Shawn Colvin has long established herself as one of the most captivating of singer-songwriters. She’s an accomplished guitar player, possessed of a fine voice, and she’s a storyteller of great talent. Her first album, Steady On, released in 1989, picked up the GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Folk Album, but it was her fourth album, some 9 years later, A Few Small Repairs, and the hit single from that album, Sunny Came Home, that really established her as an international artist of note, earning her a further two GRAMMY awards (Song of the Year & Record of the Year) and propelling her forward in a career that has now realised thirteen superlative albums, a critically acclaimed memoir, songs featured in major motion pictures and a virtually non stop international touring schedule.
Thirty years after the release of that iconic album, Shawn Colvin is making one of her all too rare visits to the UK & Ireland, with a 15-date tour, celebrating thirty years since that recording, covering England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, kicking off in Milton Keynes on the 30th September (the full schedule can be found here). Despite having a lot of packing and preparation to do in the week before departure, she made time to talk to Americana UK.
Hi Shawn, thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
Shawn Colvin (SC): Hi, not at all, happy to do it.
It’s hard to believe 30 years since A Few Small Repairs. How do you feel about that, looking back on it?
SC: It’s hard to believe. (Laughs) Yeah, time flies by, doesn’t it.
It was a pretty pivotal point for you. It did seem that things changed significantly for you, after that.
SC: Well, yeah. I mean, I had a hit song, so people became aware of me that hadn’t been aware of me before, and I sold more records, and yeah, it was a great experience. I loved the records I made before, and I love them just as much as A Few Small Repairs, but, yeah, it was a pivotal point. It was our fourth record and, by that time, we’d completely abandoned the idea of having a single. The record company was always trying to figure out a single for each record, and I was like, I’m not a singles artist, I’m sorry, but I’m not. And then, when we made A Few Small Repairs, me and John Leventhal (producer & co-writer) agreed, let’s not worry about the radio; it’s not how we do this. We write how we write, and we record how we record, and that’s us. So, and then, very ironic, right, I get a hit song out of it!
It’s interesting that the hit song came from you, basically, writing a story inspired by the painting you used as the cover for the album.
SC: That’s right. And that was never my intention. John had some music, and I had to write some lyrics, and I was coming up empty, and I had chosen that painting for the cover, which was another sort of win for me because they always want your picture on it, you know. So I was like, I’m just going to shake things up. So, I chose this painting by a very good friend of mine, and I looked at the painting one day, and I thought, write about her. So, that’s what I did.
It obviously worked out well. You got Grammys for the song as well, didn’t you?
SC: I did; we got two, yeah.
I think the first time I saw you, in London, was on a Richard Thompson tour. You were the support act and also playing in his band.
SC: Yeah, I supported him, and I was in the band, playing guitar and singing backup, and then Richard and I would do a couple of acoustic songs together. One of them was Waltzing’s For Dreamers and the other was, um, can’t remember the title, but I remember the song, (sings) “can’t run on a dead-end street” (Oh I Swear). It was about two people trying to make ends meet who didn’t want to be together anymore. The Richard tour was like a dream come true. I couldn’t believe I got on that tour at all, and then to be in the band! That was some education, you know, watching Richard Thompson play and hearing him sing every night. It was great.
And I see that, on this tour, you’re supported by Blair Dunlop, which sort of squares the circle, with him being the son of Ashley Hutchings, who was in Fairport with Richard.
SC: Yeah. And the last time I was in the UK, Blair supported me too. So it’s not the first time. He’s great.
So, what can we expect from you on this tour, Shawn; what’s the plan?
SC: Well, I’m not going to play the whole of the record. I will play quite a few songs from A Few Small Repairs, but if someone’s expecting me to come out at the beginning and then go all the way through to the end of the record, that’s not what’s going to happen. I’m going to mix it up with songs from other records, and I’ll be telling lots of stories, because I like to talk a lot, and I’ll have some covers in there too.
I always enjoy your covers because I think you’ve always got an interesting take on other people’s material. I particularly enjoyed the album you did with Steve Earle. Is there likely to be anything else with him, or are you collaborating with anyone else?
SC: Oh, thank you very much. I’m not collaborating with anyone at the moment, no. And Steve, well, I have no idea; he’s always so prolific, he doesn’t really need anyone else. It was his idea to do that record, because we did shows together for a month or so and he said we should make a record, and I’m like, it’s Steve Earle, you know! And writing with Steve Earle was really cool; he’s very quick, and one of his favourite sayings was “fear not the obvious”. And when you look at his songs, it makes sense. It’s very conversational; he doesn’t pretty it up, really- it’s just very down-to-earth, conversational lyrics. Do you know what I’m saying?
