Western and woke: Hayes Carll tells it like it is on What It Is
Credit to Author: Stuart Derdeyn| Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2019 19:00:27 +0000
When: Aug. 31, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Biltmore Cabaret, 2755 Prince Edward St.
Tickets and info: $24.50 at eventbrite.ca
Patriarchy is not the sort of word you would ever expect to come out of the mouth of an outlaw country singer. But Texan Hayes Carll is not your usual bill of fare. On his latest album, What It Is, the critically acclaimed songwriter puts contemporary America under the spotlight and digs deep.
The result is a dozen songs that are really rootsy and have something to say.
When the majority of artists in the genre are bending over to drape themselves in the Stars and Stripes and kneel for President Donald Trump, Carll asks “in times like these do I really need a billionaire/Just taking up my time trying to tell me he’s treated unfair.”
It’s not the usual country and western music, to be sure. Instead, the musician appears to be mining a genre that could be called western and woke. It’s refreshingly honest and aware. On the road from Kansas City to his next gig, Carll chatted and also answered questions by email when his phone crapped out.
Q: What It Is is a pretty pointed record, with songs such as Times Like These, Things You Don’t Wanna Know and Wild Pointy Finger getting right to the issues of a divided society. You prove you can make rootsy music and say something of value, too?
A: I think that I’ve always had my beliefs about things in the world around me, although I might not have expressed them as effectively musically. But hey, life is short, so why keep things to yourself, because I feel it is my job as an artist to express what I’m feeling. I think a lot of people down here and the world over are feeling that our elected officials aren’t doing their job of bringing us together as much as they are benefitting from making divisions.
Q: Were a lot of the songs on the album written around specific events that have taken place in America in the last few years?
A: Fragile Man originally began as a song that (pop singer) LOLO and I were putting together for her to express her frustrations dealing with the patriarchy in the music business. But as we were writing it, Charlottsville happened. We were both so horrified at that and the gathering of the white supremacists’ forces that we decided to target that in the song as a response.
Q: Are we headed into another “folk/roots revival” as the old white men try to turn the clock backwards? After all, it was the protest music in the dark ages of the 1950s and 1960s.
A:I think in challenging times people handle their struggle by either digging in to the things around them that make them feel connected, or by checking out and enjoying the things that give them a respite. There seems to be an increase in both at the moment. I don’t know about any movement taking place, but I do feel like there are a lot of artists trying to make sense of the world around them with what they create and a lot of listeners are drawn to that.
Q: As a songwriter with your level of critical acclaim and numerous awards, does the Nashville machine come calling? As in, are you setting up the next Lil’ Nas X track as we talk?
A:Well, I live in Nashville now and I have been writing a lot of songs more aimed at other artists potentially cutting them rather than for myself. But I’m not sacrificing quality just because I’m writing for others. I try to keep my standards as an artist and a craftsman at a level where I won’t ever feel ashamed by anything I create. I’m definitely not chasing trends. Just trying to write good songs and hope they find their way in the world.
Q: What It Is really resonates from start to finish. What songs from the album are burning it up live and why?
A:It varies from night to night, but Times Like These seems to resonate with people a lot. I think everybody has some frustration right now with the political world and how far apart everyone is getting. And None’ya seems to be a favourite also. I think folks just like to sing that one.
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