Massy Ferguson – “When You’re Not Around”
Americana Highways brings you this video premiere of Massy Ferguson’s song “When You’re Not Around” from their forthcoming album You Can’t Tell Me I’m Not What I Used to Be, which is releasing via North & Left Records on Feb 4. The album was produced by Damien Jurado, engineered by Sean Wolcott at Soundview Analog Recorders, and mastered by Martin Feveryear of Feveryear.
“When You’re Not Around” is Ethan Anderson on vocals and bass; Adam Monda on guitars and vocals; Dave Goedde on drums and percussion; and Fred Slater on piano and keyboards.
This is a song about the other side of an entertainer’s life, the person whose beloved sees them instead quietly at home “checking emails at 9pm / mopping the floor.” But the partner wishes ultimately that he could know her as the superstar on stage. Massy Ferguson gives you that stage show with rockin’ electric guitars in both the song and in this video interspersed with old time cartoon footage. It’s a gem to watch.
The video was produced by George Varghese of Verge Studios, Seattle
When I wrote this song, I was listening to Ray Wylie Hubbard “Chick Singer Badass Rocking” and basically wrote it as a piece of fan fiction to Ray’s song. As musicians, it’s like we have a double life, an alter ego or whatever. We are one person at home and another person on stage. If Ray is writing about this chick singer, I’m writing about the singer’s partner who sees both sides. Ray’s singer is one person at home and another person on stage. I think “When You’re Not Around” is a song of appreciation for anyone in a relationship with a musician, both the glory and the misfortune. But in the end you probably prefer the badass rocking person ‘I wish that I could know you like that’ is the key line in this song. – Ethan Anderson
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Massy Ferguson “Joe’s Meat & Grocery”
You can find the album here on their BandCamp page: https://massyferguson.bandcamp.com/track/when-youre-not-around