Jay Farrar has been busy writing lyrics for a new album and vignettes for a new book. Farrar was inspired by 1950s country music to make a new record and events from his life to write a memoir.
Farrar, the lead singer and founder of Son Volt, spoke to jambands.com from his home in St. Louis to discuss his latest projects. Honky Tonk is Son Volt’s seventh studio album and Falling Cars and Junkyard Dogs is Farrar’s first book.
Son Volt’s lineup is rounded out by Mark Spencer (pedal steel and keyboards), Dave Bryson (drums), Andrew Duplantis (bass) and Gary Hunt (fiddle and electric lead guitar). The band is currently on tour until the end of June in support of their new album.
Were you looking to get back to a simpler style of music?
The idea was to get back to the fiddle and pedal steel sound that started back with the first Son Volt record ( Trace ) and expand on that and also explore aspects of the music called the twin-fiddle sound. I found it to be a very captivating sound when I came across it on old country music records from the 1950s and 1960s. It’s an interesting sound because a natural chorus effect is created. The pitch is not exactly the same, but it’s very close. It’s a very captivating sound.
Did you play the pedal steel parts on the new album?
I didn’t actually play it. What happened is that I became immersed into listening and playing it with a band around St. Louis called Colonel Ford. I’ve been learning how to play the pedal steel but I did not play it on this record. I do think having learned the instrument, that it gave me a unique perspective when it came time to add that instrumentation to the record.
The first track on the new album, “Hearts and Minds,” really sets the tone of beautiful Americana music that you can listen to from start to finish.
Going into the recording, I knew I wanted to acknowledge and play homage to honky-tonk music but not feel limited by its parameters. That first song “Hearts and Minds,” is an example. It’s sort of an ancillary offshoot of honky-tonk music as it has a Cajun sound. There are some other songs where we stretch things out a bit like “Down the Highway,” which has an Irish flavor to it; and the song “Living On” has a soulful flavor. But I think from a lyric perspective, I embraced the lexicon from that time period and just kind of ran with it.
Where did the inspiration come from for all these new songs?
I would say that the inspiration came from listening to so much of it (honky tonk music) and getting into situations where I was playing it with a group of like-minded folks in bars. When it came to writing songs for the Son Volt record – making it more of a continuation of an aesthetic of the sound of the first Son Volt record just seemed like the natural way to go.
Is there a particular track that means a lot to you?
I guess in a lot of ways “Hearts and Minds” represents perseverance on our part because at first it started out as more of a honky-tonk shuffle beat, but it wasn’t working out to our expectations, so then we switched up to a Cajun waltz, then we had twin fiddles. The fiddle players actually tuned their fiddles down, so it’s actually a deeper fiddle sound. Just by being flexible, it allowed things to be more creative.
In the song, “Down the Highway,” there’s a lyric “Lessons lost, lessons learned.” Is that lyric reflective of your life journey?
It could be. Most of the lyrics I write are more of a composite of things observed in other people, mixed in with things that have happened to me. Once again, the lyrics on this record are much more thematic than any other record I’ve done before, because they all fall into that heartache and heartbreak realm, which is very much a part of the original honky-tonk music of the 1950s.
Also in “Seawalls,” there’s a line “Honky-tonk angels walking together.” Is there symbolism behind that lyric?
That’s a good way of putting it. Over the years, it took on symbolism. There are several songs. I believe the first one is from Hank Thompson (“The Wild Side of Life,” I didn’t know God made honky-tonk angels) and then there is an answer song by Kitty Wells called “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” It became kind of a legendary phrase in the genre.
This is the band’s seventh studio album. To what extent would you say that this album represents Son Volt’s evolution?
I think over the years, there’s always been this duality – the electric side and the acoustic side of Son Volt. It’s certainly a yin yang approach to it that worked and fueled creativity, but this time around it was paramount to focus more on the acoustic aesthetic instead of going back and forth and it was the right decision.
We all have a background in this kind of music to some degree – some of us more than others. Gary [Hunt] in particular has an extensive background in country music and his versatility on his instruments is something to behold. And everyone else does great as well, except me (laughing).
How have you changed over the years?
It’s been a process of trial and error. You learn from each experience as you go along. I think being on stage for so many years, you get acclimated to what works and what doesn’t. You try to concentrate on what works because that’s the essence of it.
What works the best?
In this particular time frame—country music—but I pretty much follow the inspiration wherever it may take me.
What inspired you to write a book?
I have never written anything before except songs and very long postcards. It was just something I started out one day and realized I liked doing it and realized it was kind of like cognitive medicine. It really helped to take stock of where I’ve been and what’s happening now and it gives you an idea of where you want to go. I found that writing about very specific experiences and writing shorter pieces was paramount for me to actually get it done, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten it done. It probably would have been too intimidating to think about a linear novel or work, not that I’m incapable of doing that. It felt good to write, and I think of it more along the lines of folk writing. It is real events, observations in forms of vignettes. I tried to concentrate on experiences that were unique to me and a lot of that is wrapped up in childhood experiences. The dynamic with my father and also starting out in music, some of the stories represent even more of a contemporary view point.
Can you talk about your appreciation of the Grateful Dead?
Early on I remember in high school I had records on the opposite end of the spectrum. I had American Beauty and also had Iggy & The Stooges’ Raw Power. But going back to the pedal steel, there’s a pedal steel shop here in St. Louis called Scotty’s Music that goes way back to the 1950s. I took my pedal steel there to get worked on and the guys at the shop were telling me that Jerry Garcia had come through there and bought a pedal steel guitar from them. They say that’s where he got his first pedal steel here in St. Louis. It’s sort of a weird connection there. I also noticed Brad Sarno, who helped out on the recording part, put in a few, very inspiring Jerry Garcia pedal steel guitar licks without me having to ask for it. I’m not sure everyone realizes how talented of a pedal steel guitar player Jerry Garcia was.
How comfortable are you with playing the steel pedal guitar?
I’ve played it out with local bands on and off for two years now, so I can make some noise I feel OK about.
Is it difficult to learn?
Again, I chose one that had less strings. It has eight strings as opposed to 10 or higher. I chose one from the 1950s because of the character of the instrument. It has a particular sound that I like, and it was a little more accessible because it had eight strings and that meant less to learn.
You’re always collaborating with musicians outside of the Son Volt world. Is there someone right now on your wish list that you would really like to team up with?
The list would be pretty long. I did have the fortunate situation to play with Doug Sahm. He was someone I looked up to in terms of his songwriting, musicianship and his ability to embrace and find inspiration in a number of musical styles and incorporate all that into his songwriting. But to answer your question further, two words: Willie Nelson.
Why Willie?
He’s just an icon and he’s been doing it for so long and he’s so talented at what he does. It’s really amazing.
