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| Photo: Chris Phelps |
Searching for Magic & Beauty
by Matt Chrystal
I was first introduced to the music of Joe Fletcher, a singer-songwriter from Nashville by way of New England, when he opened up for Deer Tick in Brooklyn a few years ago.
"I remember a really good feeling on stage that night… That audience was particularly receptive… A large room full of people ready to get fucking hammered and go nuts is not always the best situation for a solo acoustic act, but I remember that audience being amazing," is Fletcher’s recollection of that evening.
Yup, I was one of those people, I wasn't quite hammered (yet) but I was ready to go nuts. In addition to celebrating their tenth year as a band, Deer Tick were going to cover the classic album, Meet the Beatles in its entirety and I was psyched.
I debated whether to skip the opener and hang at a nearby bar or to go in early and get a good spot by the stage.
I'm glad I went in early. Joe Fletcher came out armed with just a guitar and said something into the mic about how he was supposed to have a back-up band but he forgot to bring them with him. I still am not sure whether or not that was a joke or not.
The room was full of people ready to rock but all fell silent as we listened keenly to stories about heartbreak, tales about rambling and conjured images about what it would be like to party with the ghost of Hank Williams.
By the end of his set, I, along with the whole crowd, had been completely won over. We were echoing the chorus of the song, "I Never (Reprise)" back to the denim-clad cowboy on the stage: "I'd never gotten on this ship if I'd known it was gonna take me home. I was never meant for life on land and I can't make it on my own."
After the show, I picked up his albums, White Lighter and You've Got the Wrong Man; and they have never left rotation in my truck since that night.
His DIY approach to recording, his stark musical accompaniment along with his poignant lyrics and gritty sense of humor fill my head with vivid characters acting out stories on dramatic landscapes and I can't make enough return trips to revisit them all. Joe Fletcher is up on my Mount Rushmore of singer-songwriters. I hold his songwriting and storytelling ability on par with my heroes like Woodie Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt. I guess that makes Joe Fletcher my hero, too.
I recently got to chat with Mr. Fletcher between stops on his current tour that will bring him to two stops in New Jersey this weekend. I asked him about his thoughts on the election, music, life on the road, iPhone pics, and the continuing search for magic and beauty in the good ole Garden State.
Cool Matty C: Ok, so I guess it's impossible not to discuss the election. You just had a show in Ludlow, Kentucky on election night. Can you talk about what the feeling was like for that performance and what are your thoughts on the result of the election?
Joe Fletcher: The show was over at 8pm on election night. At that time, I never truly considered that outcome (Trump winning) could even be a possibility. Earlier that day, I voted accordingly and after the show, I wasn't feeling all that great; so I went to bed early. I went to bed even after seeing that the race was a little tight at that point. I really was not that worried. I slept great. I woke up at 6am and was completely stunned by the news. And I remain pretty stunned. I did not think this was something that could be. I am struggling with the whole concept. I was just having lunch with a friend and we had a whole conversation just imagining this character doing all the things that a president has to do like giving a State of the Union Address from the Oval Office. I'm having a really hard time reconciling that this is the world that we live in. But it is.
CMC: You were vocal in your support of Bernie Sanders, I’m pretty sure I know your answer to this but do you think things would have gone differently if it was down to Trump vs Sanders?
JF: Yeah. I was a big Bernie supporter, and I am a big Bernie supporter. But instead of Bernie, we got something else entirely.
CMC: The country seemed to have come together for a brief period, at least on the Internet, to cheer for the underdogs during the World Series. But the election results really sucked the air out of the room. Does it make it hard to perform with this on your mind or do you feel this is more of reason to be out performing?
JF: I think going out and being amongst people and having conversations about everything really helps me. It helps me not being alone in my apartment. I get to travel the country for a job, so the ideology that would elect someone like Trump is not something that is foreign to me, but I enjoy getting to be among people that are concerned and actually out there doing things about it.
Ludlow, KY is a good example. People there are making something beautiful happen in a really small town. They could just do nothing or they could move to a bigger city but these people really believe in forging a community and letting that community grow. Young people there are taking initiative and not just going to where the action is. They are bringing the action their community. You can see it in the older people there. They enjoy seeing the place thrive now. Just going out and being among people doing something positive is one of the things I really love about this job.
CMC: Throughout this whole electoral process, I have had the lyrics from your song "Florence, Alabama" stuck in my head: "…we are sick to death of fighting for a cause that's just a shill, bring down the Stars and Stripes and raise a $50 bill."
JF: That was actually just the song I chose to sing last night on the Jerry Springer podcast.
CMC: How did you wind up getting together with Jerry Springer?
JF: I played a bunch of times at the Folk School Coffee Parlor in Ludlow, KY. A couple of years ago, Jerry started taping his podcasts live on location there. So, because I know the owners and because all the music Jerry plays on the podcast is folk music, they booked me to play for the first time back in April and it just happened to work out with all of our schedules for me to do it again last night.
