By Brent Thompson

JD Clayton accomplishes the unique task of sounding reverent and relevant at the same time. On Friday, September 27, the Arkansas-based singer/songwriter will bring his “Blue Sky Sundays” tour to Zydeco. Clayton’s critically-acclaimed debut album, Long Way From Home, was released in 2023 and a forthcoming album is in the works. Earlier this year, he released the single “High Hopes and Low Expectations”  – co-written with Nashville stalwart Kendell Marvel – via his signing with label Rounder Records. Advance tickets to the 18+ show are $15 and can be purchased at www.zydecobirmingham.com.

By Brent Thompson

Bella White has been busy of late. In 2023, the singer/songwriter released Among Other Things, a 10-track album of new material. In 2024, White released Five for Silver, a cover songs EP that finds her interpreting the songs of Neil Young and Lucinda Williams among others. On Saturday, September 14, White will perform at Avondale Brewing in support of The Red Clay Strays. Recently, she spoke with us by phone.

Southern Stages: On your covers EP Five for Silver, how did you select the material for the project?

Bella White: It wasn’t much of a detailed process or anything. We recorded those songs at the end of making my last record, Among Other Things. We just had the time to spare and didn’t have a big design for making this EP. It was more like, “Oh, we’ve got time to kill – let’s record some covers for fun.” It was nice because it took some of the pressure off.

Southern Stages: Have any of these cover songs found their way into your live sets?

White: Yeah, definitely. I’ve played “Unknown Legend” at shows and I’ve played “Concrete and Barbed Wire” a lot, so it’s fun to have them out in the world now.

Southern Stages: When covering someone else’s song, is there a challenge to retain the integrity of the song while placing your own stamp on it?

White: I try not to overthink it, but I think if a cover is too similar to the original then I’d rather just listen to the original version of the song. For me, it’s important to approach the song as though I wrote it and where it fits into my world.

Southern Stages: For the Among Other Things album, were the songs new compositions, older ones or a mixture of both?

White: It was a bit of both. Some of the songs had been around for a little while and I wrote the title track in the studio. It’s kind of fun to fuse those two things together.

Southern Stages: Some artists tell me that this is a great time to be in your position given the accessibility of music via Spotify, satellite radio, Youtube and other modern outlets. Others say, for the same reason, that the current climate makes it difficult to be found among the crowd. How do you view the state of the industry?

White: It’s a really strange time and it’s hard to say because I feel really grateful for the world of streaming and all of that because it helped me reach a larger audience. It’s incredibly accessible right now which is really great, but obviously the money isn’t following. I feel like it’s so easy to put out music, but it can feel challenging. I really don’t have one specific answer to the question because there are so many different dynamics. I appreciate the parts of it that have been helpful to me.

Southern Stages: How would you describe your writing process? Have you developed a pattern over the years?

White: Some moments it’s very fluid and it feels easy – other times it can feel dry and like I don’t have much to say and that can feel scary. I do write on the road, which has been a new thing for me in the past couple of months – I didn’t do that before. If I’m touring solo, I feel a little existential when I’m on tour and there’s a boiling pot of things to say. It’s an ever-evolving process and I’m always trying to take it as it comes.

Southern Stages: How do songs stay fresh to you after you’ve performed them literally hundreds of times?

White: They really don’t [laughs]. Sometimes it’s as simple as not playing a certain song for a little while or changing up the way that I play it. It’s about finding ways to allow it to grow with you.

On Saturday, September 14, Bella White will perform at Avondale Brewing in support of The Red Clay Strays. For ticket information, please visit www.avondalebrewing.com.

By Brent Thompson

The fretboard skills of acoustic guitarists including Tommy Emmanuel, Andy McKee and the late Michael Hedges can’t be denied, but virtuoso guitarist Daniel Champagne possesses something a little extra – vocals. This combination of singing and instrumental prowess places Champagne in rare air that rises to an even higher level in the live setting. On Friday, September 6, Champagne will perform at The Upstairs at Avondale Brewing. Recently, he spoke with us by phone from his Australian home.

