A Conversation with Holly Williams (continued)

PM: Yeah, because one like me wonders, well, how does a person, even a songwriter, who's 25, find the music of Laura Nyro in 2006.

HW: I actually found her--Bob Dylan's player, a guy named Larry Campbell, played on my record.

PM: Sure.

HW: And Larry turned me on to Laura, and he just said he thought I would love her music.

PM: That's an astute commentary from the man. That's beautiful. What did you get? Did you get Christmas and the Beads of Sweat, or Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, or--

HW: Yeah, I have Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. And then I got a live tape from somewhere.

PM: You got to get Christmas in the Beads of Sweat. And she did a soul record, too, called Gonna Take a Miracle, that was so good!

HW: Man, I haven't heard that. Yeah, I'll have to get those. But even things like Leadbelly, I could listen to him all the time. I don't know why I gravitated toward that music. But people would assume that I grew up with music all around me, but it's actually the complete, complete opposite, because my dad did not want us around any kind of music business. So I remember going to a few concerts--I mean, I could count them on my hand when I was little. And when my dad was around us, he didn't play music, he was hunting and fishing and not talking about music. And so I really didn't have anyone, the aunt or the uncle that turned me on to the cool bands. For me it was a very late thing where I got into all this stuff. And I guess that's why my taste is--people assume that I listen to Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney, or whoever.

PM: Right.

HW: Me and my dad actually have a lot of similar--I mean, he and I both worship Robert Johnson and all the old blues guys.

PM: Really?

HW: And John Lee Hooker, and Son House. That's about all he listens to.

PM: Your dad is way into the old blues guys.

HW: Oh, that's all he listens to, nothing modern. He cannot.

PM: Does he like Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters and that--

HW: Oh, yeah. He sings Howling Wolf all the time with his dobro. I mean, literally, the only thing he listens to is old bluesmen, that's all he likes.

PM: How interesting.

HW: Yeah.

PM: Well, how does your dad like the record?

HW: He loves it. When I first told him I was going to do this, he was leery, like anyone would be. But when he knew that I was writing, and that I was really passionate about it, and it was kind of coming from me, and I was touring alone, and just kind of doing everything myself, he was really proud then, and knew that I was in it for good, for good reasons.

PM: Wow. What's your relationship with him like? Is he a real teddy bear, or what's his personality, with you?

HW: He is great. I mean, like all day today we've been out metal detecting out in Hank and Audrey's old yard on Frank Road.

PM: [laughs]

HW: And we found a belt buckle from 142 years ago, four inches under the ground.

PM: Amazing.

HW: And he said they were like super rare. He was jumping up and down. And we found bullets and buttons. His philosophy when we were little was:  "I'm not Bocephus, I'm Daddy to you." So his relationship with us is not the Bocephus you see on TV--not the, you know, "I'm drinking beer, and I'm cocky," and whatever kind of thing that he puts out on TV. It's like the southern protective father, even now.

PM: Wow.

HW: And he loves to just sit around and play guitar and go fishing. And he's a real, real country boy. Like really. So when I moved to L.A. he thought I was crazy. And if I go to New York--you know, he hates the city. But he really is just very old-fashioned, kind of, I think, his family values and everything.

PM: Wow. Do you have time, or do you make time for books much? Is that part of your scheme?

HW: Yes. Many.

PM: You read anything good lately?

HW: I'm about to get into The Fountainhead again. I read half of it a few years ago and never finished it. But my favorite authors--I love J. D. Salinger, some of F. Scott Fitzgerald's stuff--Dostoevsky, I love his books. Lately, Jack Kerouac is probably my favorite author.

PM: Wow. People are so surprising. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?

HW: Yes.

PM: Any special way, or--

HW: I think after the wreck, after something like that happens to you, and you're spared, you automatically feel closer to whatever it is you believe in. And I did grow up with the southern Bible belt. My mom had us at church every Sunday unless one of us had a high fever. But as a teenager I stopped going, like most everyone does. But I don't know, something was instilled in me as a child, and I've always had faith, I've always felt very close to God. Things that have happened in my life, and just my bizarre family triangle, and my dad has had so many times when he should have died, whether it was wrecks, or his mountain fall, or being spared from going off in the war one day--I mean, just a lot of things. And after this, and this whole thing, when they got us out of the car, and the doctors can't believe we're alive, and seeing the car--when something like that happens, it kind of re-instills everything.

So lately I'm just--I don't really like the word "religion"--I believe that everything happens for a reason. And I just have a lot of faith. And I kind of believe every moment is ordained, and anytime anything bad happens, it doesn't bother me as much. Like there's a song on the album called "All As It Should Be," and that's all about my faith and just believing kind of whatever God's will is, it'll happen.

PM: Well, I really think you made a beautiful record. And it's really interesting to talk to you, Holly. You're just such a genuine and forthcoming person.

HW: Thank you.

PM: It's really, really nice to meet you, and I thank you for your time today.

HW: Cool. Well, thank you, Frank, and hopefully I'll talk to you soon.

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	photo thanks:
	Per Ole Hagen
	Henry Diltz  (also here)
	Kristin Barlowe
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