CostelloNews.com

By Joshua Jabcuga

November 13, 2003

“It’s the honky tonk women, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues”: Josh Jabcuga talks with the lovely Laura Cantrell regarding her critically acclaimed indie albums, touring with Elvis Costello, and Jack White in a cowboy shirt.

Joshua Jabcuga: Who would you cite as your musical influences?

Laura Cantrell: I am a real fan of the country artists of yore -- Carter Family, Kitty Wells, Hank Williams, etc. But I also really love the current artists that are great writers and singers like Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Iris Dement. All of these folks are pretty inspiring.

Joshua Jabcuga: Your music seems very much like authentic old-school Nashville. It's also highly regarded by critics. You've received two 4-star reviews from Rolling Stone magazine. If you turn on mainstream country radio stations, though, they're dominated by country music that has very little to do, it seems, with the music's roots. Music by the likes of Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, pop music with a cowboy hat or a fiddle tossed in for good measure. Where and when do you think mainstream country radio lost touch with its roots?

Laura Cantrell: Well, it is a tricky question in that I think country radio does reflects a "non urban" point of view which doesn't have too many other outlets in mainstream media. However, the music that accompanies that point of view has become a lot more like soft rock than traditional country music, that is true. I think you can find people in every generation that claim that commercially popular country music somehow has strayed from its roots. It is an argument that surfaced as early as the 1940s when they started using electric instruments and drums on the Grand Ole Opry, so we're in some way still having this discussion now.

Joshua Jabcuga: Do you think mainstream country radio will ever embrace the Laura Cantrells, Neko Cases, and Carolyn Marks of the world, or are those stations so clueless that you don't even care?

Laura Cantrell: It’s not even up to singular stations anymore, as so much of what is on the air is controlled by corporations who make decisions very centrally and have very limited view of what is acceptable to the millions of listeners they want to reach. I can only speak for myself,
but it is hard enough getting played on college and community radio, so I don't even think about the commercial country format -- it's like another planet. I know though that I really appreciate it when the human beings that run college and community radio care enough about what you do to play a song or two, it always helps!

Joshua Jabcuga: Who are some of your favorite contemporary country singers?

Laura Cantrell: Well you already mentioned Neko Case and Carolyn Mark. I actually have really admired a lot of the "girl singers" that Bloodshot has released over the years, like Sally Timms and Kelly Hogan. Here in New York, I always admired Amy Rigby and Amy Allison. I also think that Emmylou Harris is really interesting, if not really country at the moment, but she has her place in country music, Dolly Parton, etc, I have a really long list.

Joshua Jabcuga: Elvis Costello asked you to open for him for 17 shows on his 2002 tour. What did you learn from touring with him?

Laura Cantrell: Well, it was a great learning experience just showing up as we had to do a lot of things in a professional way that we had never done before. But in terms of watching Elvis do that many shows in a row was so revelatory. I had no idea the man still rocked so hard with his version of the Attractions, now called the Imposters. He was amazing, sang from his gut for hours, pulled songs out of the air and made his audience go berserk. I had really only seen him perform as a duo with
Steve Nieve so I had no idea it would be so intense. He really maintains a relationship with his audience through the music itself.

Joshua Jabcuga: You were born in Nashville, but you call NYC home now. You've hosted the "Radio Thrift Shop" on WFMU in Jersey City for the past ten years. First off, for those that might not know, what is the "Radio Thrift Shop"?

Laura Cantrell: Radio Thrift Shop is my three-hour radio show on Saturday afternoons from Noon-3pm. It is mostly a country show but I like to explore the fringes of country throughout its history, so I play a lot of old jazz and blues, pop music, and a lot of new music that has some country influence.

Joshua Jabcuga: How'd you wind up in New York City with that gig?

Laura Cantrell: I went to college at Columbia University and was involved in college radio there. I found WFMU through really the live music community in New York. It is a really excellent community station that is
staffed by volunteers. People are there to do good radio and the vibe is very creative. I have really enjoyed it.

Joshua Jabcuga: Past or present, who would be your dream duet partner?

Laura Cantrell: Well, I really love both Doug Sahm and Charlie Rich. Two totally different voices that I have no idea would sound like with mine, but it would be amazing to be in the same room with them -- they are also both deceased!

Joshua Jabcuga: The song "When the Roses Bloom Again" has quite the history. Jeff Tweedy of WILCO wrote the arrangement for the song, with lyrics most likely courtesy of A.P. Carter of the Carter family. Has Jeff Tweedy ever heard your version?

Laura Cantrell: I know that we gave the album to WILCO's bass player John Stirratt, but I don't know if Jeff Tweedy ever heard the song. It is a beautiful re-imagining of the song though, the melody of the old country song version is very jaunty and kind of doesn't fit the words.

Joshua Jabcuga: You're an expert on the heritage of country music. Is there a performer from country music's past who was influential but you feel doesn't get the credit they deserve?

Laura Cantrell: Well, I think a lot of the women artists have faded from country's early history, people like the Californian Rose Maddox or Kentucky's Molly
O'Day, who were great stylists and innovators and will probably never make it into the Hall of Fame. Even a lot of the 1960s women like Norma Jean and Bonnie Owens are largely forgotten and it is really hard to find music by them that is currently available on CD.

Joshua Jabcuga: With Johnny Cash's recent passing, many people are raising the question of whether or not someone with his voice and style would be able to break-in to today's scene. What do you think?

Laura Cantrell: I think that Johnny Cash was very singular and had a great vision as well as talent for writing or singing. I don't know that many artists that could even be like him, maybe someone like Jack White who has his own ideas. Not that I think Jack White will make a country record, but I did see him with Loretta Lynn and he looks pretty good in that red cowboy shirt!

Joshua Jabcuga: You'll be opening up for Joan Baez soon. Is that an incredible thrill for you?

Laura Cantrell: Joan Baez is fascinating and her music is very powerful. My mom had “Diamonds and Rust” and played it constantly when I was a little girl. So it is thrilling to get to see someone perform whose music affected me when I was a child. We actually just started our run of the tour with her and she did "Where Have All The Flowers Gone," just solo with her guitar on the first night. It was amazing to hear that song live and then to hear her do "Jerusalem" by Steve Earle with her band.

Joshua Jabcuga: Quick, off the top of your head, the five albums that you can't live without are...?

Laura Cantrell: Argh…I can't pick five from all time, impossible!

Joshua Jabcuga: Thank you for your time, Laura. Good luck with everything