ROMI MAYES: IT´S ALL ABOUT MAKING GOOD ART
2007 kon wel eens het jaar worden van Romi Mayes uit Winnipeg, Canada. Mede dankzij Gurf Morlix, die haar nieuwe cd Sweet Somethin´ Steady produceerde.
On the title track Sweet Somethin´ Steady you praise the single woman.
Are we, males, so boring?
A: "Not exactly boring... no... just not necessary to have around ALL the
time! I love men. Truly - but being single has been great. It's been 3
years since my last relationship and those have been a great 3 years. So...
I definitely (like everybody else) wants somethin sweet... but just on the
side!"
You are described as the Joan Jett of country. Why is that?
A: "I love that. Joan Jett has always been a lady I admire. She is one
rockin woman. I think the title gives people the idea of the difference
between main stream country and country with an edge."
Why you went back to Winnipeg? How is the music scene over there?
A: "I moved back to Winnipeg 4 years ago to rejoin the thriving music scene
here. It's one hell of a city in the middle of nowhere in the prairies
there's this energy, creativity, and camaraderie here that is hard to find
in many cities. Everyone pushes each other to do their best with no
competition and that makes for some great talent. It's the long winters,
the size of the music community (large, but tight knit), and maybe something
in the water! Whatever it is, this city produces some of the finest talent
I have seen. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing without this city. I love
this place. Sets the bar high for when you're out there in the rest of the
world."
How did you get in contact with Gurf Morlix?
A: "The dobro player I had playing with me at the time knew him. He
suggested we send out some of my past albums and some new pre-production
recordings. When Gurf got the package he said "If she has 10 to 12 songs
I'll do it". It was maybe 6 months later I had him on a plane to Winnipeg
to come and record 'Sweet Somethin Steady'. I feel very fortunate for the
experience."
What made you change from bluegrass to Americana/roots?
A: "It's funny because people ask me that but it's really just the nature of
the recordings and the evolution of my writing style less than a conscious
decision. 'The Living Room Sessions' instrumentation was very bluegrass
oriented - fiddle, banjo, muckbucket bass. The way we recorded it was
lo-fi, one mic in a living room. 'Sweet Somethin Steady' was full band and
electrified with Gurf in on the project. Guitar sounds were a large focus
on this album. When I tour I perform acoustically 90% of the time and the
two albums' songs flow seamlessly together on stage because the style seems
to all land in country bluegrass and folk and country blues when it's
stripped down to a guitar and a voice anyway."
What was it Morlix was attracted to when he heard your songs?
A: "I think he leans to dark heartfelt songs. I think he just wants to believe
you when he hears you. You'd probably have to ask him what really attracted
him to my stuff... We just did a tour together though and our chemistry is
great. We just wrote a song together when I was in Austin, as well. It
seems as though we may think the same way when approaching songwriting."
In an interview I read, ''It takes a lot for me to get close to
somebody.'' Or this one: "So I don't mean to sound so jaded and don't
believe in love, don't believe in Jesus, but that's where I'm at. You know,
I believe in me cause that's all I've got." There must be a book behind
those few words. Please explain a bit more.
A: "I'm not sure how to explain those quotes. I have dear friends that I
love and many good friends I see on the road time and time again... but at
the end of the day I am on my own and feel very separated from everyone and
everything. I have traveled a lot and it seems I say good bye as many times
as I say hello... you can't get really get attached to anyone. No one will
make things happen or make things better but you."
Female singer/songwriters are very popular at the moment. I mention Mary
Gauthier, Lucinda Williams, Kathleen Edwards, Jolie Holland, Good Be Tanyas,
Neko Case. The bottle not any longer belongs only to Hank Williams and
Townes van Zandt. What has changed?
A: "I don't know if all that much has changed. There was Patsy Cline, hell
there was enough Memphis Minnie. There may just be more women doing it now
and I suppose the mass media decide what's "hip" and if that's the case, lucky me."
How did you get that voice? From smoking or drinking?
