately taken by how different the songs were stylistically.  Instantly, I could hear the care that was taken to choose songs that expressed each artist’s or group’s feelings about Christmas.  I wondered how the artists came to choose or write their songs.  To my delight and appreciation, most of the contributing musicians shared thoughts about the creative process with me via email.

David Childers on his song Rambling Door to Door:   “The subject of Rambling Door To Door is the group of boys I used to get together with on Christmas Eve to go caroling.  We were not the most well behaved, but we all loved it.  The character singing in the song is looking back almost 50 years to his youth.  He sees what was then, and he sees what is now.  The now is not as nice a place, but he can still sing to himself if no one else wants it.  There’s a joy in singing, but even more so in singing those songs that are of a short season or time.”

David Mayfield on On Christmas Eve: “It was a real treat and an honor being invited to be a part of My Favorite Gifts.  I’ve always wanted to do something for the holidays, but was sure I couldn’t do a standard any better than Bing [Crosby], so I was floored when Bob Crawford suggested John Hartford’s On Christmas Eve.  I’ve always loved that song and never would have thought of recording it.”

David Wax on La Rama: “The David Wax Museum delves into American and Mexican folk traditions.  We thought it would be a great addition to the Christmas record to take an unknown Christmas song from Mexico and arrange a bi-lingual version of it.  There’s a centuries-old custom of musicians carrying a Christmas branch (“La Rama”) between houses and playing this particular song in exchange for food and tips.”

Nick Bailey on Christmas Time is Here:  “Bob approached me and said he would like to produce a track for Nick and the Babes on the album.  The arrangement of the song is actually for a bunch of little kids singing.  It’s really high-pitched, so we had to do a different arrangement, but I still wanted it to sound like the song and be recognizable.  I picked the song because it has always been one of my favorites.  It is more of a sad and lonely, reflective song.  I think that when people get older, Christmas takes on a different meaning.  Sometimes it becomes more reflective…thinking less about presents and more about family.”

Jim Avett on writing The Brightest Star:  “I wrote The Brightest Star because I thought everybody else was going to write an original!  I had not preconceived anything…it just sort of came out.  I have a lot of gospel in my background so naturally the song reflects my feelings that all gospel, including Christmas carols, should be theologically correct, which I think this one is.”

Paleface on Fairytale of New York:  “Bob Crawford called me when we were recording our album One Big Party and asked if I wanted to be a part of a Christmas compilation that he was putting together.  I said of course and in my mind flashed on the Pogues song, Fairytale of New York.  It’s always been one of the best and most under-appreciated Christmas songs I’ve ever heard.  He asked me to think about what song I might want to do and we hung up.  When we spoke for the second time about what song I remember [Crawford] saying, ‘Dolph and I thought it would be great if you did Fairytale,’ without me having mentioned it to him yet so that was all I needed.  We had Stuart from Bombadil join us and had a fun afternoon recording it.  I remember saying that everybody should just relax and have fun cause ‘this song is so good its hard to mess up’.”

Mark Crozer on writing Next Christmas:  “The song itself has quite a long history.  I came up with the melody for it when I was briefly living in New York just after Christmas 2008. Then it sat around for a year before I was sitting down one day thinking I’d really like to write a Christmas song.  It’s been a crazy fantasy since I was a kid to have a festive hit in the charts that gets brought out year after year and becomes part of the Christmas tradition.  In the UK, where I’m originally from, the Christmas single is quite a big deal.  So, as I was sitting there I suddenly remembered the tune I’d written a year earlier and the words just came out in one go the way they do on occasion.  I wanted to write something that reflected the hope for better times ahead that I think everyone feels at this time of year.  It is a very hopeful song, but laced with a little of the irony that we Brits love so much.”

Crawford on I Thank God and more:  “Seth [Avett] heard it from a Sam Cooke recording. We had already kicked around the idea of other, more traditional songs.  I Thank God is very unique while maintaining one of the key themes of the Christmas season which is thankfulness for the blessings of God.  I am also honored to work with the Overmountain Men.  David Childers is one of the greatest song writers of our time. I think he and Jim Avett could write an album of Christmas songs that would redefine the genre.”