The episode of his podcast that I am on will be out this coming this coming Tuesday, Nov. 15th. It’s a very political podcast. It was my second time playing his show and he is really a great guy.
CMC: Ok, enough politics, right? Let's get into talking about your music… To me, your songwriting is up there with Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt in that your storytelling paints very vivid pictures for the listeners while still leaving so much open for interpretation. Can you let us into your song writing process, if there is a process?
JF: I wish I had more of a process because I would probably be doing it right now. It's hard to describe because things come to me from different places. I definitely notice that there is a correlation that the more I read, the more I write. I feel an affinity with authors. As much as I love other musicians and songwriters, I feel I get more inspiration from works of literature then I do from music.
I think you hit the nail on the head; I try to create stories that leave a lot up to the listener. I do not try to spell everything out. It is important to me to leave things open to mean different things to different people. I don't talk much about what the songs mean to me. Once it's done, it's for anybody to apply it to anything they wish to apply it to. Hopefully, there are some universal ideas there but I don't think everything needs to be cut and dry. If you decide it's raining in that song or if you decide it’s sunny in that song, then either way you are correct.
CMC: Your last recording was 2014's solo effort, You Got the Wrong Man. Have you been working on a new record? If so, is it going to be another solo outing or will it be with your band, the Wrong Reasons?
JF: It is going to be a band record, for sure. I have been making plans to get it recorded this winter. It's going to be a much more rocking affair than the last album. I got that all out of my system. I've been playing much more electric guitar lately and I have been writing things and demoing things that are much more band orientated. I've been getting together with people and deciding on details and who the players are going to be. But this next one is definitely going to be different.
CMC: Are you playing with a band on this current tour?
JF: This whole tour is a solo tour except the very end will see me joined by a band in Massachusetts. I used to live up in Providence, RI and my long-time rhythm section is now in Boston. Having the band play with me in Boston was just the way to go with that one. This whole trip is really just based around me coming up to see my mom for Thanksgiving. So this tour was kind of cobbled together.
I'll be in Providence for Thanksgiving, then back to Nashville. I do not have much booked for the winter except for a few one off shows. I am going to head over to St. Louis to do a show around Christmas time; but, other than that, I will be in Nashville with my peoples and working on my new songs. There isn't much reason for me to get back on the road after this tour until I have this record together; and, once that is in the can, I'll hit the road again.
CMC: With regard to life on the road, you have been tireless -- some might say relentless -- when it comes to touring. You were pretty much nonstop for years and then it seemed almost suddenly that you took a break from both the road and from social media from last spring into the summer. Was that to recharge or did you just need a break? Can you talk about that time?
JF: Yeah I took about six months off the road starting in late April up until I recently hit the West Coast with Band of Heathens. I had worn myself out and was having some personal difficulties. The road life is something that can certainly get to you. It got to me. I needed to recharge.
I have a hard time saying no to opportunities. I love to tour and I love traveling. I had been touring solid for about five years and hadn't taken anything resembling a break that long. It was just time for me to make some changes. I cannot say enough good things about my time off, and I can say how good it feels to be back on tour again too! I am definitely feeling good now.
CMC: You mentioned touring recently with Band of Heathens and you were on the road with the likes of Brian Wright and The Devil Makes Three before that. You have lent your talents to some cool projects like covering entire albums by Harry Nillson, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen... and you have listed your musical tastes as ranging from Woody Guthrie to Motörhead to Slayer... Being that you have such an eclectic pallet, I was wondering what you are you listening to these days?
JF: Lately, I have been into Simon Joyner. He is a singer-songwriter that has been around for years but I am just now discovering him. He came to Nashville recently and played a house concert. My friend tipped me off to go to it. This is the most that a songwriter has affected me in a long time. He's got like 15 or 20 albums out, but I have been spending time with the two most recent ones. I am trying to digest those before I work my way backwards. The newest record, Grass, Branch & Bone is really incredible. There's a rock n roll band from Nashville called The Clear Plastic Masks that I am a huge fan of. They just put out a new record (Nazi Hologram) that I have been listening to a ton. And just this morning in the van, I was listening to Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones. That is an album I have been listening to a couple times a week for like the last ten years of my life.
And, of course, I always have the staples with me that you might expect like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Then I listen to Iggy & the Stooges and Queens of the Stone Age, and they mean just as much to me.
CMC: Speaking of having meaning for you… Much of your promotional artwork is made up of symbols including arrows, shovels, and lightning bolts. It's like you own set of hieroglyphs... Are they representative of anything or just cool designs?
