Steve Earle & Brandy Clark Talk Saving Country Music
Alt-country founding icon and singer/songwriter Steve Earle is gearing up for the release of his latest record Terraplane Blues on February 17th, and ahead of the release he spoke to the UK’s Uncut about what he believes are his best albums, the motivations and inspirations behind them, and what he thinks about the efforts now.
Covered by the likes of Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, and The Highwaymen, Earle remains revered in many sectors of country music, though his political messages can sometimes lean heavy on some of country’s core constituents. This first became most evident in Earle’s 1988 album Copperhead Road—also regarded as his first album that was more rock than country. But Earle says it wasn’t his politics that held him back from greater mainstream country success. It was more the oligarchy who was afraid of artists who call their own shots.
“I never felt politically constrained by being a country singer,” Earle tells Uncut. “But then I never saw myself as a country singer in the sense of…well, there was a moment where I thought that maybe I could save country music, but better people than me had tried, and anyway country music didn’t want to be saved. It’s an environment totally hostile to singer-songwriters. They hadn’t wanted anything to do with Hank Williams, and every ounce of their energy has gone into making sure another one never happens, because they can’t control it.”
Eventually Steve Earle had difficulty controlling himself. After the success of the now 3x Platinum-certified Copperhead Road, Earle fell into heavy bouts of substance abuse, spent some time in jail and rehab, and never recaptured his mainstream commercial success. However his pioneering spirit of combining traditional country with rock and roll remains as influential today as ever, and remains embodied in many aspects of the Americana movement.
Steve Earle is not the only one talking about saving country music lately. Brandy Clark amidst her Grammy Awards success said recently,
“I definitely feel like people, for whatever reason, have branded me as someone who is carrying the torch for traditional country music. And there’s no other torch I’d rather carry. But it makes me really think, as I go forward, ‘OK, I want to be really thoughtful in my choices.’
“As someone who’s loved traditional country music my whole life, I don’t take that lightly. My name is said in the same breath as people like Kacey [Musgraves] and Sturgill Simpson, Ashley Monroe like [we’re] saving country music, you know? I think about being a little girl and listening to those songs in my bedroom, and I think, ‘Man, if somebody’s listening to my music, and it’s gonna shape the music they’re gonna make 25 years from now in a positive way, then that’s great.’”
The impact Brandy Clark had at the Grammy Awards with Dwight Yoakam was positive to the tune of her receiving the biggest percentage jump in sales for a performed song.
February 15, 2015 @ 7:45 pm
I love Steve Earle. His albums from the 80’s are all flawless, imo. His newer stuff from 1995 has been so varied in styles and you never know what you’re gonna get. It’s funny, being that I’m 26 years old, I actually listened to Justin Townes Earle before I ever listened to Steve Earle, and now I like Steve Earle more than Justin.
I’ve never listened to Brandy Clark though, should I?
February 15, 2015 @ 7:56 pm
Damn right you should! She’s fantastic! Hell of a songwriter.
February 15, 2015 @ 8:24 pm
At least give her a listen, she’s about as good as they come for a young country artist these days.
February 16, 2015 @ 1:46 am
I would suggest starting with the following songs, if your musical tastes are in any way similar to mine:
“Just Like Him”
“What Will Keep Me Out of Heaven”
“Hold My Hand” (the song she performed at the Grammys)
“In Some Corner”
February 16, 2015 @ 5:56 am
She’s amazing! I had read about her on this site, and saw her open for Eric Church in October, and she has been a constant on my playlist since then!
February 15, 2015 @ 8:35 pm
The craziest part of the Uncut interview is Earle declaring his best version of “Devil’s Right Hand” was the one he recorded for the Broke Back Mountain Soundtrack – I agree!
When I saw the movie a decade ago (no jokes please), I couldn’t wait to get the soundtrack. It was before I had an iPod, so carrying around that CD was rather embarrassing. But, it was well worth it.