He is an amazing songwriter, and I was afraid to write with him. But he was a wiz, and he embraced my ideas, and we really had a good time writing songs. It was cool.
You’ve got fond memories of that album, from the sound of things.
SC: Yeah. It was produced by Buddy Miller, who I love. He’s been a friend of mine since I met him in the seventies, in Austin, Texas, and then I joined his band in New York in 1980. That’s how I got to New York, because Buddy asked me to come and join the band. I was in the Bay Area (San Francisco), and I wasn’t getting anywhere there, and I thought, well, New York sounds OK, and I’ll have a job. And I went off to New York. Everything worked out. A lot of people from that scene have done well. Larry Campbell was in Buddy’s band, so I met him in 1980, and that was pretty cool. He’s done well for himself too. It was a good band. And to sing with Buddy was special. Such a talented band. I was very lucky.
When you look back over your career to date, do you have a favourite album? Or a favourite period in your career?
SC: No, I don’t. I’m really fond of all the albums. But you have a certain trajectory usually, and the peak, obviously, was the Few Small Repairs period. And it’s hard to keep that momentum up. Some people can, but not me. The record company tries to push you, but whatever. There’s two records I wish that people had heard more, or had listened to more and gotten into. One of them is These Four Walls, and the other is a live record I made called Live (2009 release). I don’t think you can buy that one anymore, but it was recorded at a studio in the Hill Country, here near Austin in Texas, and I’m super proud of it. It was nominated for a Grammy Award, actually. For Best Contemporary Folk, or whatever the roots music ones are (it was for Best Contemporary Folk Album). And guess who won? Steve Earle! (laughs)
Which one of his were you up against?
SC: El Corazon, that’s what won. But Live was nominated, and I’m real proud of it. It’s just live performances, and I thought I really did a great job.
Well, you’re always a great act live. It’s a testament to how good you are that you’ve been doing it for so long.
SC: Thank you. I’ve been doing it since I was 18 years old. As soon as I was old enough to play bars, and they paid me 40 bucks a night, that’s what I did.
I wanted to ask you, do you think the growth of Americana as a genre has got you to a wider audience? I think audiences like to be able to categorise the music they’re listening to. I think, for singer-songwriters, Americana finally provided a focal point for audiences.
SC: I guess you’re right. It put a name to it, that’s true. And I certainly probably fit in that category. I don’t know what category they really put me in anymore. ‘The girl who did Sunny Came Home’, I think that’s the category I get put into (laughs), but the Americana stuff, there’s great artists in that genre and I think you’re right, it has boosted awareness of those kind of artists and songwriters, that monicker. I mean, to categorise the music is always dicey, but I think it has a lot to do with the people who write their own songs and play them as well.
Did you think of yourself as a folk artist when you first started out? Or did you never really consider it one way or the other?
SC: I never really considered it one way or the other, and I remember that, when I first started making records, getting questions like that. Are you a folk singer? And my initial reaction was no; folk singers sing things like protest songs and topical songs, and I don’t do that. I’m one of those confessional songwriters, if you will. My biggest influences are Joni Mitchell, and Paul Simon, and James Taylor, and Jackson Browne, and any number of people that were, and are, great songwriters. So I kind of bristled at the idea initially. And then, here’s a good story, I said to someone, in some interview, that folk music kind of denotes a ‘wimpy’ idea, right. Like you’re some long-haired lass warbling some romantic love song, with lots of words in it that nobody uses anymore. And then, I went to make my second record, Fat City, and Larry Klein produced it and, at the time, he was married to Joni Mitchell. And we made the record in their house. So, she’s my hero, probably my number one influence. We’re making the record in her house, so, of course, I meet her, and when she first met me, she had read that interview! And she goes, “So, ‘wimpy’, huh?!”. And I’m like Ohhh (makes whimpering sound), I’ve pissed off Joni Mitchell! We became friends, but it made me think twice again before I thought of folk music that way. So, to answer your question, I play acoustic guitar, and I warble. There you have it. (laughs).
What have you got coming up? What’s happening next year?
