American Songwriter 11.12 2021

November | December 2021
Vol. 37, No. 1
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2 AMERICAN SONGWRITER NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2021
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2021 AMERICAN SONGWRITER 3
AMERICAN SONGWRITER VOLUME 37, NUMBER 1 | NOVEMBER, DECEMBER 2021
Dave Grohl
COVER STORY PROFILES

56 DAVE GROHL 21 NATALIE HEMBY
Rock & Roll Storyteller Stepping into the Spotlight
22 MY MORNING JACKET
FEATURES
Wake Up Call
23 NEAL FRANCIS
Cover Photo by Magdalena Wosinska
Resident Artist
26 FINN WOLFHARD
No Stranger to Music 24 MO PITNEY
A Glance Backward
32 ROBBY KRIEGER
Writing on the Storm 25 AIMEE MANN
56 38 CASTING CROWNS
A Musical Voice
Healing the Hard Way
Finn Wolfhard 42 TOM MORELLO departments

Spinning the Atlas
48 MEGADETH 68 LYRIC CONTEST

Business is Good
WINNERS
52 JESSE MCCARTNEY 70 LYRIC CONTEST Q&A
Entering a New Stage Interview with Chuck Thomas
72 GEARING UP
SONGWRITER U
Fender Player Plus Electric Guitar &
Tone Master Amps, Headway Acoustic
26 Preamp/Blender
75 MEASURE FOR 74 INDIE SPOTLIGHT

Declaration of Independents
MEASURE
Jesse McCartney Three-note Magic 81 BEHIND THE SONG
“American Kids,” Shane McAnally
77 LYRICALLY SPEAKING
“Places We Won’t Walk” Part II 82 WRITER’S ROOM
By Michael Bacon
79 BETWEEN THE RHYMES
Writing Lyrics and Artist Would Sing
REVIEWS
American Songwriter (ISSN08968993) USPS Periodical No. 001728 is

64 NEW RELEASES
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GUEST EDITOR’S NOTE
working day in and day out at a job you hate. At

times, it’s yelling, screaming, punches thrown at the
AMERICAN SONGWRITER air, tears, and many, many four-letter words. None of
Vol. 37, No. 1 this is included in the dream manual.
Publisher In 2014, after 10 years of putting in the work to get
Savage Media Holdings to Nashville, my career took off—starting with a re-
ASSOCIATE Publisher cord deal at Sony. A worldwide publishing deal, top-
Doug Waterman notch management, and my dream booking agency
Editor in Chief soon followed, along with a Top 40 single, "Take the
Lisa Konicki Keys," and opening spots for Brad Paisley, Rascal
Flatts, and Jake Owen, among others. This all hap-
ASSISTANT Editor
Catherine Walthall pened in an eight-month span—and all to get a call
after that eight months from Sony’s president to let
SENIOR Editor me know I was being dropped. Losing my label deal
Paul Zollo
was just the start. A few weeks later, I was dropped by
Art & Design Director management, and a week after that, my boyfriend at
Mackenzie Moore
the time ended our relationship. Devastated doesn’t
Chief Marketing Officer begin to cover it. I dried my tears and got back to
Zac Litwack writing, releasing some new songs, and an EP. They
Chief Financial Officer went nowhere. I was no longer part of the industry
David Webb machine—another tough pill to swallow. All the
Chief Revenue Officer people that were once calling, the schedule that was
Alex Magee once booked solid...all gone. It was like a ghost town.
Director of Brand Partnerships But, just like the great Dave Grohl says, “when
Colin Montemarano one chapter ends, you find another layer to who
you are and reinvent yourself, digging deep in that
Photo by Chelsea Thompson

Marketing Associates
Addie Roach, Joey Minkowitz saddle.” From Nirvana drummer to the Foo Fighters
frontman— talk about fearless! That’s exactly where
Director of PR & Social Media I have found myself: reinventing myself, loving my
Jen Miller
skin, embracing my Mexican heritage, and carrying
STAFF WRITERS
Tina Benitez-Eves, Madeline Crone,
Jacob Uitti, Joe Vitagliano Leah Turner that into my music. Turning the “no’s” to “on’s” (my
dad’s saying) and taking the dream even further.
I’ve always said songwriters are the unsung heroes
Editorial Assistant of the music business, just like pickup men are the
Delia Rowland
unsung heroes of the rodeo. Songwriters rescue an
GEAR Editor Dreams: we all have them, but how many of us ac- emotion from the artist’s and listener’s hearts, just
Eric Dahl like the pickup man rescues the cowboy when they
tually follow them—throwing caution to the wind?
SENIOR WRITER Are they simply something we subconsciously en- get hung up. Songwriters like Natalie Hemby, Ai-
Holly Gleason mee Mann, and artists like Trisha Yearwood have
tertain overnight and wake up from, or are they the
Contributing Writers things we daydream about? At 3 years old, with curly, done exactly that for me. Being in rooms with the
David Alzofon, Michael Bacon, Marty Dodson, blonde hair and my token pair of Wranglers on, I likes of these ladies has rescued my heart and helped
Hal Horowitz, Andy McDonough, Pat Pattison, my experiences dance on melodies. So, if you are
Ed Pettersen, Katherine Yeske Taylor, Leah sat at my grandmother’s piano, mesmerized by the
Turner, Lee Zimmerman pretty sounds my little hands made. I had no idea, at ever feeling like it’s not going to happen, dig deep
the time, that tickling those ivories would later help in that saddle and believe in yourself—don’t worry
SUBSCRIPTION FULFILLMENT
Publication Fulfillment Services me write and sing my heart—and, down the line as about what people think, throw caution to the wind,
P.O. Box 90187 a budding songwriter, inspire me to keep my eyes and go for it. Who knows–you may find yourself one
Long Beach, CA 90809 day sharing your story in American Songwriter!
americansongwriter@pfsmag.com peeled for this very magazine to come in the mail.
1.888.881.5861 Dreams don’t come with a how-to manual.
Advertising They’re not a one size fits all. But what is a one-size-
ads@americansongwriter.com fits-all is the “never give up” mentality—the sac-
rifices, the ups, and downs—that “dig deep in the
NEWSSTAND CONSULTANT
Tom Ferruggia saddle, and when you get bucked off, get right back
on, never giving the dust of fear a chance to settle”
interNational Distributor mentality. The journey to achieving your dream can
look a lot like sleeping on air mattresses, endlessly Leah Turner
Guest Editor
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PROFILES
Photo by Alysse Gafjken
NATALIE HEMBY
STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
BY JOE VITAGLIANO
F
or singer/songwriter Natalie Hemby, step- singing with Dolly Parton and performing on behind her, Hemby finished Pins and Needles,
ping onto the stage of the Newport Folk Jimmy Fallon and all of that. I always say that effectively bringing a multi-decades dream to
Festival this past July was a moment she’s I felt like Forrest Gump—I have no idea how life in the midst of perhaps the least opportune
been building up to for nearly two decades. I got there, but I was there. I took it all in and moment to do so.
“Usually, I’m having to win people over, but really enjoyed it.” “It was so strange—I got my record deal in
this time there were thousands of people there Hemby’s humility is one of her more promi- the middle of a global pandemic,” she said with
and they actually stayed for my set and even nent characteristics, but to take everything she amazement. “Nevermind that for all of my 20s,
clapped for me before I came out on stage and says at face value would be to vastly underes- all I wanted was a record deal. For some rea-
everything,” she said. “I felt like I had won the timate her talent. Listen to any song with her son, my time was when I was 43 years old and
Miss America pageant or something—every- name in the byline and the full extent of her the world was in the middle of a pandemic. I
one was clapping, I kept saying, ‘Thank you so abilities starts to become clear. was just glad to be making it happen at all—for
much!’ I probably stayed on the stage for a lit- So, when she got off the album/tour cycle for it to have all unfolded like this… I’m just so
tle too long, but it was an awesome day, like a the Highwomen and found herself with a bit of grateful.”
childhood dream come true.” time, she started work on her second solo re- All of that led Hemby to that beautiful “Miss
Having written a handful of country music’s cord, Pins and Needles, which finally arrived this America moment” this past July at the Newport
biggest hits over the past decade—including past October. Folk Festival. Now, with Pins & Needles out and
Little Big Town’s “Pontoon,” Kacey Musgraves’ “These songs have come over years and years more and more items getting crossed off from
“Rainbow,” and more—you would expect Hem- of writing,” she explained. “I have an enormous her “childhood dreams” list, she feels like she’s
by to be more accustomed to the sound of ap- vault of songs—probably enough to make five finally getting to do things the way she’s always
plause, but she’s spent the better part of her ca- or six albums—but these all rose to the surface wanted to.
reer behind the scenes. It wasn’t until 2017 that and all we had to do was pluck them out.” “I had so many doors shut on me when I
she finally made her proper debut as an artist, Perusing her backlog and selecting a group of was younger, so far as my artistry goes,” she
with her first full-length record, Puxico. songs that would reflect where her life is now, said. “Now, I feel amazing. There’s part of me
That record was a good foray into finally the end result of Pins & Needles reveals an in- that hopes everyone likes my record, but I’m
getting to sing her own songs, but shortly after timate portrait of Hemby. And embarking on also like, ‘Well, I like my record.’ So, no mat-
it came out, Hemby got involved in another the record-making process in 2019 with Fanta- ter what happens, I’m okay. I think that’s the
project that now cements her name in the book sy Records backing her up, the 44-year-old felt most important thing. You just have to be as
of all-time greats. She joined the Highwomen, better than ever. Until the pandemic hit just a sincere as possible and make the music you
alongside Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and few months later. love—the rest is up to other people and God
Amanda Shires. “At that point, I started having a moment of to decide.”
“It was like we were Destiny’s Child except panic, like, ‘Am I even supposed to be doing
I was Michelle and the other three were all this?’” she said. “I think everybody was kinda
Beyoncé,” she said, recalling the whirlwind reevaluating their lives at the time. Ultimately,
Scan here for Natalie
experience that came in the wake of the High- my husband [producer, Mike Wrucke] and I de-
women’s self-titled 2019 record. “They all tour cided to just finish the album. We didn’t even Hemby’s Exclusive
all the time and have it down pat. For me, it know if Fantasy was still on board or not… but “Off the Record”
was like the Lady Gaga A Star Is Born—I was sure enough, they said they absolutely were.” video interview, coming
just thrown into the mix and suddenly we were With an unprecedented amount of support November 8!

PROFILES
Photo courtesy Big Hassle

MY MORNING
JACKET
WAKE UP CALL
BY JACOB UITTI
W
ith the very first snippet of a vocal lyric “I had this wake-up call,” James says. “Like, like I could do,” he says. “One of the first places
on his band’s newest (and self-titled) LP, ‘Oh my God, this shit is all an illusion. It’s really where I felt like I belonged because I didn’t really
released in October, Jim James, frontman drowning you.’ So, I canceled my streaming ser- fit in school. I always felt like a nerd. I didn’t fit
for the iconic rock group My Morning vices and got off social media. And I saw my pro- into sports. The only place I felt like I belonged
Jacket, makes his mindset abundantly clear. For ductivity go back up, my creativity start to come on the planet was when I was playing music with
James, who these days values hushed moments back. I feel like I became a better listener. I felt a few friends I had.”
as much as he ever has loud ones and contempla- like I became a better person.” Growing up in Kentucky, James fell in love
tion now more than product inundation, the idea James started to read more. He also spends with the rolling green hills, the Ohio River, and
is clear: remove yourself from all that digitally more time with his eyes closed, sometimes the forests. The region gave him a sense of lar-
drowns and get with what’s natural, human, and stretched on a sofa in meditation. It’s not that gesse, which, when combined with his sense of
organically of the earth. Diamonds are growing in he’s against social media or streaming platforms relative placelessness, turned into giant musical
the garden, sings James on “Regularly Scheduled per se. It’s more their un-redeeming, kudzu-like output. My Morning Jacket, formed in 1998,
Programming.” Now we know; look for what’s nature. Instead of interacting with those devices, has released nine studio records. The group has
good in streams that ripple not ones that require the frontman appreciates more human interac- been through early lineup changes and occasions
Wi-Fi. tion and conversation. These are the things that when James wasn’t sure if it would continue
“I try to speak from a place where I’m not inspire his creative heart, enough to undertake through creative burnout—yet it always has and
saying that I have it all figured out,” James says. the almost immeasurable effort it requires to still does.
“I’m struggling just like everybody else with all write and make a record like the 11-track My “Every album is different, really,” James says. “I
of these things. Especially in the pandemic when Morning Jacket. try not to put limits on it.”
we found ourselves so cut off, and one of the only “I just feel like I want to talk to people who The band’s self-titled new record is stellar.
places we thought we could look was social me- are real with me and truthful with me,” James From the looming, rocking “In Color” to the
dia and streaming programs.” says. “People I care about. I feel like it’s about Pink Floyd-esque “Lucky to be Alive” to the in-
But social media’s siren song didn’t offer what spending time being real with people and nur- timate ender “I Never Could Get Enough.” Now
James thought he wanted when he sought their turing those bonds.” that it’s out, though, and as James continues to
pseudo-comforting rays of blue light. Given James’ feeling toward friendships, it embrace what he’s realized in this past handful of
“I just found myself in this really dark, terri- might be no surprise that he began to love music months, he says he’s ready not to look into the
ble place,” he says, “where I was binge-streaming through the camaraderie-rich 1970s television future, but to enjoy the moments presently. For
shit for like eight hours a day, scrolling through program, The Muppet Show. He says the show the 43-year-old, Grammy-nominated musician
my phone endlessly.” spoke to him. He wanted to be Kermit, he want- who’s worked with everyone from Elvis Costello
For Louisville, Kentucky-born James, space ed to be Dr. Teeth, he wanted to be in the sway- to Brittany Howard, it’s about keeping perspec-
and location have always been an important part ing house band the Electric Mayhem. In sixth tive.
of his life. So to remedy the icky feeling brought grade, James began taking guitar lessons and his “Every moment is precious,” James says. “To-
on by an overabundance of screen time, he ven- entrance into rock ’n’ roll continued, both for morrow is never promised. I’m just trying as hard
tured out into the woods—specifically sequoia James’ appreciation of the art form and of the as I can to live each day as best as I can. Every-
forests. He’s since gone out into nature every day space it offered him to be himself. thing is so fleeting. Everything could be wiped
to hike, breathe the air, and remember who he is. “It was just one of the first things I ever felt away tomorrow.”

PROFILES
Photo by Liina Raud
NEAL
FRANCIS
RESIDENT ARTIST
BY CATHERINE WALTHALL
N
eal Francis’ latest album, In Plain Sight, ment after stealing from the Greek gods. More was a passageway which connected the basement
sounds haunted with the wailings of the specifically, the two artists felt that Prometheus’ of our living space to the rest of the facility.
slide guitar and dreamlike melodies. The punishment embodied the despair and isolation “I had access to the organ [and] choir rehears-
nine-track album dropped on November felt during the crises of the pandemic. al room 24 hours a day, which is just
5, and Francis revealed that this latest record “Can’t Stop The Rain” exists in oppo- super important for my growth over-
has been described as “station wagon rock.” As sition to “Prometheus” with a more opti- “The all as a musician,” Francis continues.
the more relatable version of yacht rock that
bounces with chords of nostalgia, In Plain Sight
mistic flair. The legendary Derek Trucks
is also featured on this glorious track.
luxurious “When our tour got canceled, it was
just an amazing place to be stuck be-
is a record worth diving into. “Derek liked the song and offered to thing about cause of all the space we were afforded
“The first song I recorded was ‘In Plain Sight,’ blow over it. So we sent him a completed and also the things in that building
and then that got the door open to all these mix with vocals, and he sent us four takes
this album that I could dedicate my time to.”
other ideas,” Francis tells American Songwriter. a couple of days later. The first take was was that I Francis moved into the church af-
Despite not making it onto the record in song the one we ended up using, I didn’t really ter a breakup and ended up staying
form, “In Plain Sight” morphed into the scaf- listen to the other ones, the first take was
had days until his record was almost entirely
folding for Francis’ second album. just so perfect,” Francis explains. “He’s a upon days complete. The singer/songwriter
“BNYLV” (pronounced bunny love), was really special individual, and I’m really soaked up the church’s stunning
one such song that emerged after the title track honored that he performed on the track.” and weeks to architecture, built in the English
jumpstarted Francis’ creative process. The track Another track on the record, “Senti- explore these Gothic style, and was moved by the
centers around sorrowful lyrics like We had a mental Garbage,” which was the original building’s ornate roofing and intri-
good thing in the past / Why can’t good things last title track, expresses Francis’ cathartic ideas and cate stained glass windows. “The
forever / True love never lasts / Why can’t this love escape to music. “I was feeling really low beat my head luxurious thing about this album was
last forever. The instrumentals behind the mel- about myself and wanted to be explic- that I had days upon days and weeks
ancholy mood, however, offer a glimpse of hope it about some of the things I didn't like against the to explore these ideas and beat my
with upbeat swirls of ’70s funk. Francis fondly about myself. So [I was] just talking about wall.” head against the wall—and really get
recalls that the track grew from an early morn- vanity and narcissism,” Francis says. “I some deep ideas,” Francis states.
ing writing session. “I just remember being up thought that it was like a cathartic way to Upon completion, Francis dedi-
all night, recording that, putting it together, progress with those perceived flaws.” cated In Plain Sight to Lil, the de facto leader of
and being really proud of it,” Francis says. Overall, the album is an innovative romp the St. Peter’s congregation who allowed him to
Outside of “BNYLV,” the theme of battling through Francis’ musical influences and creativity. become the church’s resident artist. “I'm really
addiction is present in songs like “Alameda One specific influence for the album was the set- lucky to have great people around me,” Francis
Apartments,” and allusions to Greek mythology ting in which Francis created the album. Francis says.
exist in “Prometheus.” Synth and guitar-heavy, spent about a year living in a parsonage attached Altogether, In Plain Sight emerged from the
“Prometheus,” was a song born out of the pan- to a church in Chicago called St. Peter’s UCC. spacious halls of a Chicago church and from
demic. Francis and drummer Colin O’Brien “Our drummer Colin also ended up living the soul of an artist who listened to his creative
related to the story of the mythological Titan. there,” Francis explains. “We had a three-bed- instincts. The result is a bombastic set of songs
Prometheus was sentenced to a cyclical punish- room house attached to the church, and there unlike any other.