JF: Each one means something to me. I really like symbols and I'm not the greatest artist. I've always liked the primitive art of others and this is my version. I enjoy making my own flyers and I like there to be continuity in the design of my flyers and t-shirts. I like stuff that looks like it is all part of the same thing. Each record has had its own symbol. Bury Your Problems, the first record with the Wrong Reasons, was when the symbol of the shovel came about and that stuck around as the general logo for the band. White Lighter was the next album; and that, obviously, is where the symbol of the lighter came from. The lighter still makes an appearance from time to time. Then on You Got The Wrong Man, I had the “xxx” design and the “w” and the “m” for “wrong man.” I always just thought lightning bolts were pretty cool. An arrow maker is called a fletcher, so that’s why there are always a lot of arrows. I really just like to keep my designs looking like they are part of the same thing throughout all the years.
CMC: You have captured and chronicled many moments from your time on the road through black & white photos which you post on your Instagram account (instagram.com/josephfletcher). You did an event last year which showcased your photography along with your music. Are there any plans to put together a collection of your photos or maybe a coffee-table book?
JF: That is something I would love to do. But I want to do it right. It would be really easy to just put out a book of photos but I would want to do something that includes some of my writing. There have been people that have been interested in my writing that have asked about a lyric book, so I would like to do something substantial if I am going to do this at all. This would be something that is going to take some time. This is not something I would want to just put in someone else's hands and just hope for the best. I have come to take photography pretty serious or at least pretty serious for someone who only takes pictures using an iphone. Taking these pictures is just a really important way for me to document my travels and my life. I have really gotten into it.
CMC: Have you considered doing any additional gallery gigs?
JF: It is really funny that you brought this up because I was just talking about it last night at the Folk School. That was where I did the gallery, and it was the only one I have ever done. It was actually a great success. It adds a lot of work to the show but not too much. I set up about 100 photos and about 80 of them sold. That is something I would really like to do more often, but it is tricky with digital photography. You can’t enlarge or blow these photos up too much because it is not going to look good. This is something that will definitely be coming up, but I couldn't give any timeline as to when. I would love to just sit down and just go through all my photos for the last five years. I take a lot of pictures so I don't see the older ones too often.
CMC: Continuing with the theme of documenting your travels, let’s talk New Jersey… You once posted something to the effect of having found beauty and magic everywhere except in Trenton, NJ… I couldn't find a story behind that… So I figured I would call you out on it now and give you a chance to elaborate.
JF: I was probably just being a smartass. I was probably just off of a really shitty hotel experience. I do vaguely remember saying that, but I can't remember what was specifically sticking in my craw on that particular day. It is certainly not a feeling that has lingered, especially since I don’t remember what it was about. My apologies to your home state! I'm sure I can find lots of cool things to photograph next time I’m in Trenton, NJ. Some day as my penance for shooting off the cuff, I will walk around Trenton and take a bunch of pictures.
CMC: Ok, we will let you off the hook for that one. In addition to beauty and magic, is there anything else you look forward to when coming to the NY/NJ area?
JF: I've been to Belmar, NJ a few times now; but I have never gotten to spend too much time there. I'm usually coming from New York City, so I kill a lot of free time there. Or sometimes my time gets killed because I’m just stuck sitting in traffic. I have not been to Cape May since I was a kid. My aunt and uncle lived there, so I remember going down there to go out on their boat. I'm curious to go back. I love getting to play in places that I have never played before, so that part alone is exciting for me. I do remember one great day: I got to visit Walt Whitman’s tomb in Camden, NJ. I took some pictures there that really meant a lot to me. There was a little bench there and I sat down and did some writing. I am a huge Walt Whitman fan, going back to when I was a teenager.
As for New York City, the list of stuff goes on and on. I used to live in Providence so I always found my way over there. I have lots of friends to see, and things to do and lots of trouble to get in.
CMC: As for the upcoming shows this weekend in New Jersey, there were a couple changes made so I just want to clear up the details so people do not miss out on seeing you…
JF: I'm really excited about the New Jersey shows! I'm in Cape May on Saturday November 12th and I'll be on a bill at the Country Club Tavern with Matt Haeck and Darrin Bardbury, they are both players that are up from Nashville. The owner had interest in doing a Nashville singer-songwriter night so he approached my friend, Matt Haeck about putting it together. It just worked out that I would be in the area. That should be a fun show! The guys I’m playing with that night are really talented!
As for the Belmar show, I have played at 10th Ave Burrito about three times now and am looking forward to coming back. And just so everyone is aware, the show on Sunday November 13th at 10th Ave Burrito has been moved up to 4pm. So please spread the word.
The independently released album, You’ve Got the Wrong Man, is available now.
Joe Fletcher will be performing at:
The Country Club Tavern in Cape May, NJ on Saturday 11/12
10th Ave Burrito in Belmar, NJ at 4pm on Sunday 11/13
Rockwood Music Hall in NYC on Tuesday 11/15
For more info check out: www.joefletchermusic.com .
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