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A Conversation with Mary Gauthier (continued) PM: So the progression of your CDs that we've kind of outlined is just remarkable, self- released on one and two, you go to folk-prestigious Signature Sounds on three, and now you're headed for the comparative big time for number four. Let's talk about that. MG: I haven't signed the deal yet, but I just got off the phone with the lawyer, and he said the final offer should be on the table Monday. PM: Is it far enough along that we can mention their name? MG: You can mention it. If it falls through, I'm sure I'll have a lesson or two that I've learned, and we can mention that. I think the deal should be done next week, though, and I'll probably sign it. PM: And so it's going to be Lost Highway. MG: It's going to be Lost Highway. Isn't that nuts, at my age? PM: Amazing. Compared to Signature Sounds, of whom we're very big fans, Lost Highway must have a hell of a promo team that could send your career through a few other roofs. MG: I hope so. You never know. The big appeal is that they can release worldwide simultaneously, so I can have an impact simultaneously around the world. PM: Because-- MG: My strength is in Europe. I mean, the U.S. has been a struggle for me and it continues to be a struggle for me. I'm still pretty much an opening act here. But over in Europe, I'm playing theaters myself, solo. PM: Let's go into that whole European topic, because it's so interesting to so many singer songwriters. And you just cracked it right off the bat. Obviously it is the nature of what you do that really appeals to the European mentality, because they like it real and they like it deep, and they don't want any bullshit. Americans like it a lot more cosmetic, they like a lot more "Hey, let's laugh it up between the songs," all that patter mentality. The Europeans want some heavy duty songs. MG: What I found when I first went to Europe, I guess it was four years ago, was that there is a trail blazed there by Steve Earle, almost single handedly. Also Emmylou, and people of that ilk, Townes, and Guy when he used to go over a bit. They did the hard work, and I'm just walking that trail. The generation before me did the hard work. They went over there and created a market for this thing that's being called Americana music, which I tend to just call American music. And those fans are there for all of us. I'm just reaping the benefits, I honestly believe, of what they did. PM: Yeah, but it's because of what you do that you're able to reap them. MG: Yes. It's because I fit in that thing, the renegade, opinionated, willing to put it all on the table and be vulnerable type of singer songwriter. PM: It's very interesting that there's no market whatsoever for mainstream country over there, but there's plenty of market for alternative country. MG: Yes. PM: And Triple A radio does better--Triple A artists do better there than they do here. MG: Yes. That's a fact. PM: But especially artists like you, the artists of substance. MG: Yep. And it's a blessing, because we can go over there and make enough money to bring back over here to try to keep trying to get it going over here. PM: That's right. So when you play theaters over there, do you play solo or do you use any players that you bring over or pick up there? MG: Nope. I play solo. My thing has always been a guitar, a bar stool, a spotlight, and a glass of water. PM: Nice. MG: And it's just so simple. I'm sure the band thing is going to become necessary soon, and I'm looking forward to that. But the way that I've done it is so simple, there's not a whole lot of hassle to it. I hire somebody to drive me, and we sell CDs and do shows. And it just flows. I'm dependent on me. And I really like it. PM: Yeah, I mean, if you can pull that off, that's just the way to go. MG: The prototypes for me are people like Townes and Guy--you know, the word-crafter people. And that's what they do. Guy wouldn't be caught dead with a band at this point. He hated that shit. PM: He did? MG: Yeah, he did. He didn't like it. I mean, he'll hire a band to make a live record, and for maybe big festivals. But even big festivals now, Guy just goes out with Verlon [Thompson]. PM: Right. And when he does a record, it's just his friends anyway. It's Verlon and Sean [Camp] and Darrell [Scott] and Kenny [Malone], just the buddies, yeah. [see our interview with Guy Clark] MG: Yeah, exactly. And it works great. What is wrong with that? PM: Yeah, nothing. MG: It makes it possible to have joy [laughs] and be in the music business, to know what you like and know what you want and know yourself. I mean, the way that it's been for me has made it possible to not get in so far over my head so quickly. That first season out with the Drag Queens record, and I hired this big band, and I felt like I was a carrying an anchor behind me. I got five guys, they all have needs, they all have wants, they all have wives and children. They need to make a certain amount of money, they need to have certain days off, they need to have this, need to have that. And it just--I wasn't able to handle all that very well. Plus, learning how to be a bandleader, I didn't have a clue. Fortunately, I got started in Boston, and that's sort of the singer songwriter capitol, and they like you to just be up there with a guitar. continue print (pdf) listen to clips puremusic home
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