PROFILES
Photo by Jeremy Cowart

MO PITNEY
A GLANCE BACKWARD
BY CATHERINE WALTHALL
D
espite Mo Pitney’s 2020 album title, Ain’t then the other songs, little by little, fell into Despite Pitney’s fondness for this collection
Lookin’ Back, the country singer/song- place.” of songs, the singer/songwriter expresses a de-
writer freely reminisced with American The 12 other songs include tracks like the sire to go even further with his craft. “You make
Songwriter about each stepping stone in syrupy-sounding “Local Honey,” a song that music from a place with as much as you know
his music career. “The first two records I made was unexpectedly inspired by a text message about yourself and your likes and your loves in
were birthed out of a flood of multiple songs,” he received from his mother. “I was actual- the world and all of that at that time,” Pitney
Pitney begins. ly walking into a write with nothing to write says. “And it seems like the moment you put it
His first album, Behind This Guitar (2016), about with Wil Nance and Adam Wood, and in the can, two days later, you've learned some-
features the hit single “Boy & a Girl Thing” my mom texts me and she just said ‘local hon- thing new… I think moving forward I'm going
and got people talking about the Illinois-born ey,’” Pitney says. “Which I tell people because to change the way that I make records.
artist. “Country” sways as a backroad anthem I was all grown up and married [with] kids, so “I just feel clearer about making art than I
while other tracks like “I Met Merle Haggard I didn't think she was sending me a ever have in my entire life,” Pitney
Today” and “Take The Chance” solidify Pit- grocery list to bring home. I walked states, revealing that he’s working on
ney’s carefree approach to life and love. in and I said, ‘My mom just texted “I just feel a new project. “I have a mission or a
Four years after his debut album, Pitney re- me this, could it be a song?’ And clearer about goal for my life that's more than just,
leased Ain’t Lookin’ Back. His second offering about two hours later, we had writ- ‘Hey let's make music and try to get
showcases a more sure-footed, mature artist at ten the song.” making art radio to play it and make a bunch of
the helm of his artistry. “We had 30 or 40 songs Tracks like “Right Now With than I ever money and have a good retirement
that I ended up deciding that these are possi- You” are Pitney's ode to a love and then say sayonara to the world.’
bilities for the next album. Then I started lis- that lasts, and the lyrics express have in my I hope that the music doesn't only
tening to outside songs,” Pitney explains. “The his desire “to fly in the face of our entire life.” serve my pocket, but it really does
closest thing I could say that inspired bringing culture's lack of commitment.” The serve the world for the better… I feel
the ocean into order is when I heard ‘Ain't chorus guarantees a public declara- like I am ready to come out of the
Lookin’ Back.’ tion of faithfulness when he sings, 'Cause I still gate—running out into the world with the
“[‘Ain’t Lookin’ Back’] had a twofold mean- wanna kiss you in a crowd now / Sing my love music that is to come. I think that the music
ing in that the song was very personal to me at songs out loud now / Let everyone that I know now that I've already made has been a foreshadow-
that point in my life,” Pitney continues. “I was know I wrote 'em bout you. ing or a reflection of that.”
really needing to let go of decisions that I've “Mattress on the Floor” continues Pitney’s The first step in this new direction is a new
made or ways that I've been treated or all the impassioned approach to his second album. release of “Old Home Place” that showcases
things that humans go through. I was at a turn- Largely influenced by his marriage —Pitney the all-star band that was present for the first
ing point where it was very crucial that I was tied the knot with musician and vocalist Em- recording. Pitney hints at more bluegrass-fo-
able to let go and not look back and not carry ily Bankester in 2016—the song oozes with cused efforts in the future and remains ever
what was behind me, with me. So I decided to charming soundscapes. On the other hand, hopeful about what is yet to come. Overall,
make [‘Ain’t Lookin’ Back’] the centerpiece of standout tracks “Ain’t Bad for a Good Ol’ Boy” Pitney has proven that his music has, and
the album, which it finds itself in the middle, flexes Pitney’s country swagger, and “Old Home will be, an ever-evolving staple in country
and build around that. Once that showed itself, Place” showcases his bluegrass roots. music.

PROFILES
Photo by Sheryl Nields
AIMEE
MANN
A MUSICAL VOICE
BY JACOB UITTI
L
egendary songwriter Aimee Mann remem- Honestly, I would just throw in details to enrich characters, there were not many backstories.
bers putting in the extra work for her acting the lyric and express myself. There’s a real nu- So, she was able to bring her own life to much
role in the 1998 comedy, The Big Lebowski. ance in lyric writing.” of their contexts while writing. Mann, who has
She’d been cast in the film after a success- Songs specifically are amazing creatures for experienced emotional, physical, and mental
ful, though light-hearted audition, and she was Mann. They blend two things: words, which she abuses in her life, said she wanted to be the mu-
set to play a German nihilist. Mann says that loves, and the invisibility and tones of music sical voice of this work.
because the character was a nihilist, she didn’t that almost demand feelings from you immedi- “I related to it,” Mann shares. “I felt like it
expect much acting or dialogue. Yet, she pulled ately upon hearing them. Mann gets a kick out was a really important project to me. I really
one of her scene stars aside and put forth the of this juxtaposition, how the lyrics can conjure wanted to be the person to write the music for
idea of practicing a little something. So, they one thing in the listener’s mind while the music it.”
got together and worked up a short conversa- does another in the listener’s body. The LP concludes with the song “I See You,”
tion about the whereabouts of a hotel key, in “I love the contrast,” she says. which is meant to be the time at the end of the
German. It was a good thing, too. For when it Mann wrote her newest album “in a fever.” show when the women, who are very much at
came time to shoot, the director said, “We’re She’d been approached by a team of producers the center of the performance and living in an
going to zoom in and you guys just talk in Ger- to write the music for a stage production of Su- institution, turn to the onlooking crowd, break-
man.” sannah Kaysen’s memoir, Girl, Interrupted. After ing the fourth wall. For this, Mann had a plan.
They say the way you do one thing is the way a few meetings and agreeing to the assignment, “‘I See You,’” she says, “that’s the last song
you do everything. In this case, that’s especially Mann went to the source material. where the inmates turn to the audience. The
true. Mann is always detail-minded; she loves “I just went to the book,” she says, “and idea is that the women and girls kind of end
intricacies. It’s the superpower she brings to her marked out sections that I felt would make up being therapy for each other and help and
songwriting and the music she makes, which is sense to have the emotional climax be a song.” support each other. That’s what I wanted to get
especially so on Mann’s latest LP, Queens of the She found that there were many characters across.”
Summer Hotel, which is out officially on No- and felt each should have a song. There was a Now that the new record is done and out for
vember 5 via Mann’s label, SuperEgo Records. lot of writing. In the end, she created a 15-track the world to engage with, the 61-year-old Mann
“We ended up having to do this little dia- masterpiece, saturated with emotion, insight, says she’s grateful for the job and the inevitable
logue,” Mann says. “Thank god we’d practiced sorrow, and jaunt. And while the COVID-19 discoveries it provided her. Now, as far as what’s
it!” pandemic has pushed pause on the show’s pro- next? It’s onward toward more work, more life,
For Mann, the magic is in the detail. In the duction timetable, Mann was left with a glori- and more heart-aching surprise via songwriting.
small things that resonate and impact almost ous LP’s worth of tracks. “I love the subterranean nature of it,” Mann
without prelude. Even before she was a profes- “So,” she says, “I went ahead and recorded says. “I love that it can make you feel things al-
sional musician, she adored the keen-eyed songs the record.” most automatically, and sometimes things that
of Bob Dylan, Elton John, and Neil Young. Featuring swelling strings and nimble piano you didn’t even know you felt. That goes for me
From these masters, Mann began to learn about bounce, along with Mann’s almost operatic writing a song. I’ve definitely written something
her own creative voice. voice, the album is heart-wrenching at times. and then looked back on it later and realized it
“I think that pretty early on,” Mann says, “I Unlike The Big Lebowski, Girl, Interrupted is no means something different than I thought it did
realized in other people’s music I enjoyed detail. comedy. In the book, while there were many at the time.”

Photo Courtesy of Jill Fritzo

Finn
Wolfhard
No Stranger to Music
BY JOE VITAGLIANO

“M alcolm and I go way back,” hard explains. “At first, we were just gonna make
Finn Wolfhard begins. an EP in our basement for fun, but then this record
While it might seem a little odd for someone as
young as Wolfhard to be talking about going “way
label heard us and signed us pretty much immedi-
ately. They basically said, ‘Okay, who do you want
back” with anyone, the 18-year-old child star is in to make this record with?’ That was amazing—
a unique position to have a little bit of authori- Twin Peaks is my favorite band, so we said ‘Twin
ty with that kind of language. Thinking back to Peaks’ and it came together and happened.”
when he first crossed paths with one of his best Looking back on how quickly Calpurnia fell to-
friends and closest collaborators, Malcolm Craig, gether—and how fun it was to work alongside his
the memories can easily seem like a lifetime ago. heroes in the Chicago mainstay, Twin Peaks—the
“We met doing a music video description Wolfhard conjured was: “It was like a
thing for this amazing punk band dream.” While he’s had a career that
out of Chicago called PUP,” Wolf- “I’m glad I had easily eclipses the accomplishments
of folks decades older than him,
hard continues. “After that, we
started playing music together… the strength to there’s an admirable sense of aware-
ness and humility to the way he talks
he was really the first guy I ever
jammed with. Then we did this be like, ‘Yeah, about things. When an album or art-
ist he admires is mentioned, he lights
sort of day camp thing where you
learn how to be in a rock band, this is too up with excitement, and when he re-
flects on how lucky he’s been, there’s
make music, and jam with people
and stuff. It was great.” The PUP much for me.’ a noticeable earnestness backing up
his words.
music video (and his first encoun-
ter with Craig) was back in 2014 Otherwise, But Calpurnia was more than just
when Wolfhard was only 12, two a fun episode—as things began to
years before he became an inter- I think it progress and the project started to
national sensation for his starring pick up steam, it quickly snowballed
role in Netflix’s Stranger Things. might’ve into a pretty big learning lesson.
After that show launched him “Life started to get really compli-
into the spotlight, the Vancou- ruined what cated,” Wolfhard said. “Touring got
ver-born actor and artist found really hard because I’d finish up film-
himself with a fully booked sched- I love about ing on set at 3 or 4 in the morning,
ule. He had a leading role in the hop on a plane, get to the city and
2017 remake of Stephen King’s It, music.” play the show… but I’d be exhaust-
starred in a variety of other films ed, so I wouldn’t have as much fun as
and television shows, loaned his voice to audio- I wanted to. We’re super privileged—the experi-
books and podcasts, and directed a short film. In ence was fucking incredible—but it started to take
2021 alone, he’s worked on the new Ghostbusters, a toll.” Eventually, the pressure became too much
the new Pinocchio, Jesse Eisenberg’s new film When and Wolfhard found himself spread too thin—after
You Finish Saving the World, and more. Through it much deliberation, he made the difficult decision
all, his friendship with Craig has been an invalu- to disband Calpurnia.
able outlet, especially on the creative front. “I’m glad I had the strength to be like, ‘Yeah, this
See, while most of Wolfhard’s name recognition is too much for me,’” Wolfhard reflected. “Other-
stems from his acting gigs, he’s done a good job at wise, I think it might’ve ruined what I love about
staying connected to his love of music. With Craig, music. I wish I could tell some kind of crazy, Oa-
he had a vehicle for those expressions, eventually sis-style story or something, but the truth is that
getting the ultimate chance to capitalize on the we were just a bunch of teenagers in a band, I was
momentum in 2017, when the two formed the in- getting kinda sick of it and it just fizzled out, so I
die-rock band, Calpurnia, with Ayla Tesler-Mabe called it quits. Not everyone was happy, obvious-
and Jack Anderson. ly—I’d be pretty unhappy if I was in a band that
“Malcolm and I met Ayla, who introduced us to was touring and one of the members quit. But
Jack because they were friends from school,” Wolf- you’ve gotta do what you want with your life and

Photo by Cooper Fox

“But with
this record,
sometimes that means breaking up a band. I still love all moves to start being more mindful with his schedule.
of them, though. I mean, I got to travel the world with One of the first things he wanted to prioritize was
my three best friends… it was amazing. I wouldn’t take if I’m something he had loved doing since before any of the
anything back.” fortune or fame: playing music with Craig.
showing it to
But right as Wolfhard’s life started to cool off a bit in “When Malcolm and I started jamming together
the post-Calpurnia period, the world changed with the again, we were like, ‘Oh, this is what it should be like,’”
onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas just a few my friends he said. Removing any of the pressure or contractual
months earlier he was longing for a break, he suddenly
found himself with an excess of free time. or family, it obligations from music-making, and having it just be
a place where he could express himself and have some
“Through the first few months of the pandemic, I
feel like I went through the equivalent of three years
is seriously fun with a friend, instantly brought Wolfhard back to
the same joy he felt as a kid when he first started play-
nerve-
of growth,” Wolfhard said. “I spent a lot of time alone,
which gave me the perfect excuse to start looking in-
ing instruments. “That’s when Malcolm and I realized
we should just self-record and self-release everything.”
side of myself and ask the normal questions a lot of
people my age ask. Existential questions, like, ‘Why am
racking. It That was the birth of Wolfhard and Craig’s new band,
the Aubreys, who made their official debut last year.
I here?’ Then, I got to think about stuff like, ‘Why do
people like me? Why am I in this position?’ Up until
feels entirely Built on the principle of keeping things as DIY as
possible, the indie duo largely handles business by
that point, I never had the time to think about that
stuff. Getting to finally dig through that was really
different. I’m texting ideas back and forth. “With most of the stuff,
it’d be like: I’d send him a voice memo to see what
helpful—I wouldn’t say that I was, like, an egotistical
guy beforehand, but it certainly helped with my ego,
really proud he thought, then he’d put drums and stuff on it and
make it into a full demo,” Wolfhard said. “Or Malcolm
making me a good person. I had time to figure out who of it.” would come in with something—he’s amazing because
I am… which is something I’m still doing.” he keeps all of his songs secret.”
This period—albeit, born from a turbulent time—ul- Here, Wolfhard’s voice lit up again. “That’s actual-
timately ushered in a paradigm shift for Wolfhard’s life. Thinking ly the thing I’m most proud of: Malcolm,” he said. “I’m over the
about who he is and what he really cares about, he began making moon proud of him. In Calpurnia, he was kinda just laying back
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and having fun as the drummer, but Malcolm is a true artist. It’s sincerity.
amazing to see. He writes songs that are so much more amazing and “What’s funny is, now, when I show this music to anyone, I break
complex than anything I could ever imagine. It’s so funny, though, out in sweats,” Wolfhard said. “With the Calpurnia stuff, I’d be like
because we would be recording, trying to figure out what to do next, ‘Check this out, it’s cool.’ But with this record, if I’m showing it to
and we’d ask Malcolm, ‘Do you have anything?’ He’d be like, ‘No, my friends or family, it is seriously nerve-racking. It feels entirely
not really.’ We’d say, ‘No, come on, you’re hiding something.’ Then different. I’m really proud of it.”
he’d open up his iTunes and play a song he was working on and Between the lo-fi drive of songs like “Blue” and the title track,
we’d be like, ‘Holy shit, this is perfect! Why didn’t you show us this and the ethereal soundscapes of tunes like “I Need to Leave the
sooner?’ It was really fun.” Theater” and “You’ll Have to Wait,” it’s clear that Wolfhard is striv-
With that approach, Wolfhard, Craig, and their team—consist- ing for an artistic standard much deeper and more profound than
ing of R Andrew Humphrey and Twin Peaks’ Cadien Lake James one might expect. While on the surface, the album is a lot of fun,
and Colin Croom—created Karaoke Alone, the Aubreys’ debut full- it also carries a weight to it that makes it more than just a flash of
length, which dropped on November 5. Written and recorded over superficial enjoyment. Rather, it captures something deeper, some-
the course of the pandemic, Wolfhard feels as if it might be his thing more revealing of who this modern cultural icon really is.
favorite thing he’s made to date. Releasing this record into the world now, there’s a healthy sense
“This is the first thing I’ve written where I really wrote what I of relief and fulfillment in the air around Wolfhard. Finally getting
felt,” he explained. “I mean, to be honest, with Calpurnia, I was to engage with music the way he’s always wanted to, he’s also finally
14 and was just like, ‘Oh man, this is fun.’ The songs were fun, but getting his work schedule in line with his artistic impulses. And go-
they didn’t really mean anything. This is the first thing where I’m ing forward with Craig by his side, the future looks wildly promising.
writing what I feel, which is more mature for me, I guess. They’re “This feels really great to say, but I actually don’t really know what
not heavy-duty lyrics or anything, but I really mean them.” we’re going to do next,” he said when asked about his plans. “For
With songs that explore the trials and joys of youth—the loss now, I’m taking a break for a few months just to hang out and be an
of innocence, the dizzying impact of navigating a pandemic world adult for the first time. We don’t have a record label telling us what
while trying to become a person—the inventive indie arrangements to do—we could do another single, another record, I really have no
and memorable melodic lilts lining Karaoke Alone make for a truly idea. What I do know is that we’ll keep writing songs. It’s all been
impressive debut, clad with danceable bops and moments of honest really fun, so we’ll see what happens next.”
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Photo courtesy Robby Krieger
32 32 AMERICAN
AMERICAN SONGWRITER
SONGWRITER

NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER
| DECEMBER 20212021
Robby
Krieger
Writing on the Storm
BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

Photo by Jill Jarrett

“F ortune-tellers usually don’t predict rock history, including some of his first writing
doom and gloom in your future—it’s sessions in his parents’ living room with Jim
bad for business.” Morrison and the backyard parties where the
In 1968, the Doors were playing a show in band would play their first-ever gigs.
Santa Barbara, and while in town guitarist Rob- “My point in doing this book was getting ev-
by Krieger, along with drummer John Densmore, erything right,” shares Krieger, who enlisted Al-
were dragged by longtime Whisky A Go-Go ulis to also help research and ensure everything
stalwarts and friends, Donna and Sharon, to was factual, and debunk a lot of what was por-
visit a psychic with “the Gift,” called Ms. Clara. trayed in the 1991 Oliver Stone-helmed film
Everyone but Donna received their good for- The Doors, starring Val Kilmer and Meg Ryan,
tune. Hers would reveal itself weeks later when and the more fictitious elements of the band’s
Krieger, Donna, and her boyfriend were in- union and relationship leading
volved in a car accident driving to a fishing trip up to Morrison’s death at 27 in
along the Mexican border. All three sustained 1971.
injuries, including Donna who was left para-
“I used to
“There’s a lot of stuff in the
lyzed from the waist down after the accident. movie that wasn’t really right,
Krieger, who long battled with survivor’s just how Jim Morrison and the love it when
guilt and remained on and off friends with rest of us got along as four peo-
Donna until her untimely death, was only left ple, which the movie doesn’t
with a black eye following the incident but was really show, so I wanted to give
Jim gave
still scheduled to appear with the band on The an inside look,” says Krieger.
Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour a few days later. “When you watch that movie conflicting
As they performed, Krieger only pretended to you end up believing every-
play, and when asked about the infamous black thing, so I wanted everything
eye, would often embellish the story saying he correct. This should be the real
stories to
and frontman Jim Morrison got into a fight be- version of how everything hap-
fore the show, or that the band was attacked by pened.” the press to
rednecks that didn’t like their long hair. More than 20 years in the
“I used to love it when Jim gave conflicting making, Krieger says he was keep people
stories to the press to keep people guessing waiting for the right time to
about us, and I like carrying on that tradition,” tell his part of the story about
says Krieger. “My black eye should serve as a his time with The Doors. “John
guessing
reminder that no matter how much a person [Densmore] was the first one to
thinks they know about the Doors, there’s al- put out a book, [Riders on the about us,
ways more to the story. Much more." Storm: My Life with Jim Morri-
Nearly 50 years later, the Doors founding son and the Doors, 1991], and
guitarist Robby Krieger, who penned some of he put Ray [Manzarek] down
and I like
the band’s biggest hits, including their number in the book, then Ray came
one hit “Light My Fire,” along with “Love Me out with his book and really carrying
Two Times,” “Touch Me” and “Love Her Madly,” put John down,” says Krieger.
captures pockets of memories, monumental mo- “Then all of this progressed into
ments, and sets the record straight on the true lawsuits and a mess, so I just
on that
connection of the Doors—and the most famous said ‘I’ll stay out of this book
black eye in rock ’n’ roll—in his first memoir thing for awhile.’” tradition.”
Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing When the pandemic hit,
Guitar with the Doors. Krieger finally had time to re-
Co-written with Jeff Alulis, author of punk visit his side of the story, which he wanted to
autobiography NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub title “Light My Fire,” a song he mostly wrote for
and Other Stories and former touring vocalist for the band in 1966, but had to use a verse in the
the Dead Kennedys, Set the Night on Fire con- song, set the night on fire, since Manzarek already
tains short story recollections from Krieger, now used the song title for his 1999 memoir, Light
75, in his earliest days as a young musician, the My Fire: My Life with the Doors.
highest peaks and crashes in his personal life— “I wanted to use “Light My Fire,” but Ray took
getting locked in jail for drug bust as a teen— that one,” says Krieger. “He never even asked
and being in one of the most legendary bands in me.”

