AmericanaFest 2024 – Day 3
I don’t really understand how songwriting works. I mean, I get the mechanics of writing down words that (usually) rhyme, but the creative, artistic part eludes me. That’s why a conversation with a good songwriter is fascinating for me. And Day 3 of AmericanaFest started with one of the very best.
A Conversation with Waxahatchee & Ann Powers
Music journalist and NPR critic Ann Powers, who introduced Waxahatchee at Wednesday night’s Americana Honors and Awards, reunited with singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield for a discussion of her AMA-nominated album, Tigers Blood. Waxahatchee has gone from rising indie talent to Americana superstar since working with producer Brad Cook on 2020’s Saint Cloud. Flashing back to Wednesday and writer Natalie Weiner’s discussion with Alynda Segarra (Hurray for the Riff Raff), Segarra stated that Cook (who also produced The Past is Still Alive) was able to work around the emotional aspects of Segarra’s songs to make practical music decisions. Likewise, Crutchfield, especially on this second go-around with Cook, felt comfortable with him making decisions that tightened the musical arrangements, making it “more Americana.” The other key element to the “making of” the record was enlisting MJ Lenderman to provide guitar and backing vocals for Tigers Blood (Lenderman, like Cook, was in the back row of the conference room). Crutchfield confirmed that, once Lenderman showed up to the first recording session for the record, she and Cook essentially refused to let him go! Like Bonny Doon soundtracking a good chunk of Saint Cloud, Crutchfield and Cook knew that Lenderman’s guitar playing, while very different from Bonny Doon, would elevate an already-amazing set of songs to something unforgettable. Unlike the other AmericanaFest conversations I’ve attended, Crutchfield strapped on an acoustic guitar and sang three of the songs from Tigers Blood (“Crowbar,” “Lonestar Lake” and “Burns Out at Midnight”). And, as amazing as Waxahatchee is as a live band, having Katie Crutchfield sing her songs to you and less than a hundred of your new friends is something special.
Little Saint Party
Next up was a trek over to East Nashville to Estelle, a small wedding and event venue, for a musical party thrown by Little Saint, a California vegan restaurant and music spot. Highlights here included Morrison, Colorado’s Jobi Riccio, who’s gained a strong following over the past year via her excellent album Whiplash, and West Virginia’s Rett Madison who, like Riccio, nabbed a spot on CBS Saturday Sessions, which exposed her to a new audience. In the small, wood and stone-lined space at Estelle, their powerful voices filled up every nook and cranny. Both singer-songwriters should find even more acclaim over the next year.
ANTI- Records 25th Anniversary
THIS was the event everyone in Nashville was talking about. The buzz all day was, “Get there early, ‘cause it’s gonna fill up soon.” And, even before the first note of music hit at 7:30pm, Basement East was jam-packed and (due to an unseasonably hot stretch of weather) sticky and sweaty. The draw was having MJ Lenderman and Waxahatchee on the same bill and (fingers crossed) playing together. But this was a top-to-bottom amazing roster, beginning with Leyla McCalla, adroitly switching between guitar, banjo and cello while playing songs from this year’s Sun Without the Heat (the up-tempo, banjo-y “Take Me Away” was a highlight). Up next was was the folk-ish Christian Lee Hutson, previewing his upcoming record, Paradise Pop. 10, taking the stage with his band in matching jackets promoting the album (with temperatures rising, most of the band shed the sporty jackets before the end of the set),
Next up was Lenderman, with a band including drummer Spencer Tweedy (currently touring with Waxahatchee) and producer Brad Cook on bass. Kicking off the set with the guitar-driven “On My Knees,” Lenderman ripped through a number of songs from his outstanding Manning Fireworks, including (of course) Katie Crutchfield joining him on “Wristwatch” and “She’s Leaving You” before wrapping (WAY too soon) with his 2023 single “Knockin.”
Next up was Madi Diaz. And in the unenviable position of following the white-hot Lenderman, she absolutely killed it. Yes, she had the coolest of the cool joining her (Crutchfield taking the Kacey Musgraves role on “Don’t Do Me Good,” Stephen Wilson Jr. on their co-write, “Get to Know Me”). As much as I enjoyed this year’s Weird Faith, the songs on it, guided by Diaz’s amazing voice, find their calling in a live setting. “Same Risk” and “God Person,” in particular, will stand out as some of the finest performances I’ll heard this year.
Waxahatchee was next, and she brought Lenderman from the Tigers Blood studio to play guitar for her entire set, including singing those unforgettable harmonies on this year’s best song, “Right Back to It.” If I were running for president, my first-day-in-office promise would be commissioning a Waxahatchee/MJ Lenderman joint tour. The band also debuted a new song, which Crutchfield promised would be released next month. Wrapping the evening was the legendary Neko Case. She possesses an inimitable voice I’ve been wanting to hear live for a long time, and she did not disappoint. She’s a career artist and an excellent example for the collection of young talent across the ANTI- roster, who, in turn, serve as a promise of the wealth of amazing music we have ahead of us.
Check into the schedule here: http://www.americanamusic.org
Enjoy our previous coverage here: AmericanaFest 2024 Awards and Day 2