Southern Stages: Daniel, thanks for your time today. We are looking forward to your return to Birmingham.

Daniel Champagne: I used to play house concerts when I went through and I played there on the last tour. I’ve always had positive vibes about Birmingham – I was in living in Nashville for a while and it was often the first gig of the tour.

Southern Stages: Are you splitting time between the U.S. and Australia or are you living in Australia full-time these days?

Champagne: I’m back in Australia full-time – I live five hours south of Sydney and I usually head to the U.S. once a year. I was in Nashville from 2015 to 2020, but I’ve been back in Australia since Covid.

Southern Stages: How has 2024 shaped up for you to this point?

Champagne: It’s been very busy – I’ve already played 160 concerts this year. I started in Australia, then I did a cost-to-coast Canadian tour and we just came back from seven weeks in New Zealand, which was beautiful.

Southern Stages: With a large body of songs in your catalog, how do you comprise your setlists these days?

Champagne: There’s sort of flag posts that have just popped up over the years of songs that really work well live. As I go through the set, there are songs that interchange each night.

Southern Stages: Do you typically perform solo or with accompaniment?

Champagne: I’m solo. I’ve always been solo and probably always will be – I’m lucky that it works for what I want to do. I say I’m lucky because it makes it easier.

Southern Stages: How do songs stay fresh after you’ve performed them hundreds of times?

Champagne: It’s funny because some of the songs I would never play outside of a concert – I would never just sit in a hotel room and play it to myself. But as soon as you get in front of a new group of humans, this performing instinct kicks in and you’re excited to share this thing that you have and try to connect with them. Even with a song I’ve played 500 times, it’s still exciting and I feel it can be really good so I feel the excitement and nervousness of sharing it with a new group of people.

Southern Stages: Who were some of your influences as a young musician?

Champagne: My dad is a singer/songwriter, so he was the first person I saw playing. I had a great teacher growing up and I had him for 10 years – he was a classical guitar mostly so he taught me a lot. As a teenager, I discovered Michael Hedges and people that were experimenting more on the steel-string acoustic guitar. And, being from Australia, Tommy Emmanuel is also a big influence. There’s a never a shortage of amazing guitar players to be inspired by.

Southern Stages: Your style melds several genres. Can that be traced back to your musical exposure as a child?

Champagne: Growing up, it was about learning to play good songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. When I was a teenager, I was lucky to have the classical thing because it was good for your hand muscles and technique. It’s always been a combination of experimenting with the instrument and looking at other players and stealing tricks from them. I’m still doing that  – every now and then I still discover a new thing that sounds good that I try to weave into a performance.

Southern Stages: Given your skill level on guitar, what challenges remain for you?

Champagne: It changes day to day. Some nights you feel like you can play anything and some nights you feel like you’re stumbling all over the place [laughs]. For me, it’s not so much about learning more – it’s more about learning how to use it.

Southern Stages: Some artists tell me that this is a great era to be a musician given instant access to listeners via Spotify, satellite radio, Youtube and other modern outlets. Others say that, for the same reason, it can be difficult to be found among the clutter. How do you view the current musical climate?

Champagne: It’s a big question and I think it’s probably a bit of both. I do feel for artists starting out because it feels like a lottery. I feel quite grateful because I have a foot in each camp. I did 10 years of touring before all of that really kicked in. My career is on a small scale, but I have a very dedicated audience and me being one person it’s easy to make it worthwhile.

Daniel Champagne will perform at The Upstairs at Avondale Brewing on Friday, September 6. Advance tickets to the 8 p.m. show are $25 and can be purchased at www.avondalebrewing.com.