Initially, the book started as a movie. Krieg- sitioned from acoustic to electric after seeing low any sequential order of Krieger’s life and
er was approached to work on a film about the Chuck Berry. In 1965, Krieger joined a friend time with the Doors, and moves through the
band, told from his perspective, as a teen bi- to see Berry’s headlining “Blues” show at the more pivotal moments in the guitarist’s life in
opic, growing up and ending up in The Doors. Santa Monica Auditorium, where he captured order of impact from personal tribulations—
Alulis, who was writing the the rock legend in his classic drug addiction and his battle with cancer to
screenplay, ultimately ended
up working on a memoir with
“Sometimes duck walking, fast-talking era, his twin brothers mental breakdown.
and the thunder coming out of “Everything is in there and it’s not one af-
Krieger instead. “I just want-
ed to set the record straight
people tend Berry’s cherry red ES-335. The ter another, nothing is chronological,” says
next day, Krieger went to his Krieger. “It jumps around. It’s kind of boring if
on everything that actually to get too local pawnshop to trade in one you start in order ‘when I was a kid.’”
happened, as far as I can re- of his Spanish guitars for Ber- Reflecting on writing for the Doors, it was
member,” says Krieger. “It’ll caught up in ry’s same guitar. “That’s what not so much about the words for the guitar-
be interesting to people who Chuck used, so that’s what I ist but the music. “I never really considered
don’t know that much about perfection, would be using from then on, myself a writer of words,” says Krieger. “For
the Doors to see how a kid like but it was way out of my price me, it’s always the music first and that would
me grew up and ended up in but the happy range,” says Krieger, who came give me the idea for the words. The ones that
a band like the Doors. I hope home with a Gibson SG in- I did write had words—‘Love Me Two Times,’
people who are not Doors fans accidents are stead. “The act of literally trad- ‘Light My Fire,’ ‘Touch Me,’—the music was
will read it.” ing acoustic for electric was a always there first, and then I would try to put
In the book, Krieger jumps much more major turning point in my life.” some words to it. Sometimes it worked out,
back and forth from stories Krieger, who reconnected sometimes it didn’t, but it was always a lot
about the band to more per- a part of the with his old high school friend easier when Jim would put the words in.”
sonal memories, including
“Guitarras Ramírez,”—how his feel.” and later Doors drummer, John Recently releasing his seventh solo album,
Densmore, recounts how the the jazz-filled The Ritual Begins at Sundown, in
father brought him back three pieces fell into place around 2020, Krieger has been playing shows, includ-
Ramirez Guitars from a trip to Spain, instru- this time of transition and the beginning of ing a recent benefit concert for COVID first
ments he still owns to this day, before he tran- the Doors. But Set the Night on Fire doesn’t fol- responders with other U.S. shows on the hori-
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zon, and has material for two new albums—an corded songs, which weren’t about perfection, tend to get too caught up in perfection, but
instrumental covers album, featuring reggae says Krieger, but feeling. “When the Music’s the happy accidents are much more a part of
renditions of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Over,” from the band’s 1967 album Strange the feel.”
Man” and the Bee Gees’ 1977 hit “Stayin Days, is layered in guitars, which happened by Embracing more uninterrupted time at his
Alive,” and another R&B and jazz release to accident during a session with Rothchild and studio during the pandemic, Krieger had time
follow. engineer Bruce Botnick, who would go on to to work on the book, new music, and admits
“I do have some words for some other songs,” produce L.A. Woman. that after more than 50 years of touring, he
reveals Krieger of some additional songs he’s “In those days we didn’t have as many possi- doesn’t miss traveling. “It’s kind of nice to
written, “but I’m going to wait for the right bilities as we do now,” says Krieger. “We had have a break from that,” he says. “I’m lucky to
time and the right singer.” eight tracks at that point. I had found a sound have a studio that people really love, so I have
The release of the Doors’ 50th-anniversary that I really liked, and I wanted it to be more all these great musicians who come around all
edition of L.A. Woman, the band’s sixth and like a violin than a guitar, just really smooth. the time to jam, so it keeps me going.”
final album with Morrison in 1971, marks Paul [Rothchild] had a little electronic kit that However murky the history of the Doors
another milestone for Krieger and the band he somehow jimmied the track adding a cou- seems more than 55 years since forming,
and the reveal of a recently discovered orig- ple of layers together with the engineer Bruce Krieger hopes he can shed some light on the
inal demo of “Riders on the Storm”—an un- Botnick, and they got this perfect sound.” cloudier stories and legends of the band, for
marked tape reel unearthed from the band’s After overdubbing a long guitar solo he had diehard and younger fans.
vault of an earlier recording of the tracks in the middle of the song with three of four “It always surprises me how many young
during Sunset Sound Studios sessions with different recordings, Krieger listened back in people are into the doors,” says Krieger, think-
producer Paul A. Rothchild—along with the the control room with Botnick, who had ac- ing of the band’s lasting legacy and a friend’s
previously unreleased reels of “The Change- cidentally left two of the solos on the track, 7-year-old, who has learned most of the Doors
ling,” “Love Her Madly,” and “L.A. Woman,” which they decided on the final recording. guitar licks. “Kids today just love it. It shows
as well as “Riders.” “It’s very rare when you get your perfect me that we really did touch a core not just
L.A. Woman was a prime example of The sound,” says Krieger. “It just so happened that with people of our generation, but it will keep
Doors fluidity together in the studio, and a it worked perfectly, which doesn’t happen going for a while. When Jim passed away, I
more unorthodox approach to recording, ev- very often. There’s something to be said about thought ‘well that’s it. Nobody will care about
idenced in the rawness of many of their re- having unlimited tracks. Sometimes people the Doors anymore,’ but I was wrong.”

Casting
Crowns
Healing the Hard Way
BY MADELINE CRONE | PHOTO BY ROBBY KLEIN

N early two decades into his vocation-
al youth ministry, Casting Crowns
frontman Mark Hall remembers the humble
roots of his artistry that led his Grammy-win-
our songs,” he says. Hall drags his etchings —
penned in darkness — out into the revealing
light of day.
“Any lesson I teach is not something I’ve
a cliff. Jesus would say, ‘I love you, but you’re
going the wrong way.’ He would love you
with truth.”
Casting Crowns’ new album begins
ning Chrisitan rock group into their ninth learned; it’s something I’m learning,” says on “Desert Road” The cinematic structure
studio album. Due in early 2022, the sev- Hall. “I look in the mirror, and it gives me evokes an alluring soundscape. Like a trance,
en-song collection will serve as the first half hope because if Jesus is gonna love me, He lyrics lay a path obstructed by a melodic mi-
of a two-part project that cultivates unlikely can love anybody. Because I don’t know rage. Unable to see the end from here, the
growth seeds. many lessons that He’s only had to teach me listener must rely on blind faith to contin-
As a young teacher desperately trying to once.” ue.
reach his young audience, Hall would sing Learning to read Scripture with dyslexia Based on the Book of Acts, “Desert Road”
Christian songs to his students to introduce presented a lesson that rocked his faith foun- alludes to Philip following God’s command-
applicable Bible verses. This practice trans- dation. A younger Hall believed his fate tee- ment to walk an unfamiliar road. He treaded
formed into crafting his own songs on his tered at a point he later realized did not exist. onward for an undetermined amount of time
45-minute commute to and from Bible Col- “As a kid, I thought I was trying out for before he discovered the purpose of his jour-
lege. “I didn’t even know I was writing songs,” God’s team, hoping to make it,” he shares. ney. Had Philip succumbed to doubt God’s
Hall says over the phone. “I was just whining Hall was surprised to discover the Bible filled cryptic directions, he would not have shared
in the car to God.” with characters he describes as “much worse the good news of God with an unknowing
Diagnosed with dyslexia and ADD, it took than me.” traveler he stumbled upon on his way.
Hall six years to earn his four-year degree. “I thought, ‘they’re all trainwrecks,’ but I After years of struggling with learning
Most days, he filled his drive with pleas: “God, noticed that none of them freaked Jesus out. disabilities and bullies and praying for help,
give me one good reason to stay here.” He always talked to people and loved them Hall now understands that God was not ab-
From a place of fear, Hall cleared a path where they were. That’s the difference be- sent on his journey. “Now I spend so much
that made sense of a burdensome past, and an tween Jesus’ love and ours. We feel that to time with kids dealing with being slower
honest, articulate storyteller emerged. “Writ- love someone, you have to tell them they’re than others and wondering if God will help
ers, we normally come out of dark caves with doing really good, even if they’re running off them,” says Hall. “But because I’ve been
the timeless album featuring “don’t wait too long,”

“j’ai deux amours” and “dance me to the end of love”
remastered and expanded to include a previously unreleased
2005 set from Spain’s Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz
with new liner notes from GRAMMY® award-winning journalist Ashley Kahn
“a moody, haunting masterpiece” – All About Jazz
available now on 180g 3-LP, 2-CD & digital

“Any lesson
down that road, and I trusted than speaking his mind, when he was building an ark. The album clos-
God, I can walk with them
now.”
I teach is not he hopes to cut through es in a similar vein and humor with “Second
clouded chatter of rage- Opinions.” For years, Hall has joked about
“Healer” resonates with the
polarization which seeming-
something based responses to un- The Book of Second Opinions that includes say-
veil a common hurt that ings like “God won’t give you anything you
ly severed a nation that once
prided itself on unity. Hall
I’ve learned; requires all hands and can’t handle”—and other sentiments that are
hearts to align to heal. close enough to Scripture that it gets twisted
recalls a devotion from the
Book of James that we should it’s something “Healing for our coun- in translation. Hall, who admittedly has fall-
try is not going to be en victim to this, calls his audience to consid-
be quick to listen, slow to
speak, and slow to anger. I’m learning.” elected, and it’s not com- er whether God has failed them or if they are
ing through a hashtag,” just disillusioned by misinterpretation of His
Hiding behind comput- adds Hall. “The healer promises.
er screens and user handles already came; he’s here. Like stepping stones, the listener ascends
instilled confidence to spew hatred. Media Our problem is that we want comfort, but we each song on their journey to becoming
algorithms allow us to stand firm in our con- don’t want a King.” whole again. To pave the path, Hall does not
victions, constantly reinforced on a positive The lyrics delineate the dilemma that if write from a tower of righteousness. Casting
feedback loop of like-minded timelines. Jesus is “the healer,” we must love like Him— Crowns' best-selling strength lies in their
“After passively-aggressively burning bridg- with truth. “It’s evident that we love our candid imperfection and humbled efforts to
es, we’re back together and now reminded friendships more than we love our friends,” reach weary hearts through open ears.
of what we said back when we were feeling says Hall. “We love having our friends so “It’s very important that people understand
‘right,’” says Hall. “We were feeling a little much that we’re not willing to tell them that I don’t have it together,” Hall concludes.
weak, so we looked for causes that cost us the something they need to hear because we “I think that love earns you the right to speak
least. It’s so easy to be passionate about some- don’t want to lose them. But love is going to the truth. But also, transparency earns you
thing that cost you nothing.” cost you, and healing has to come through us.” the right to speak truth. I’m not a believer be-
Hall thanks God for his gift of “taking every “Crazy People” explores the way people must cause I’m good. I’m a believer because God is
opportunity possible to just shut up.” Rather have perceived Biblical characters like Noah good. And he rescued me.”
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Tom
Morello
Spinning the Atlas
BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES | PHOTO BY TRAVIS SHINN

Photo courtesy of Fullcover
Communications

I
t’s the story of Tom Morello’s life. Writing, recording, stallment continued what Morello started with The Atlas Un-
and performing manically since he was 17 years old. derground in 2018, and allowed him to remove the laments of
When his fixed musical state ended abruptly around anxiety and fear, pressing him to pick up the guitar and make
the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Morello music. “Ninety-five percent of the guitars on this album were
put down his guitar for the first time in his career. recorded by myself on my cellphone and shipped around the
“It was the first creative drought of my life, and it came to world,” says Morello. “The crazy thing is that it really was a
a screeching halt in the midst of a plague, and a lockdown, global record, even though it was made in a bunker.”
and a crazy political situation,” says Morello. Guitarist and Fire ignited, uniting the nations of music, crossing genres
co-founding member of Rage Against the Machine—the and experimental mixes, starting at the beginning with
band’s 2020 reunion tour now off the table and postponed— “Harlem Hellfighter,” a frenetic instrumental ode to Morel-
Morello didn’t play his instrument for four months before lo’s birthplace of Harlem, New York, using backward sam-
eventually gravitating back to his lifeline. Recording ran- pling on Java EE before kicking into a powerhouse troika on
dom guitar riffs on his phone and sharing with the cover of AC/DC’s 1979 hit “Highway
artists across the globe to contribute vocals, to Hell,” featuring vocals by Bruce Spring-
lyrics, and mixes, Morello assembled The Atlas
Underground Fire.
“The crazy steen, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, and some of
Morello’s classic guitar shred and additional
“All of a sudden these roaring tracks started thing is backing vocals from E Street Band guitarist
coming back,” says Morello. “I was building this Stevie Van Zandt.
musical lattice, a community of collaborators that it Morello’s international contributions
around the planet. Even though I was isolated, comprise Dennis Lyxzén of Refused writ-
and cloistered, and completely alone with noth- really was ing and lending vocals on “Save Our Souls”
ing but my guitar and my little microphone on from Sweden, with Springsteen recording
my phone, I was able to make a record, to col- a global his parts from New Jersey, Vedder in the Pa-
laborate with people, and to connect.” cific Northwest, and Marley collaborating
Remembering that Kanye West recorded record, from Jamaica. Palestinian DJ and electronic
most of his 2019 album Jesus Is King using voice producer Sama Abdulhadi was mixing the
memos on his phone, Morello resolved to the even closing Fire instrumental, “On the Shore of
do same, on guitar. “With all the fear and anx- Eternity,” while the Israeli bombings were
iety swirling around, inspiration came from a though happening around her, leaving Morello con-
very unlikely place: Kanye West,” shares Mo- cerned for the artist’s safety when he didn’t
rello. Without access to an engineer, he began it was hear back from her for a few days in between
sending his DIY guitar files to artists around the
globe from Palestine, Sweden, across the U.S., made in a their sessions.
“I sent her some of my more traditional
Brazil, Jamaica, the U.K., and 25,000 feet above
sea level.
bunker.” Morello, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath
riffs and she admitted she didn’t know what
Starting with the portions of “Hold the Line,” to do with it,” says Morello. “I said, ‘pretend
featuring grandson, and the Damian Marley track “The you’ve never heard a note of music,’ and she sent me this
Achilles List,” recorded prior to lockdown, the larger portion 8-minute-long Arabic trance track. I put on my Charlie
of the album was constructed remotely between Morello and Parker ears, closed my eyes, and just blew it over the top of
the interested parties throughout 2020. it without any preconceived notion and let it surf over these
“It was this crazy juxtaposition of every day being exactly melodies, then sent the raw tracks back to her so she could
the same,” says Morello. “I was not so much a musician, but I mix and weave it into a cohesive whole.”
was a plumber, a caregiver, and the guy trying to fix the kids’ “Naraka,” meaning a place of torture or hell in Indian
Zoom chat for school. Then, for an hour or 90 minutes a day, religions, somewhat captured the climactic nature of Mike
I would work on Atlas and collaborate with these musical Posner’s locale while working on the track with Morello, re-
pen pals.” cording his vocals while in Nepal, summiting Mount Everest.
Calling it his life raft during the pandemic, this new in- “We wanted to create something spooky and powerful and

finding a way that the electric guitar had a substantial presence in this List,” produced by the Bloody Beetroots, Zane Lowe with additional
other world that we were creating,” says Morello of the track. vocals by teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg, juxtaposed by
Initially meeting at a Chris Cornell memorial, Chris Stapleton “Let’s Get the Party Started,” featuring UK rockers Bring the Horizon,
and Morello intended to write the soulful rocker addressing anxiety on a rock anthem surface.
“The War Inside” via Zoom but instead spent two “It’s about the flip side of that depression coin,
hours talking about their experiences trying to
keep their families going during uncertain times.
“It’s like-minded where if you’re faced with a mountain of anxiety,
you can either slide into this shadowy world of
Co-produced by Stapleton and Dave Cobb, artists from depression, or you can party yourself to death,”
whose credits include John Prine, Brandi Carlile, says Morello, “and that was something that was
Rival Sons, and Jason Isbell, “The War Inside” different genres also on the table during this time and could not
came from a more paternal space. “That therapy stay off the record.”
session became the fodder for the song, of two who have come “Driving Through Texas” was pieced together
dads talking about life, what it’s like to manage with electronic duo Phantogram. Morello zoned
three generations, not drink yourself to death,” together to out for a few days crafting layers of “noises” for
reveals Morello. “So that became the underlying the duo’s Josh Carter to work on. “I was making
premise of the song.” shoulder the riffs, songs, and solos and these atonal things that
Embracing a progressive form, Atlas Under- were in the pocket and gave Josh [Carter] all of
ground Fire is an alt and electronic rendering of weight of the these sonic colors as a palette to create on. There
rock, the aftereffect of darker times and conse- were literally no rules and no deadlines, and no
quences of a sequestered state, sweeping through world.” end in sight. It really wasn’t life raft on a daily
a manifesto on political unrest—You gotta stay basis to be able to have that outlet.”
steadfast / Tread lightly because they’re looking for For Morello, instrumentals “Harlem Hellfight-
a reason to knock you down—on the industrial pulsed “Hold the Line,” er,” “Charmed, I’m Sure,” and “On the Shore of Eternity” were criti-
co-written with Jordan Benjamin (aka grandson), and “The Achilles cal to completing Fire. “It was an assertion that yes, I am a musician
PRS Strings & Accessories

Staple tools for serious musicians

and yes I am a guitar player, and I’m moving forward in a time where “It’s a solo record because there’s a kind of a purity of vision, and this
we’re supposed to be shouting into the darkness, and I can play un- idea that the electric guitar, which I believe is the most important
fettered by lyrics,” says Morello. “It’s my strong opinion that in order instrument created by humankind, doesn’t just have a path, it has a
for music to be able to connect for the artist creating it and for the future,” he says. “And it’s my guitar and my vision of how the guitar
listener it has to be authentic and that’s why I let the songs go where should be in that future. That is the common thread and north star
they were going to go.” that guides the process with each of the individual tracks, where the
Fire was also Morello’s daily therapy, cracking the reclusion of the chemistry of myself and the individuals and the tracks are taken in
lockdown. “It felt like there were six stars above the clouds,” says places that it would never transcend what I could have done alone.”
Morello of making the album. “I was more than a guy cleaning up ac- He adds, “It’s like-minded artists from different genres who have
cidents or fixing broken windows. I was still a musician, and I hadn’t come together to shoulder the weight of the world.”
been for four months, for the first time ever. It was a way to continue And that is the thesis of The Atlas Underground Fire, says Morello.
to identify as an artist and as a curator and as a rocker, while most of “The idea was to have a record that is curated the way that can with-
the days were kind of static, there was this brief window every day to stand crazy shifts,” he says. “I wanted to make a record that is creative.
explore the unexpected thing.” Even though there’s a Chris Stapleton song, a Damian Marley song,
Connecting with some artists he found during lockdown like Pos- a Protohype song, and a Bruce Springsteen song, the hope is that the
ner and hip-hop artist Protohype (aka Max Hype), Fire was as much guitar playing is the cement between the 12 tracks.”
an outlet as an exercise in musical and self-discovery. There’s healing in releasing The Atlas Underground Fire to the
“Every day, I would just pick a guitar randomly, set the dial on the world, and Morello is ready to return home, to Rage Against the Ma-
effects differently, and just create with absolutely no preconceptions,” chine. “It was a spectacular challenge,” says Morello, who is ready to
says Morello. “Then I’d listen back to the stuff that I created at night, tour with the band again. “I wanted the connection, and I wanted to
wondering who I wanted to work with on individual tracks. Someone submerge myself in a process that needed others. It wasn’t so much
might respond to riff number two from that day, and that became the ‘Hey, here’s a song and will you play,’ it was more ‘let’s get through this
starting point.” troubled time. Let’s hold on to each other for dear life and see what it
Fire hits both ends for Morello as a solo and collaborative offering. is that comes out of it.’”
After 30 glorious years

of leading renowned Celtic
punk rockers, The Mahones,
founder and band leader Finny
McConnell decided it was high
time to write and produce
an album for himself.
Available Now