February 16, 2015 @ 3:44 pm
I don’t know any Steve Earle jokes 😛
February 17, 2015 @ 9:01 am
Let em joke. “Hate’s the only thing my truck will ever drag!” – DBT
February 15, 2015 @ 8:47 pm
Trigger, you ought to go the Taylor Swift route and trademark that phrase before it’s too late.
February 15, 2015 @ 9:45 pm
Brandy Clark, Ashley Monroe, Kacey Musgraves and Sturgill would be one hell of a tour.
February 16, 2015 @ 1:42 am
“They hadn”™t wanted anything to do with Hank Williams”
Really? Hank Williams was signed to Acuff-Rose and MGM Records, not exactly small firms.
February 16, 2015 @ 7:49 am
I took that statement differently. I think he was talking about the post-hank industry not wanting anything to do with him…
February 16, 2015 @ 8:04 am
They hadn”™t wanted anything to do with Hank Williams, and every ounce of their energy has gone into making sure another one never happens, because they can”™t control it.”
Made me think (once again) of how country music radio ignored the cultural phenomenon that was the O Brother soundtrack.
February 16, 2015 @ 8:20 am
I have heard Steve Earle make this claim before, that country music / “Nashville” is entirely inhospitable to singer-songwriters, but I’m not sure I buy it, at least not completely. I can see that like most business systems, Music Row is set up to assemble the most lucrative product out the most “reliable” constituent elements available at a given time – that’s why Waylon, Willie, and the other outlaws had to fight for their right to make records their own way, use their own musicians in the studio, and so on. As far as I know, that’s just the nature of such systems, from Motown to General Motors. But it seems like Music Row is willing to tolerate independent individuals, such as singer-songwriters, when doing so is profitable. Off the top of my head, I am thinking of folks like Roger Miller, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson (once he finally established himself), Dwight Yoakam, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. (And hopefully Brandy Clark can be the next name on this list.)
It sounds like Steve wanted to avoid dealing with the system entirely, which is fair enough. But it seems like he could have continued to be a successful country music singer if he had chosen to.
February 16, 2015 @ 9:45 am
Although, I guess Johnny Cash performed other folks’ material more often that not.
I was trying to think of artists who wrote most of their own material, as well as having a unique sound / musical vision / perspective.
You could probably add Tom T. Hall to the list.
February 16, 2015 @ 8:21 am
Real country music had been persecuted by the industry since the passing of Hank Williams. And Hank wasn’t called “country”, he was called “hillbilly”. So you could argue that what we call country and what the industry calls country have never been the same thing.
February 16, 2015 @ 8:35 am
I really enjoyed reading Brandy Clark’s quote, and I think it is very cool that not only is she aware of Sturgill Simpson, but she sees herself as being part of a movement along with him, as well as the other great female singer-songwriters leading the way right now.
Saving country music, indeed.
I believe Ashley Monroe and Kacey Musgraves will both have new albums coming this year. Hopefully Brandy is working on a new batch of songs too.
February 16, 2015 @ 3:02 pm
I’m a little worried about Ashley’s new album. The artwork and a snipet of the title track, “On to Something Good” was posted on her FB. Hopefully, she’s not crossing over.
February 16, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
In 1995 – Steve Earle began this 6 album consecutive run;
Train a Comin’
I Feel Alright
El Corazon
The Mountain
Transcendental Blues
Jerusalem
Throw in ‘Together at the Bluebird Café’ with TVZ & Guy Clark (recorded in the Fall of 1995) for good measure. 7 consecutive legendary albums without peer. All ignored by country music radio. I’m for whatever Steve Earle wants to save
February 17, 2015 @ 5:59 am
Steve Earle’s recent albums only suffer if you compare them to his albums from before his drug/jail phase. His first 4 albums are so good that anything would pale by comparison. I loved his quote in Rolling Stone when he got released from jail, where he said something to the effect that, say anything you want about him, he wrote “I ain’t ever satisfied”. I would make the argument that that is one of the greatest songs ever written in any genre. If you have not heard it, I suggest you do poste haste.
