Ric Robertson is an in-demand touring musician for the likes of The Wood Brothers and Rhiannon Giddens but now he is capturing attention for his own fabulously distinctive songwriting. The North Carolina-born Robertson, now based in New Orleans, has just released ‘Carolina Child’, an album that showcases his wry take on life. Addressing serious subjects through a lens of humour and hope, there’s something of the great John Prine in his work. For all his love of life in New Orleans, the album was named after fellow songwriter Esther Rose saw Robertson’s obvious delight as their tour bus navigated through North Carolina’s dramatic Blue Ridge Mountains. He was home.
Here is the humorous, tongue-in-cheek video for one of the album’s highlights. ‘Sycamore Hill’ is the result of spending a week isolated in a cabin surrounded by sycamore trees in Hanging Rock State Park in North Carolina. The loneliness and introspection led to some wonderfully psychedelic folk song-craft. Robertson says: “I just love music and I try to remain a student of it. That’s where the playfulness comes in. I’m never going to master this, I’ll always be learning.” It’s a great attitude to music that enables him to make the most of his considerable gifts. Enjoy.