Megadeth
Business is Good
BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES | PHOTO BY JARROD ANTHONEE

I t’s September 13, 2021, inside the Leader Bank Pavilion
in Boston, and Megadeth just finished their set when
frontman Dave Mustaine gets an unexpected message in
his ear monitor. His daughter Electra is urging him to turn
around. “Here I am singing and playing guitar and used to
just hearing myself and all of a sudden I hear my daugh-
ter saying ‘Dad look behind you,’” says Mustaine. “I just
thought the world was coming to end or something, and I
was waiting for a giant meteor to hit.”
When Mustaine turned around the video screens on stage
were switched back on, playing a collection of recorded birth-
day wishes from friends like Slash, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne,
Slayer guitarist Kerry King, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, Trivium,
Ice-T, KORN’s Brian "Head" Welch, and Lamb of God, who
co-headlined with Megadeth on The Metal Tour of the Year
that evening. Mustaine turned 60 that day and was touched by
the surprise, the heartfelt sentiments, and the audience singing
“Happy Birthday.”
“That was absolutely the best ever,” says Mustaine. “I have my
favorites with my friends and I have my favorites with my friends
that are artists, and to see Sharon and Ozzy [Osbourne] wish me
a happy birthday was the greatest thing ever. I absolutely adore
Sharon, and what can you not say about Ozzy? I love them. I just
want to give them a hug.”
For Mustaine, celebrating this particular birthday milestone
with his family and friends in tow, was an especially momen-
tous and emotional moment for the singer, who revealed that
he was diagnosed with throat cancer in May 2019, and under-
went extensive treatment involving 51 radiation treatments and
nine chemotherapy treatments throughout the year, resulting in
the band canceling their shows. Determined to beat cancer, the
thought of not singing or performing again was not an option current virus, swine flu, and other epidemics from centuries past.
for Mustaine. “The song itself was a historical journey of how the plague start-
“I wasn’t really involved in the state of affairs the world was in ed and where it went, starting with rats on ships carrying the
at the time,” shares Mustaine on his treatment and recovery from disease, coming ashore in Sicily,” says Mustaine, who references
cancer in 2020 during the onset of COVID-19. “My voice was on the Black Plague of 1347-1350, which killed a third of the Euro-
the line, and we were in the middle of what I believe is one of our pean population, and the nursery rhyme “Ring Around the Ros-
better records in a long time.” ie,” which is linked to the Great Plague of London
Less than a year after being diagnosed, Mus- in 1665. “Ring around the rosie was the ring on your
taine got the all-clear from the doctors on Oc- “A brand new cheek, the [rash] that would show on your cheeks
from the plague,” says Mustaine. The pocketful of
tober 16. Cancer-free, Mustaine went back to
work on Megadeth’s 16th album and the fol-
low-up to their 2016 release Dystopia, titled The
song can be posies references the flowers people carried around
to fend off death and its smell, while the line ashes,
Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!. “I know a lot of
you guys know that I pray,” Mustaine said during
made up of ashes, they all fall down, referred to those that had
died and were often cremated. “It was a lot heavier
his show at the SSE Arena in London on Janu-
ary 31, 2020, just months after getting the news
something I than anybody ever thought,” adds Mustaine.
Throughout its afflictions and other reflections,
that he had beat cancer. “I say that in ‘Peace
Sells’ [referencing the What do you mean I don’t
wrote when I the album is assembled from riffs and music Mus-
taine has had archived for years, some as far back as
his teens. “A lot of the riffs have been saved over
believe in God? I talk to him every day line in the
1986 track]. I pray every day. I say that in the was 15 or 55. If time,” says Mustaine. “A brand new song can be
made up of something I wrote when I was 15 or 55.
song. I’ve said it since the second record. But
I thought about you guys every day, too. And I it’s a good riff, If it’s a good riff, I’ll save it.”
thought about my family. And I got this power Working on the tracks, along with guitarist Kiko
from you guys.” I’ll save it.” Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren, formerly
Set for release in spring 2022, Mustaine says of Swedish metal band Soilwork, who joined the
the title track is about the plague, but not solely band full time in 2016, Mustaine says everyone was
centered around the current pandemic. A broader, more histori- involved in piecing together the songs on the album recorded
cal scope of the diseases that have plagued humankind through- partially in the U.S. with Loureiro working on his parts from his
out time, “The Sick The Dying… and The Dead” covers the home in Finland.

“Once you make that move to the studio, you
start to notice all the idiosyncrasies of your
Mega V Necks
playing strengths or weaknesses anywhere,” Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine challenges Gibson with Flying V, acoustic designs
says Mustaine. “It’s also the time when you
see the caliber of the musicians you’re working
with day after day, week after week.”
Now, 39 years since Megadeth first formed, The back of Alive!, the first live album Kiss lot of the other guitars that I’ve played,”
releasing their debut Killing Is My Business… ever released in 1975, and also one of the says Mustaine. “The legs of the guitar went
and Business Is Good! in 1985, the band’s histo- first LPs Dave Mustaine ever purchased, to a point instead of being rounded like a
ry has not been without its tumult within the read “Kiss uses Gibson Guitars because they Gibson.”
band, and personally. Mustaine overcame ad- want the best.” This was all the Megadeth The other change Mustaine made was
diction to drugs and alcohol, finally finding so- frontman needed to spark a lifelong love to the Gibson headstock, which typically
briety, and faith, in 1997. In 2002, he was also of the instruments. Never able to afford has three tuners on each side. “When I play
diagnosed with radial neuropathy and told he an authentic Gibson early on in his career, live, sometimes I get a little nervous when
would never play guitar again, and had to put Mustaine purchased a fake V neck for $200. I'm fiddling with tuners since my hands are
the band on hiatus to undergo intense therapy “It was what we call a copy guitar, but it really strong, and I can't do it very well with
and recovery, which involved teaching himself played wonderfully,” says Mustaine, who all the adrenaline surging on stage,” he says.
how to play guitar again. The band eventual- got a Gibson sticker from a Gibson repair “So instead of having three on one side,
ly released their 10th album The System Has person and stuck it on the guitar so it looked that can twist in one direction, and then
Failed in 2004. Most recently, Mustaine came like the real deal. three on the other side that you twist in the
under fire for calling mask mandates “tyranny” Climbing the food chain of guitar opposite direction, I have all six of
at a show and has had an ongoing feud with companies shortly afterward, first working them on one side going the same
former Metallica bandmates—Mustaine was with B.C. Rich, and briefly with Jackson direction.”
the band’s original lead guitarist from 1981 and ESP, Mustaine later landed Mustaine also designed four
through 1983—which has simmered down with Dean Guitars, with who he acoustic guitars—available April and
over the past decade, with the two bands even remained for 14 years before May of 2022 to coincide with the release
sharing the stage with one another on several officially partnering with Gibson of Megadeth’s 16th album, The Sick, the
occasions. in 2021. “I enjoyed my time there Dying and the Dead—including two Dave
Megadeth band members have also come [with Dean],” says Mustaine, “but Mustaine CF-100 models in Bloodburst
and gone, then went away again. In the spring the opportunity to be with the and Blacked Out, and two Kramer Flying
of 2021, co-founding member and bassist Dave best guitar company in the world V Vanguards in Metallic Silver and Black.
Ellefson was released from the band following presented itself, and that to me The acoustics feature 24 frets and were
a controversial private video that was leaked was an absolute miracle.” constructed differently internally with a
online. In the interim, James LoMenzo, who First approached by Gibson in heavier bracing inside the guitar, shifting
replaced Ellefson when he first left the band, 2020, Mustaine began working the tone of guitars.
2006 through 2010, and is featured on Mega- with the company to design “Those are the designs that I brought to
deth’s 2007 release United Abominations and the Dave Mustaine Flying V Gibson,” says Mustaine, “and rest assured
Endgame in 2009, was enlisted for recent tour- EXP, available in Antique they know how to make guitars.”
ing commitments. Ellefson’s bass parts were Natural and Silver Metallic. Under the partnership, Mustaine will
also re-recorded by an unidentified musician The 25.5” scale mahogany also be featured in content and projects
for the upcoming album. neck features 24 medium across Gibson, Epiphone, and Kramer, and
Navigating all the ebbs, there were many jumbo frets, mother of pearl will join the Gibson Artist Alliance, the
flows since Mustaine formed Megadeth in “teeth” inlays, an Explorer- philanthropic arm featuring mentorship,
1983. The band picked up a Grammy for Best style headstock with Grover research, and development programs
Metal Performance in 1990 for Rust in Peace Mini Rotomatic tuners curated by iconic musicians and newer
and released several platinum and multi-plat- with Kidney buttons, a artists, as well as industry executives.
inum albums, including Countdown to Extinc- Graph Tech nut, a pair A long way from his not-so-real model
tion in 1992. of Dave Mustaine’s decades earlier, Mustaine insists the
Throughout it all, and the band’s nearly 40 signature Seymour Flying Vs won’t last long.
years, one thing has remained intact: the songs. Duncan Thrash “The strategy the company has for
For Mustaine, lyrics still come to him the same. Factor pickups, a the rollout of this model and beyond is
The structure hasn’t shifted, only the sources Tu n e - O - M a t i c mind-blowing to me,” says Mustaine.
of inspiration. “I like to read a lot, and I watch bridge, and Stop “I think that the demand for these
the news quite a bit, and there’s a lot of things I Bar tailpiece. is overwhelming. I think fans and
get entertainment from, whether it’s education “ T h e guitar aficionados interested in
or historical, or telling someone what ‘London flying V is getting this guitar better preorder
Bridge is Falling Down’ is about. I like getting essentially because the waitlist for these is
a lot of my lyrical stuff from history because I designed going to be wild… but that’s a
find that when you tell somebody something like a great problem to have.” – TBE
that’s true, they walk away better for it.”

Jesse
McCartney
Entering a New Stage
BY KATHERINE YESKE TAYLOR | PHOTO BY SAM DAMESHEK
P op singer/songwriter and actor Jesse McCartney is based

in Los Angeles, but today he’s calling from Delray Beach,
Florida, where he will perform one of his first shows in front of a
live audience since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “Honestly, it
feels like recovery—it feels like the world is healing,” he says. “It’s
just so nice to see everyone’s faces in the audience, and people
cheering and singing. It’s a sense of normalcy that so many of us
have been hoping for for so long.”
There will be many more shows soon—McCartney has a full
U.S. tour set for November and December to support the October
release of New Stage, his first studio album in seven years. He says
this long delay wasn’t intentional, but rather because “[he] was
having so much fun!” In between albums, he took on acting roles,
including a significant turn in the television show Fear the Walking
Dead, as well as voice-over work for films such as Alvin and the
Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015). But, he says, “Obviously the
biggest thing worth mentioning is the fact that I was in a serious
relationship, and now we’re engaged, so I was just enjoying that
part of my life.”
All of this life experience eventually led McCartney back to
music. “I realized there’s a lot of good material here, a lot of great
stuff to talk about and share, and so that was when I decided to go

in the studio and start writing again,” he says, as a teenager, travel, and his life in the Lau- ents, “and my mom and dad were like, ‘He’s
“and out came this project, the New Stage al- rel Canyon area of Los Angeles. He keeps his singing it in perfect pitch!’ I could just hear
bum. So it’s been nice, and I’m really proud songwriting ideas organized in a straightfor- songs and then sing them back in the very
of it and think that it talks about some really ward way: “I have endless amounts of voice same key that they were performed.”
important things. I’m just excited to hear ev- notes on my iPhone, and as basic as it sounds, From there, McCartney says, “I listened
erybody’s reaction.” I use the Notes application,” he says. “I make to a ton of musicians and singer/songwriters
This album is titled New Stage because Mc- a punch list of all the things that I definitely growing up, a lot of which were my parents’
Cartney feels like he’s entered the next major want to talk about for the project, and I try to favorites: James Taylor, Carole King, Stevie
phase in his life. “I’m going to be this married write a few songs around these topics. Then Wonder, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, and
guy—it’s like all the sudden I blinked, and I’m I’ll sing a melody on the mic and try to write Prince. Elvis Presley was the first album I ever
a grown-up, doing grown-up things and mak- lyrics to that melody. It’s not reinventing the pulled out of my parents’ album collection
ing grown-up decisions—it just feels like I’m wheel, but it works for me.” when I was like 4 years old, so I discovered
in chapter two of my life at 34 years old, and For his lyrics, McCartney tries to focus on [him] on my own. I thought, ‘This guy is really
I’m really happy about it,” he says. “Overall, I the moments in life that other pop performers cool—I want to be like him.’”
think that the message on this album is, I’m may overlook. “I think there’s something very McCartney also remembers drawing signif-
just so grateful for all that I’ve been given.” special and meaningful and vulnerable about icant inspiration from contemporary singer/
McCartney says he’s especially excited having songs that could literally be about hav- songwriters: “I remember trying to emulate
for people to hear the track “Party for Two,” ing dinner one night,” he says. “People con- Craig David, who I idolized. And Daniel Bed-
which he wrote as an engagement gift for his nect with that, and I think they see a lot of ingfield, who I think is one of the greatest pop
fiancée, Katie Peterson. “It has a very classic themselves in music like that, especially now vocalists. Those two gentlemen, for me, really
tone and energy to it. It’s got kind of a bossa that the fans are getting older. Maybe they, started shaping my early sound.”
nova feel. I played it live now twice, and I can too, are married or engaged and having kids. McCartney’s parents were supportive of his
already see it connecting with the audience. I feel like they’re sort of growing up with me budding creativity, and encouraged him to au-
It’s nice to see that,” he says. and they get to share that.” dition for a community theatre production of
Besides his engagement, other topics that McCartney first discovered the joy in shar- the musical Oliver! that was being put on in
inspired McCartney for this new album in- ing music when, at two and half years old, he the town just north of New York City where
cluded looking back on his first taste of fame sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for his par- they lived. “I was scared at first, but I saw the

other kids getting up auditioning and in a con- of wisdom to offer other songwriters who may Even with all that success, McCartney ad-
fident way, [as a] precocious little 7-year-old, I be facing the same obstacle: “I think if you are mits feeling a bit intimidated when he was
thought, ‘I can do better than that.’” And he just starting out, my biggest piece of advice is asked to perform for a U.S. President—a feat
could: he got the lead role of Oliver. just to finish a song when you’ve started it. See he has done twice: first for George W. Bush,
Performing in that musical theatre produc- it through to the end. Don’t hang something and then for Barack Obama. “I don’t care who
tion was life-changing for McCartney. “That up because halfway through you think it’s not you are and how accomplished or seasoned
was this moment where I realized, ‘This is ev- good enough. Maybe it won’t be, but finishing of a performer you are, you still get nervous
erything to me. This is so much fun! I feel so is such a huge accomplishment, and it gives in those moments,” he says. “Performing for
comfortable here.’ So I just kept chasing that you the sense of, ‘I can do this.’ Some of my Obama, I was ready for it, but still, seeing him
feeling,” he says. best work came after I’d finished a song that sitting three arm lengths away, it was pretty
Singing and performing may have come I didn’t think was good enough, and I went wild. But he was super cool. He was smiling
naturally to McCartney, but things got much back and rewrote it or edited it, and then it and dancing and having a good time. Presi-
more challenging when he started writing his became a huge song.” dents love good music, too.”
own songs when he was 13 years old. “I think This determination to follow through on Even though he already has an accom-
it was called ‘Star-Crossed Lovers,’ or some- songwriting eventually resulted in significant plished career, McCartney says he intends to
thing ridiculous,” he says with a laugh, recall- success for McCartney. His 2004 debut album, continue striving. “I just want to be able to
ing his first songwriting attempt. “I had just Beautiful Soul, which was recorded when he look back and be fulfilled and know that I did
seen Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in was still in his mid-teens, has achieved plat- everything I could and tried everything that
[the 1996 film] Romeo + Juliet and I remem- inum sales status. Now several albums into I wanted to try, and have a life worth talking
ber thinking, ‘That’s so cool—I want to write his career with New Stage, he’s continued about later on in my older years,” he says,
a song about that.’ And it was like the worst to attain chart success for himself, as well as “and I really get so much joy out of making
song ever written. I remember that song being writing hit songs for others, such as co-writ- people happy and changing people’s mood,
a teachable moment where it was like, ‘Okay, ing (with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder) the even for three and a half minutes. I know I’ll
I’m going to have to practice this if I want multi-platinum single “Bleeding Love” (2007) always be making music. I’ll never turn off
people to hear my original songs.’” for Leona Lewis. He’s also headlined his own the microphone. My favorite place to be is
After confronting that dauntingly steep tours, as well as opening for Backstreet Boys up on stage, so I don’t think I could ever give
learning curve himself, McCartney has words and New Kids on the Block. that up.”
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D AV E
G RO H L
Rock & Roll
Storyteller
BY KATHERINE YESKE TAYLOR

Photo Courtesy of Magdalena Wosinska

Photo Courtesy of Magdalena Wosinska

Though the music industry has
taken a brutal beating during
the COVID-19 pandemic, a major sign
that things are bouncing back
came on June 20, 2021, when the Foo
Fighters re-opened New York City’s
famed Madison Square Garden
with a sold-out show.
The beloved rock band kicked hood.” That list also included lots he says, “but we were always happy.
things off with “Times Like These,” of stories about Foo Fighters, as well There were times when the elec-
their 2003 hit single—and on as Grohl’s days as the drummer for tricity got shut off, or the heat or
this night, the hopeful lyrics seem the seminal grunge band Nirvana. the phone. Or my mother would say,
particularly poignant, especially As Grohl began writing, it quick- ‘Guess what’s for dinner? Scrambled
when frontman Dave Grohl sings, ly became clear that this should egg sandwiches!’ And [my sister
It’s times like these, you learn to live be more than just a series of social and I] were like, ‘Yay!’ not realizing
again. Throughout the three-hour media posts, so he ended up turning there was only six pieces of bread
show, there’s a palpable euphoria it into a book, The Storyteller: Tales and four eggs in the fridge.”
in the cavernous space, with many of Life and Music, which was pub- The other driving force, Grohl
audience members crying tears of lished on October 5 (via Dey Street says, was the music itself: “From
joy as they sing along. Books). “It was really fulfilling—I an early age, I realized that that
Two months later, during a call really got into it,” he says. “When was my lifeline, or that was my best
from his Los Angeles home, Grohl I hit ‘send’ on the last story, I got friend, and I would do anything to
reflects on what that show was like really emotional because I didn’t keep it.” He was so driven to play
for him and his bandmates. “I think want it to end. It’s the same feeling that he wasn’t even dissuaded by
that if anyone felt emotion in the as completing a song.” the fact that he couldn’t initially
audience, it was probably just a In The Storyteller, Grohl de- afford to buy a drum set. Instead,
sliver of what we felt because it was scribes how he worked his way up he drummed on pillows in his bed-
fucking amazing,” he says. “We had from being a music-obsessed high room, trying to copy what he heard
been looking forward to that for a school dropout playing in punk on his favorite albums. After he was
long, long time.” bands to becoming one of the most able to get a guitar, he taught him-
While Grohl is relieved that celebrated and influential artists self to play using a stack of Beatles
things are getting back on track, it’s of the past thirty years. Even as he songbooks. All of this was, he says,
not like he’s been idle during the tells harrowing stories from his half- a crucial learning experience for
past year and a half. “When the starved early days, when he could him.
world shut down, I thought, ‘Well, barely scrape up enough cash to “After doing that for hours and
maybe I’ll start an Instagram page live on convenience store corndogs, hours and hours every day, you
where I write [about] these outra- he makes it clear that his passion start to notice the subtleties in the
geously cool experiences that I’ve for music has never wavered. arrangements, or the shape of a
had—this will give me something Grohl credits his mother with composition, or the different types
to do because I can’t just make instilling this grit and work ethic of harmonies, and then the lyrical
lasagna every night for my kids,’” in him. “Growing up in Springfield, qualities of each song,” Grohl says.
he says. “I made a list of thirty or Virginia in a little house, with my “So just through total obsession, I
forty stories, and it ranged from mother working three jobs trying to started to form this idea of how mu-
everything from blowing up my make a public school teacher sala- sic is made or should be.”
neighborhood with fireworks to ry work as a single mother raising Grohl started writing his own
meeting Little Richard to parent- two children, we never had much,” songs when he was 11 years old.

