Tag: Guy Clark

WATCH: W.B. Givens, ‘Dublin Blues’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: W.B. Givens featuring Mayeux & Broussard
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Song: "Dublin Blues" (by Guy Clark)

In their Words: "On May 17, 2016, the world lost one of the few remaining legends from the folk and country songwriting collective who arose out of Texas and Tennessee in the 1970s. I was in Brooklyn heading to Austin when I learned that ol' Guy had left us, and I knew immediately that a tribute was in order. On the drive down to Texas, I got on the phone with Zoob, the owner of the Texas Chili Parlor, and enlisted the help of Mayeux & Broussard for this tribute covering 'Dublin Blues.' The song mentions a 'Mad Dog Margarita,' which Zoob said didn't even exist before Guy wrote the tune. Guy Clark was one of the greatest storytellers and songwriters that ever lived, and his music survives to influence aspiring songsters for years to come." — W.B. Givens

Photo credit: Casey McBride

Darrell Scott, ‘Down by the River’

Posted on by Editor

"We won't give a damn, if it's rock, folk, country, or blues," sings Darrell Scott on "Down by the River," a gloriously rollicking tune that's maybe all four of those things. And, really, who cares which? Writing, performing, and recording in Nashville for well over two decades, Scott was Americana before it was a trend and country before it bro'd, managing to exist in that glorious middle ground where he can both flirt with Music Row and give it a hefty, hearty middle finger.

"Down by the River," from his upcoming LP, Couchville Sessions, is mostly the latter. A locomotive folk waltz through the tumultuous journey of trying to keep your integrity in an industry often more concerned with sales figures and clever marketing campaigns than artistic freedom, it boasts a cascade of instrumentals, a howling gospel chorus, and even a little annotation by the one and only Guy Clark … and, if you listen closely enough, a lesson or two on just how to stay haunted by the mysterious, elusive muse in a world where even the simplest slight (or pushy A&R executive) can spook it away for ever.

"I have lived in Nashville for 24 years," says Scott. "I love the musical and cultural diversity here. This is a song about finding and then keeping your unique voice as an artist in an industry town that could attempt to talk you out of it."

… whether it's rock, folk, country, or blues.