The creative process of writing or adapting, and recording holiday favorites for My Favorite Gifts was augmented by the fact that the album would contribute to a cause much larger than those involved.  Many of the artists tied to this project were close friends to Vickie Honeycutt and remain close to her family.  So it seemed only fitting when Crawford and Ramseur decided that all album profits would be donated directly to the Vickie Honeycutt Foundation.

The Vickie Honeycutt Foundation, which was formed shortly after her passing, honors “a woman who served as a beacon of compassion for so many.”  Honeycutt, a graduate of UNC-Greensboro, taught at Mt. Pleasant High School in her native Cabarrus County for 32 years, and was known for her caring nature and dedication to help others succeed.  According to the website, the foundation’s goal is to provide assistance to “teachers and educators battling cancer so that their sole focus can be on recovery.”  With charity at the forefront, several artists openly expressed what it meant to work on such a special project.

Mo, drummer for Paleface, responded, “It’s pretty awesome to get to be on the same album with so many greats, and it’s a true honor to get to celebrate with them the memory and life of a dear friend’s mom who was so sweet and caring to all.”

Suz Slezak of The David Wax Museum echoed Mo’s sentiments.

“It’s always special to have the opportunity to support causes we care about with our music. We were also touched to be included in such a stellar line-up of bands, many of whom we listen to on a regular basis,” she wrote.

Mark Crozer, who is likely a new name for fans of this grouping of artists, was also very moved by the direction and purpose of the album.

“When I learned that it was to be a charity album for such a good cause  I was even keener to be involved.  Teaching has been in my family for generations and I have dabbled myself.  I’ve also lost friends and family to cancer so I wanted to do something to help raise funds for projects that support people living with cancer.  I think the Vickie S. Honeycutt Foundation is a truly wonderful organization, and I’m so thrilled to be part of this project.  It’s also a thrill for me to be in such distinguished company as The Avett Brothers, Jessica Lea Mayfield, The Wood Brothers and David [Childers] of course.  It’s a great album and pretty diverse which makes it even more interesting,” Crozer wrote.

As a “lifelong friend” of Vickie’s, Jim Avett was “honored to be a part of anything to do with her and her family” as well as “to be included in a compilation CD with such talented creative people.”

Collectively, My Favorite Gifts is a wonderful work of art that will please the senses, revive the true spirit of Christmas, and benefit those in need well into the future.  It is a Christmas album with far more substance than Santa, making it easy to enjoy all year-long.  It is a must-have so please visit your local record store or amazon.com/iTunes to purchase My Favorite Gifts for yourself and your loved ones.

Leave a comment

Filed under Interview, Music, Review

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

September 2, 2011 · 8:45 pm

Tim Reynolds Finds New Inspiration in North Carolina’s Outer Banks

Reynolds and Matthews

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds returned to their old stomping grounds in August to play to a sold-out, exuberant crowd at nTelos Wireless Pavilion in Charlottesville, VA.  Proceeds from ticket sales were donated by the fans to various charities through JustGive.org, a website that supports nearly 1.8 million nonprofit organizations.

Thousands of fans, both inside and outside the Pavilion’s confines, enjoyed over 3 hours of acoustic entertainment and storytelling by Matthews and Reynolds, along with a special guest appearance by Asheville’s own legendary guitarist Warren Haynes.  The charitable evening of musical mastery was complimented by the peaceful and jovial mood of the fans, who relished in favorites such as Jimi Thing, #41, My Baby Blue, and Two Step.

A few days prior to the event, I caught up with Reynolds to discuss the show, his music, and adjusting to life in the Outer Banks of NC.

Reynolds, who has paired up with Matthews for multiple benefit shows over the years, was glad to be a part of the Charlottesville event, and appreciated that fans had an active role in the donation process.

