Several people I know have been referring to this unbearable heatwave as “Indian Summer.” It is not Indian Summer, of course, because we’re still technically in summer. Summer ends September 22nd. An Indian Summer occurs in the autumn. It is an unseasonably warm, dry weather that happens when things ought to be getting colder. It is the kind of weather that comes after a killing frost, when the sky becomes clear and blue and sunny. It happens when the air suggests spring and summer days in the middle of fallen red, orange, and yellow leaves and pumpkin patches. It’s a season out of season.
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors play a music much like Indian Summer–bright and sunny, crisp and clear songs that sound unseasonably rich. Moreover, there’s a particularly American sound to them, as if the landscape and geography of Tennessee had settled into the bones of the music, into its melodies and harmonies to create something that sounds so much of the past. The same way “Indian Summer” reminds us nostalgically of summer days and grass roots, country picnics and red barns beneath full moons. It’s not a nostalgia obsessed and regurgitating the past, but one that is more like a recollection or a memory that bursts on you unexpectedly at an unseasonable moments.
In 2005 Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors released their first album, “Washed in Blue.” Since that time, they have established themselves as a compelling and tenacious indie band, selling over 75,000 albums, playing over 1,500 live shows, and featuring their songs in television and movies. The band is comprised of Drew Holcomb on vocals and guitar, his wife, Ellie Holcomb, on vocals and guitar, Nathan Dugger on guitar and keyboards, and Rich Brinsfield on bass. Settled in East Nashville, Tennessee, the band has just released their sixth studio album, “Good Light.” Currently, they are touring the United States from now into November, bringing with them the out of season warmth of summers in the country.
8 Questions with Drew Holcomb
Late last year you and your wife welcomed your daughter Emmylou into the world. How has this monumental event affected your songwriting?
As my father in law put it, having kids takes part of your world from Black and White into Color. The idea that your music will part of your kids’ story, of their identity, of how they tell the world about where they came from, that is a powerful motivator to make better music.
You’ve released four studio albums. Tell me one thing you did while recording your latest album, “Good Light,” that you’ve never done before in the recording process.
We left town and holed up in a historic studio, Ardent in Memphis, for 3 weeks so we could completely focus on the album and nothing else.
I imagine there’s nothing like getting to play music with your wife. But be honest, have you ever played a new song for her and not gotten a favorable response?
Of course. She is a great but tough critic. She usually waits an hour or two after hearing a song to let her thoughts marinate. I appreciate this a lot, it takes the edge off of any criticism.
What is the most bizarre place you’ve ever written a song?
In a huge public bathroom at a college. It was all tiled and sounded amazing, so I just stood at the sink with my guitar on and wrote.
You’ve opened for the likes of Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers and Robert Earl Keen. Who would be the ultimate band to share a stage with?
Springsteen, no question about it.
When you were a kid what posters adorned your walls?
I had a good mix of rock stars and athletes. Bo Jackson, U2, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (who was a family friend, long story), Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam.
Who is the one person that if they said they were a fan of your music would validate you more than anyone else?
I think hearing that from Bono would feel pretty validating. I have read a lot of his interviews and love his perspective on why we make music, the community that is made possible through music, the way it empowers people. I would love to know what he thought.
If you were Earth’s ambassador to an alien race, what five albums would you give them to represent the best music on Earth?
Great question. Marvin Gaye’s Whats Going on. U2 The Joshua Tree. Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run. Booker T and the MG’s Green Onions . Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks.
