Q&A with Stripmall Ballads

Listening to the music of Stripmall Ballads is, simply stated, a pleasure. Looking at the background of some of the musicians it is clear that their collective breadth of experience and appreciation for traditional folk music runs deep. I'm sure it wasn't just simply divine fate that brought everyone together... how did you each come to be a part of Stripmall Ballads?

Thank you. Actually, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss divine intervention. I had been based in Western Canada working the road as a touring musician without a home for over 4 years when, one day, in Olympia, Washington, a voice came to me and told me what to do. Some of that advice was to return home to DC and go ahead with this Stripmall Ballads idea I’d had floating around in my head for a while. So I did, and really, everything since has been falling neatly into place. Not necessarily at the tempo or pace that I’d like, but definitely Stripmall is hitting a groove and the timing feels very organic.

In terms of line-up, I hire people on the spot – talent or no talent. I go straight for gut sense and instinct. To me, attitude matters so much more than talent or ambitions (NOT to say that the ballads fellas can’t and don’t hold their own…they’re fantastic). Everyone in the DC line-up (Cousin Tillman – guitar; Martin the Union Organizer – harmonic; Jesse the Fox – drums; and Graveyard Eli – bass) has such an amazing spirit and sense of collective purpose. I’m a lucky duck to have these cats play my songs well at the same time realizing their importance to me and making that matter. (If that makes any sense…)

Stripmall Ballads has released a number of tunes, including a new album called "Ballads, Stripmall" just last week. According to the press release, there are a number of interesting elements to the album including the circumstances under which it was recorded and what inspired the tunes. The album's underlying stories about the plight of the uninsured and those tangled within the American healthcare system are both timely and creative. What were some of the challenges the band faced in recording this latest musical effort and do you think any of them ultimately ended up improving the final piece?

For “Ballads, Stripmall” – honestly – the biggest challenge was just getting into the studio and keeping it together long enough to make it through the session. Another challenge, or consequence, of releasing such a regional AND deeply personal record is that it’s opened me to a line of questioning that I believe is fair but still very difficult to fully address without rambling off like a loon. But it’s bringing all your demons into the spotlight, finding out what’s making them tick and then being honest with yourself and with a listening audience about them that really, as it’s turning out to be, is the most rewarding aspect of this entire album.

What song(s) inspired you and made you want to be a musician?

I got a James Taylor record, an AC/DC record and a grateful dead tape all in the first week I ever took acid. Don’t want to tell you how young I was then, but they were in the early formative years, to say the least… after a week like that, it’s near impossible to look around at the civilian world and see any sense, purpose or place for yourself in it that doesn’t involve forging a seriously altered path. Turning musician was never a question.

For the video "Let the Dirt Have My Soul" from your album "13 Songs" you make the seemingly never ending background of luscious trees and fields next to a roadway the center of visual attention, rather than just a backdrop to your song. Can you share the creative concept behind the video and how you wanted the video to enhance the song?

That cool video was made for Stripmall Ballads by Simone Fornow, who is an auxilary member of Freeloader Free Press, which is the collective that releases and promotes my records and comic books. What I get from that video is a scene of time/life passing us by, and that fleeting sense of time mixed with the moving rural backdrop fits nicely with the theme of “Dirt” which is about an old neighbor of mine from Vermont who was, literally, waiting around to die every day out there on his front porch… he had lost his wife and his best cow, so to him – what did he have left?

Why DC? Why now?

When I returned east I considered a lot of places to settle down and NE DC just ended up where I had met the most people and made the most friends. I like DC for the most part, but I LOVE NE. For a working musician, geographically, it’s pretty well placed. It’s still possible to find cheap places to live if you don’t mind certain elements. Plus I feel like DC’s a pot of water about to come to a boil. The real good talent in this town can floor anything I’ve seen in NYC. It’s always very much been a DIY city, for better or worse, and as an Independent artist that holds a strong appeal.

What's up next for Stripmall Ballads?

I’m touring half the time with a band from New York called King Wilkie… so I’m going to California for a week and some change before Thanksgiving… then in December, Stripmall Ballads is touring the new record from Dec 3-20. Some of that will be solo, some duo and its sweeping conclusion (a 3 night run in NYC) will have the full DC band up there rocking out with me. After that… trying to plan the next DC BANJO INSANITY COLLECTIVE party sometime in February… writing more songs… got a new batch that I think would make a great record… I’ve got more comic books to finish… I’m recording an album of Carl Sandburg’s last book of poetry… I’m working on a solo banjo record… I’m interested in helping out with Guitars Not Guns here in DC… OH YEAH – I need to find a new place to live, too… know anybody looking for an traveling housemate?

Be sure to check out Stripmall Ballads when they return to DC for a performance at Asylum on Jan 15 with Star FK Radium.

For more on Stripmall Ballads, visit: www.myspace.com/stripmallballads.