It is sometimes forgotten that Gram Parsons did not enjoy commercial success as a solo artist during his short life, and that it was Emmylou Harris who took his sound to a wider audience with the help of producer and husband for seven years, Brian Ahern. From the start of her career, it was obvious that Emmylou Harris had a great ear for new songs to cover. Indeed, her major label debut, Pieces of the Sky, included songs written by the Louvin Brothers, Merle Haggard, Lennon and McCartney, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and a young Texas songwriter who had just moved to Nashville and was under the wing of Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell. Rodney subsequently joined Emmylou’s Hot Band on rhythm guitar, backing vocals, and as a songwriter. The rest, as they say, is history. His exposure from playing with the Hot Band led other artists like Waylon Jennings, Bob Seger, and the Oak Ridge Boys to record his songs, and helped get him a solo recording contract with Warner Bros. He produced and wrote songs for his then-wife, Rosanne Cash, and was instrumental in the success of her career in the ‘80s. He had significant solo success, winning two Grammys and continuing to be the songwriter of choice for many artists. All this, as well as being one of the founders of americana.
Americana UK’s Martin Johnson caught up with Rodney over Zoom at his home just outside Nashville to talk about his career, and the release of an album he recorded in 2006 but failed to release at the time, Then Again. Rodney explains that in 2006, it was the third album in a trilogy, and as such, was too similar to the two previous albums. However, while he had forgotten about it, when it was discovered in his archive, he realised how good the recordings were, and he decided to release the album with the addition of a couple of newer songs. He reminisced about recording with Guy Clark in 2006, and how, at the time, Guy was very annoyed with him and how this is reflected in Guy’s vocals. He discusses why he added his own homage to another legendary songwriter, Leonard Cohen. One of the newer songs, Go Light A Candle, is a protest song about the current state of America, and Rodney is not shy in sharing his feelings on the subject. Finally, he recalls the time he spent in London in the ‘70s with Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band, and how they met Phil Kaufman on his Harley when he was hiding out after stealing and burning Gram Parsons’ body in Joshua Tree National Monument.
Rodney Crowell’s “Then Again” is out now on New West Records.
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