 

By Brent Thompson

For better or worse, the term “Americana” has become a catch-all description for many musical formats. But if you want a concise way to define Americana, I say look no further than YARN’s Born, Blessed, Grateful & Alive, the band’s first studio effort in eight years. Across the album’s 12 tracks, the North Carolina (by way of New York City) trio effectively blends several musical styles into a cohesive sounds of its own. In opening with the Gospel-tinged “Turn Off The News,” the band immediately takes the listener into a smoky Honky-Tonk with “Something’s Gotta Change.” From there, country, rock & roll and even jam band sounds round out YARN’s musical stew. Produced by stalwart Damian Calcagne, the album features guest appearances by members of Railroad Earth and The Infamous Stringdusters. With Born, Blessed, Grateful & Alive, YARN accomplishes the tough task of making the familiar sound fresh.

By Brent Thompson

Though he has released solo albums throughout his career, Sadler Vaden is best known as the talented guy in the shadows.  Vaden is the guitarist in The 400 Unit – Jason Isbell’s crack backing band – and has produced albums for Morgan Wade and The Blue Dogs. Earlier this month, Vaden stepped back into the forefront with the release of Dad Rock (Thirty Tigers). Offering eight tracks over a 34-minute time span, Dad Rock takes us back to the vinyl days when an artist only had a certain amount space to make a statement. From a songwriting perspective, the album is Vaden’s most mature outing yet, perhaps not surprising since he and his wife have had two sons since his last release. Possessing a vocal style reminiscent of Tom Petty, Vaden blends rockers and midtempo numbers in cohesive fashion. Aiding him on the project are Elliot Easton (The Cars), Julian Dorio (The Whigs, Eagles of Death Metal) and longtime Petty sideman Benmont Tench. With Dad Rock, Vaden gives us a timeless-sounding album that will hopefully spur him to seek the spotlight more often.

By Brent Thompson

Chet Atkins took his guitar to the front and center of country music. The guitarist (1924-2001) – a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame – created a legacy that lives on through musical acolytes including Tommy Emmanuel and Gareth Pearson. We Still Can’t Say Good Bye: A Musicians’ Tribute to Chet Atkins (Morningstar Music) is a 15-track, star-studded project released in celebration of what would have been Atkins’ 100th birthday on June 20. And while there are plenty of household names listed on the album credits – Eric Clapton, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss and James Taylor to name a few – it is the lesser-known artists that equally shine throughout the project. Pearson’s “Mr. Sandman,” Brent Mason’s “Lover Come Back To Me,” Guthrie Trapp’s “Caravan” and Sierra Hull’s “All I Ever Need Is You” are all album highlights. Bottom line – We Still Can’t Say Good Bye is a relevant-yet-reverent love letter to a musical icon.

By Brent Thompson

With its large volume of songs and improvisational possibilities, the Grateful Dead’s catalog is always up for interpretation by other artists. The latest installment, the 17-track Grateful: The Music Plays the Band, offers both a musical and charitable component. The album’s proceeds benefit The Grateful Guitars Foundation, a nonprofit organization that obtains instruments for musicians and supports music education in schools. Musically, the lineup includes artists familiar to Deadheads (Oteil Burbridge, Dark Star Orchestra, Jerry’s Middle Finger, John Kadlecik) as well as some that deserve greater exposure (Katie Skene & Andrea Whitt, Doom Flamingo, Michael James Wheeler). Burbrige’s impassioned “Stella Blue” is a highlight as are Skene & Whitt’s “Candyman” and Kadlecik’s “So Many Roads.” All in all, the Grateful compilation rises to the challenge of any tribute album – allowing artists to place their own unique stamps on some well-known songs.

By Brent Thompson

It some ways it doesn’t seem possible that Dar Williams has been releasing albums for over 30 years. But, by that same measure, it’s hard to think of a time when the singer/songwriter wasn’t around to remind us that our shared feelings are greater than our differences. In 2021, Williams released I’ll Meet You Here (Renew Records), her first outing in six years. On Saturday, May 4, Williams returns to Birmingham for a performance at WorkPlay. Recently, she spoke with us by phone from her home in New York’s Hudson Valley region.

Southern Stages: Dar, thanks for your time. We are really enjoying I’ll Meet You Here. If you will, tell us about the album.

