Tag: songwriter

3×3: Matt Harlan on Good Hair, Highway Wind, and Essential Shoes

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Artist: Matt Harlan
Hometown: Houston, TX
Latest Album: In the Dark
Personal Nicknames: Mackie


If Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed were in a band together, who would play what?

Jesus — guitar / vox (He’s “the way,” right? Gotta be front and center.) 
Buddha — bass (b/c “Buddha on bass” would sound awesome as the band is introduced.)
Krishna — flute
Mohammed — drums

If you were a candle, what scent would you be?

Highway Wind

What literary character or story do you most relate to?

These days, not to be dark, but the story of Job is really hitting home for me.


How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Three — boots, sneakers, slip-on shoes

What’s your best physical attribute?

Hair

Which is your favorite Revival — Creedence Clearwater, Dustbowl, Elephant, Jamestown, New Grass, Tent, or -ists?

Creedence Clearwater, for sure


Animal, mineral, or vegetable?

Animal

Rain or shine?

Rain

Mild, medium, or spicy?

Spicy

Root 66: Red Wanting Blue’s Roadside Favorites

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Name: Red Wanting Blue
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Latest Project: RWB20: Live at Lincoln Theater

Tacos: Grey Eagle — Asheville, NC

Pizza: Juliana’s — Dumbo, Brooklyn

Burger: Yo MaMa — New Orleans, LA

Veggie Burger: Northstar Café — Columbus, OH

Health Food: Green Café — Phoenix, AZ

Roadside Diner: Mickey’s Diner — St.Paul, MN

Truck Stop: Porky’s Truck Stop at South of the Border — Dillon, SC

Coffeehouse: Neat Coffee Shop — Burnstown, ON (R.I.P.)

Dive Bar: Howard’s Club H — Bowling Green, OH

Record Store: Square Records — Akron, OH

Gear Shop: Chicago Music Exchange — Chicago, IL

Listening Room: Eddie’s Attic — Decatur, GA

Backstage Hang: SPACE — Evanston, IL

Highway Stretch: I-90W from Bozeman, MT to Seattle, WA or HWY 101 N (Redwood Hwy) in Northern California

Radio Station: 91.3, The Summit — OHIO

Day Off Activity: Frisbee Golf

Tour Hobby: Hunting for vintage travel stickers and roadside souvenirs at gas stations/general stores

Driving Album: Lost in the Dream by the War on Drugs

Live Studio Recording Session: Historian Sessions — Youngstown, OH

3×3: Roddie Romero on Buckwheat Zydeco, Christoph Waltz, and the Humility of Fatherhood

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Artist: Roddie Romero
Hometown: Lafayette, LA
Latest Album: Gulfstream
Personal Nicknames: Rod, bruh, little shit (from my older siblings)

What song do you wish you had written? 
"Forever Young," Bob Dylan. My daughter digs that one, too.

If money were no object, where would you live and what would you do? 
Mmm, I guess I would still be in South Louisiana. Down here is  very much an Old World culture mixing in modern times. My parents still speak French, most bands on any night will play a waltz or two, the food is like no other mixing Spanish, French, German, Creole, African, Native American together in one black pot (la chaudiere). I would [will] continue to pass down our culture as our ancestors that came before us. Plus, we have a great little airport where they know you by name that can get you just about anywhere. 

If the After-Life exists, what song will be playing when you arrive?
“Let the Good Times Roll” — Buckwheat Zydeco has a pretty damn good version of that one.

How often do you do laundry? 
Well, I’d like to think that my momma taught me right, but I do let it pile up every once and a while. We’ve had a busy Summer of traveling, so I’ve been good at washing the stink out of my travel bag after every trip.

What was the last movie that you really loved? 
Inglourious Basterds. Big fan of Christoph Waltz.

If you could re-live one year of your life, which would it be and why? 
That would be 2002, the year that my daughter was born. I’m sure that every parent goes through the same or feels the same things, but for me, it was beautiful and grounding. I learned so much so quickly that year. I learned humility.

What's your favorite culinary spice? 
Fresh Peppers — Habanero, Cayenne, Serrano, Jalapeño. I enjoy growing them and cooking with them, as well.

Morning person or night owl? 
Absolutely a night owl. I’ve played music professionally since I was a kid, so it’s the life I know. That being said, I do love a good strong brew in the morning. 

Mustard or mayo?
Both, and mixing is not out of the question.

3×3: Sadler Vaden on Skunk Baxter, Huck Finn, and Holy Prophets

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Artist: Sadler Vaden
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Latest Album: Sadler Vaden
Personal Nicknames:  Sad-hammer, Sad-biscuits, Saddlebags, Jenn, SV, The Vaden, Frampton

 

A photo posted by Sadler Vaden (@sadlervaden) on

If Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed were in a band together, who would play what?
Well, Jesus would obviously be the lead singer because every singer believes they're the spawn of God. Buddha would hold things down on the bass. Krishna would, without a doubt, be the drummer, and Mohammed would be lead guitar because every guitarist believes they're the Holy Prophet.  