“I think it’s pretty cool because people can donate to the charity of their choice, so that funds get spread out more to the smaller charities,” Reynolds said.

Over the years, Reynolds’ performances have benefited global organizations like China Care and Middle East Child Alliance.  However, he also makes great efforts to donate his talents and money to smaller, local charities throughout the Outer Banks.

In 2007, Reynolds left his home in New Mexico and moved to the Outer Banks with his family.  While topographically much different from NM, the eastern shore of NC has provided Reynolds with fresh inspiration and a new environment for songwriting.

“It took me a little while to adjust, but once I finally realized that the beach was only a 15 minute walk from my house, I felt more at ease.  There is always something here to inspire me and make me feel alive,” he said.

When it comes to songwriting, Reynolds often uses the natural environment to fuel his creativity.

“As far as songwriting, some songs take a long time, while others just come to me quickly.  The other day, I was walking on the beach and thought of an idea and just recorded it right into my iPhone.  I thought that was pretty amazing,” he said.

Shortly after moving to NC, Reynolds met local bassist Mick Vaughn and drummer Dan Martier.  After playing together a few times, Reynolds decided it was time to resurrect his old band TR3 with Vaughn and Martier as new members.  Collectively, their gritty electric sounds have developed into a melding of rock, funk, and jazz that is sure to bring down the house.  Between touring small venues across the US, TR3 recorded and released a studio album entitled Radiance, and just recently a live two-disc album entitled From SPACE and Beyond.  Reynolds shared his delight in creating and playing music with Vaughn and Martier.

“I usually bring a song idea to the guys and we start practicing it.  As we practice it gets tweaked and changes, so it’s a fun process.  Every year we play more gigs and get more in tune as a band.  There has been a more consistent effort this time around.  We have the same steady personnel so it is like a real band thing and it evolves in its own way,” he said.

In 2010, Reynolds also released The Limbic System, a solo acoustic album that took him over two years to complete.  The title, which references the center for memory and emotion in the brain, is fitting for the two-disc collection of instrumental and vocal arrangements all written and performed by Reynolds.

“It was a labor of total love and joy to do.  There were a lot of feelings in those recordings.  It was very intimate and even though there are some mistakes in there, when it was done it felt like a big Ahhhh for me.  It was a musical statement from the heart and soul,” he said.

Whether Reynolds is solo or on stage with TR3 or the Dave Matthews Band, he continues to surprise his fans by mastering new interpretations of sound, making each experience unique and special for the audience.

To find out more about Reynolds’ music and tour schedule, please visit www.timreynolds.com.

Leave a comment

Filed under Interview, Live Shows, Music

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

July 1, 2011 · 11:49 am

Mountain Jam Interview: Scott Avett

photo by Lucky Soul Photography (c)

Note: I was given the opportunity to write a short article for The Daily Reflector (Greenville, NC). While it’s hard to fit a 15 minute interview into a 600-800 word piece, I did my best and sent it on to the editor. Here it is: Mixer article.

However, here is the interview in its entirety, because it deserves to be shared!

Prior to tearing up the stage with a rowdy, boot stompin’ performance at this year’s Mountain Jam festival, Scott Avett (of The Avett Brothers) sat down with me to talk about the festival experience, staying “green” on tour, giving back, their next album, and surprisingly his love for John Oates. Scott began by talking fondly about his time at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC:

Scott: Greenville is really special to me. I learned a lot in Greenville…the hard way.

Me: You still have some connections there in the art department, right?

Scott: Yeah, I still go work in the printing department and still keep in touch with some of the professors.

Me: Well that’s nice. I am sure they appreciate that.

Scott: Yeah, me too, because with the painting and everything, that is still very much a part of what I do and I could use the inspiration.

Me: So in the last Crackerfarm video of you in the ECU print shop, what were those funny hats?

Scott: (laughs) Those were just pirate hats that somebody brought in and we just threw them on!

