3X3: Sarah Shook on Tofu Tacos, Just Mayo, and No Regrets

Artist: Sarah Shook & the Disarmers
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Latest Album: Sidelong
Personal Nicknames: Shook

What song do you wish you had written?

“Bringin’ the Blues to My Door” by Melvin Endsley

Who would be in your dream songwriter round?

Kelsey Waldon, Charley Pride, Margo Price, John Howie Jr., and Jess Price from Campdogzz.

If the After-Life exists, what song will be playing when you arrive?

“Farewell Transmission” by Songs:Ohia

 

Disarmers play Baton Rouge, LA, tonite at @DysonHouseLR yea yea. #country #outlaw #countrymusic #batonrouge #livemusic

A post shared by Sarah Shook & the Disarmers (@sarahshooksdisarmers) on

How often do you do laundry?

My partner does the laundry — good man, that one.

What was the last movie that you really loved?

Hell or High Water

If you could re-live one year of your life, which would it be and why?

No regrets. Always moving forward.

 

Jonah took this one so he said he gets to name it whatever he wants. I give you, “Farty McFartypants” by Jonah Shook.

A post shared by Sarah Shook & the Disarmers (@sarahshooksdisarmers) on

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Deep-fried tofu tacos with all the vegetables and a mountain of cilantro. 

Which Whiskey is your favorite — Scotch, Tennessee, Myers, Shivers, or Gentry?

Tennessee or Kentucky, every time.

Mustard or mayo?

Just Mayo by Hampton Creek!

Get Off Your Ass: November Cometh

Shovels & Rope // The Fonda // November 2

Paper Bird // Bootleg Theater // November 3

Jared & the Mill // The Satellite // November 4

Joan Baez // Walt Disney Concert Hall // November 5

Robbie Fulks // McCabe's Guitar Shop // November 6

Jonny Fritz // El Rey // November 10

Sean Hayes // The Satellite // November 10

James McMurtry // Troubadour // November 11

Erykah Badu // Memorial Coliseum Exposition Park // November 13

Sturgill Simpson // The Wiltern // November 15-16

Amanda Shires // Echo // November 17

Kris Kristofferson // The Rose (Pasadena) // November 17

Loretta Lynn // Opry House // November 1

Chicago Farmer // The 5 Spot // November 3

The Steeldrivers // Opry House // November 4

Kelsey Waldon // Station Inn // November 5

O'Connor Band // City Winery // November 7

The Stray Birds // Station Inn // November 9

Madeleine Peyroux // City Winery // November 10

Radney Foster // City Winery // November 12

Darrell Scott // City Winery // November 19

Boo Ray // The 5 Spot // November 19

Will Kimbrough // The Bluebird Café // November 26

Vince Gill // Ryman Auditorium // November 30

Ryley Walker // Villain // November 3

Chatham County Line // Rockwood Music Hall // November 4

Mipso // Rough Trade (Brooklyn) // November 5

Toshi Reagon // Joe's Pub // November 6

Brandy Clark // Mercury Lounge // November 11

The California Honeydrops // Bowery Ballroom // November 13

Charlie Parr // Rockwood Music Hall // November 14

Hiss Golden Messenger // Music Hall of Williamsburg // November 15

Lydia Loveless & Aaron Lee Tasjan // Bowery Ballroom // November 16

Margo Price & Sam Outlaw // Music Hall of Williamsburg // November 16

Infamous Stringdusters // Brooklyn Bowl // November 18

Chely Wright // The Bell House (Brooklyn) // November 29

Kelsey Waldon, ‘Dirty Old Town’

Kelsey Waldon has had a hands-on insight into classic country since she moved to Nashville, supplementing her formidable debut, The Gold Mine, with van tours and honky-tonk shows, as well as a different kind of education with a gig behind the bar. On her sophomore full-length, I've Got A Way, the Kentucky native further proves she does have a way — with introspective lyrics and a delivery that somehow turns heartbreak into a soundtrack fit for long drives in the country or a late night on the porch.

The album's opening track, "Dirty Old Town," is an early standout for its spry tempo and the way it expands upon the coal town commentary that made The Gold Mine such an ear-catching first release. From the very first riff, "Dirty Old Town" sets the tone for I've Got A Way by ushering in the record's heroine with a healthy dose of side-eye to small town life and a self-deprecating, endlessly relatable nod to the fact that you can know the flaws of a place — or a memory, relationship, or, hell, a grudge — without necessarily letting it go. Waldon has quickly established herself as one of Nashville's rising class of artists carrying the torch for no-frills classic country, and that's particularly evident in the instrumentation on this cut: Prominent pedal steel and swift finger-picking provide the optimum backdrop for Waldon's thick, sweet drawl. The song may stick to country's most recognizable characteristics, but it's a well-placed introduction to this record of foot-tapping highs and gut-wrenching lows.