If you were a candle, what scent would you be?
Skunk Baxter

What literary character or story do you most relate to?
Well, I do read a lot of music books, rock bios, and such. I enjoy those quite a bit because I like to know where people came from and the details of their journey.  But I like Huck Finn. He was scrappy.

 

A photo posted by Sadler Vaden (@sadlervaden) on

How many pairs of shoes do you own?
I own 10 pairs of shoes.

What's your best physical attribute?
My smile — I think I have a good smile. It's genuine.

Who is your favorite Bruce: Willis, Springsteen, or Lee?
Springsteen. He's the Boss.

 

A photo posted by Sadler Vaden (@sadlervaden) on

Animal, mineral, or vegetable?
Animal. Animals rule!

Rain or shine?
Shine

Mild, medium, or spicy?
I always go for spicy and then realize I'm more a medium person. So, medium.

3×3: Anna Elizabeth Laube on the Woods, the Biebs, and the 1960s

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Artist: Anna Elizabeth Laube
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Latest Album: Tree
Personal Nicknames: Anna Banana

Which decade do you think of as the "golden age" of music?
'60s

If you could have a superpower, what would you choose?
I would be magic, hands down.

If you were in a high school marching band, which instrument would you want to play?
Drums, but I'd probably wear earplugs.

What's your go-to road food? 
Chipotle all the way

Who was the best teacher you ever had — and why?
I have a few teachers right now I'm pretty amazed by … Jumana Sophia and Cathy Heller come to mind — they are masters of their domains.

What's your favorite TV show?
Girls

Boots or sneakers?
Both, but not at the same time.

Which brothers do you prefer — Avett, Wood, Landreth, or Osborne?
Wood! I was on my way to see them once in Nashville and my car got totaled by a semi right where highways 40 and 24 merge. I walked away almost totally unscathed, miraculously!

Canada or Mexico?
Canada — I mean, if not for Canada, we wouldn't have the Biebs.

3×3: Chelle Rose on Bougie Hillbillies, Midnight Rambles, and Snow-Capped Smokies

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Artist: Chelle Rose (pronounced like "Shelly")
Hometown: Relocating to my native East Tennessee as we speak, Nashville resident since ‘96
Latest Album: Blue Ridge Blood
Personal Nicknames: Chelle is actually short for Rachelle. Friends call me Chel. The Rose side of the family have always called me Rachelle.

 

A photo posted by Chelle Rose (@chellerose31) on

If you had to live the life of a character in a song, which song would you choose?
"Feel Alright" by Steve Earle. So many barricades on this journey. I've been singing this one pretty loud lately. Nobody gets to dictate my life to me … but they keep trying. I love it … fires me up every time.

Where would you most like to live or visit that you haven't yet? 
Scotland was amazing, but I really wanted to play or at least visit Ireland when we toured the UK. Hopefully we can make that happen next time. I plan to live out the rest of my life in East Tennessee. I wanna be able to see the snow-capped Smokies often and swim in a cold, mountain swimming hole.

What was the last thing that made you really mad?
Showing up for a music video shoot where you’ve paid a pretty penny to secure the room and it’s hotter than dammit on a popsicle stick! Me and my boys look good wet, but getting overheated can put me on the bench pretty fast due to health issues. Then I remembered current world events and rearranged my attitude.   

 

A photo posted by Chelle Rose (@chellerose31) on

What's the best concert you've ever attended?
Hands down, the Black Crowes at the Ryman in 2005. One of my besties since second grade, Amylou, and I still suspect someone must've put "shroom vapors" in the fog machine. When the show came to an end, everyone just sat there stunned. Nobody wanted to move, much less leave. I’ve searched for a bootleg of that show for years. As far as I know, there isn’t one? Someone tell me different.

Who is your favorite Clinton: Hillary, Bill, or George?
With apologies to the humans, Socks, the First Cat because Socks didn’t take any shit!

What are you reading right now? 
I wish! I’ll throw a book in my bag when traveling, but they come right back home with me without so much as a page turned. However, I have had Keith Richards' audiobook
in the car … and Jack Kerouac's On the Road.

 

A photo posted by Chelle Rose (@chellerose31) on

Whiskey, water, or wine?
People assume I’m a whiskey girl because of my voice I suppose. But I love red wines, prosecco, and champagne. I’m a bougie hillbilly I guess.

North or South?
South … but fell in love with Woodstock and the Catskills when we went to the Midnight Ramble at Levon’s.

Steve Carell or Ricky Gervais?
Had to crawl out of my rabbit hole and look up those names. Now I understand the question, but still can’t answer. Can I have “Dylan or Townes”? TVZ all day long.

Photo credit: Scarlett Eli