Me: That’s funny. So this is your second year at Mountain Jam?

Scott: It is, it is, yeah. It seems like no time passed at all.

Me: In planning your tour, what makes you decide to come back to the same festival year after year? Is it the feel of the festival or timing?

Scott: Timing is good. And you know, festivals are good because they add a lot of variety to the schedule. So, anything from stage, feel, to demographics. We really have been to a lot of places and it’s odd how different the festivals are. Sometimes that [demographic] reaction can sort of spawn an energy that’s good that you want to go recreate or take it to the next step.

(Side note: We were nicely interrupted by a massage therapist who was going around telling all of the artists about the free massage tent. Scott laughed and said, “Oh man, y’all must have heard about me…must of heard about how bad of shape I’m in.” He graciously thanked (of course) her and we continued on…)

Me: What was your first impression of Mountain Jam last year?

Scott: You know this is a raw festival. I think its placement and its area is so rich in history with Dylan and Levon Helm and everything. So that bodes well for it and adds to the energy. There’s no doubt about it. But last year our experience was very raw, very ruckus and fun…dusty…sweaty!

Me: That’s good! It’s a little different from playing somewhere like Bojangles Coliseum.

Scott: Yeah, well this time of year the festivals can get that way, and they are good. It’s good for us! I definitely prefer them at this point. I’ve gone through stages where the theaters are where you want to be in the presentation of what you are doing, but I am a little more fly by night right now in the way I feel a show should be. So these festivals are a little better and a little more spontaneous.

Me: Do you guys get to enjoy the other artists or is it all business?

Scott: No, but we have friends that will be here that we will perform with and interact with and get to see, but (leaning forward and looking out the tent) I see a band over there playing and that’s about as close as I’ll get.

Me: Grace Potter and Nicole Atkins will be here tomorrow, but you wont get to see them?

Scott: No, but Nicole will be around today (with a sheepish grin)

Me: Oh, so maybe we will get a little special treat for later!?

Scott: Yeah, maybe.

(Side note: Sadly Nicole’s guitarist was ill and she didn’t arrive in time to play with The Avett Brothers. I think all parties involved were sad!)

photo by Lucky Soul Photography (c)

Me: So, I have been to a few festivals and they all seem to have a different feel. The feeling I get from Mountain Jam is geared towards educating the audience about environmental issues, and not necessarily picking artists because of their “environmental” message, but probably picking artists who feel that is important. Is that important to you and the rest of the band when you come to a music festival?

Scott: Yes, it is. It is important to keep “it” (being environmentally minded) right before you instead of getting too worldly to where it’s overwhelming. You know, you are going through the day and you could recycle one bottle, so it’s just one little step at a time. I think it’s important not to get too caught up with the “big picture” as this one fell swooping.

Me: Do you guys have rules on the tour bus for living “green”?

Scott: We all know that [being green] is the best way, but sometimes survival just can’t…if you let your principles get in the way of your product, your quality, your life, it might…it might be…suicide (chuckles).

Me: So is it difficult to take what you do at home out on the road?

Scott: Oh absolutely! It has gotta change, because those are very different lives.

Me: So, do you have recycling bins on the bus?

Scott: Yeah, we do recycle as much as we can. But, for example, if you fill the front lounge area with water bottles everybody’s agitated and angry because there are water bottles everywhere, so you have to be smart about it. Right, Dane? (Scott laughs and looks over to Dane who is sitting in the corner). Dane is our tour manager. He has to keep up with us, so he’s definitely aggravated (as he chuckles). No, but honestly, we all try to stay really aware about that kind of stuff.

Me: Beyond the little things you do to stay “green” in your personal life, you all played two very cool shows last year that really helped out local farms in Portland, OR and the CFSA in NC. Those types of shows are obviously very important to The Avett Brothers. Do you have to search out those opportunities or are they typically just presented to you?

Scott: Yes, those are very important to us, and they typically come to us more so these days because there is more money generated with more fans. We don’t typically have to go searching for it, but if there is a specific cause we want to help with, we will go after it.

