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"There are advantages and disadvantages to both towns." he explains. "I
share a band with Jim Lauderdale, and Jim lives in Nashville. There's a
cool community of people there that are not in the 'machine' as much, but
there is just so much more opportunity to play live here. That is the big
difference right now. There are venues, and the old honky tonks and dance
places where you can play. Which is what its about for me."
"There's industry in Nashville, and studio
work but it's not a live music town anymore. If you're an established
person, it can be very beneficial because they'll let you in the door and
you can make a good living. Once you're proven yourself and have your own
record of success, it might be a good move."
Although D.B. obviously weighs out his
options and their implications before jumping from the frying pan into the
fire, he also isn't one to pass up a golden opportunity. One such
circumstance arrived just before the Harris' moved to Texas. "About three
months before I moved to Austin an agency there had gotten word of my
music and had asked me to record something for a project for Rolling Stone
Magazine. They ended up putting a CD together based on the covers of the
magazine. I wrote something called "Angelina Loves Her Brother,"
which was based on an Angelina Jolie cover. It was the first song on the
CD and a great success and a stepping stone for me working on more
projects."
Soon after arriving in Austin in September
of 2000, D.B. was among many local country artists contacted by the agency
to contribute submissions for a Budlight project. "It was a long shot that
I would win because they had gathered up a lot of other good acts in town
to submit, but they ended up choosing it and I made some good money. Of
course, I also got to pay a lot of musicians good money too, and in this
business that is the highest form of flattery." The project went a long
way in establishing him within the music community of Austin. "They began
to see me as someone who was commercially viable and who treated musicians
well. I learned a lot from that experience and continue to try to pay
everyone as well as possible." The outcomes from that lesson are clearly
evident in the independent release of 'Can I Return These Flowers?'
After completing a few demo projects, D.B.,
armed will a great mix of self-penned tunes decided the time was right to
take the next step. While working on preproduction for the album with
band member Brad Fordham, he began to establish collaborative
relationships with a couple of key players that would help deal the cards
in his favor.
"To do the kind of record I wanted to do
and get the kind of production I wanted it needed 'x' amount of backing.
That was crucial." Thanks to a connection D.B. had made at SXSW he found
just the right person to approach. On the recommendation of a journalist
from UK's Country Music People magazine, D.B. made contact with producer
Donny Aryes, who had previously backed Roger Wallace's first two albums.
With financial backing and support taking
root, it was now time to get players in place. With musicians moving
around in Austin like a musical version of the shell game, it was a
burgeoning affiliation with bass guitarist, Eddie Perez that helped D.B.
pull together a group of players for the project; and an impressive
assembly it was.
Each musician effectively shines in their
own right, but collectively their sound gels with a cohesiveness that
substantially adds to the album's charisma and appeal. Backing D.B. on the
project are some of Austin's finest: Eddie Perez (lead guitar), Brad
Fordham (bass), Scott Matthews and Lisa Pankratz (drums), Ricky Davis
(pedal steel), Riley Osbourne (piano and organ), Eamon McLoughlin
(fiddle), Bradley Jaye Williams (accordion), Jimmy Shortell (trumpet) and
Rich Brotherton (rhythm guitar).
With hardcore country staples of fiddle and
steel guitar, the album takes on it's own life with the additional flair
of a Spanish trumpet and the occasional accordion and honky tonk piano,
backed throughout by a solid backbeat. From Memphis to Bakersfield to
Texas, the influences are varied and entertaining. The end product is
polished enough to be commercially germane and yet still maintains enough
of an edgy uniqueness to be an engaging, fresh standout against today's
mainstream fare.
Highlights
Picking a
few highlights is always a challenge when every track is outstanding and
unique. D.B.'s worked relentlessly and meticulously to bring his
songwriting and vocals to the the point they are at now, and the wait was
well worth it.
