Connect Savannah
JULY 9, 2008
BY JIM REED
Prayin'
in the Gamblin' House
Malcolm Holcombe returns, with a new CD
FOR FOLKS
WHO APPRECIATE HEARTFELT EMOTION, understated, poetic lyricism and rough,
unadorned, bluegrass-inflected country music that pulls no punches,
Malcolm Holcombe is among the very best talents alive today.
Raised
in Weaverville, N.C., he’s lived a life others throw away nightly
— one that’s taken him all the way from the competetive
drag of Nashville showcases to a stint on Geffen Records (back when
major labels still meant something positive for artists of his ilk),
and back again to his humble, Appalachian roots.
Malcolm
Holcombe
Long known as something of a “secret hero” among others
in his profession —some much more famous and/or successful than
he— over the past few years, a dogged touring schedule and increasingly
steady stream of powerful independent albums have put him in front of
more people worldwide than might have seemed possible a decade ago.
Now, with his brand-new CD Gamblin’ House hitting the Top 10 on
the U.S. Americana Music charts, Holcombe’s work seems to finally
be receiving deserved adulation from an increasingly large and diverse
audience.
It’s
always a joy to speak with this opinionated —but humble—
student of his craft, because his gruff cadence contradicts his gentle
nature, and his homspun analogies and aphorisms always seem to hint
at well-reasoned, profound truths.
I caught
up with this unpretentious seer by phone at his rural home in advance
of his highly anticipated repeat engagement at a local counterculture
coffeehouse (where he’s one of the very few acts that can easily
command a $10 cover).
Have I
caught you in the middle of anything?
Malcolm
Holcombe: I’m just sittin’ around. We’ve got a few
friends over for the Fourth of July, and that’s real nice. ‘Cept
there’s about a million flies in the house. I don’t know
who invited them, ya know?
Did you
set off any fireworks?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, Jesse’s nine-and-a-half, so of course we had a
few.
Are fireworks
legal in N.C.?
Malcolm
Holcombe: I don’t know. Maybe? We had a few friends run up and
down the road and they grabbed some in Tn., along with another couple
buddies that absconded with some out of state doo-dads...
Sorry we’re
starting this interview a bit late, but my old van was giving me trouble.
Malcolm
Holcombe: I know how that is, man. I’ve sunk a lot of money into
a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s got 188,000 miles on it! (laughs)
Yeah, well,
it’s just that I’m not mechanically inclined at all. I couldn’t
fix this thing if my life depended on it.
Malcolm
Holcombe: That’s alright there, Jim. Everybody’s good at
something.
To those
of us who are just observers of your art, it seems you’re experiencing
something of a resurgence of interest in your music of late. Does it
feel that way to you?
Malcolm
Holcombe: A resurgence of interest?
Yeah. It
seems like you’ve had a more steady output of records for the
past few years and I hear your name here and there more often. Do you
get the feeling more people are interested in what you’re up to
these days?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Ya hang around the barbershop long enough, you’re gonna
get a haircut. How does that work for you? (laughs)
(Laughs)
Well, I can certainly appreciate that. Speaking of haircuts, when’s
the last time you had one?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, that’s been a long time. It’s been a long
time. I remember it was 75 cents, and then a dollar and then a dollar
and a quarter when I was growing up in Weaverville. They charge you
more now because people have gotta look at magazines and hair like Mr.
and Mrs. Jones, you know?”
You mean
a hairstyle as opposed to a haircut?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Yep. It used to be a haircut and now it’s a hairstyle!
I’ve got other things on my mind. Besides, of course, you can
always catch up on some good gossip in the chair. That same barbershop’s
still there in Weaverville. I haven’t been there in a while, but
it’s still open on Main Street. I remember being about seven,
eight or nine years old with all these old guys sitting there smoking
cigarettes. A boy couldn’t hardly breathe in there.
What’s
the biggest difference between the way you live your life today as say,
ten years ago?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, I got a beautiful family. And, uh, thanks to fans and
friends and the grace of the good Lord, I can do some travelling and
see some beautiful people and the country and be of service to my fellow
man. That’s what I’m tryin’ to be available for. That’s
why I’m talkin’ to you again, and thanks for workin’
this one. You’ve always been real kind and a lot of other folks,
too. That keeps me and my family with food in our bellies and a roof
on our back.
You can
probably hear me typing frantically as we talk.