Me: You have done a lot with the tornado relief efforts recently. How have those experiences been for you all?

Scott: That is really the least we can do, and definitely have not done enough. There’s nothing that is going to change the terrible nature of that except for time. We are so lucky to be able to do something that we enjoy, and we don’t deserve it anymore than anybody else. To truly want to help people…to honestly want to do that, it can’t be taxed, not in the literal sense of the word taxed, but to order or direct someone to help people is not real, it’s not honest, and it’s not sustainable. If we are fortunate enough to have such an enjoyable life, these opportunities, and these great moments, we need to remember how grateful we should be without someone ordering us or demanding that we share that. We need to share that. The moment we stop doing that, than it’s all poisoned. We remind each other of that and try to keep that presence about us now that we are moving. The wheels are turning…there is a backlog now. There’s no turning back. There’s no stopping. So we have to just share, if it’s good feelings or a couple of bucks, it just has to be done.

Me: I think that you have a great influence on your fan base, who you really make feel like family. That feeling really spreads.

Scott: Well, we all are [family]. When people refer to us as “family oriented people” or “family matters”, to look at it thoroughly and in detail, it’s not about my brother and my dad and my mom and daughter. It’s beyond that, and it’s a much bigger unit, the family. It’s the world.

photo by Lucky Soul Photography (c)

Me: From your perspective can you feel how powerful that is? Do you feel how much influence you have on making people happy and how that is passed on to others? If you go on and read the boards, it’s pretty amazing!

Scott: (big laugh) Well, I don’t read the boards, but I am told. But it has to be one step at a time. If I harness that as a big picture like you are saying, it’s dangerous for me. So, one day at a time and I will take your word for it. I am glad to hear that, and I hear it from other people. That is terrific. I just try to keep it in perspective. If there is something we can do today, that is great. If not, hopefully tomorrow there will be. There is always something it is just a matter of if you have the energy to go out and seek it.

Me: Does that ever feel like a burden?

Scott: (emphatically) No. No. We are not ministers or part of the Red Cross or anything, so we’re not burdened by that type of service. Even though it might end up translating into that eventually, indirectly. We get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Hopefully, it’s just in harmony with all of that.

Me: How did you all get paired up with John Oates for your Vermont show last night?

Scott: We worshiped Hall and Oates when we were kids. I mean I worshiped him! I mean that was as big as Bob Dylan any day of the week to me. Not to a lot of people, but their music when I was 8 years old was forming who I am right now. So he just asked if we wanted to do something. So we said let’s do it! He asked if we wanted to do one of our songs or their songs and we said neither, let’s just do a Bob Dylan tune!

Me: Cool! Well, besides maybe a guest appearance from Nicole Atkins today, any other surprises for today’s set?

Scott: Well…Simon Felice is around here somewhere but I’m not sure if he will make it on stage with us. He’s a terrific guy. He recorded with us on I and Love and You.

Me: Finally, I read a quote from Bob somewhere that the new album isn’t due out until the end of next year?

Scott: Oh no, no… I don’t know when it’s due. That would be pretty late. We are well in the process of it and well passed the halfway mark. If it maintains we would finish the record this year. It’s just a matter of when and how it will come out.

Me: Well we are all looking forward to hearing it.

Scott: Thank you. Thank you very much.

We finished the interview with a hand shake, some smiles, and well wishes. A few hours later the entire mountain, sprinkled with both old and new Avett fans, had the privilege of witnessing one of the most energetic and magnetic sets of the weekend. While their set featured several songs from their I and Love and You album, we did get a few old favorites from their albums Four Thieves Gone and Emotionalism, along with a guest appearance from their dear friend Simon Felice and an encore Dylan cover to top it off. The Avett Brothers continue their tour throughout the US and Europe well into the Fall, so check them if they come anywhere near you. Trust me, you will leave as one of the family, and it’s a pretty cool family to be a part of if I do say so myself.

