Anthology

More with John McEuen

by Casey Pukl

As promised, here is part three of our interviews with the McEuens! Today, we’re back for part 2 with John discussing his songwriting process, who inspires him most, and just why he decided to turn the tables and start interviewing others after over 12,000 interviews in the hot seat!

CP: I’d love to get right into your songwriting process. What do you find really inspires you?

JM: It’s strange; I often have to give myself an assignment. I need to get something done by next Friday or I will not play for a couple of days, then I’ll pick up an instrument, turn on a recorder, and just see what comes out. I’ve got four or five of what I think are really nice little instrumentals that have come out in the last few months, and those are just by picking a nice key, finding a melody, and then I sometimes find myself writing a piece of music that seems to come together effortlessly. Those are the ones I really like.  Sometimes there are other pieces that are more crafted. I’ll sit down and get the first half, and then two months later I’ll get the second half.

CP: Do you use any special programs or drum loops when you’re writing at all?

JM: No. I’m old school. I pick up the guitar and see what happens (laughs). I’m often playing the guitar or banjo; sometimes it’s the keyboard. I’m not really proficient at the keyboard, but if I have a chord structure, I find that I can find a melody quicker that I like.

I’ve got one piece of music on the other hand that took me two years to finish. I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever written.  It’s a piano piece that goes over like a hit when I play it. Nobody has ever heard it, and I play it and think, “Maybe I’ll change that one note. (Laughs)” It’s a lot of fun though. I find that open tunings on guitars also help. They give me a different space to go to.

CP: I know last time we spoke, you mentioned Earl Scruggs as an incredibly influential artist for you, and unfortunately he passed away the next day. I’m so sorry to hear about that. Are there any artists that you listen to that really inspired and influenced you?

JM: Yeah, Doug Dillard, Lightnin’ Hopkins, he’s a blues guitar player, people on other instruments like Stuart Duncan; he’s always been very inspirational to play with. I don’t listen to very much newer stuff though. I really like my sons’ music. I listen to a lot of that. I like Chelsea Williams— she’s an LA street performer that just got a record deal. I like her writing. I also just wrote an album of really interesting melodies that me and the singer wrote, and I arranged the music and produced the album of William Blake poetry. William Blake was a poet of the 1800’s. Martha Redbone, she and I put together the music. I played the instruments and produced the album with a couple of other musicians. I enjoy that.

For the last year, I’ve been listening to music for over ten hours a day with all of these projects. I would say that there’s a couple of songs that I go to every now and again, like Little River Band’s “Cool Change.” It’s one of my favorite records. Anyway, so I don’t listen to a lot. One of the difficulties in this also is that you’re writing a song that you think is pretty good, and someone listens and says, “Oh, that sounds like so and so’s song!” and you’re thinking, “Oh, I didn’t know that.” (Laughs).

CP: I know you also have a radio show where you interview other artists. What inspired you to turn the tables and take on the other side?

JM: Well, I’ve done over 12,000 interviews, and I really like it. It’s fun. But one of the things that keeps it fun is that I’d ask the interviewer questions, you know? I’d ask, “What got you into radio?” “Is this where you wanted to be, in Columbia, MO? Where are you headed?” And that was years ago. Over the course of this experienced path I’ve been on, I found myself in a position where I had to interview people. Since I knew the questions that I didn’t like being asked, I didn’t ask them.

Back when Johnny Carson was a teenager, he realized that the best way to interview people was to ask them one question and don’t be thinking of your next one while they’re answering. Really listen to what they’re saying and let that drive you in a direction. Johnny Carson was a master interviewer.

But why? It’s fun! You say something, and then the other guy has to do all the work (laughs).

CP: That’s one way to look at it!

JM: Can I answer a question you haven’t asked?

CP: Absolutely!

JM: (Laughs) One aspect that’s exciting to me about playing with my sons is that I hear the influences from about a million things from Phish to Rush coming through their instruments. So many times I find myself looking at them going, “How did they do that?”

CP: That’s a cool moment. I can only imagine what it must be like to hear all of the influences of music you’ve introduced them to, plus the things they’ve found on their own coming together.

JM: The acorns went rolling around other trees is what happened there. People say that the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree, but if that’s the case, then how come I can’t play that solo he just played (laughs)? It’s a good combination.

Once again, I’d like to thank John and Nathan for taking time out to chat with us! It was an absolute pleasure, and I can’t wait until they come to play for us! You can preview their new record, The McEuen Sessions, at the Spotify link below, and tickets can be purchased below that!

The McEuen Sessions on Spotify

WHAT: John McEuen & Sons Nathan and Jonathan
WHEN: Sunday, April 29, 7:00 pm
TICKETS: $10-$29 Buy Tickets
MORE INFO: Artist Profile