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Our Music Scene According to Hayes Carll
by Gabe Shutt
Hayes CarllHayes Carll’s songs hold none of the clichéd phrases one expects to hear, and if you’re looking for verses about famous Texan dancehalls, floating the Guadalupe, or kicking back with a Lonestar beer, you’re not going to find them in the liner notes of his albums. In a world of “songs about Texas”, he is able to find a unique spin on every facet of life. Instead of trying to fit in, he has made a career by standing outside on the margins of the Texas music scene. And he seems to like it better that way. “I think I was fortunate to have been living in Arkansas and Bolivar (peninsula Texas) when I started writing. The Texas music, or any music scene really, didn’t extend down there— so there was a lot of room to be creative without really being influenced by whatever the current trend was.”

Rather Carll has been lauded by many as one of the most unique and truest voices in Texas Music. He has co-written with legends like Guy Clark and Ray Wylie Hubbard, been compared to Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt, and along the way made a name for himself with songs rife with poetry, charm, and a lot of wit. The creation of each song for Carll starts simply enough. It starts with a line. “Most of my songs start with a line that I can’t shake” Carll says with a ponderous look. “A lyric will catch my imagination and I’ll try to build a song around it.”

Carll chooses words and images that are both unusual and comfortingly familiar. Lines like “Well time is playin’ tricks on me, makes me think I’m movin’ fast/ I don’t think I’m movin at all/ And every stranger’s face I see reminds me of the past/Come on big and leave you feelin’ small” from Arkansas Blues are both universally significant and particularly personal as are all of his songs. Listeners not only sympathize they also empathize, placing their own circumstances very easily into the contexts that Carll provides.

Every rhyme is unexpected and each line is crafted meticulously. He doesn’t mince words rather he uses every syllable to its fullest. His words have the ease of common conversation and the beauty of a Shakesperean sonnet. “I always wanted my songs to not be ordinary. So I’m drawn to words that stand out, that make an impression,” says Carll stroking his beard and staring out the window. And he has made quite an impression. Carll scored a record contract with the prestigious record label Lost Highway this year as well as traveling throughout the US, Canada, and Europe for shows.

“It’s weird [playing in Europe] because each country has their own kind of underground movement. In some, like Norway, or Ireland they have a real appreciation for the story and the song.” Carll noticed several differences between fan bases in Europe. “The fans are really intent. Everywhere you go people actually listen. We played in churches, barns, clubs, you name it. All of the fans are extremely attentive and respectful of the song and musician, sometimes unnervingly so.” Carll chuckles.

Carll has found that the road isn’t conducive to his songwriting however, which is why he is taking a break, and playing most of his shows in and around his new home of Austin for the next few weeks. “I always thought the road would be good for writing. And it is good for getting ideas but there is really no time to write. You go from clubs to hotels to radio stations to restaurants and back to clubs.” Carll explains tucking his long hair behind his ear.

There is an authenticity that is as apparent in what Carll chooses to write as what he chooses to listen to. Asked about artists put him awe Carll thoughtfully responds.

“I’ve been listening to a lot of Todd Snider, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Tom Waits, and Bob Dylan. Kristofferson and Prine and Fred Eaglesmith are always on the jukebox.” He then quickly turns to friend and peer Adam Carroll with whom he often shares the stage. “Adam Carroll is a remarkable writer. There are more great lines in one Adam Carroll song than most of the stuff on the Texas scene combined.”

“And then there’s the stuff that just frustrates you.” He groans suddenly. Carll, like his fans, is frustrated by a lot of what he hears on the radio. “A lot of guys are sounding the same these days. I think that happens when people have a lot of success with a certain style. But there is a lack of energy, rawness, excitement. A lot of people seem to be clones of each other. I see many bands that are making t-shirts before they write the songs. Going for the bus before they cross the state line. You have to be careful with what you’re willing to do for instant popularity. We all want to sell out clubs and have fans and make money, but if you don’t have the songs then the rest is temporary. Carll cautions those looking to pick up a guitar to be just like their idols. “Fads are gonna come and go. You can’t just be trying to catch onto the wave. Because eventually the scene is going to change and then what are you going be left with?” “What I try and remember is that you can’t base your career on being Cory Morrow. You can’t base your career on being Bob Dylan. You have to find your own way, your own voice. We all have our influences and our heroes but at the end of the day, you have to find your own voice. Find what it is that makes you unique and embrace it.”

As an example, he points to his friends and frequent openers of his shows, the Dedringers. “That’s why I love those kids. They have a passion, and energy that too few acts have now. They write really unique songs. Are they as good as they will ever be? No. They are going to get so much better and that’s exciting.”

As he prepares to record his first album on his new label, Carll is looking forward to the future in every way and he just has one hope for the music industry. “I want to be excited again. That’s all.” And even as he says that his fans are already tittering over what his new album will be composed of, how it will sound, what songs will be included, when it will be released, all of them very, very excited.

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