Billy Earheart and Molly Thomas: southern soulfuls

Beautiful and Wild was recorded in two quick weeks at Marco Giovino’s Dagotown Recorder’s. Marco pretty much lined up the group of players, (w/ a little input from myself)  and gave each song a lot of Pre- production in his head.  We’d get together, say hello, hit the record button, and usually get the takes we wanted by the second run through. Like I always say, Art moves faster than business.

Billy Earheart’s session was one of those quick and easy ones. I”d never met the colorful character who is best known for his years of work with the Grammy winning Amazing Rhythm Aces, but I felt like we’d known each other for years. We cracked a lot of bad jokes and he told me some story about his bandmate trading fried chicken for favors with a woman in a Trinity Lane motel while he recorded with Hank 2.  A Tennessee native, he now resides in N. Mississippi, and has played and recorded with everyone from Waylon Jennings, to Jimmy Buffet and Al Green

Billy sites some of his most outrageous road experience to be hanging out for days with Hunter S. Thompson  (Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas), and playing Saturday Night Live with The Amazing Rythm Aces, and Bill Murray on tamborine.

On Beautiful and Wild, I’m especially knocked out by his greasy soulful licks on Skeleton Key and Mercy. On Lonely Sound he shows a gentle restraint with his lilting piano,. We keep in touch and I’m thrilled that he’s so proud of his work with on my album. I can’t wait to play live with him one of these days when our schedule lines up. Go check him out, and pick up some great music. http://www.billyearheart.com

Mississippi native Molly Thomas was one of the first friends I met when I moved to Nashville in 2001. Since then we have written songs that have made their way into films, and albums, done some crazy shoe-string budget tours, drunk plenty of wine, and laughed about all of it. Molly is a singer-songwriter, and plays keys, guitar and violin. As a side-woman she’s best known for her live and recorded work with Todd Snider, Matthew Ryan, Will Hogue and Brian Ritchey. As a singer-songwriter she has racked up a lot of praise from the critical community, as well as the elite musicians around town. I’ve always thought that she has the “voice of God” meaning that it is powerful and commanding,  and you really believe every word she sings. Her violin is her main side instrument, and her playing is earthy and lush. There is  a simplicity to her work that I find refreshing.  Asked about some of her musical highlights she notes these moments :

Playing on Letterman and Leno with Todd Snider, composing strings for Brian Ritchey’s “No Way Out Of This House”, and a high school orchestral performance of Carmina Burana.  She also says that recording and creating her own sound and music is something that really sends her. Like Billy , Molly is a creature of the South. She is pretty flipping funny, and has been a true friend and great musical collaborator. I was knocked out by her and Larissa Maestro’s string performance on Madeline, The string’s set up the song and lift it into a heavenly angst. You can also find her on my recording of Morning Song on Motorcylce Dream. Go visit her, and pick up some great music.- I even have a couple co-writes I’m really proud of on her most recent album Make Everything Bright,  http://www.mollythomas.com