Malcolm
Holcombe: Hell, you’re typin’ like a scalded dog! (laughs)
You tour
mostly as a solo act, but lately, you’ve been making records with
additional musicians or sometimes a full-band. Is it hard for you to
shift into that mode of working when you go in the studio?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Naw. Shucks no. I was really grateful to be able to use the
same band for this new one Gamblin’ House and for the one before,
Wager. The bass player, David Roe Rorick, I’d never met him, but
we had mutual friends. He’s a pro and a real honest fellow. And
gifted. I’ve known (producer) Ray (Kennedy) a long time, and (multi-instrumentalist)
Ed Snodderly. So we just got together and said we’ll start it
like this and end it like this and have some fun in the middle. (laughs)
Yeah, its very humbling to be able to put out another record. We’ve
had a lot of support from friends to make it all happen.
Well, these
days, I’d say that’s what it takes.
Malcolm
Holcombe: We were just talkin’ about Bill Monroe and listening
to a lot of old 78s. You know, whether it’s country or bluegrass
or whatever you might call it, a lot of folks opened up doors before
we ever got in the vans. From the Martha White bus to the old station
wagon to the ‘62 or maybe ‘63 Ford 289 rust bucket. How
we get around. We gotta get around some way or another. “I’ll
Change Your Flat Tire, Merle” — who did that?”
Is that
a song?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Yeah! You never heard that one?
No, I don’t
believe so, but it sounds great. You and your contemporaries on the
modern roots-songwriter scene are certainly carrying on a tradition
that’s been around for decades.
Malcolm
Holcombe: Yeah, we were just talking about a dear friend for pushin’
on 30 years. Talkin’ with him about a young crop of kids that
are just pickin’ up one side and down the other. And with soul,
not just notes! They’ve got soul and movement to ‘em, some
of these young folk, from all over the country. I heard about these
three young kids, The Tuttles. They got that cross-pickin’ on
the mandolin and acoustic guitar and that lonesome sound that’s
kind of bred into your bones. Just like the gospel bands that carry
on and keep them old songs floatin’ around.
When I’ve
seen you play live, you remind me a lot of John Lee Hooker.
Malcolm
Holcombe: Uh-huh?
In that
you have your own internal sense of rhythm that makes perfect sense
when you’re the only guy onstage, but I imagine could be very
difficult for other players to follow — or for you to bend to
a common meter or tempo. What sort of effort does that require on your
part or theirs to serve the songs best?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, I just try to pay attention, you know? I try to look
at least with one eye on land and head for some direction with the other.
Tell me
a bit about this new label that’s behind you. They’re based
nearby your home?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Yeah, they’re based in Asheville. They’re called
Echo Mountain records, and they’re an indie, fledgling label.
They’ve been very supportive, and I’ve been grateful to
work with them. They’re working very hard over there. I’m
especially grateful for the artistic control and freedom that was given
to Ray Kennedy and Myself. It was very welcomed and appreciated to be
working with Ray and to be able to keep the breath off our necks. (laughs)
Yes. So, there wasn’t anybody breathin’ down our necks but
each other!
I know
you’ve run into some debilitating trouble with the music biz in
the past. Does this feel like a comfortable label situation so far?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, you know, we’ve all got levels of comfort and
that’s directly related to our degree of spirituality. So, there
you go.
What sort
of goals or hopes does this label have for your career, and how much
of a role are they looking to play in making those things happen?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, I can’t second-guess anybody that I know or work
with. That’s some thing.
How long
did it take to actually make this new album?
Malcolm
Holcombe: About five or six days. We had enough songs to do an EP called
Wager, and then the new LP Gamblin’ House. We hunkered down and
did them both at the same time.
Did you
decide which songs would be used for the EP ahead of time, or only after
you had a chance to listen to the totality of the work you’d done?
Malcolm
Holcombe: After we got all the songs together and listened to ‘em,
me and Ray and my wife all sat down and drew names out of the hat. You
know, to make sure our heads were bigger than the hat.
I’m
curious about the packaging for the new album. Did you draw the cover?
Malcolm
Holcombe: No, goodness no! I had a fractured idea, and I called a buddy
of mine who’s an architect and a blues player. I ran it by him
and said, see if you can scratch this out. I was glad he was able to
do it.
Is there
a constant conceptual theme that runs through Gamblin’ House?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, you know these have been difficult times the world over,
and in our country and in every other country there are crosses to bear,
you know? So, it’s been on many hearts and many minds, from soldiers
to children to parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Every generation
has a responsibility and an accountability to their God and their family
and fellow man. So there’s just a lot of points that have surfaced
in these last few years that needed my attention, and that I felt I
was obligated to contribute my opinion and thoughts on. Hopefully they’ll
help reflect what’s on the minds and in the hearts of people in
America and throughout the world. Now, whether that’s achieved
or not, I don’t know. That’s not my job to make such a call.
That’s what I learned a long time ago in Nashville — they
told me, “If you sling enough bologna up against the wall, some
of it’s gonna stick.
Where did
the idea come from for the drawing inside the CD that folds out into
a poster?
