9 Questions to Newport: Aaron Lee Tasjan
This week’s WILDWOOD curated museum stage announcement at the Newport Folk Festival had me pretty excited. Some old friends in the way of Joe Fletcher, Ian Fitzgerald, and Sammy Brue alongside some folks I have heard so many great things about and recently become a big fan of like John Moreland, J.P. Harris, and brought to my ears at first, courtesy of our friends at The Loar, Aaron Lee Tasjan.
This gent has a penchant for telling a good story about his penned story songs. With a humor and swagger similar to one of my favorites, Todd Snider, but a guitar style that has bluegrassy inflections the way of Kenneth Pattengale ala David Rawlings, he keeps things interesting on the guitar as he sings out wonderful songs.
I was lucky enough to catch Aaron early to talk about being a part of this year’s festival, the community in East Nashville that has become family, and the importance of a good story. Check it…
(photo credit Lesley Keller)
1) For the fine folks who may not be as familiar with your work, how would you sum up your sound in a short phrase (10-15 words)?
ALT: “But you really don’t make too much money. And you don’t give much of a show.”
2) What projects are you currently working on or have you recently released?
ALT: I have a debut full length album coming out in October called In The Blazes. It was produced by Elijah Thomson at New Monkey Studios in Los Angeles, CA. I played with Eli in the band Everest. Eli played bass on my record as well and plays with Father John Misty now. In The Blazes also features Dan Bailey, David Vandervelde, Rich Hinman, Frank Lenz and Joel Graves on various instruments and backing vocals. It’s a simple, yet very musical album where the songs and the rhythm section are the focus and I can’t wait for people to hear it.
3) Newport Folk is celebrated for its collaborations, community and bringing folks together for a weekend where they may not see each other otherwise. How do you feel about that preservation of unity and family sentiment in the folk music community? How does it play into your own music and where you come from? Is there a “scene” or community that you feel especially attached to?
ALT: I currently live in East Nashville, TN. I lived in New York for 9 years before that and I had moved there from Ohio after I graduated from High School. I love the scene here. I love the gigs at places like The 5 Spot or Frans East Side or The Family Wash (which is in the process of relocating.) But I really love the people in the scene. Brian Wright, Joe Fletcher, Darrin Bradbury, Sadler Vaden, Lilly Hiatt, Kelsey Waldon…the list goes on and on but all the people in this neighborhood really inspire me and make me want to write better songs and play them and sing them more articulately. I also draw similar inspiration from guys like John Moreland or Caleb Caudle who fit right in with everyone in this neighborhood. There are some truly talented writers touring around and playing amazing shows in this country and I think what’s great about festivals like Wildwood and Newport is that they are direct evidence that these artists are having an impact with their music.
4) Do you have a favorite moment on stage from your career? Something that just stands out as special and has given you the urge to keep on going.
ALT: I got to open for Ray Wylie Hubbard a few nights ago in here in Nashville at this great place called 3rd & Lindsley. I was really nervous because it was broadcast live on the radio but Ray was so cool to me and talked to me a lot about music and Texas and Ringo Starr and it ended up being one of the best shows I’ve ever played. People say you don’t want to meet your heroes. Well, if Ray Wylie Hubbard is a hero of yours, I hope you do get to meet him. That guy is first class all the way.
5) If you could collaborate with anyone (dead or alive) musically, who would it be?
ALT: I have to say I feel like I’ve been lucky in who I’ve gotten to play with through the years. I like the way John Moreland plays drums…it might be fun to have him play drums on a song of mine. I will say I’d love to work on any sort of project with Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller.
6) 1 record that shaped you when you first started playing and 1 ‘lesser known’/indepdent record or artist that you are now/are listening to now that you think folks really need to hear about?
ALT: Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant Masacre was the first album on which I’d ever heard someone tell a story in a song and I realized that what you said about the songs, in between the songs at the shows, was just as important as the songs themselves…and that if you put the two together in the right way, you can really feed someone’s imagination. That album was a big game changer for me when I heard it.
Someone new everyone should hear is Brian Wright. I love his writing and he puts on a great show. He’s a guy I wouldn’t miss when he comes around. Rattle Their Chains is his latest record and I listen to it often.
7) So, why is creating music important to you? Why do you hit the stage night after night, pull out the old song notebook every day, or whatever else you do to let loose your creativity?
ALT: I can’t do anything else. My car is dirty. My lawn looks terrible because I mow it myself and I’m horrible at it. I burn all the food I cook. I never make my bed and I sit around all day and try to write songs because it makes me feel like that other stuff isn’t important.
8) Aside from music, do you have any other pastimes? What would you want people to know about you aside from your musical endeavors?
ALT: I’m great at finding things. I’m pretty good at impressions and many of my closest friends are adult males over the age of 47.
9) Anything else you want to plug or we should know?
ALT: Yeah I want to say I love my Grammy who lives in Delaware. I don’t think you guys should know that, it’s just what I’m plugging right now.