For more information about the band, please pay a visit to their website. I must end with a huge “thank you” to Dane Honeycutt for arranging the interview, and to the gracious Scott Avett for taking the time to chat with me.

3 Comments

Filed under Interview, Live Shows, Music

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 14, 2011 · 8:22 pm

Mountain Jam Interview: Nicole Atkins

Pure, raw, beautiful

While standing at the base of Hunter Mountain shortly after Nicole Atkins’ Mountain Jam set I received a text that simply read, “At the bar”.  After nearly three days of music and mayhem in the Catskills of NY, a stripped down interview at the bar was exactly what I needed, and apparently what Nicole needed, too.

A fun and relaxing two days of catching up and performing with old friends, like The Avett Brothers, had turned into a long, hurried day that began a little too bright and early for this blue-eyed siren.  Nicole dragged herself out of bed at 7am that Sunday morning to “re-learn” the electric guitar parts of the songs she was going to perform later that afternoon.  While Nicole writes and arranges each part of her songs, she leaves the playing of those parts to her band, The Black Sea.  Unfortunately, her guitarist Irina was unable to make the trip to Hunter as she was still recovering at home from pneumonia.  Prior to stepping on stage, Atkins was feeling a bit disorganized and unsure of how the set would come across to the audience.  I assured her that while Irina’s absence may have changed the “feel” of the set, her flawless vocal performance and funny commentary (“this song is about punching a girl in the face“) between songs worked perfectly together and came off naturally to the audience.  She let out a sigh of relief and said, “Good, I was worried!”

Nicole, who grew up in Neptune, NJ, wasn’t raised on radio pop and that was evident by the list of both well-known and obscure artists she rattled off as we discussed her musical influences.  At the tender age of 12, Atkins picked up a guitar and began to play and write songs.  While not musicians themselves, her parents always made sure to include music in her upbringing.  Nicole fell in love with the music that echoed through her childhood, including the gritty blues of Joe Cocker and the psychedelic rock of Steve Winwood (she was quick to clarify Traffic-era Winwood, not cheesy-pop-era Winwood).  She quickly developed a style of her own that was rooted in rock-storytelling, and found inspiration from hometown surroundings like the Shark River.

After playing gigs at local coffee houses during her high school  years, Atkins left Neptune and headed South to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Illustration at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Nicole immediately immersed herself in Charlotte’s music scene, making friends with the local best-of-the-best, including members of The Avett Brothers, and joined various bands.  Atkins smiled as she reminisced about her time in NC, “I basically paid thousands of dollars of tuition to play in bands.”  Her musical tastes quickly expanded to include the country-folk-rock sounds of artists like Townes Van Zandt, Uncle Tupelo/Wilco, and Wiskytown/Ryan Adams.  With these sounds came fresh ideas and a melding of old and new styles.  In the years that followed, she returned home and commuted between NJ and NYC to continue to play and bring her new sound to the city.

Years passed and Nicole gained the attention of a few record labels in NYC.  After a bidding war in 2006, Nicole signed with the major record label Columbia, and released her first album, Neptune City, a year later.  After two years of touring and promoting Neptune City with her band The Sea, the money ran out and Atkins left Columbia as a solo artist again.  On most accounts, the story read that Columbia cut ties and The Sea walked out on Nicole.  However, Atkins quickly dispelled what may be written about that chapter in her career. “My band didn’t walk out on me,” she stated frankly.   “I just couldn’t pay them, so they had to find something else to do.  I was trying to figure out what to do after all of that happened.  Some people suggested that I go back to school, and I was like, “and do what?” All I wanted to do was make my music, and that’s what I did.”  A difficult break-up with her then-boyfriend soon followed, but she stayed committed to her music and reached out to other artists who would ultimately help her rise from the ashes.

Introducing...

