You want to believe Paul Cauthen when he tells you, āIām an everyday guy, walking the earth like anyone else.ā But with a booming voice both on stage and over the phone, itās easy to understand why heās become a towering figure in Texas music and beyond.
Cauthen released a striking new EP titled Have Mercy in June ā and while its songs arenāt necessarily religious, they absolutely make a statement about his views of the world. Incidentally, Cauthenās next stop is Nashville, as he brings the all-star Big Velvet Revue to Americanafest for the first time on Wednesday (Sept. 12) at The Basement East.
I like the rhythm and the arrangement of āEverybodyās Walkinā This Land.ā Do you feel like that sets the tone for this EP?
Yeah, man. That song is a staple of the EP. Beau Bedford and I wrote it at his place there in Dallas. We knew this song was going to do something, and be something. Itās got the message, you know?
What I find interesting about that message is that youāre saying youāre going to be praying for fascists and racists. Thatās a pretty bold statement to kick off a record. Did you get any pushback from that? Or has anybody questioned you on that?
Oh yeah, you knowā¦ usually itās the nihilists and racists that are the ones bitching. I think either way there are all types of people in this world and you canāt please them all, ever. If you try to live in this world and please all people, youāre going to let yourself down and be really depressed. I just try to spread my message and donāt try to preach too much. Itās an open mindset EP. Itās not āDo thisā or āDo that.ā Itās āThis is what Iām doing. This is what I believe.ā Honestly, in this world, thatās what everybody needs to get a hold of ā what you truly believe in.
I would imagine that your audience is pretty diverse, though.
Yeah, man, it really is. Weāve got all ages that love our music, all ethnicities. Itās been all over the map. When we played Pickathon, we had guys who were from Russia, I think, and they really dug our band. They went on and on about our band because theyād never heard real Texas music. Thatās what this is ā itās Texas music. Thatās what I tell people. Iāve gathered my own little recipe of Texas music over the years.
Your song āTumbleweedā definitely sounds like Texas. Were you chasing that certain sound?
Oh yeah, man, that song is definitely Texas. Itās about a girl who just leaves, a girl thatās a nomad. The tumbleweed is a reference to a woman who canāt be stopped. Sheās a drifter, a gypsy, you know? Sheās gypsying around Terlingua, Marfa, and Big Bend, all around those areas. Iāve spent a lot of time out there.
How do you take care of your voice? On that song in particular, youāre belting it, but you tour a lot, too. How do you make sure you donāt blow your voice out?
Iām thinking about it every day. I check it every morning. I drink a bunch of tea. I smoke less and drink less brown liquor. I go warm-up. Youāve got to really breathe, and when you feel your voice really hurting, youāve got to pay attention to it. You donāt over-exert your voice — those nights that your voice feels a little raw, donāt go up there with beer or liquor or any alcohol before the show. It dries out your throat. And you know, just being mindful of it.
Iāve dealt with my voice for my whole life. Iāve been going hoarse since I was 9 years old, since Iāve been loud speaking and singing for my whole life. You know, it happens, but Iām never going to have surgery for my voice. You know, Iāve got a nodule on my [vocal cord] on the right side, but so did all the people who have a distinctive rasp to their voice. It gives texture, like an aged wine.
Iāve read that your grandfather inspired your song, āLittle Son.ā
Yeah, heās the guy. Jim Paul is his name. He had two daughters ā my mom and my aunt. So they named me after my granddadās last name.
How did that song come to you?
Itās just about when youāre someone that somebody looks up to. And you actually have some great advice to give somebody that they can learn. It seems like he knew he was going to go at a young age. ā¦ He was really blunt with me, almost to a fault, like telling me there was no Santa Claus. Heād say, āMe, your grandmother, your mom and your dad worked hard all year to put presents under the tree.ā He was just that guy. Heād say, āListen here! Listen here!ā
When you sing āResignation,ā you have so many rhymes and the pattern and rhythm is so fast. When did you learn how to rhyme and the power of words?
Oh, Iāve loved Grimmās Fairy Tales all the way up to Dr. Seuss. When I was a kid, Iād be rhyming stuff with my granddad, making up funny little rhymes. My granddad would rewrite verses for hymns when I was little. Heād sit at the end of the table, get a legal pad and a pen out, and write notes for the sermon. Iād help him with lines and help him with rhymes, too. It was kind of instilled.
I wanted to ask about the background vocals on the EP. I love to hear the womenās voices coming through. Do you travel with background singers?
Yeah, we definitely travel with the singers, but it just depends. Sometimes if we hit the road for a long one, weāll just keep it thin. But yeah, Taylor Lumby and Becky Middleton did some BGVās on āMy Cadillacā and āHave Mercy.ā Theyāre great!
On āHave Mercy,ā I noticed how the dynamics really come into play on that song.
That song, I really wanted it to be like J.J. Cale or Tony Joe White. That dynamic is really chill. Thatās what we were going for on that. And we did a pretty damn good job, especially now live. Weāre really getting into this vibe with it. Itās super fun to play and itās grooving as shit. So, weāre excited because weāre having fun out here playing these songs. Thatās why we keep working. If itās not fun, who the hell wants to do it?
Photo credit: Jody Domingue