SC: Well, I’ve got some good tours planned. And I’m writing some music that’s a story that connects, sort of a concept album, maybe. So I’m writing songs for that, and just some good touring. I’m going to do some touring with Sarah Jarosz, and I might go to Australia. I’m mostly a travelling artist. I’m a live performer, and that’s the basis of what I do. I started playing live when I was a teenager, because I was learning the guitar with some friends of mine; everyone was learning to play the guitar, and emulating the singer-songwriters of the day, plus old folk songs, and we would play at our parents’ parties, anything to get in front of people. We’d all collect every Saturday night at this one place, and everybody would have their guitars, and we just played and played and played. Then, when I was 18, I started playing actual gigs, four sets a night for 40 dollars, and when I’m asked by younger artists and people coming up and wanting to make it, “What do you do?” I think a lot of the time they’re wanting answers to business questions, like how do you get a manager and stuff, but my singular answer is that you’ve got to play live. Even if people don’t listen, you’ve got to play live because you get good. I definitely paid my dues on that score, and it made me good. It’s a whole different animal to making records. You’re in front of people, and you want them to pay attention. You don’t have a chance to do a second take; it’s live. It’s an art.
Who do you admire on the contemporary scene? Are there new artists you listen to?
SC: I’ll tell you the truth. I’m not really up to speed on a lot of them; there are so many! I like I’m With Her; those guys are amazing. But I’m just usually listening to my playlist, and it’s mostly stuff I’ve been listening to for a long time. I’m at that time in life when I’m a bit of an old fogey, with that ‘the music of my era was the best’ thinking, but that’s not to disparage anyone new coming up at all; I just don’t have my finger on the pulse as much as I should, and I know people like Jackson Browne is a precious supporter of new stuff. The guy goes out and sees everybody, and he’s always hip; I remember when he discovered Keb Mo, and we discovered Patti Griffin about the same time, and he’s always hip to what’s going on. I think it’s just so great. And so is Bruce Hornsby; he’s always checking out who’s new and who’s great, and then he has them guest on his records, so when you hear a new Bruce Hornsby record, he’s always got fresh people that haven’t been heard before. I sang on his records, and I was fresh at the time. He kind of discovered me and asked me to sing on his records, and he continues to do that, always searching people out. I’m really in awe of those guys and the time they take to get familiar with what’s happening, you know. With who’s new.
I’m more likely to be turned on to somebody if I see them live, and I’m more likely to get to know somebody if I’m at a festival or if somebody is opening for me somewhere. If I’m seeing them that way, it’s more likely to make a big impression. My daughter turned me on to people like Ariana Grande and Frank Ocean, people I probably wouldn’t have listened to, so she’s been a big influence on me.
Are there any particular locations you’re looking forward to on this UK tour?
SC: Well, there’s some places that I haven’t been to, like Cardiff; I don’t think I’ve ever played Cardiff before. All the cities are great. Union Chapel’s always amazing, so London’s always a high point. I look forward to Glasgow; I know some people there. There’s so many places. I enjoy coming to the UK. When I first got signed by Columbia Records, I was told that, in order to build a following in the UK, I had to go over there a lot. And I didn’t. I would go occasionally, and the record label would do a bit of a push, but I didn’t keep going back and back, the way you’re supposed to build a following. What I’ve found is, it’s like it almost makes it better; it’s like an event. I’m not sure when the last time I came over was, but it was a few years ago, and I find that, if I wait a bit between visits, people are glad I come.
Shawn, we’re running out of time; is there anything else you’d like to add?
SC: Yes, just one more thing. I can’t wait to play Liverpool. Just because it’s cool, and The Beatles, and I like Liverpool. But there’s a guy called Todd Crozier. He’s 16, he lives in Liverpool, and he’s unbelievable. You can see him on Instagram, and he lives in Liverpool, and I’m going to try to get in touch with him and see if he wants to come along and do a song or two. It’s really exciting to be aware of this guy. I have a friend called Mary Lou Lord who’s always a step ahead of everyone when it comes to new music, and she’s the one who told me about Todd Crozier. She knew Nirvana was going to be big; she knew Beck was going to be big; she’s got her finger on the pulse. Anyway, I wanted to mention him because he’s great and people should know who he is, and he’s in Liverpool. And I’ll be there too.
Well, have a great tour and thanks for talking to us. One last thing, when can we expect a new album?
SC: I’d say in about a year. I’m very slow (laughs). But I’m working on one. One thing I’ve learned: if you rush, you’re going to end up with something you don’t like, so…
We’ll look forward to it when it comes. Thanks again for your time, and enjoy the tour.
SC: Thank you. I appreciate it. It was a pleasure.
