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Rootless rootsman
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There’s hardly a shortage of psychobilly bands letting punk rock collide with elements of early rock ’n’ roll raunch and hillbilly country, but every now and again, it’s nice to hear the blitzkrieg set aside in favour of twang and the heartfelt vocal style of masters like Hank Williams, Charlie Feathers and the Carter Family. Former Vancouverite Ronnie Hayward, who now calls Montreal home, is definitely from the latter camp. His croon and gutbucket bass are steeped in traditional country and the roots of rock ’n’ roll, while lyrically, he immerses himself in the dark recesses of the early pioneers. The Mirror got together with Hayward over a pint at a local watering hole. Mirror: Where would you say the current state of rockabilly and roots country music is at? Ronnie Hayward: I think there is definitely a resurgence going on because there was a period in the ’90s when you would just play to whoever was in the bar, and now people who know about this kind of music are really starting to come out. M: You’ve shown a sense of wanderlust throughout your career, having lived in Calgary, Vancouver, Austin and now Montreal, but you also lived for quite some time in France. Why do you think Europeans seem so well versed in traditional forms of American music? RH: In just the last year and a half, I’ve done three tours over there, and 10 of the 13 records I’ve released are on European labels. I don’t know why rockabilly, Western swing, traditional country, bluegrass and jazz are so popular there. If somebody in Europe is really into rockabilly, they tend to know about all of the other types of music that helped form it. M: Why did you choose to set down stakes in Montreal this time around? RH: As far as live music and nightlife in general go, Montreal is easily the most vibrant city in Canada, and I just go anywhere I can work because playing music is the only thing I’ve ever done. In Vancouver and Calgary, most of the live music venues just died, and in Montreal, there are just so many places to play and people still like going out to see live music here. M: Lyrically, you seem to be drawn into the dark side of country music. RH: I think I just find that dark side more interesting. If you write a song about waking up and it’s a beautiful day, nobody wants to hear about that, for the most part. When you really listen hard to a Hank Williams or Jimmy Rogers song, they’re really pretty dark. Those were not very happy people. M: Even while you’ve been consistently booked, you’ve always made time for busking on the streets. Why is busking so important to you? RH: The obvious answer is that you’re reaching people that don’t like going out to bars, and I sell a lot of CDs that way. I’ve always busked and found it really beneficial. A lot of people look down on busking, like you’re a bum or something, but look at Woody Guthrie—he busked wherever he went and he’s definitely no bum. SOLO AT L’ESCOGRIFFE ON SUNDAY, |