Dar Williams: One [song] is a re-recording and there is a cover of “Sullivan Lane” by a group called The Grand Slambovians. They are a band that I really admire and they happen to live down the street from me [laughs]. It’s all about celebrating friendship – when you’re off the beaten track and you find your people. I wish I had written a song like that and they did, so that’s “Sullivan Lane.”

Southern Stages: Was the album recorded before or during Covid?

Williams: It was before, which is amazing because a lot of it seems completely relevant to the Covid crisis, so go figure.

Southern Stages: When you are on tour, do you typically perform solo or do you bring other musicians?

Williams: It’s me solo a lot and sometimes I go out with a keyboard player and sometimes keyboards and electric guitar. This time I’m solo.

Southern Stages: How do you comprise your set lists these days?

Williams: It depends on where I am in terms of if I’ve played there lately. I’ve put out three albums since I was at WorkPlay in 2009 with Josh Radin.

Southern Stages: Some artists say that this is a great time to be in your position given easy access to listeners via Spotify, iTunes, Youtube, satellite radio and other modern outlets. Other artists say – for that same reason – that this is a difficult time to be found among the crowd.  How do you view the current climate of the music industry?

Williams: I feel like the luckiest musician out there because there was that scaffolding of record companies and the hierarchy that came with it. You were climbing your way through something that had a lot of structure. You had to do certain things in order for the structure to support your career. I don’t miss the celebrity softball game of supporting some local radio station in Boston and I don’t miss feeling compared to other people. Capitalism is like a nose and the nose only smells one thing and that’s money. It pretends to have ears and eyes and will tell you – if you’re making a lot of money – that you’re beautiful and brilliant. If you’re not making money, it’ll tell you that you’re ugly and untalented. You have to roll your eyes a lot, but there was a structure. I lead a songwriting retreat and I get to see that moment of engagement and discovery in songwriting. I get to see people listening and crying and nodding their heads. Making a living in music – that’s a different thing. In 2007, 40 percent of my income went out the door because of the streaming economy. We are all one twisted ankle away – or a case of laryngitis – from a cancelled tour. Putting everything on the live performance has been okay for me and I had a highly-structured career preceding the collapse. I’m so lucky because I had all that structure and now I have all this freedom and I can still be on a record label if I want to or I can do it independently.

Southern Stages: Do you have any upcoming songwriting retreats?

Williams: We do. We have three and two of them are sold out – the one in October is not sold out. They are in Connecticut and they’re about 50 people each and [Singer/songwriter/Old 97’s member] Rhett Miller is coming to the one in October. It’s a really important part of my life at this point. It’s centered on people finding the space and the respect to figure out what’s important to them so they can take it from there. There’s also a lot of humor and lightness and it’s fun.

On Saturday, May 4, Code-R Productions Presents Dar Williams at WorkPlay. Advance tickets to the 8 p.m. show are $25 and can be purchased at www.workplay.com.

By Brent Thompson

 

Ruston Kelly’s self-defined musical style “Dirt Emo” is catchy and fitting at the same time. Earlier this year, Kelly released Weakness, Etc., a companion EP to his 2023 release The Weakness. On Tuesday, April 30, the singer/songwriter will return to Birmingham for a performance at Workplay. Recently, he spoke with us by phone.

Southern Stages: Ruston, thanks for your time. We are really enjoying Weakness, Etc. – if you will, talk about the creation of the album.

Ruston Kelly: Some of [the songs] were recorded six or seven months ago and some of them – like “The Watcher,” for example – was the first song that we recorded for the original Weakness album. It was the same with “Nothing Out There” and “Heaven Made The Darkness.” On “Cold Black Mile – Hotel Version,” I recorded that myself on a little battery-operated recorder in my hotel room in Pasadena. It’s kind of all over the place, but it’s still a part of the narrative of that album. The album is an epilogue, if you will, from The Weakness to Weakness, Etc. It’s supposed to be a companion – it doesn’t really tell a new story, but it just carries that story over into further context.

Southern Stages: Your Birmingham show will be a solo acoustic performance. Have you toured solo very often in your career?