You're
Too Much For Me: With the infectious sound of a Spanish trumpet mixed
with pedal steel and an infectiously heavy backbeat, this one entertains
from the first note to the last
Nighttime
Man: It's no surprise this rip roaring roadhouse rocker is a crowd
favorite at D.B.'s live shows
Overdue
(For Being Over You): Honky tonk country rubs shoulders with it's
western cousin on this track as memories of Marty Robbins come flooding
through the speakers
Can I
Return These Flowers: There's no shortage of hardcore honky tonk in
this solid country offering. Great hooks, great vocals, great melody =
memorable song. This one's a winner!
Hollywood
in Texas: With rockabilly influences abundantly evident, sitting still
while this one's playing is not an option
Love Me:
Simply put, the album's only cover is an remarkable one that can only be
justly appreciated by hearing it with your own ears
Having his music deemed
commercially relevant is something that D.B. sees as necessary in order to
have his music reach a wider audience. With his sights on country radio,
he's also looking for exposure to the adult Americana audience. "What I'd
really like to continue to do is the crossover thing. Although traditional
country is probably my forte and my focus, there's definitely a 50's/60's
rock influence. Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Marty Robbins are certainly
as big an influence as George Jones and Wynn Stewart. That's just what I
am. I can write stuff that can slip it's way onto country radio and the
adult Americana stations. That's been a criticism and a favorable thing
for the record, depending on who you are. I'm just trying to find a
balance. That was one of my big goals when I moved out here. All of the
artists that I respect musically had somehow found a balance and a support
team and resources that have been able to make it happen for them. It's
definitely a crap shoot but it's what I do."
Aware that the diversity found in his live
show and recorded music isn't for everyone, D.B.'s intent on staying on
track. "All in all, based on my experience, people take their country very
seriously, and it's a very difficult time in the music industry right now.
I'm just really, really trying to cast my own identity and separate myself
from what other people are doing, in that means a lot of diversity.
Some people love that diversity, and some people want to hear
eleven shuffles straight. So far the majority of people have been positive
about hearing a country song, and then hearing something kind of croony,
and then something that's kind of rockabilly. Some people really don't
like that. I've got some criticism on that. Everybody can't get it and I
don't have a problem with that. Every record that I put out is going to be
diverse like this one and it's not going to be the same songs over and
over again, the same style over and over again. I would like people to
just know and expect that, that's just what I do. I'm still trying to make
my identity concrete."
Originally plans were to
release the album on the Texas Music Round Up label, but initial sales
have been impressive enough to bring other interests into the picture.
Some of that interest has come from record labels. "There are some folks
that have gotten involved in Nashville, and I'm waiting to see what kind
of marketing dollar I can get. I would like to get the biggest release out
of it as possible, and sort of progress. Austin is definitely my home, but
one thing about Austin is that it's really easy to get sort of sucked in
and just play here in town. No one ever knows who you are, outside of a
geographical area. It's one my goals to break that, and bring my music to
as many people as I can."
"It's been a situation where
I've had to be very very patient and its been mentally challenging. It's
all about meeting the right person, at the right place. It'll take a
special sort of person to 'get it' without it being mainstream country
radio stuff. A lot of people make comparisons to The Mavericks, Dwight
Yoakam and Chris Isaak. Certainly, The Mavericks had a great run on radio.
I think it's possible, but it's really going to take the right team of
people. That's what I've been focusing on and been making some pretty good
progress."
For those who keep an ear
close to the ground for something new and different and yet familiar, D.B.
Harris' music should be right up your alley. For now, D.B. continues to
carefully play his hand and no doubt a couple of aces are hidden up his
sleeve.
In the meantime, why wait?
Visit Waterloo Records or Texas Music Round Up and get your own copy. One
things for certain, country music fans who are fortunate enough to get
their hands on this album will undoubtedly be coming out on the winning
end, as will any record label that takes a chance on D.B. Harris and his
music.
Laurie Joulie Take Country
Back June 2002 |