February 17, 2015 @ 7:37 am
I only have a “best of” knowledge of his “before jail” phase, but I think his first five albums after getting out of jail (Train a Comin”™ through Trancendental Blues) represent a great run. His I Feel Alright album is probably one of my favorite five albums or so of the 20 years. After that were a few good but maybe not great albums. I think The Low Highway was his best in a long time and am looking forward to the arrival of my copy of Terraplane.
February 17, 2015 @ 9:12 am
I am glad to see this pop up because for the last week, I have been thinking about how tough it must be for artist to be substantive and prolific”¦I got the new Bingham album and it is good but I don’t think it is close to the quality writing of Mescalito (top shelf in my book)”¦and each time I think of Steve Earle and how his music has been both for a long time. The guy is incredible. If you want to read a great biography that covers some history as well, “Steve Earle Rearless Heart, Outlaw Poet” by David McGee. I didn’t know who Skinny Dennis was until I read this book.
February 17, 2015 @ 9:12 am
that is uh”¦”Fearless” heart.
February 19, 2015 @ 1:21 pm
I kinda like the puzzle presented by “rearless heart.” 🙂
February 17, 2015 @ 12:11 pm
Unfortunately, the Steve Earle piece in Uncut is from December 2007.
February 17, 2015 @ 12:42 pm
The piece may have originally been released in print in 2007, but the article I’m looking at was released online on February 13th, 2015, so I’m not really sure how that factors into anything. In the end it’s what he said, and I think the words still ring true today and are relevant to the conversation.
February 17, 2015 @ 1:56 pm
It`s just that when you say “Steve Earle is not the only one talking about saving country music lately. Brandy Clark amidst her Grammy Awards success said recently,…” it gives the impression that the Steve Earle article is current, and it isn’t.
February 19, 2015 @ 1:18 pm
Interestingly enough, in interviews for Terraplane (which is blues, at least his version of blues, Steve is saying that his next album will be a country album, in part because Buddy Miller (who was in his band for a while) asked him to write some songs for the show Nashville. (One was used, I am not sure which and it is has been on the show yet.) Will be interesting to see what that album will be, though I would guess it is at least a year or two away. He has said he will be doing an album with Shawn Colvin first (meh for me) based on a run of shows they did, including duets of some of their existing songs
I think Terraplane is the best Steve has done in recent years, though I like individual songs off of the recent albums. I am a blues fan, probably even more than country, which helps. Lyrically, the genre doesn’t always let him shine, though, since that has always been his strength.
February 19, 2015 @ 7:11 pm
Another great interview – “Fuck off. Go see Ryan Adams.” Awesome.
I love Terraplane! I’m waiting for Trigger’s write up.
February 19, 2015 @ 8:50 pm
He does drop some great quotes.
February 19, 2015 @ 1:19 pm
Trigger – Were you aware Steve shares your more positive assesment of Taylor Swift? I found this interesting
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/steve-earle-winery-terraplane-quinn-tsan-interview/Content?oid=16275924
February 19, 2015 @ 3:42 pm
I’m not sure if my thoughts on Swift parallel Steve’s, but his perspective is interesting.
February 19, 2015 @ 5:37 pm
He is definitely more positive… and probably cares more about what he sees as authenticity/message than genre distinctions. I was surprised, though.
March 2, 2015 @ 8:21 am
Big fan of SE, seen him live several times. He can play any genre of music and sound legit. Rock, Americana, country, bluegrass blues. etc. I traveled to see as near as I can tell, he does not like Nebraska (death penalty state, could be wrong) catching him in KC but I eventually got tired of the political angle at his concerts. I’m paying hard earned money and taking valuable time of what is usually a work week to hear him sing, not preach. Have not partaken in his most recent stuff as some of the albums seemed to go down the same path as his live shows, I might have to try again. IMO pre prison was his best work.
The thing I will say about him is his best cuts on the albums were the cuts that never got airplay. My old friend the blues, somewhere down the road, Nothing but a child, Billy Austin, Billy and Bonnie….. etc. A great songwriter.
If you are looking for a gem of a concert, I recently found this. it also explains why he has struggled in other aspects.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ra38S1ESWQ