Kelly: I’ve never done an “official” acoustic tour like this. I started touring just doing acoustic out of necessity – I’d drive myself and I didn’t have a band and didn’t have fans [laughs]. I did that a lot and it was because I had to and this one is in actual venues and it’s a show that fans haven’t seen before. I’m really excited about it. I’ve seen Jackson Browne do it and I’ve seen Dave Matthews do it and it’s become a big part of their touring business and this is a first step in that direction because I’d like to do both whenever I want to. I love playing with my band and being on the bus with the crew, but I also love making up the set list as I go and having a very relaxed rapport with the audience.

Southern Stages: With several albums in your catalog, how do you comprise your set lists these days?

Kelly: I’m really bad at streamlining promotion when it comes to releasing a song because I tend to do whatever feels the most creatively natural in that moment. I might play some of the songs on the EP that’s coming out and I might not. I’m going to play whatever I’m feeling like spanning across all of my recordings. That’s exciting to me because I can change it up every night depending on the vibe of the room and I’ll take requests.

Southern Stages: How do songs stay fresh to you after you’ve performed them hundreds or thousands of times?

Kelly: It has to do with the gratitude of being able to do what I do for a living. To pay my bills from expressing myself and people actually giving a fuck about that – I feel so lucky. Something like “Mockingbird” – a song I’ve played like three million times – hasn’t gotten old yet because I see the reaction on people’s faces when they’ve heard that for the first time or another song when I can tell that it’s “their” song that they really wanted to hear. Having that perspective of gratitude keeps things fresh because I stay excited that way.

Southern Stages: Some artists say this is a great time to be in your position given you can reach listeners via Spotify, iTunes, Youtube, satellite radio and other outlets. Others say, for that same reason, this is a difficult time to be found among the crowd. How do you view the current climate in the music industry?

Kelly: I think we’ve opened Pandora’s Box with the Internet. Anyone who wants to imagine themselves as an artist will then have the tools to do so whether or not they’re really meant to do it and whether or not it’s in their DNA to be a performer, to write and give themselves to the craft. I think it’s wonderful we have that wide open door – there’s a lot of inclusivity that comes with that. The biggest takeaway is how it will affect art’s place in culture and the way that we consume art. Some of these artists that are blowing up overnight are skipping the developmental phase and skipping the cutting-your-teeth phase of playing in clubs for people that don’t give a shit. There’s a sacrifice involved in giving yourself to the craft and something to be said for how important it is for someone to develop their craft. In most cases, we’re seeing that step being completely skipped so it concerns me. It’ll change inevitably – we just have to keep doing the things that are good for us and for art and culture.

Southern Stages: How would you describe your writing process? Do you schedule times to write or do you do it when inspiration strikes?

Kelly: Wherever inspiration strikes. The song “Belly Of The Beast” that’s on Weakness, Etc. was a lucky one. I was doing the dishes and the entire verse, chorus and second verse just popped into my head. I dropped the dishes into the sink recklessly and I literally ran to my piano and edited it from there – that’s how I would like for it work all the time [laughs]. If you want to get good at it, like anything it’s 80% perspiration. There are times when I sit down and beat my head against the wall, so my process is all over the place and I tend to write more on the road. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s because you’re really in your element and you aren’t trying to repaint your kitchen – you’re just out there doing it.

On Tuesday, April 30, Code-R Productions presents Ruston Kelly at Workplay. Advance tickets to the 8 p.m. show are $27.50 and can be purchased at www.workplay.com.

By Brent Thompson

Known for his easygoing, storytelling style, stalwart singer/songwriter David Wilcox has built a large and loyal fan base. In a recording career spanning more than 30 years, Wilcox has amassed a catalog of songs that listeners find relatable to their own lives. Currently, he is touring in support of his latest release, My Good Friends (Fresh Baked Records). On Friday, April 12, Wilcox will perform at the Woodlawn Theatre. Recently, he spoke with us by phone from a tour stop in Denver, CO.

Southern Stages: David, thanks for your time today. We are really enjoying My Good Friends. Are the songs on the album newer compositions, older ones or a mixture of both?