60
AMERICAN SONGWRITER

Photo Courtesy of Dave Grohl Photo Courtesy of Andreas Neumann Photo Courtesy of Jordyn Grohl

This was when he first realized that his sent from heaven.” house in Seattle and recorded what be-
lack of formal musical training could ac- Becoming a professional musician came the first record [Foo Fighters, 1995],
tually be an asset. “One of the blessings didn’t seem more likely even after Grohl without having much expectation.” As he
of not knowing what I’m doing is that I started joining groups. “When I was play- had done on his first recordings as a child,
surprise myself,” he says. “Like, I don’t ing in my early bands, Dain Bramage and Grohl played all the parts himself, but “I
know conventional scales. I don’t know Scream, there was no real commercial called it ‘Foo Fighters’ because I wanted
the names of the chords that I’m making.” aspiration because the type of music we people to think it was a band.”
He was equally inventive when he played wasn’t commercially viable,” he The gamble paid off, with the debut
started recording his songs, creating a says. “It was fast, hardcore punk rock. Or Foo Fighters single, “This Is a Call,” at-
makeshift multi-tracking process with it was like heavy, dirgey sludge. Whatever taining chart success around the world.
cassette decks. He played all the instru- it was, it wasn’t a career option.” “That opened up this new door to me
ments himself. “It became my little secret, Still, Grohl had enough faith in music where life could continue. It really saved
where I would write songs about school that he dropped out of high school so he my life,” Grohl says. He quickly recruit-
or my dog or my dad or whatever,” he could tour the world ed bandmates. “I didn’t want
says. “Of course, the [sound] quality was as the drummer it to feel like a solo project. I
total shit, but I did like the idea of doing for Scream. When “So just didn’t want it to feel like this
it by myself because the reward was almost that band split, he is my backing band. I wanted
sweeter. I didn’t need anyone to help me, moved to Seattle through that same feeling that I had in
and therefore, I didn’t ever have to have and joined Nirvana. every band I’d been in, where
anyone listen to it because I thought it His first album with total it’s a collective, it’s a group,
was horrible.” them, Nevermind and we do this together.”
Determined to improve, Grohl contin- (1991), resulted obsession, I Still, Grohl admits that
ued studying a wide variety of artists. “I in massive fame in it wasn’t easy to become a
grew up, like most people my age, falling a matter of weeks started to frontman. “When you spend
in love with the Beatles, Kiss, Rush, and thanks to hit sin- a decade behind a drum set,
AC/DC,” he says. He also developed a gles such as “Smells
fondness for 1970s AM radio stars such as Like Teen Spirit”
form this hidden behind completely comfortable being
a mop of hair
Gerry Rafferty, Helen Reddy, and Andrew and “Come as You and big, tubby drums, stand-
Gold. “Then I made this radical shift into Are.” The grunge
idea of ing out in front of a skinny
underground American hardcore punk music they played mic stand screaming to 800
rock music, and to me, the allure of that ushered in a revolu- how music people a night, it’s a big shift,”
was its unpolished, unproduced, indepen- tionary alternative he says. “It took me a long,
dent qualities. I liked the fact that these rock movement that is made or long time to get comfortable
people were doing it themselves; they still reverberates with it. I mean, years. I was
didn’t need a record company. That was through the music should be.” about 10 years in before I re-
the most exciting thing because I realized, industry today. But alized, ‘I’d better get used to
‘I can do this, too—I’m allowed. I’ve been that extraordinary this.’”
invited to this party now.’” success also brought Now, after 26 years togeth-
Even so, Grohl says he didn’t seriously immense pressure, and vocalist/guitarist er, Foo Fighters continue their world dom-
believe that music would become his ac- Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. ination. Their accolades include winning
tual career. “A lot of my early years were “When Nirvana ended, I was in a deep, 11 Grammy awards (and being nominated
spent in a deep fantasy of wanting to be deep rut emotionally,” Grohl says. “I for 27 more). This year, they were induct-
in the band I was listening to,” he says. didn’t know if I wanted to play music any- ed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“I never imagined, ‘I’m going to wind up more, and I didn’t know if I wanted to be a Grohl, who was inducted with Nirvana in
on a poster on someone’s bedroom wall.’ drummer anymore. So I just turned to that 2014, seems intent on shifting the atten-
Never. Not that I didn’t want it, but I was old habit of recording things on my own tion to his bandmates this time. “When
like, ‘That’s completely unattainable.’ I and thought, ‘All right, maybe I’ll do this I heard that we were going to be induct-
just imagined people like Paul McCartney in an actual recording studio.’ I booked six ed, my thoughts first went to Pat [Smear,
and Jimmy Page and John Bonham were days at a place down the street from my guitarist]—his contribution to music is as

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important as Nirvana. I mean, he inspired tional, and I think people relate to that. So Then the band doubled down on this
a generation of young punk rock musicians if I write a lyric that people will sing along danceable-rock idea with their new disco
and he’s an innovator. He’s an originator. to, I imagine that each one of them is sing- alter ego, Dee Gees. While spending much
He’s someone from the Germs being induct- ing along for their own reason. Not mine, of the pandemic at their L.A. rehearsal stu-
ed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! It but theirs.” dio, recording things for the BBC or Spotify,
makes me incredibly happy and proud that By now, many Foo Fighters songs are they’d also play cover songs for their own
he’s in my band. deeply embedded in the collective con- amusement. Inspired by the popular 2020
“Then I thought of Nate [Mendel, bass- sciousness: “Everlong,” “My Hero,” “Times documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You
ist], who I started the band with, and Tay- Like These,” and “Best of You,” to name just Mend a Broken Heart, they made a faithful
lor [Hawkins, drummer] and Chris [Shiflett, a few. Grohl uses “Learn to Fly” (from their version of the song “You Should Be Danc-
guitarist],” Grohl continues. “I tried to third album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose ing.” That was such fun that they record-
imagine how they felt when they heard. We in 1999) to illustrate why he’ll be fine with ed several more Bee Gees songs (as well
talked about it a little bit. We didn’t get playing these songs forevermore. “To me, as “Shadow Dancing,” originally by Andy
hung up on it, but it’s a trip.” He adds that that song is more than just music,” he says. Gibb). Under the Dee Gees moniker, they
they certainly won’t begin coasting on this “It’s this immediate connection with thou- released these tracks as an album, Hail Satin,
success: “As a band, we’re sands of people. So when we in July.
addicted to achievement.
So you plant a flag and
“I just start playing a song that an “I read some reviews of [Hail Satin] where
audience recognizes or sings people said, ‘This new career direction is
once it’s raised, you move along to, I feel that connec- just a total disaster for the Foo Fighters,’”
on to the next one. We imagined tion more than my hands on Grohl says with a laugh. “I’m like, ‘Well, it
just keep looking forward.” the guitar. I look in people’s wasn’t really a career decision. It was just for
Though Grohl gives his people eyes and we sing it together fun.’ I think that most everything that we
bandmates a lot of cred- every night, and that’s fuck- do begins with that idea.”
it, he remains the group’s like Paul ing amazing. It’s the greatest For his part, Grohl says he never has trou-
leader and main songwrit- luxury of being in this band, ble staying inspired. “First of all, I’m a to-
er. “There are times where McCartney that we extend our hand tal fucking spaz,” he says cheerfully. “After
a song will just begin with to the audience and invite having incredibly vivid dreams of UFOs or
a lyric, and then I’ll head and Jimmy them to be a part of some- earthquakes or tidal waves or hanging out
to a guitar,” he says, “but it thing for three hours, and with Little Richard, whatever. I wake up
usually starts with melody.
I’ll do a demo by myself
P age and they do.” and I’m like, ‘All right, what am I going
As successful as he’s been, to do today?’ I’m motivated by the people
where I’ll play all of the Grohl hasn’t stopped striv- that I’m surrounded by. I’m blessed with
instruments: put down John ing to expand his songwrit- the availability of opportunities, and then I
drums and bass and guitars ing skills. “From day one, want to take advantage of that. And musi-
and keyboards. So then I Bonham I’ve always tried to diversify cally, I find something new every day that
have these instrumentals, the dynamic within each I become obsessed with for 48 hours, and
and I’ll bank those—I’ll were album because when you do it drives me. There’s just so much to do.
have 20, 30, 40 of them.” that, you open up a door to There’s a list of a hundred things I haven’t
Those demos come into sent from return to it later on. Mean- done yet that I can’t wait to get to—I just
play when it’s time to ing, you’re just broadening have to get the other hundred things out of
make the next Foo Fight- heaven.” the playing field. We’ve the way first.”
ers record. “Depending on touched on all these differ- One of those things, Grohl says, will be
how the band feels at the ent places, and in doing that, another Foo Fighters album, though he’s
time, if it’s time to make a huge rock record, it makes it more comfortable and less con- reluctant to divulge details about that yet.
that’s what we do. If it’s time to make an trived to return to later on,” he says. “We’ve been talking about making the next
experimental, groovy record, that’s what we This adventurous attitude comes through record for the past few months,” he says.
do,” Grohl says. “I’ll look through the bank on Medicine at Midnight, the band’s tenth “What’s it going to be? It’s just a matter of
of songs and think, ‘Okay, this collection of studio album (released this past Febru- picking up the instruments and figuring that
10 songs works together,’ and then I start ary via Roswell Records/RCA). This time, out.”
writing around that.” Grohl says, “It was like, ‘Okay, what haven’t Beyond that, Grohl says, “It’s hard to
Next, Grohl brings the songs to the rest we done? Well, we haven’t really done the make any kind of prediction. I have a sched-
of the band—though they don’t tend to tin- dance thing yet. We’ve made albums with ule and it goes into 2023, but you just have
ker with them for too long. “We set up some these big, heavy riffs—what about groove?’ to cross your fingers and hope that these
microphones and go for it,” Grohl says. Be- All of us grew up listening to early funk things will happen. So you wake up every
cause they don’t overthink it “there’s some and Bowie and bands that managed to play day appreciating the day before, and hoping
simplicity and honesty to it that maybe rock music that you could shake your ass to. you have another to look forward to.” He
people can connect to, and I do write from I was like, ‘God, we’ve never really done does make one promise, though: “There will
a personal place that can sometimes be emo- that! Let’s go for it!’” be a lot of music, I know that.”

OUT NOW
JONI MITCHELL ERIC CLAPTON

ARCHIVES – VOL. 2: THE REPRISE YEARS (1968-1971) THE LADY IN THE BALCONY: LOCKDOWN SESSIONS
(RHINO/WARNER BROS.) (MERCURY STUDIOS)
A FOLLOW-UP to her initial volume of archives, NO CURRENT discussion about Eric Clapton can
released in 2020, Archives Vol. 2 follows Joni keep from stumbling over the obvious elephant in
Mitchell through one of her most prolific peri- the room. It comes in the aftermath of the uproar
ods, the era leading up to her major masterpiece, about the guitar great’s anti-vaxxing commentary.
the beautiful album Blue. The box delves into the That’s not to say Clapton didn’t understand the se-
roots of those initial outings, courtesy of demos, riousness surrounding COVID and the pandemic
alternate versions, and a number of live tracks. that followed. It forced him to cancel his annual
With more than 120 of said unreleased offerings, it appearance at London’s Festival Hall, creating the
could be considered a must for any Mitchell fan. impetus to record the all-too-familiar material he
The concert settings themselves are worthy of would have performed and assemble another mod-
note, given that they shift from small club set- ified collection of his greatest hits.
A seasonal record with vibe tings to more spacious venues, including Carn- Not that he had to do any heavy lifting. With his
featuring originals, covers, and standards. egie Hall, the Paris Theatre, and the realms of reliable backing band in tow—Nathan East (bass
the mass media, including appearances on the and vocals), Steve Gadd (drums), and Chris Stain-
BBC and The Dick Cavett Show. Having the op- ton (keyboards), as well as longtime producer Russ
Peak Vinyl includes bonus dub LP portunity to hear classics like “Urge for Going,” Titelman—he already had the familiarity factor in
The Sounding Joy. “A Case of You,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Both Sides his favor. So too, it wasn’t like he hadn’t revisited
Now,” and “For Free” make for the album’s most much of this material before. After all, “After Mid-
satisfying soundbites, all of which find a waif-like night,” “Layla,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” and “Tears in
Mitchell imbued with confidence and creativity. Heaven,” are staples of a solo catalog that extends
Also out this holiday season: Oddly enough, the March 1968 performance at back some fifty years, much of which was similarly
Le Hibou Coffee House in Ottawa was recorded recorded acoustically in the past. The fact that he
by Jimi Hendrix, who turned out to be one of her released an actual “unplugged” album that shared
most ardent admirers. some of these same staples 25 years ago would seem
That’s not to negate the demos and outtakes, to reek of redundancy.
although much of the material that would later On the other hand, having the album offered
see release seems to have emerged fully formed in a variety of formats—DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD,
with only minor differences between the seminal 4K UHD+Blu-ray, 3 LPs pressed on yellow vinyl,
incarnations and the finished versions. Still, that DVD+BD+CD, and a deluxe edition packaged in
does leave room for some intriguing offerings— a 40 page 12”x12” hardback photo book—provides
among them, a song called “Jesus,” recorded in a needed hint of novelty. Likewise, staging the per-
1969 at a friend’s New York apartment in Chelsea, formance in an old English manor house sans any
the locale that also inspired “Chelsea Morning,” audience other than Clapton’s wife Melia is a dis-
and a Blue outtake of interest titled “Hunter.” tinction as well. The real redeeming factor is the
Many of the offerings find Mitchell in stripped- inclusion of some classic covers (Fleetwood Mac’s
down settings, ideal and organic. “Black Magic Woman” and “Man of the World”),
A version of her singular standard “River” pro- some seminal blues standards (“Got My Mojo
vides one of the most intriguing entries, thanks to Working,” “Rock Me Baby”) along with the tracks
the inclusion of French horns. A booklet boasting he’s covered before (“Key to the Highway,” ““No-
liner notes and unseen photos from Mitchell’s ar- body Knows You When You’re Down and Out”).
chive should provide further enticement, even for Ultimately then, this is classic Clapton. A career
those needing to dig into their couch cushions as a consolidation, consider it simply a worthy revamp.
10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition means of covering the cost. — LEE ZIMMERMAN — L.Z.
Silver
64
vinylAMERICAN
+ 7” with three new songs
SONGWRITER NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2021
REVIEWS
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP,
MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION
1. Publication Title: American Songwriter

2. Publication Number: 1728
3. Filing Date: October 1, 2021
4. Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly
5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 6
6. Annual Subscription Price: $24.95
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication:
1402 Third Ave. N. Nashville, TN 37208
8. Complete Mailing Address of General Business Office of Publisher:
P.O. Box 330249, Nashville, TN 37203
9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher,
Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher, Sam Savage,
P.O. Box 330249, Nashville TN 37203. Editor: Lisa Konicki, P.O.
Box 330249, Nashville, TN 37203.
10. Owner: Savage Media Holdings, LLC. Sam Savage, 4316 Signal
Hill Drive, Nashville, TN 37205;
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders
R.E.M. AIMEE MANN Owning or Holding Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds,
Mortgages or Other Securities: None
NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI QUEENS OF THE SUMMER HOTEL 12. Tax Status: No Change During Preceding 12 Months
(CRAFT RECORDINGS) (SUPEREGO) 13. Publication Name: American Songwriter
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September/October 2021
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation
TEN ALBUMS in, R.E.M. were at the peak of their WHAT BEGAN AS a commission to create a soundtrack
prowess, both credibly and commercially. Released for the stage adaptation of the cinematic master- Average No. Copies Each Actual No. Copies of Single
Issue During Preceding Issue Published Nearest to
25 years ago, the album that reflected that sancti- piece Girl Interrupted evolved into Aimee Mann’s 12 Months Filing Date
fied status, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, became their striking stand-alone album, Queens of the Summer
final recording to feature drummer Bill Berry, who Hotel, and in fact, one of the most emotive efforts a.Total No. Copies 21,489 27,872
left the following year. It also marked their last ef- of her career. Mann, whose notoriety began with b.Paid and/or Requested
fort under the auspices of original manager Jefferson the ’80s band ‘Til Tuesday (best known for their Circulation
Holt and producer Scott Litt, the man that helmed hit “Voices Carry”), has never been shy about (1)Paid/Requested Outside-
the majority of their recordings since early on. sharing emotions that are often tumultuous, but County Mail Subscriptions 8641 9,166
Regardless, critics, fans, and the band members (2)Paid In-County Subscription 0 0
this time around, she’s offered the opportunity to (3)Sales through Dealers and
themselves pronounced it one of their best albums delve into the push and pull of mental illness and Carriers,Street Vendors, Counter
yet in their collective career, even though it was the residual effects that can leave a lingering im- Sales, and Other Non-USPS
also one of their oddest entries as well. By turns print on one’s psyche. Paid Distribution 1,322 2,122
(4)Other classes Mailed
both jarring and dramatic, it was decidedly experi- Surprisingly then, Queens of the Summer Hotel through the USPS 0 0
mental, bereft of many of the more accessible mel- is sweetly sublime, a series of delicately orchestrat-
odies that won them raves early on. Nevertheless, ed arrangements that come courtesy of longtime c.Total Paid and/or
songs such as “Undertow,” “E-Bow the Letter,” Requested Circulation 9.963 11,288
collaborator Paul Bryan. Songs such as “You Fall,”
and “Bittersweet Me” eventually became staples “You Don’t Have the Room,” “Home By Now,” “At d.Free Distribution by Mail,
of their catalog. the Frick Museum,” “Burn It Out,” and the album’s Carrier or Other Means
As with the other R.E.M. anniversary editions initial single, the tellingly titled “Suicide Is Mur- (1)Outside-County 1,548 1,428
that have preceded it, the major incentive for re- (2)In-County 0 0
der,” suggest an elegiac intent. However, there are (3)Other Classes 0 0
purchase lies with the bonus material found on ample hints of Mann’s penchant for pop, especially
disc two, much of it recorded live. In addition to as evidenced on “You Could Have Been a Roos- e.Free Distribution Outside Mail 1,866 5,600
concert performances of songs from the album, evelt,” a wistful and whimsical retreat from the f.Total Free Distribution 3,413 7,098
it boasts several covers that might have initially cerebral sounds that dominate the album overall.
seemed outside the realms of the band’s musical Mann’s no stranger to scoring soundtracks. Her g.Total Distribution 13,376 18,386
mantra, but which clearly reflected some initial contributions to the film Magnolia earned her both
influences. They include spot-on readings of Rich- h.Copies Not Distributed 8,113 9,486
Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Likewise,
ard Thompson’s sobering ode to a carnival thrill her last release, Mental Illness, made it clear that i.Total 21,489 27,872
ride, “Wall of Death,” Glen Campbell’s longing she had no qualms about sharing her own issues
lament “Wichita Lineman,” and the idyllic “Love both candidly and creatively. Nevertheless, the j.Percent Paid and/or
Requested Circulation 74.48% 61.39%
Is All Around,” originally recorded by the Troggs. new album is different in that regard, not only in
Naturally, there are other additives to be found that it relies on a different personality perspective
in the deluxe version, including a blu-ray featur- but also in that the strings offer an easy embrace
ing the original album in hi-res and 5.1 surround that belies any darker designs. Songs such as “In I certify that the above information is correct
sound, various videos, and a hardcover book of Mexico,” “Give Me Fifteen,” and “I See You” coast
photos boasting liner notes and commentary along with a supple sway, suggesting a more sedate
by the band, producer, and celebs such as Patti scenario than the original screenplay otherwise
Smith and Thom Yorke. implies. Consequently, it ranks with the best al-
For most, the two-CD set ought to suffice, giv- bums of Mann’s nearly 40-year career. Expressive
en that it’s the additional audio that’s especially and emotive, it’s a work that finds delicacy and Samuel Savage, Publisher
vital here. That alone ensures that there are New diligence operating on equal footing. — L.Z.
Adventures aplenty. — L.Z.