A: "That's funny because it's probably true. When I was younger I thought I
was tone deaf. Music doesn't seem to really run in my family and when I was
a kid I sang all the time - but really poorly. As a young teenager I would
play guitar and sing and I didn't think I was very good but I loved it so
much. I think it truly became a matter of practice and confidence. I was
really glad I got better as time passed! The wear and tear from smokin and
drinkin just gave it some grit along the way I suppose."
Your voice reminds me to Janis Joplin. Are you familiar with her records?
A: "Of course - for sure I'm familiar with Janis but to be honest I don't own
any of her records. I do think she was pretty cool and I loved her edge. I
don't hear the comparison since she could wail and scream like a blues woman
and I tend to take it a little easier than that. I have heard that
comparison made before though and I definitely take it as a compliment....
so thanks."
Are you a professional singer or do you have another job?
A: "Music is what I do full time. I run my career like a business, as well,
so there is a lot of work to do and I don't have time for another job. I
had been doing web development for bands, venues... anything arts related
really. I still have some friends left as clients left but I am not taking
on any new ones. I am slowly showing bands how to maintain their own sites,
etc. Really it was the only thing I could do to supplement my income as I
went along because I could work from the road and on my own hours.
Fortunately music is keeping me busy enough to be all I do now."
Who are your biggest musical influences?
"I grew up on classic rock and blues so a lot of my influences come from
there. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Lightnin Hopkins, Robert Johnson,
Muddy Waters... but there was also always a love for AC/DC, Led Zeppelin,
Black Sabbath, Heart, Pat Benatar. I really owe a lot to The Band, CCR, The
Rolling Stones, Tom Petty. Later in my life, more like the past 10 years I
got into classic folk and country. Merle Haggard, Townes Van Zandt, John
Prine, Waylon Jennings, Gram Parsons. And now I am really inspired more
recently by some of my contemporaries like Gillian Welch, Mary Gauthier,
Hayes Carll."
What's your first musical memory?
A: "Hmmm.... that's a hard one. I did perform at a song festival in grade 5.
You had to write your own song and I remember my friend and I wore matching
overalls and we even had a choreographed routine when we performed it. It
wasn't good. We didn't win."
First cd/lp you bought?
A: "My first cassette I remember having was the Grease movie soundtrack. But I
remember when I bought my first CD player my pal bought me Tattoo You (The
Rolling Stones) from a pawn shop for a gift as my first CD."
At which moment did you decide that your music had to be heard?
A: "When I was 15 an older musician friend of mine had heard me strum a few
chords of some songs I had written at my home one day and then a few days
later he called me up to sing a few songs from the stage at a late night
cafe I was serving at. The crowd was surprised but encouraging so I did it.
I sang three songs I had written (they were really sad, too) and I remember
the response being out of this world and it was the best feeling I had ever
had. I went home that night and knew I was going to do that for the rest of
my life."
Best concert you ever saw?
A: "A few weeks ago I saw Guy Clark playing with Verlon Thompson at The Cactus
Cafe in Austin. Texas. It's an amazing intimate listening room. I had
chills up my spine the entire show. I don't know if it was the best concert
I have EVER seen but it is very fresh on my mind so we'll go with that one.
Mavis Staples at a huge theatre this year and a Mary Gauthier solo show I
saw about 3 years ago definitely stand out, as well."
Best record of 2006?
A: "I'm pretty sure it didn't come out in 2006 but it was when I got it. The
album is Mercy by Sam Baker. He's from Texas. I listened to it 3 times in
a row the first time I heard it. I just got to tour with Sam this December
in Texas and now I only love the album more. It's a writer's album.
Crafted straight from the heart."
Most overseen artist?
A: "Maybe my friend Righteous Ike. He's not one to tour and couldn't be
bothered with the music industry one bit. I think at one point in his
career he dabbled in the idea and was let down so he walked away jaded.
He's about 50 years old and plays locally here in Winnipeg. His name is
Righteous for a reason. He's the real deal."
Biggest wish?
A: "I pretty much just hope I can keep this up and don't forget the important
reasons of why I do it. It's all about making good art. We definitely
don't make enough money in this business to not have fun."
ALL RIGHTS HANX