David Wilcox: During the pandemic, I wrote so many songs – more than ever. It was like two or three a week – it was ridiculous, so I have a huge backlog now [laughs]. I’m working with this producer and he said, “Send in songs that are at the top of your list.” I sent them and he writes me back, “David, what the hell? This is 50 songs.”

Southern Stages: Given the volume of songs you had written, how did you decide which ones would appear on the album?

Wilcox: Yeah, it’s a fascinating process. I think a lot of it has to do with how the songs work together and how they complement each other. Whenever there’s a new record, there’s always a fascinating process of looking back on what this year has meant to me and the changes I’ve been through. This time was no different and when I get the songs all in one list, it’s pretty interesting to see how certain ideas show up that I might not have been aware of at first.

Southern Stages: In the live setting, do you play some of the new songs don’t appear on the album?

Wilcox: I still play them live. If I’m playing a gig and it feels like the right songs at the right time, yeah I’ll play them. Sometimes there are songs that work well live that maybe are a little too simple to be on a record. Once you’ve heard them two or three times, you’ve heard them. I like to put more complex songs on a record.

Southern Stages: How would you describe your writing process?

Wilcox: I tend to get a lot of ideas when I travel and I tend to finish those songs when I get home. It’s a pretty steady process.

Southern Stages: With a large catalog of songs under your belt, how do you construct your set lists these days?

Wilcox: I’m really quirky about it. I just play the songs that I want to hear. To me, it doesn’t matter when they were written. I would say maybe at least half of them are really new and that’s a luxury that not many musicians get to do. A lot of musicians – if you have hits – you have to play the hits. But luckily – in this realm that I’m in – people are curious about what I’ve been thinking about. So I tend to get away with playing more current songs than most musicians get to.

Southern Stages: How do songs stay fresh to you after you you’ve performed them hundreds of times?

Wilcox: It’s fascinating to me. Sometimes it feels like songs are evolving as I change, but it’s just that I’m hearing different aspects of them. Last night, I played a song and I heard a meaning in it that I’d never heard before and I’ve been playing it for 30 years [laughs]. It was pretty fun.

Southern Stages: Some artists tell me that this is a great time to be in your position given you can reach listeners via outlets such as Spotify, iTunes, Youtube and satellite radio. Others say – for the same reason – that this is a difficult time to be found among the crowd. How do you feel about the current climate of the music industry?

Wilcox: I know that I got really lucky and had a fun ride on a great label in the heyday. I think that I’ve always considered the recordings to be the invitation to the concert. Now, when music is basically free, it works better for me because there are more people who can hear my stuff and they come out to the shows. That’s really the thing I love most – playing live. I’m very grateful that I get to do that. It’s more fun now than ever – I feel like I’m doing it for better reasons now.

Southern Stages: As a guitarist, are you continually experimenting with new gear or do you tend to stick with what you have?

Wilcox: I tend to do a major upgrade to all the tech on the guitar about once a year or maybe every two years. It has evolved so much and I love the process of getting the most interesting guitar sound that I can. It’s a very complex arrangement – there are a lot of pickups on my guitar that I put through a sub-mixer with a lot of digital EQ. It sounds very natural, but to make an acoustic guitar sound natural it’s a lot of work and I love the work.

Southern Stages: You’ve been an Asheville, N.C. resident for a long time. If you will, talk about your decision to build your career there instead of an industry hub such as Nashville, New York or Los Angeles.

Wilcox: When I first decided to live in Asheville, I was confused by the people who wanted to live in New York or Nashville. I didn’t understand why it was so important to them to chase the industry. I wanted this practice of music to be my teacher and I wanted it to surprise me and I wanted it to last a lifetime. I was trying to use music as a way to bring me more alive and to be able to really enjoy my life. That is what I wanted and that’s what I got – it’s been really nice.

On Friday, April 12, David Wilcox will perform at the Woodlawn Theatre. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets to the all-ages show are $30 and can be purchased at www.woodlawntheatrebham.com.