Between 2009 and 2010, Atkins signed with a smaller independent record label, Razor & Tie, and began recording her second album, Mondo Amore.  She wanted to produce an album that was completely about the songs and the story, rather than about “selling the sexuality” of being a female singer/songwriter.  In an effort to combat what Atkins calls this “Anti-Cobain” attitude of women in today’s music industry, she enlisted a guitarist, bassist, and drummer to help her tell her story.  “I can’t do this on my own.  I need my band in order to get out the message.”  Her new band, The Black Sea, helped her create what Nicole called a “slide rock epic album that plays out like a mafia movie soundtrack”.  Mondo Amore took a departure from the string and piano based tones of Neptune City, and replaced them with Irina’s haunting guitar riffs.  “Basically [Irina] turns my country songs into these psychedelic freak-out songs, and it works,” Nicole added with a big smile.  When asked if the writing and recording process with Razor & Tie allows her more artistic freedom than with Columbia, she responded, “It really just depends.  For the most part while I was at Columbia I had a great support system.  But, this one woman was working with us at Columbia and she came to me one day and said, ‘Hey, you just went through a really bad break-up.  You should use that for your next song’.”  Nicole laughed and gave me a look that said “are you f**king kidding me, lady!”  Anyone who pays attention to Nicole for even 5 minutes could predict that she doesn’t work that way.  Atkins marches to the beat of her own drum, on her own time, and with her own rules.

Mondo Amore, which loosely chronicles some of the lessons learned from the dissolution of her personal and professional relationships, was released in February of this year.  Nicole Atkins and The Black Sea immediately hit the road to promote and celebrate the album.  However, touring funds and resources were not as fluid as they were when she was signed with Columbia.  But this Jersey girl wouldn’t let that stop her.  She called on the generosity of her fans to help supplement the cost of a touring van in exchange for hand-painted tote bags and access to her personal art webpage to view her paintings and illustrations.  And guess what?  It worked.  She raised enough money to buy a van to cart around her band and equipment from venue to venue.  “I painted 52 tote bags!,” she said through a laugh as she began scrolling through pictures of each of them in her phone.  “Can you believe that!?  The cool thing though is that the music has given me an intro back into my drawing and painting.”  While she admits that drawing and painting don’t pay the bills, her artistic talents have helped fund a dream that has been in the works for a long time now.  It is safe to say that she is the driving force behind her own professional fate.  Money’s tight so she works her ass off to make sure good things happen.  She takes time to connect with her fans and goes out of her way to make new ones.  When she’s on tour, she sublets her apartment and crashes with family and friends to save money.  Does this sound like the life and attitude of an entitled trust-fund baby?  I don’t think so.  She is a pure American dream.

Careful where you walk...

If I could go back and witness the evolution of Atkins’ sounds and style, I would pay special attention to when and where she developed the soulful, rich tones of her voice.  While her speaking voice is soft and demure on stage, her powerful singing voice is hauntingly beautiful and evokes instant emotion in her audience.  Her lyrics are raw, honest, and cathartic, so much so that her audience finds their own stories being played out in her songs.  Combine the voice with her songwriting brilliance, and you have a musical experience that stares you down and dares you not to feel, not to remember, and not to fall in love with her.

Per Nicole’s suggestion, we ended our interview with a shot of Maker’s and ventured off to the artists tent where vendors were giving away free Merrill shoes.  Free shoes!?  I suppose when you make a mountain full of people happy with just the sound of your voice and the words in your soul, you deserve at least a free pair of shoes.  I thanked her and let myself out, surely not worthy of backstage schwag.  My admiration for Nicole’s creativity and talent definitely grew that afternoon, but I was even more taken back and appreciative of how candid she was with me.  Her ability to stay genuine yet persistent during her career has undoubtedly allowed her to create the life she’s dreamed of ever since she first picked up that guitar 20 years ago.

For more information about Nicole Atkins, visit her website and buy her music.

Thank you Nicole for your time and conversation at the bar.   It’s going to be tough to top that interview!

Leave a comment

Filed under Interview, Live Shows, Music

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,