VARIOUS ARTISTS MY MORNING JACKET
HIGHWAY BUTTERFLY: THE SONGS OF NEAL CASAL MY MORNING JACKET
(ROYAL POTATO) (ATO)
YOU MAY NOT recognize the name but it’s likely TWO YEARS AGO, the future of My Morning Jacket
Neal Casal has contributed his talents to an act was in doubt. “We didn’t know if we’d make an-
you’re familiar with. He was an integral player other record again,” admits frontman, singer/song-
in the roots/jam/indie singer/songwriter scene writer Jim James in the press notes for this self-ti-
for decades, as backing guitarist for Ryan Adams tled release. After all, the band had not been in the
(2005-09), Chris Robinson Brotherhood (2011- studio together since the 2015 sessions that yielded
19), Hard Working Americans (2013-17), and two volumes of The Waterfall, they hadn’t head-
too many others to mention. But Casal was also lined a tour in four years, both James and longtime
a prolific solo artist, releasing 14 albums during guitarist Carl Broemel had released and toured be-
a career tragically cut short by suicide in 2019. hind solo albums and James as primary songwriter
Before he left though, he touched countless lives was burned out. But after four successful 2019 con-
with a magnetic personality described as gentle, certs, the five-piece realized their chemistry was
spiritual, loving, and even incandescent. impossible to duplicate and recorded these eleven
This sprawling homage featuring 41 of his origi- songs, pre-pandemic. As usual, the music is diverse,
nal compositions by as many different artists is a la- although, with James’ uniquely keening vocals and
bor of love. His longtime manager Gary Waldman a rootsy approach anchored in Americana, MMJ’s
spearheaded the project co-produced by Wide- albums have always been unpredictable.
spread Panic’s Dave Schools. The contributors Once again, the group walks a musical tight-
are a who’s who of indie roots rock, country, and rope that includes the country-influenced, catchy,
singer/songwriters combined with a mix of less- “Least Expected,” the propulsive rock of “Penny for
er-known acts and an impressive female presence. Your Thoughts,” and the dreamy, wistful “Out of
The music sticks closely to the melodic and Range Pt.2.” The peppy “Lucky to be Alive” shifts
wistful roots folk/pop/rock that Casal careful- to a harder edge as James sings about the need to
ly shaped. Some selections burn hotter such as play live with Well they cut off all the bread that used
Warren Haynes’ nearly nine-minute “Free to Go” to keep us fed—so thanks for coming to the show.
that channels Neil Young’s wiry intensity and the Epics like the socio-political “The Devil’s in the
Allman Betts Band’s soulful, moody “Raining Details” (nine minutes) that evolves from a sweet
MAKE THE MUSIC Straight Down.” Casal was a world traveler and ballad to Broemel’s multi-tracked jazz sax break,
that informed this disc’s heartfelt title track per- and the tender, psychedelic “I Could Never Get
YOU WANT TO MAKE! formed by Steve Earle at his most sensitive. Enough” (at eight minutes) account for a quarter
Some selections are transformed substantially of the running time. They show MMJ stretching
from Casal’s recordings such as Jimmy Herring’s out without devolving into meandering noodling.
PROFESSIONAL soaring instrumental “Bird with No Name” and the The appropriately titled “Complex” combines
SONG DEMOS sweet “Day in the Sun” (from Casal’s 1995 debut)
stripped down to acoustic guitar and voice by Susan
hard and progressive rocking, moves to a searing
Broemel guitar solo, and finally distorts James’ vo-
Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Each piece is exquisite- cal for a disorienting ending.
G R E AT P R I C E S
ly crafted to bring out the best in them and you get That last misstep notwithstanding, MMJ returns
the sense that Casal would have approved. in a big way for this comeback of sorts. There are
After the last note fades 3¼ hours after the first, enough twists to keep even longtime fans on their
TRY US ONCE & H E A R it’s impossible not to be stirred by the personal toes. It’s what makes them so consistently intrigu-
T H E DIFFERENCE! and emotional investment each performer brings. ing and will hopefully keep the members inspired,
Hopefully, this tender and often moving tribute and inspirational, for the foreseeable future.
makes others aware of his name and frustratingly — H.H.
RAILROADTRAXPRODUCTIONS.COM overlooked music. — HAL HOROWITZ
66 615.796.8599
AMERICAN SONGWRITER NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2021
REVIEWS
“THIS IS A country singer/ ONE CAN ONLY imagine the chagrin felt
songwriter record. It’s just by Rounder label bigwigs when Rob-
unapologetically me,” says ert Plant and Alison Krauss decided
Hayes Carll in the notes to not to immediately follow up their
his eighth album in a de- six-time Grammy-winning, platinum
cade. It’s a self-deprecating collaboration (2007). Those frowns
statement describing a su- have likely now turned upside down
perb set that ranks as one of as the unpredictable ex-Zeppelin
his finest. frontman and his bluegrass-based
Like John Prine, Carll musical compatriot give their unlike-
has a clever, concise style of ly partnership another go.
communicating serious con- Like the prior release, Raising Sand,
HAYES CARLL cepts, frequently through ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS this roof-raising collection produced
dark humor, displaying RAISE THE ROOF by T Bone Burnett features some of
YOU GET IT ALL world-weary truths under- the same musicians and is predomi-
(DUALTONE) (ROUNDER)
neath wry lyrics. Better still, nantly comprised of obscure covers
he cloaks these anecdotes in dusted off and rearranged, often rad-
melodies you’ll be singing after the first spin. ically, by the vocal duo. Both are in fine form and even though they only
From the Chuck Berry/Stones-inflected rocking of “To Keep from Being sing a few leads together, there is a clear artistic connection reflected in the
Found,” where the protagonist is on the run from an ex, to “Help Me Re- song choices and performance.
member,” a heartbreaking story of an aging parent fading into dementia, The set runs from the swampy, moody, fiddle enhanced reimagining
Carll focuses on life’s struggles and complications. of folk legend Ola Belle Reed’s dark, banjo-driven “You Led Me to the
The rootsy singer/songwriter shifts to swamp rock on the sardonic Wrong” and a relatively straight-ahead version of Geeshie Wiley’s “Last
“She’ll Come Back to Me” listing oxymorons like Dolly just can’t sing and Kind Words Blues” to Plant digging into the Chess catalog for the soul
2+2 is 5 to describe the unlikelihood of his estranged wife returning. Like nugget “Searching for My Love,” originally performed by Bobbie Moore
most of Carll’s songs, it’s clever with a biting undercurrent of tragedy. & the Rhythm Aces. Some less obscure selections originally by the Ev-
Brandy Clark guests as both co-writer and the duet voice for “In the erly Brothers (“The Price of Love”) and Lucinda Williams (the Ran-
Mean Time,” a melancholy ballad of a couple that remains together even dy Weeks penned “Can’t Let Go”), find both singers harmonizing, the
though their life is crumbling. The combination of voices with Kenny latter in a slow, rockabilly interpretation that rides an organic groove.
Greenberg’s crying pedal steel is moving, reflective, and genuine. Krauss delivers an elegant, melancholy reading of Merle Haggard’s “Go-
The honesty in Carll’s gritty, everyman vocals as he sings Goddamn the ing Where the Lonely Go” as Plant enters for the heartbreaking chorus.
way I love you from the song of that name reflects the hopelessness of a Folk guitarist Bert Jansch, a strong influence on Led Zeppelin’s acous-
relationship he can’t get over even though he realizes it’s a dead end. tic musings, is revived by Krauss’ vocal on the meditative and eerily per-
Most selections are sung in the first person, imbuing them with rugged cussive “It Don’t Bother Me.” The opening version of Calexico’s “Quat-
rectitude as Carll confronts his trials with dogged determination and dry, tro (World Drifts In)” infuses shadowy global beats as both singers join to
sometimes pitch-black wit. It makes the listener root for him as they would tackle the spiritual lyrics. It may have taken 14 years to arrive, but Raise
a friend relating his challenges in often comical ways, encouraging you to the Roof is another gem from the Plant/Krauss/Burnett team. It’s surely
confront yours in a similar fashion. — H.H. as powerful as, and possibly better than, the twosome’s impressive debut.
Hopefully, we won’t have to wait as long for the next one. — H.H.

LYRIC cONtEST
1stPLACE
“Don’t Waste the Rain”
By Chuck Thomas
2nd PLACE
“The Collector (I Found These Things)”
By Benjamin Diamond
A golden lion with a ruby jaw
A stickpin panda with an opal chest
Splits my soul in two A smuggled Cuban out of Panama
I’m just an old oak turns my leaves gray A birthday card wishing all the best
with a pretty good lean Please gather the limbs
And I might look strong and carry me away A candle dish with tears of wax
but my roots are weak Then build a chair to sit The knife my dad gave when I was ten
I wear lots of rings that you can’t see carve a cross to pray A bright red ball without the jacks
No there aren’t many seasons A rifle bullet from I-don’t-know-when
left in me And don’t waste the rain
Don’t waste the rain on me I found these things, but none of them will do
Now I stood tall back in 18 and 65 Let it fall on the desert I found these things, I can’t find you
The day soldiers mustered by my side Let it flow to the sea I found these things, I can’t find you
Those boys used my trunk Just let me go
to fight behind Leave me be A tail-less monkey from the Rock of Gibraltar
I took bullets as their mamas cried And don’t… A picture of me from Kuala Lumpur
Don’t waste the rain on me A letter from you about my old boss Walter
And don’t waste the rain Gonna keep your note right in this drawer
Don’t waste the rain on me Let’s celebrate the young
Let it fall on the desert Those I’ll leave behind A box of matches and some cheap cufflinks
Let it flow to the sea Just shower them with love A leather wallet from the Netherlands
Just let me go Watch them grow with time A Montblanc pen and a cartridge of ink
Leave me be Mardi Gras beads and your wedding band
And don’t… And don’t waste the rain
Don’t waste the rain on me Don’t waste the rain on me I found these things, but none of them will do
Let it fall on the desert I found these things, and I’ve lost you
Yeah I’ve got breaks Let it flow to the sea I found these things, and I’ve lost you
and I’ve got scars Just let me go
Some caused by wind Leave me be BRIDGE
and some are carved And don’t… I’m a fool, he made me travel for a living
Like James plus Mary inside a heart Don’t waste the rain on me Love is cruel! Lonesome wives are not forgiving
One of many love promises All these keepsakes on my bedside-alter
in my bark I’m just an old oak I’m left with memories, you left with Walter
with a pretty good lean
Now if lightning And I might look strong A jewelry box of inlaid wood
strikes me down someday but my roots are weak Bought for you in the south of Spain
Some Turkish coins and a watch that’s no good
Half a heart on a golden chain
A silver billfold from Mexico

A baby shoe and a ten-pound note
Scan Here to My friends all ask, “Well, where’d she go?”
enter the January/February “I’m with Walter now” is all you wrote
2022 Lyric Contest!

novEmbeR
decembeR wINNERS
3Rd PLACE 4th PLACE
“Barns Fall Down”
By Greg Poulos
“Different Light” There’s plywood on the windows
By Michael McGee of my favorite five and dime
You like to go out

Where my daddy used to buy me candy
once upon a time HONORABLE
I like to stay home
You’re crazy bout, Elvis
I’m more Haggard and Jones
I haven’t been here since that day in 1962
Before the fire choked away
the hope that we once knew
mENTIONs
You love ballet
I can’t stand it There’s craters down on Main Street “More Than Enough”
We share a 30-year mortgage where I used to ride my bike By Kathy Wallace
But not the same planet And where I had my first true kiss
by the blinking traffic light “End Up Town”
(Chorus) The only thing that’s left here now By Blake Bard
We see things in a Different Light are the memories we made
You’re the sun, I’m the moon And the echoes of a lifetime built
with all the love we gave “Don’t Wait”
But that’s all right By Boyd Perttu
As long as our love keeps on shining bright
We can see things in a Different Light ‘Cause barns fall down, down, down
And bridges crumble into dust “This Is Not A Love Song”
You like Tae Bo But all the love we learn to give By Gerald Lenoir
I like Tai chi Becomes a part of us
We both exercise It heals all the heartache “Julyin’”
And the sorrow with its touch
The right to disagree By Greg Wilson, Michell Canning,
I hate going dancing Barns fall down and bridges burn
But love remains with us
Bill O’Hanlon
You hate going fishin’
We share a five-year-old son “Before the Color Dried”
But not the same solar system Oh ashes, ashes on my pillow,
ashes in my head By Jeff Dayton
(Chorus) Some are easy to shake off
and some will linger til I’m dead “Losing Mama Every Day”
But the differences don’t keep us apart But the sweetest love that I know By Paul Bethel
Love ain’t where you’re from came from going through some hell
it’s where you are. And I’d go back one more time again
before my last farewell
“Lewis Prison Blues”
By Hardy Smith
You like decorating
I like to work in the yard
You turn on Oprah
“Shootin’ the Breeze”
I tune into NASCAR By Matt McTighe
You like going shopping
For me, it’s a curse “Hang On Let Go”
We share a used ’99 Saturn By Blake Bard
But not the same universe
(Chorus)

AmERICAN SONGwRITER
LyRIC CoNTESt Q&A
“Don’t Waste the Rain”
Written by Chuck Thomas
Interview by American Songwriter
What was your inspiration for writing “Don’t Waste the Rain”?
The ability to control life and death is a very powerful thing, and the respon-
sibility that comes with making such decisions is immense. This went through
my mind as I read a newspaper article last year that detailed the plight of a small
hospital in rural Louisiana. Located in an area where COVID was taking an in-
credible toll on the population, the hospital found itself in a position where it had
too few ventilators for the number of critically ill patients who needed to be on
a ventilator. The doctors at this hospital found themselves with the unenviable
task of determining which patients stood the best chance of living if placed on And let’s not forget talented musicians like Trey Hensley and Molly Tuttle, who
a ventilator, and those patients who would simply live or die based on their sheer are lighting up the Bluegrass and alt-folk worlds.
will to survive.
For this song, I chose to explore the topic from the perspective of an older pa- How do you find time to write amid life’s many demands?
tient and how they may have responded to the situation. Would they forego treat- A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to write with singer-songwriter/pro-
ment on a ventilator to allow a younger person the chance to live? The story is ducer Will Kimbrough. Will said, “Make music every day.” It’s a phrase he repeats
told through that of an aging oak tree that has lived a long productive life. Like every so often on his social media feeds and I live by those words no matter how
any forest, the bigger, older trees must come down, to allow sunlight and rain to busy I am. One time I came up with a chorus while my car was going through
reach the younger trees. the carwash. Another time I wrote a verse as I sat in a waiting room. There is no
substitute for time spent writing, creating melodies, or even just coming up with a
Have you written music for this lyric? If so, how would you describe it? good title. I believe the more you write, the better songwriter you become, so keep
I didn’t write music for these lyrics but did have a basic melody for the verses and writing no matter how busy you are.
chorus. Shortly after I finished the song, a friend in East Nashville did a rough
recording (guitar-vocal) of the song for me. Though the subject matter of the song What is your idea of a perfect song?
is somewhat sad, the melody and tempo are slightly upbeat…hopeful. I don’t think there’s such a thing as a per-
fect song, but a damn good one grabs the
What keeps you motivated as a songwriter? listener with a great first line and a strong
My desire to create lyrics and melodies which lead a listener to feel some kind of melody, then keeps them there with a sto-
emotion is why I write songs. Knowing that what I write could spark a memory for ry that makes them feel something. It’s a
someone which brings them joy, makes them cry, or makes them want to sing, is song that someone listens to and wants to
what it’s all about. sing along with because they find mean-
I also find the more I learn about the craft of songwriting and the more I im- ing in it. John Gorka’s song “Love is Our
prove my skills, the more I want to use those skills to write more songs. Whether Cross to Bear” comes close.
it be a workshop, an article in American Songwriter magazine, listening to pod- Other songwriters who have definitely
casts, talking to other songwriters, they are all helping me to become a stronger helped shape who I am as a songwriter are
songwriter. Richard Thompson, John Prine, and Bri-
an Wilson. Thompson and Wilson aren’t
Are there any songwriters, artists, or events that have especially inspired you only great lyricists, but they are geniuses
lately? when it comes to music. Prine was, you
There are so many young artists and songwriters creating incredible songs right know, just John f***in‘ Prine. His phras-
now. It really is a listener’s market. I like the work of Noah Gundersen, Jaimee ing, his incredible metaphors, the way he
Harris, Tyler Childers, Lori McKenna, Billie Eilish, Margo Price, John Moreland, drew you into the songs he wrote, made
Phoebe Bridgers, Ruston Kelly, Jason Isbell, Brennen Leigh and so many more. listening to him so special. It still does.