Malcolm
Holcombe: I’m not too handy with a pencil, but I had this idea
for the poster —which is also the artwork on the CD itself—
and so I kinda sketched out a little “caveman drawing” and
then Ray Kennedy’s mentioned his wife was good with a pen, so
I let her take a stab at it. She made it come to life. She made it her
own. Her name’s Siobhan, which is Irish. Ray’s wife really
put a trip on that man, and she nailed it!
Do you
have a favorite track on the record or is there a particular tune you
see as the focal point of the album?
Malcolm
Holcombe: “Gamblin’ House.” There’s a couple
of ‘em I like good, but I don’t know, Jim. Songs are songs
and kids are kids, man, and you get into this muse thing... Well, I
think that’s bullshit! I mean, that’s my opinion. I got
no problem with anybody else, right or wrong.
I’m
curious as to your songwriting process. I’m sure each song may
come to you in its own unique way, but I wonder if you ever have a topic
or a tale or a thought in mind that you want to express in song, and
so you actually try to write a lyric that will somehow get across an
existing idea, or if it’s more common that you simply write a
song, and only later perhaps come to understand what it means to you.
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, you know, if you wanna get a haircut, or you think you
need a haircut, you gotta walk into the barbershop! You stand out in
the middle of the street, you’ll get run over. So, what’s
that old saying? The lazy foot gathers no moss? Or corns. Yeah, man,
I gotta cut my corns. You ever had corns?
No, I don’t
believe so. Is that like a bunion?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Sorta, but it’s deep-rooted in your foot. You need a
damn mouse to pull it out. You gotta dig down there to get to it. So,
if you think you need a sing that needs writin’, you gotta sit
down and put a pen in your hand and grab it. Go ahead, change a tire
and get to work!
Have you
ever gone through extended periods where the songs just wouldn’t
come?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Nah. Like I said, you gotta be willin’ to show up. Either
get behind the wheel or stick your thumb out. Put a pencil in your hand,
or maybe you got a good memory. Somthin’ that rattles your ribs
with a butter knife or somethin’ that really sings in your heart.
That gestates in there. You know, hey man, you made it to work! Put
another tire on, fix the engine, whatever you need to do. You play too,
don’t you? How’s that band of yours doin’?
Well, we’re
actually about to out a new CD.
Malcolm
Holcombe: That’s great!
We’re
calling it our “country record”. It’s about as country
as we get. We do a Mel Tillis song on there, though, so that’s
pretty darn country. (laughs)
Malcolm
Holcombe: I always liked Mel Tillis. Lord, yeah! I can’t wait
to hear it, man.
You’ve
played Savannah several times it the past, and usually at the Sentient
Bean. Is that venue similar at all to the types of places you normally
play, or is the size and the way it’s laid out kind of an exception
to the rule?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Hey man, they got electricity. More importantly, some people
show up! It’s a very pretty town and it’s one of our favorite
places to play.
In the
past we’ve talked about some of your songwriting heroes and people
you consider tops at their game. Are there any artists you’ve
been enjoying listening to lately that you could recommend to folks?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Yeah, David Olney. I’ve been doing some shows with David.
I’ve known him for pushin’ on 20 years. Man, he is hot as
a fox. Pertinent. And he’s rockin; hard. He’s a wonderful
player. Soulful, serious, slappin’ it, man! Ticklin’, slitherin’
and floatin’ and everything else. (laughs) Yeah, David’s
a-slitherin’ and a-floatin’!
We just
celebrated Independence Day. Any thoughts on what that might mean to
you or the rest of the country in this day and age?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, I tell you what. I voted for Obama. It’s time
to shake things up and he’s gettin’ a lot of younger people
out there to register. I think he has a purpose and soul very akin to
JFK and Martin Luther King, and I really have faith and hope in this
gentleman. I’ve got faith and hope and that’s what keeps
us goin’, right? Family, friends and the universe.
I just
have a few more short questions. What’s the single biggest misconception
you think people may have of you?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Ahhhh... There you go again! (laughs) I can’t second-guess
people, you know.
What’s
the hardest part about being Malcolm Holcombe?
Malcolm
Holcombe: Well, it’s just a continuum to strengthen my spirituality
and my relationship to God and my fellow man. I always gotta check my
motives.
What’s
the best part about being Malcolm Holcombe?
Malcolm
Holcombe: I’ve been blessed. To be a spit in the ocean is very
humbling, and to see smiles and laughter and have the fundamentals:
a beautiful family and friends. We all have to separate the wheat from
the chaff. It’s an ongoing, progressive lot in life.
What: Malcombe
Holcombe
Where:
The Sentient Bean
When: 8
pm, Fri., July 11
Cost: $10
for ALL-AGES
Info: malcolmholcombe.com,
sentientbean.com
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