ENTER THE SCAN TO ENTER
JANUARY/
FEBRUARY
LYRIC
CONTEST
TO WIN A GIBSON G-45 GUITAR,
AN AKG P220 MIC AND
A FEATURE IN THE
JAN/FEB ISSUE!
GRAND PRIZE: One annual Grand Prize

winner (chosen among the year’s six bi-monthly
winners), will win a round-trip flight to Nashville
(domestic only) to write a song with this year’s
“Dream Co-Writer,” TBA. The winner will also
receive a full-band, one song demo recording
session at OmniSound Studios and a two-night
accommodation at the historic Union Station
Hotel. Finally, the winner will receive a lifetime
subscription to Songcraft Pro.
E:
BROUGHT
PRIC
LIST TO YOU BY
FIRST PLACE: The first place winner will receive
a Gibson G-45 acoustic guitar, an AKG P220 $1,199
condenser microphone, a one-page Q&A feature
Upcoming Contests
in the corresponding print issue, and a 1-year
complimentary subscription to Songcraft Pro.
FINALISTS: Top four finalists have their lyrics st

Co n te
printed in American Songwriter magazine. Lyric
ar o f the
l Guit
O ffic ia
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Ten honorable JAN/FEB
mentions are recognized in each issue. NOW OPEN! MAR/APR
DEADLINE: DEC. 15 OPENS: NOV. 16
TO ENTER ONLINE, VISIT
1st Place Winner announced via
“Behind the Mic: Live at the Gibson
DEADLINE: JAN 15
americansongwriter.com/lyric-contest Garage” livestream on Nov. 15. All
Winners announced on Nov. 16
online and via e-news.
Guitar varies for each contest. (For official rules and deadlines, please visit www.americansongwriter.com/lyrics-rules-and-deadlines. Dates are subject to change.) The Contest is open to any
amateur songwriter or band. American Songwriter broadly defines an amateur songwriter or band as an individual or entity whose personal income is not primarily from music-related sources
(i.e. songwriting royalties, artist royalties, merchandise sales, live performances, synchronization licenses, record label advances, etc.). The American Songwriter staff judges the first round and
the second round is judged by a panel of established singer-songwriters. The Top 4 winners and 10 Honorable Mentions are determined by a point system based on the judges’ selections. The
judges do not see the names of|the
NOVEMBER entrants. We are
DECEMBER no longer accepting mail-in entries.
2021 AMERICAN SONGWRITER 71
Fender
Player Plus Electric Guitar + TONE MASTER AMPS
By Andy McDonough
HSS. It walks the line of striking and tasteful, you should try. Price: $1,029.99
and its modern good looks are bound to set its
players apart on stage.
In terms of playability, the change to a 12” Tone Master Amps
neck radius and medium jumbo frets was im-
mediately apparent, and the marginal increase
Perfecting a tubeless guitar amp has been a goal
in string spacing at the nut, less so. It struck me
since the 1960s and who better to accomplish
that it was a dramatic change and players more
this than Fender? Their new Tone Master am-
used to the more prevalent 9.5” radius adopt-
plifiers look like a tube amp from the outside
ed by Fender in the 1980s might take a little
but that is where the similarities end. To prove
while to adjust. That said, like most guitarists,
how certain they are of their new technology,
I have guitars with a 12” radius that I go to for
Fender launched it with their popular mod-
specific sounds. So, for me and probably many
els. Currently offering the Tone Master Super
guitarists, it’s not such a big adjustment to
Reverb, Twin Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, Twin
make and it opens up some serious possibilities.
Reverb Blonde, and Deluxe Reverb Blonde.
A flatter radius and a little more space across
Their unique features include a built-in watt-
the fretboard make for easier guitar soloing and
age attenuator allowing super low wattage to
bending notes. Like other instruments in the
full live power. The XLR line output with the
line, the “C” neck shape helps the transition.
volume knob is an onboard direct box to pro-
Maybe it's my big hands, but it felt good under
vide a line directly to the PA system with no
my fingers—different, but good.
microphone needed. The Tone Masters are
Before we move off the neck, it’s worth
designed for easy firmware upgrades with a
mentioning that the fingerboard is made of
USB port, a light-up jewel that changes color
Pau Ferro, a South American tonewood with
to match the mode, and a ground lift. Ameri-
a smooth feel and sonic characteristics similar
can Songwriter tested one at a live gig and the
to rosewood, but lighter in color and harder.
Tone Master Super Reverb was dependable
PLAYER PLUS ELECTRIC GUITAR Fender has been using it for some years now to
and sounded great. Fender Tone Master amps
comply with CITES laws regulating how rose-
also weigh almost half of their tubed counter-
wood is traded internationally. As it turns out,
parts do. Prices start at $899 street. Leave your
When you have instruments as popular as Pau Ferro is more than just the right ecological
heavy tube amp at home and take a Tone Mas-
Fender’s Stratocaster—it’s not a stretch to use choice, it has a warm tone and snappy attack,
ter to the gig.
the word iconic—you’d want to be especial- creating a crisp, clear sound that compliments
ly careful about any changes you make to it, Stratocasters and Telecasters.
wouldn’t you? Why fix something that’s not While the 12” radius fingerboards might be
broken? Well, though clearly nothing is bro- the biggest playability change, newly-voiced
ken, the design team at Fender has managed noiseless pickups and upgraded electronics are
to engineer some changes into the company’s a feature I really appreciate. With the Player
most popular models with the launch of their Plus line, Fender designers took a hard look
new Player Plus series. I was curious, if not a at not just what sounds good, but how pickup
bit skeptical, about what Fender could add to impedances match so that switching between
or change about the Stratocaster HSS, one of pickup configurations doesn’t result in dramat-
the key instruments in that line. Here is what ic (usually unwanted) changes in volume. A
I found. unique feature of the Stratocaster HSS (don’t
First off, know that in addition to the Strato- miss this one) is that the push-pull tone knob
caster HSS, the Player Plus series updates sev- splits humbucking pickup that activates a coil-
en popular instruments that promise improve- split mode. Two additional features found at
ments in tone, playability, and style. In stores each end of the strings are locking tuners that
soon, you’ll see Player Plus versions of the icon- come standard and a two-point tremolo with
ic Stratocaster, Stratocaster HSS, Telecaster, improved block steel saddles.
Nashville Telecaster, Jazz Bass, Jazz Bass V, and The Player Plus Stratocaster HSS offers se-
Precision Bass. rious changes in feel and playability plus the
Like most guitar players, I’ve seen more than new pickups and electronics implementation,
a few Stratocasters over the years, but I was but most importantly, all this is not at the ex-
immediately struck by the visual impact of the pense of the classic Strat tone. It’s not a new
gradient finish of the Belair Blue Stratocaster instrument, but it is a logical evolution—one

PROMO
The H.E. stands for harmonically enhanced and you can engage
this switch to add harmonic color to the highs in your signal. I would
have preferred a low-end harmonic switch but this is a small com-
plaint. It’s likely I’m in the minority here. The color from the H.E.
control is beautifully tuned and fairly subtle. I kept it around nine or
10 o’clock but I raised it as much as three o’clock without hearing
too much nasty harshness. There’s a handy notch filter control with
Q width for the frequency control and you can switch this in and out
as needed. It’s also channel assignable. I liked both switches around
11 o’clock on channel one (my direct signal) but I can see this being
really useful if you connect a mic on channel two and need to cut
feedback by sweeping through the offending signal.
That brings us to the main meat of this unit which is the preamp/
EQ section for both channels one and two. That’s right, separate
controls for each channel. There’s low (120hrz), low mid (590hrz),
mids (880hrz), presence (2.8khrz), and treble (10khrz). It may seem
odd to have presence before the treble but when you know exactly
what frequencies they represent it makes more sense. The EQ is ex-
tremely well-designed and musical and super easy to dial in a great
tone for your instrument. My preferred settings for my direct signal
were low at two o’clock, low mid at one o’clock, mids at 11:30, pres-
ence at eight o’clock, and treble at 10 o’clock.
There’s individual gain for each channel, phantom power for the
XLR input and each channel has a customization switch for violin,
guitar, and bass. Oh and there’s a 1/8" aux input jack for iPods or
what have you for in-between set music or prerecorded accompani-
ment. Seems like they thought of everything!
Additionally, there’s a threaded mic post on the bottom of the
EDB-2 H.E. in case you want to have it on a mic stand next to you
while you play for minor adjustments during your set. Personally, I
Headway New Acoustic kept it on the floor since I was running other pedals in the effects
loop but I can see how having it that close could make your gig life
much easier.
Preamp/Blender Honestly, I almost forgot I was playing directly while using the
EDB-2 H.E. When I combined it with a microphone I could have
easily recorded with it and no one would have been the wiser. I
tried my James May passive tri-contact mic pickup system, my LR
By Ed Pettersen Baggs under saddle active pickup, and I even pulled out my old-
est guitar with a Fishman Rare Earth magnetic pickup and ran all
three through the EDB-2 H.E. vigorously. The only real changes I
Have you struggled endlessly to get a great direct acoustic sound at made were slight EQ and level adjustments. No matter which mic I
gigs? Do you combine under saddle pickups with microphones? Do ran through it, I was able to easily get great results fast. The phan-
you want more hands-on control of your signal? Maybe the fine folks tom power worked beautifully with a large-diaphragm condenser
at Headway heard your pleas and developed the EDB-2 H.E. just for mic. Blending between the direct injection signal on channel one
you. and the mic on channel two was actually fun. No matter where I
In essence, the EDB-2 H.E. is a preamp/blender designed specifi- placed the mic I got great responses. Frankly, the DI signal was so
cally for acoustic guitar, double bass, violin, and any other acoustic good I could forgo the mic if I didn’t have one around or wanted to
instrument that employs an onboard pickup, but it is much more simplify my set up and I wouldn’t feel like I was sacrificing much.
than that. Being able to run my effects in the loop was so freaking cool I
Let’s start with the basics. There’s an XLR output that can be got lost for hours. I don’t know if you could ask for more from any
switched between output 1, output 2, or summed. There’s a 1/4" acoustic-based device. This is the latest in Headway’s evolution of
line out if you prefer to use a regular guitar cable as your output portable acoustic preamps and they have obviously listened to musi-
source. My favorite feature is the send and return jacks so you can cian feedback as well as not resting on their laurels and continuing
insert any effects or devices you already own into the signal chain. to push the envelope. I’ve heard several well-known acoustic groups
So handy and thoughtful. There’s a reverse polarity switch per chan- use their units and after playing with it a few days that’s no shock to
nel (nice!), an on/off switch, and an earth/lift switch for the XLR me. At around $349 street Headway’s EDB-2 H.E. is a no-brainer.
output.

INDIE SPOTLIGHT
DECLARATION OF suggests on the song “Poison in the Roots,”

We’ve been pushing seeds into the ground, grow-
Our Backyard,” “Sunshine,” and the title
track maintain that sumptuous sound, ensur-
INDEPENDENTS
ing a garden of hypocrisy. Gliers clearly doesn’t ing immediate accessibility and a remarkably
pull any punches. (sethglier.com) warm embrace. Ballads such as “Wish About
Her,” “Anthem 467,” “Life Behind Bars,” and
Terri Hendrix “Iceberg” share a series of wistful refrains. Or-
Pilgrim’s Progress rall makes music tailor-made for a wide audi-
(Project 5.5) ence, all the more reason why this particular
BY LEE ZIMMERMAN
Terri Hendrix has earned any number of set of songs ought to be the vehicle for his
A
accolades over the course of her more than belated breakthrough. (robertellisorrall)
nother gathering of releases by independent 30 year career, including accreditation as an
artists that deserve wider recognition. Official Texas musician and any number of Bob Schneider
other awards in her native Austin. Her latest In A Roomful of Blood
The Royal Hounds offering, Pilgrim’s Progress, shares a few of the With A Sleeping Tiger
A Whole Lot of Nothin’ many reasons why she consistently manages (Shockorama Records)
(Self-released) to collect those kudos. It’s filled with songs Winner of nearly five dozen Austin Music
The Nashville trio known as the Royal Hounds that ring with light-hearted sentiment and Awards—among them Best Album, Best
proffer a reverential rockabilly approach laced an appealing, unaffected approach that’s both Songwriter, Best Musician, and Best Male Vo-
with humor and exuberance. Lead vocalist and fresh and familiar all at the same time. The cals—he’s easily the most decorated artist in
stand-up bassist Scott Hinds adds a deliber- opening track “Me and the Moon Aren’t Austin music history. This latest album offers
ately goofy persona to the proceedings, but he Speaking” sounds like a vintage sing-along, ample evidence as to why he’s been so suc-
and his colleagues—guitarist Matheus Canteri with a charm and finesse of a singular stan- cessful. It’s a conceptual effort of sorts, an au-
and drummer Nathan Place—bring a balance dard. “Wildflowers,” “The Piney Rose,” “Blues tobiographical journey from childhood to the
to the music that gives it its push and polarity. Stay Away From Me,” and “Fisherman’s present. Yet even without delving into de-
Their new album reflects that clever construct Blues” ring with the same resiliency. Hendrix tails, the songs ring with resiliency that aims
while also allowing them to venture further surveys the songs of others—Kris Kristoffer- for universal appeal. The decidedly subdued
than their narrow confines of previous efforts. son, John Prine, Bob Wills, Randy Newman, “Lord of the Flies,” “The Band Plays On,” and
“Cheap Drunk” is a sturdy rocker that’s far and Cindy Walker, among them—but it’s her “Small Dreams” contrast in tone and tempo
more frenzied than most of the music they’ve cheery delivery and down-home designs that with the upbeat exhilaration of “I’m A Man,”
shared before. “I Just Can’t Two Step” finds allow her to make them her own. Venerable “The Sun’s Coming,” and “The World Turns
them regaling in a vintage down-home sound pedal steel player Lloyd Maines lends support Blue,” but the music manages to remain con-
that’s charmingly tied to a tongue-in-cheek. behind the boards and in the studio on mul- sistently compelling throughout. Schneider’s
“Door #3” and “Corn Fritters” put their instru- tiple instruments, ensuring that comfort and ranking in the top tier of today’s current crop
mental prowess front and center, while “In the caress receive the same emphasis as always. of singer/songwriters is still assured. This is,
Rickety Pines” shares a frenzied tempo and vo- (terrihendrix.com) after all, an excellent album.
cals of a call and response variety. Their most (bobschneider.com)
diverse effort to date, A Whole Lot of Nothin’ Robert Ellis Orrall
serves up plenty of something. 467 Surf and Gun Club
(theroyalhounds.com) (Fixation Records)
Despite his reputation as
Seth Glier a hitmaker, label entre-
The Coronation preneur, and prime mover
(MPress) in Nashville’s indie scene,
Seth Glier isn’t your typical singer/songwriter. Robert Ellis Orrall remains a
Other than the fact that he’s a constant road well-kept secret, even after a
warrior who would play up to 200 shows a year career that spans several de-
prior to the pandemic. He’s also an outspoken cades. Consequently, having
advocate for autism awareness. While earlier written several chart-top-
albums leaned toward a more acoustic stance, pers for other artists and re-
The Coronation integrates elements of rock, corded 14 albums of his own,
pop, folk, electronic, and even some hip-hop it’s long past time he got his
to create a stirring sensual experience. The due. Fortunately, his new
swirling take on Joan Osborne’s signature album, 467 Surf and Gun
song “One of Us” offers but one example, but Club may be the record that
other tracks such as “A Gift,” “Poison on the does just that. An homage
Roots” and “Breathing It Back” further re- to neighborhood environs,
flect the outer realms of Glier’s ingenuity and it’s filled with any number
imagination. So too, with themes that focus of sunny songs, all imbued
on narrowing the social divide, promoting with the perquisite hooks,
tolerance, and sharing a positive perspective ready refrains, and melodies
in general, Glier’s gift finds its full focus. Since once considered radio-ready.
the dawn of time, it’s been going down, Glier “Morning Song,” “Here in

BY DAVID ALZOFON
MEASURE FOR Like many enduring
MEASURE
hits, “Love Me Do” is
based on a three-note
hook, an idea that dates
way back. See “Three
Blind Mice” (16th cen-
Three-Note Magic tury), Holborne’s “Fairy
Round” (17th century),
S
“Clair de Lune” (19th
ome hit songs—“Louie Louie,” “Whole century), and “Black
Lotta Love,” “Bad Guy,” for example— Hole Sun” (20th centu-
aim to induce dance fever via a heavy ry). It keeps on truckin’
beat and a whole lotta repetition. At today in “Everlong” by
the opposite end of the spectrum, we find “Yes- the Foo Fighters, coming
terday” or “Beyond The Sea,” songs that favor up momentarily.
melody over beat. Unfortunately, while “melody Relax and tune in on
versus beat” is grounds for a debate over person- the title hooks in the
al preferences, it fails as an engineering concept. playlist below. Note the
As songwriters, we can’t help but hanker for ease of remembering a
something a little more nuts-and-bolts. three-note hook. No-
The hook—that catchy, thematic combo of tice how you can feel it
words and melody that typically contains the coming, which sets up a
title of the song—has engineering appeal. De- pleasurable cycle of an-
pending on how much variation you apply to ticipation and reward.
the hook, you can cook up anything from “My Finally, notice how the
Sharona” (lots of repetition, little variation) to hook helps structure the
“Yesterday” (lots of variation). song. The hook—plus its promise of the three-note hook to come. “Red
“Variation” means altering one or more char- repetitions and variations—are like bolts. Ev- Red Wine” has a contrast-y tagline, goes to my
acteristics of the hook, yielding offspring such as erything else is a way to bridge the gaps between head. “Stand By Me” has “Dar-lin’, dar-lin’”
“identical melody, different words,” or “identical the bolts: (2+2). The first two verses of “Rhiannon” are
rhythm, different notes.” Each variation elicits “Tea For Two,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Stand variations on the title hook.
a different emotional response. In the timeless By Me,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “I Got You (I Feel “Everlong,” by the Foo Fighters, straddles the
playground of the subconscious, variations over- Good),” “Song Sung Blue,” “Red Red Wine,” spectrum from heavy beat to sophisticated mel-
lay each other like “musical rhymes,” forming “Peggy Sue,” “Rhiannon,” “Yesterday” (note the ody. The song is a struggle between a joyful two-
complex webs of feeling that differ with each brilliant melodic rhyme between “Yes-ter-day” note hook and a dark three-note hook against
listening. and “far a-way”). a headbanging rhythm. The joyful hook, “La-
Where pure repetition leads toward ecstasy, Will any three notes do? Technically, yes. Sol,” enters on “Hel-lo.” The dark three-note
musical rhyme leads toward vividly personal ex- But better to keep it simple. The spirited cho- hook, “Do-Ti-La,” enters on “e – ver – long.”
periences. This is what people mean when they rus of “Wa-ter-loo,” for example, is “La-La-Sol.” The message, underscored by meaningful melo-
say a song is “timeless.” It’s not just nostalgia— That’s it, yet BBC viewers chose “Waterloo” as dy, is that love brings joy but cannot last forev-
it’s the magic of musical rhyme. the greatest Eurovision song of er. The argument continues in variations: Down
Skillful use of variation is how The secret all time in 2020. The secret has with me is a “Do-Ti-La” rhyme. “I throw my – self
to get it. to do with melodic words, small in – to” mixes both hooks and arrives on the
Take the Beatles’ first No. 1 has to do with groups of tones with clear emo- uncertain tone “Re.” No wonder “Everlong” was
hit in the U.S., “Love Me Do”
(1964). The hook repeats five
melodic words, tional connotations. “La-Sol”
has been the melodic word for
arranged for a string quartet.
times in the first verse. Was rep- small groups “joy” since the time of Queen Creative Challenge
etition alone enough to bring Elizabeth, as shown in the joyful Three-note hooks are clearly recyclable. “One
on Beatlemania? No. The hook of tones with opening riff of Dowland’s “My Fine Day,” for example, is “Sol – La – Sol.” Steal
is catchy, so the repetition is clear emotional Lady Hunsdon’s Puffe”: “Do- a three-note hook and write yourself a song.
delightful, but each repetition Sol-Sol-La-Sol.” We will hear
is slightly varied: 1.) Love, Love connotations. “La-Sol” again in “Everlong.” Outro
Me Do, (the hook); 2.) You But first, “Waterloo” has one In Solfa singing, syllables stand for scale tones.
know I love you, (same melody, rhyming lyric); more lesson to teach us. “Joy To The World” makes a perfect textbook:
3.) I’ll al – ways be true, (same melody, rhyming Nowhere in the first 18 bars of “Waterloo” do “Do – Ti – La – Sol – Fa – Mi – Re – Do.” “Over
lyric); 4.) So please... Love Me Do, (same lyric, we find a three-note hook. Instead, we hear two- The Rainbow”? Sing “Do – Do – Ti – Sol – La
melodic rhyme) 5.) Oh, Love Me Do (same lyr- note hooks on My, my and Oh yeah and some – Ti – Do.”
ic, bluesy melodic rhyme). Each repetition has a sinewy rising and falling lines that build toward
slightly different feel, which triggers an experi- the climactic chorus. Hooks are often accompa- DAVID ALZOFON is a former editor for Guitar Player magazine and the
ence greater than the sum of its parts—in short, nied by contrasting material like this. The two- author of two books, most recently, Compose Yourself!: Songwriting
And Creative Musicianship in Four Easy Lessons. He teaches guitar in
magic. note hooks, for example, are pregnant with the San Diego, California.

T R O D UCING
IN
F E AT U R I NG
• Americana Podcast:
The 51st State
• Basic Folk
• Pitch List
• The C.L.I.M.B.
• Songcraft:
Spotlight on Songwriters
• Stay Human
with Michael Franti
• The Zak Kuhn Show
76
For more info, scan code
AMERICAN SONGWRITER NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2021
LYRICALLY
BY PAT PAT T I S O N
SPEAKING
“Places We Won’t Walk” Part 2: Sonics
Say verse two aloud. Feel how the long-i opens
you up, makes the lights brighter, the build-
ings taller, and the party lively. The quality of
Though r modifies the vowels in floor and
shore, the aw sound is still present, creating
a hint of an aaaa balanced rhyme scheme. It
the open ah sound (the way it’s formed in the makes this verse the least unstable section in
mouth) actually has an effect on the scene. the song. (Even if the impact of the r creates
W
Maybe call it sonic prosody. Special kudos to an abba rhyme motion, it’s still the only sec-
ords have more than meanings. Words line two: tion in the song where each end-line rhyme
have sounds, and the sounds themselves connects with another end-line rhyme.) Note
can be arranged to create motion, and Buildings grow to dizzy heights. the bonding of decorate/waves/places, further
thus e-motion. Sounds affect language, stabilizing the section. And
rhythm, and melody. They fill in the scaffold-
ing of structure with a whole collection of col-
The back-vowel (lip vowel) Words have notice stroke giving won’t a lit-
in grow takes us to the son- tle boost too. Though the short
ors and nuance. They can highlight ideas. They ic basement, then moves sounds, and fourth line still does its de-sta-
also, as we'll see, can affect the balance and sta- to the front vowel (tongue bilizing work, the sonic fabric
bility of a section. vowel) short-i in dizzy before
the sounds feels the most solid, adding a
We’ll look primarily at the vowel sounds in
Bruno Major’s “Places We Won’t Walk,” both
exploding into the ah of the themselves can “that’s the way it is” air of final-
word heights. Say the line. ity to the refrain, preparing for
their arrangements and their qualities. Vow- Feel it rise. be arranged to the final “Yes, alas…” chorus.
els dominate songs because they’re the tone
generators of language; we hold them out, not
Now feel the contrast be-
tween the brightness of the
create motion, This is where the hammer
falls. Isolation from each oth-
consonants. That’s not to ignore that there’s a city’s vowel sounds and the and thus er is inescapable. The first two
real banquet of alliteration in this lyric, even sounds of the refrain: In plac- words of the chorus take on a
in the w’s of the refrain. There’s a lot going on es we won't walk.
e-motion. deeper color:
sonically here. Listen to verse one: Less color in these front
vowels and the darker aw sound in walk. You Children cry and laugh and play
Sunlight dances off the leaves, a can hear the comedown, the disappointment. Slowly hair will turn to gray
Birds of red colour the trees, a The chorus’ long-a end-rhyme targets place We will smile to end each day
Flowers filled with buzzing bees, a in the refrain. In places we won't walk
In places we won't walk. x
Children cry and laugh and play Now hair turns gray, fading without the oth-
Verse one rhymes the long-e sound in the first Slowly hair will turn to gray er’s presence, slowed down and diminished by
three lines. Since we’re expecting a fourth We will smile to end each day the r’s in hair and turn, and consigned to the
line long-e rhyme– expecting to hear the In places we won't walk darkness of the back vowel in turn. Alas, in-
sound again when we hear the second stressed deed.
syllable of the refrain line: In places we won't The sonic spotlight enhances the first meta-
walk phorical use of the refrain (see last issue). A *****
We gets a little added emphasis, gets a little life span is a place only metaphorically. We’ve spent two issues on three aspects of
spotlight. It’s a targeting technique– choosing Long-a is a diphthong, made up of short-e this song. How much of what we’ve seen was
rhyme sounds to spotlight a word in your title and long-e: eh, ee. Say it aloud, very slowly. intentional, and how much either instinctual
or refrain. Not saying Bruno Major did that Now watch that pattern repeat in the last two or accidental? Hard to know without inside
intentionally. But he could have. lines: information from the writer, but it really
Verse two uses the long-i sound, and not doesn’t matter. The more interesting question
only in the end-lines: We will smile to [end each] [day] is “How much of it could be intentional?” How
Neon lights shine bold and bright In [plac][es we] won't walk much of the structure and sonics could have
Buildings grow to dizzy heights been consciously chosen, intended to support
People come alive at night The repetition casts additional spotlights on the main message and metaphor of the song?
In places we won't walk both place and we. More importantly, it iso- Even more to the point, how much of the
lates the vowel sounds in won't walk, high- song you’re writing is intentional, and how
Long-i is a diphthong, ah as in father, and lighting them by contrast! Additionally, the much “just happens?”
short-i, ah being our most open sound. It’s repetition of the eh, ee sound four times cre- As usual, information is king. You can’t
right at the point of the vowel triangle: ates something like a sonic cadence, stopping compose with something you didn’t realize
a little short, further isolating won’t walk. was there. Another good reason to study and
Verse three rhymes the end of the refrain, learn
walk:
Family look on in awe

PAT PATTISON is a professor at Berklee College of Music, where
Petals decorate the floor he teaches lyric writing and poetry.
Waves gently stroke the shore
In places we won't walk

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BY MARTY DODSON
BETWEEN
THE RHYMES
Writing Lyrics An Artist Would Sing
M
any times when I’m mentoring SongTown
songwriters, I come across a truly great
song that no one is ever likely to record.
For a multitude of reasons, it’s possible to
write something awesome that artists just aren’t
willing to sing. I’m going to explain some of the
top “cut killers” in this article to help you learn
to avoid those mistakes and start writing lyrics
an artist would sing.
The most common issue I come across is that
a lyric that makes the singer look bad. Most art-
ists aren’t going to sing a song about cheating on
their spouses. If they sing a song like that, every
girl in the audience who has been cheated on
instantly hates them because they remind her
of her scumbag ex. Artists are hyper-conscious
of the way a song will make them look to their
audience. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the
time, an artist is going to stay “on brand.” They puts down or hurts anyone in the family. Addi- Bruno Mars and my song talks about the sing-
are going to sing songs that reflect an accurate tionally, most spouses of artists don’t want their er working on an assembly line, I’m asking the
picture of who their fans think they are. Artists significant other singing about being a cheater audience to forget who Bruno Mars really is
also don’t want their audience thinking they are because that opens the door for eager groupies and pretend along with him that he’s working
cheating scumbags. or fans to try to get that to happen. If you’re try- in a factory. Most audiences aren’t going to be
A related issue—less common but likely even ing to write commercially, you have to be super willing to go along with that. They would likely
more deadly—is a lyric that makes an artist’s aware of the implications your lyric could have be saying to their friends, “Does he really think
family member look bad. Early in my career, on the family members of the artist. we’re going to believe this?” Fans know who the
I wrote a great song called “The Shadow of a The third big reason songs are often “written artist is. They likely paid big bucks to come to
Man.” It was a story about the singer as a teen- for no one to sing” is that they don’t have a big the show and this person is a superstar to them.
ager seeing his father sneaking into the house enough idea. I heard a great song one time about We have to keep that in mind if we want an
across the street. He sees the shadows of his barbecue. It was really well written, but it was artist to sing our songs.
father embracing the woman who lives there such a niche topic that it’s unlikely to get re- Don’t ask the audience to suspend reality too
through the curtains. The son loses all respect corded. It went into all of the different kinds of often or in a big way. Like we talked about ear-
for his father and the dad becomes a “shadow of rubs and super detailed information that you’d lier, you have to stay “on brand” for your artist
a man” to him. When I turned it in, my pub- likely only know if you were on the competitive and that includes writing lyrics that sound genu-
lisher said, “This is the best song I’ve heard that barbecue circuit. ine and honest coming out of the artist’s mouth.
will never get cut.” I was so disappointed and Artists are usually looking for songs with The highest compliment you can be paid as a
asked him why. really wide appeal. They don’t want to sing a commercial songwriter is to have an artist’s fans
He explained to me that if Luke Bryan cut
Photo by Anthony Delanoix on Unsplash
song that only 10 people in their audience care think that the artist wrote the song. When that
that song, lots of people would think it was true. about. They want to find bigger, broader ideas happens, you know you’ve done your job well.
They would believe that his dad actually cheat- that EVERYONE in the crowd can relate to. Pay attention to those “cut killers” and you
ed on Luke’s mom. Everywhere they went in That’s why so many songs are about life, love, can improve your chances of writing a song an
their little hometown, people would be thinking and loss. We have all experienced those things artist would sing.
or asking, “Did you really cheat on her?” or “I so we can relate. We haven’t all competed in the Until next time, write on!
can’t believe you stayed with him after he cheat- barbecue world.
ed!” Luke isn’t going to do that to his parents. When you are trying to write lyrics an artist
It’s just not going to happen. An artist is never would sing, you want to be sure that the idea MARTY DODSON is a seven-time, No. 1 hit songwriter who has had
going to record a song that hurts their spouse or appeals to everyone, or almost everyone, in the songs recorded in country, rock, pop, bluegrass, K-Pop, J-Pop and
any other family member. Many artists let their audience that the artist sings to. musical theatre. His greatest songwriting achievement is knocking
Psy out of the #1 spot in South Korea with his song “Bounce”. He
spouses help them pick the songs they record, Finally, another “cut killer” is asking too co-founded SongTown, the world’s leading songwriter education
site, with fellow hit writer Clay Mills and is passionate about teach-
so you’re going to get a sure veto if the song much of the audience. If I’m writing a song for ing people to write better songs.

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW STUDIO ALBUM
“The guitar wizardry from

Bonamassa is undeniable, his
guitar hooks are incredible, and
the lengthy solo can only be
described as jaw-dropping.”
– Devils Gate Media
“The world’s busiest bluesman’s

singing is better than ever, and he
still turns in a foot-stomping blues
riff better than most.”
Artwork By: Hugh Syme
– Classic Rock Magazine’s Louder Sound
Produced By: Kevin Shirley | Mixed By: Bob Clearmountain | Executive Producer: Roy Weisman
IN STORES OCTOBER 15TH
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INCLUDES 10 NEW SONGS & COLLECTIBLE 24 PAGE LYRIC ART BOOKLET
“King of the streets and King of the Blues, Joe Bonamassa

is most definitely back and firing on all cylinders.”
– Metal Planet Music
AVAILABLE NOW AT
JBONAMASSA.COM
STREAM JOE’S MUSIC
BEHIND THE SONG
“AMERICAN KIDS”
Written by Shane McAnally, Rodney Clawson & Luke Laird
Performed by Kenny Chesney
BY JOE VITAGLIANO
S hane McAnally—the renowned song-

writer who’s penned hits for Luke Bryan,
Kacey Musgraves, Sam Hunt, and more—
likes to go into writing sessions with two
things: an idea and something to drink.
“I feel like I can’t write without a big, 44
ounce, gas station iced tea,” he said with a
laugh. “And I always like to come in with
something prepared so we’re not just sitting in
silence. It doesn't mean we’re gonna write that
idea that day, but it breaks the ice. I can throw
an idea out there and get the ball rolling.”
But when he was showing up to a writing ses-
sion back in the early 2010s with Rodney Claw-
son and Luke Laird, none of McAnally’s ideas
were working, and the metaphorical “ball” was
sitting entirely still. Frustrated, he took out his
phone and started going through his notes,
eventually reaching a list of potential song ti- “After we wrote it, we sent the song ment. “It really came down to his enthusiasm
tles he had written down. around—we even sent it to Kenny… but he about the song,” McAnally explained. “He
“I was going through all of these titles that never opened the email!” McAnally said. “In was saying, ‘I really feel like this is going to be
I thought sounded like good songs—stuff like the interim, Little Big Town heard it and start- the cornerstone of my record.’ Little Big Town
‘Doublewide Quick Stop’ and ‘Midnight T-Top’ ed working on it.” couldn’t say that. So, they graciously let him
and ‘Baptist Church Parking Lot,’” McAnally At that point, it seemed like the story was have it.”
said. “I thought those all sounded like kinda going to be fairly straightforward. But eventu- When it eventually came out, “American
fun, quirky songs, but that day, none of them ally, Chesney got around to checking his email, Kids” grew to be Chesney’s biggest hit to date.
were hitting us… until we thought, ‘Wait, what which led to some classic Nashville maneuver- It rose to No. 1 on the charts, racked up mil-
if instead of titles, we listed all of those things ing. lions of streams, and has become an enduring
for the lyrics?’” “I was on a flight with Kenny when he was part of the soundtrack of an American upbring-
From there, inspiration finally started to making Big Revival and he said to me, ‘I just ing.
flow. “Every image that was don’t have the cornerstone single “That song just has so many snapshots,”
coming out just totally captured for this album yet,’” McAnally McAnally said. “Things like Sister's got a boy-
the idea of being a kid in the
“I still love it. said. “As we sat down, he started friend daddy doesn't like / Now he's sittin' out back,
’80s,” McAnally continued. “It When it comes digging through his emails and
turned to me saying, ‘Here’s a
30/30 in his lap / In the blue bug zapper light—that
can seem kinda surface-level, but people know
sounded exactly like small town,
American life.” on the radio, I song you sent me, Shane, that I that guy. If it’s not your dad, it’s someone’s dad
never listened to.’ It was ‘Amer- down the road. That’s what makes that song
That idea alone ignited excit- think it’s one ican Kids.’” work for me. I still love it. When it comes on
ed energy in the writer’s room,
but things kicked into high gear of the best McAnally knew that Little the radio, I think it’s one of the best things I’ve
when they finally got to writ- Big Town had dibs to the tune, ever gotten recorded.”
ing the chorus. “I remember we
things I’ve but couldn’t bring himself to say And if you’re worried about Little Big Town
wrote the line A little messed up/ ever gotten anything. “It’s Kenny Chesney,”
he said. “He was one of the first
missing out on the fun, don’t be—they were
pretty satisfied with how things turned out too.
but we’re all alright, and we were
like, ‘Okay, we have the line!’” recorded.” artists to take a chance on my “It was funny because the song that ultimate-
McAnally recalled. “The song songs, which was a huge part of ly became the cornerstone for their record in
Photo by Robby Klein
needed that. Then we came up my success. And as luck would lieu of this one was ‘Girl Crush,’” McAnally
with a title—‘American Kids’—but that didn’t have it, before he even finished listening to said. “We joke about that all the time—‘Amer-
mean anything without that chorus line but- the song, he was turning to me saying ‘This is ican Kids’ was nominated for Song of the Year
toning everything up, which I love.” it! This is the song!’ By the time we landed, at the CMAs, the ACM Awards, and the
In that session, “American Kids” was official- though, I was freaking out, so I told him that Grammys, but all three went to ‘Girl Crush.’
ly born, but it still took some time before it end- it was on hold.” So, let’s be honest, it kinda worked out best for
ed up with its eventual owner, Kenny Chesney. But that didn’t deter Chesney for one mo- everyone!”

WRITER'S ROOM
THE LITTLE SONG

THAT WOULDN’T FORGET
BY MICHAEL BACON
L
et me take you back to the beginning of
our song. Kevin [Bacon] and I were both
at our apartments in Manhattan. His two
kids were in school there, and my son was
in his second day of college up-state. We hear
lots of comments about “didn’t hit me at first”
or “didn’t seem real.” But, it became real for
me when returning to my apartment building
on the Upper West Side a week after 9/11—
there was a yellow ribbon on the front door.
I knew it had to be for the young NYFD fire-
fighter who lived in our building.
Photo by Charles Chessler

As the tragedy slowly unfolded in the com-
ing weeks, with names starting to be attached
to the anonymous death count, we found our
band in an unusual situation. We had a tour
booked for Fall 2001, and many of the shows
were canceled. But some were not. If we re-
grouped and played the shows, would it seem
disrespectful to the sacrifices of the New York-
ers, Pennsylvanians, and Pentagon heroes? We
decided (or needed) to play, and with the help
of [Bob] Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released,” the rience has attenuated. You’ve had time to re- motif.
audiences and band members received tempo- flect. You redirect the pain through the lens of Ten years later when The Opry asked us to
rary catharsis. Looking back, we feel this was communicating to your audience. I don’t know bring the band to the 9/11 Memorial in Down-
the right decision. if Kevin wrote a post 9/11 song, but it was town NYC, some of the same insecurities re-
But the reality was still unfolding. We worth the one-year wait. We recorded “Un- surfaced. Is this an appropriate place to sing
were in the dressing room at The Birchmere happy Birthday” soon after in Dae Bennet’s “Unhappy Birthday?” Thankfully, both the
in Alexandria, Virginia, when I received an Englewood New Jersey studio. It was born. Museum and The Opry wanted the song, and
email from a member of Now we had our own anthem about a minute later, as usual, Kevin had the
my hockey team—sub- with lines like, From the gates 20th Anniversary lyrics completed.
ject: “Sad News.” We had You’ve had time of Harlem, I stood upon great Why do I call “Unhappy Birthday” by the
lost three of our skaters. I
cried, but the house was
to reflect. You hill / And I swear, I could see
those sisters / Just standing there
Bacon Brothers a “little” song? In popular
culture parlance, a “big” song sells millions
full. I see my light come redirect the still / So light a candle! of audio copies, the same for video plays.
shining from the West We sang it at every gig un- Our song's multipliers are in the thousands.
down to the East (Bob pain through til it rotated out of the set, Though little, the song for us is mighty in
Dylan’s “I Shall Be Re-
leased”).
the lens of probably around 2008. For a
video release in 2011, Kev-
stature, we fully expect “The Little Song That
Wouldn’t Forget” to still be alive and well so
In the fall of 2002, communicating in updated the lyric to, Light my brother can write new lyrics and we can
Kevin wrote the song a candle, has it really been 10 sing it for the 9/11 remembrance in 2031.
“Unhappy Birthday.” My to your years? My brother's songs
old songwriter buddy, Bat
McGrath from Rochester,
audience. always contain a powerful
visual element. I imagined a
New York, always con- blood-red birthday cake with Scan Here to watch an exclusive
tended that your best songs are not the ones black candles melting into it. I bought the red Behind the Song, “Unhappy
you write just after a powerful experience, but velvet cake from Magnolia Bakery on Colum- Birthday,” with Michael and
the second wave after the rawness of the expe- bus Avenue, which became the video’s death Kevin Bacon

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November | December 2021

Vol. 37, No. 1

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CAROLE KING JAMES TAYLOR

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