Incredibly talented bluesman Jonny Grave performed for us at the most recent London Sofar event. Here he answers some of our questions.
Jonny Grave performing at the most recent London Sofar event. Photograph by Sandra Ciampone.
How did you find the recent Sofar event in London? Did you enjoy it?
I enjoyed it quite a bit! I've only played a handful of shows where the audience is that close. It's a really intimate kind of setting that showcases the music perfectly. The closest thing I've ever played to a show like the one on the 22nd was a poetry reading a couple of years ago in Bloomingdale, DC. It was pretty terrifying when I came in. I'm used to playing a lot of bar shows where I'm basically a piece of scenery. That was the first show I played where folks asked me questions, made eye contact... SoFar really reminded me of that kind of intimacy. It was an honor to be invited out to play it, and I hope to play another soon.
I understand that it was your first time in London. What are your thoughts about the city, and how do you think the music scene here compares to that back home?
It wasn't just my first time in London - it was my first time leaving my country. I came straight into town and hit the ground running. I intentionally got lost a bunch, I chose stops at random on the tube, and I got to experience the city alone for the most part. It's an amazing town for sure. Between meeting Paolo Nutini at the Groucho Club and playing with gypsies at a secret bar, I could write an album's worth of songs just about the adventures I had over my first ten days in London.
It's a little hard to compare the music scene in London to the scene here in DC. Apples and oranges. I think it's safe to say that London certainly has a wealth of amazing performers. My first night in town was spent at an open mic in Camden. I saw about ten different acts, and only two of them were "just okay." The scene is very vibrant, and I'd love to explore it more.
Do you think you will be back in the UK again soon?
I certainly hope so.
You play soulful blues that resonates experience. On your website you list some of your inspirations as being R.L. Burnside, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Robert Johnson and Bukka White... But what personal experiences do you also draw upon for your music?
That's kind of a tough one... I wrote a song in the back seat of a van once, barreling down a highway at one in the morning. I wrote a song sitting on U St. in DC on a Sunday morning, watching people in various states of undress and inebriation walk home from the night before. I re-wrote an old tune I learned in the parking lot at the Augusta Heritage Festival while drinking moonshine with the old-timers. The tunes that I play don't necessarily come from an experience. I think, for me, they come from a feeling I have during an experience. Whether it's joy, or frustration, or fear, or heartbreak, I believe the Blues comes from emotion. Playing it live comes from a desire to share that emotion, and show what you have in common with fellow human beings.
What modern day bands and musicians do you like?
Honestly, I'm a huge fan of loud, oppressive rock and roll. There's younger guys who are carrying the Blues torch, like the Black Keys and Jack White. I appreciate a lot of what they do, not just for the tunes, but also as proof that the Blues, simple and pure, is still as relevant as ever. But I'm also a fan of really saturated, busy-sounding music. I like "Bodysnatchers" off of Radiohead's "In Rainbows." I like Working for a Nuclear Free City. I love Deftones.
I enjoyed you imparting your musical knowledge during your set at Sofar. Particularly when you described the difference between hill-country and delta blues before breaking into the song 'Shake em on down'... Can you tell us a little about your musical education, such as the role your family played?
My formal musical education is extraordinarily limited. Most of what I learned came from either listening to older folks play, or from listening to records. My father was a professional musician back in the day (I actually play at one of his old regular spots), but he was more into Bluegrass. He had a whole host of records around the house when I was a kid-- Norman Blake, John Hartford, Doc Watson. I thought it was pretty cool, but it never really stuck. Then I happened upon this sampler CD from the Oxford American. There was a track on there by Blind Willie Johnson, and I was hooked. I kept asking my dad questions... "Who's Robert Johnson? Who's Mississippi John Hurt?" And he was patient enough (thank god) to answer my questions and keep encouraging my interests. Eventually, after I kept asking questions, he said "Hell, I don't know!" And he gave me $50 to go find some music of my own. I immediately went for R.L. Burnside and Fred McDowell, the originators of what we call "Hill Country Blues." There was something about that sound that had me reeling. It's rhythmic, it's stripped down, it's primal, and it's downright carnal to some extents. But in finding that sound, I have a lot of people to thank. I grew up in a very musical household. Mom sang (but only behind the wheel or in the kitchen), dad played and sang, I have four sisters who all either sing or play... And that's not to mention all the folks they would bring over for dinner. When I was with the gypsies at the Jamboree in London, I felt right at home.
You also play in a band, Jonny Grave and the Tombstones. What benefits are there to playing solo and in a band - and which do you prefer?
The best way I've found to describe my band to folks is that "it's the same thing I play when I'm sitting down. It's just louder." I started playing with a full band a few years ago because it offers a few more opportunities than an acoustic guitar. The Hill Country sound is pretty electric these days, and I enjoy being able to experience both sides of the coin. To be honest, I don't have much of a preference. The band does allow me a few more chances to be a showman, though. About a year ago at the Silver Spring Blues Festival, the sound tech company gave me a wireless guitar unit to use for my set. I lept off the stage a few times and danced with the audience. I skinned a knee doing it, too.
But there's also something incredibly haunting about the Blues when it's performed solo. There's songs that Blind Willie Johnson sang that, when I listen to them, I'm terrified god himself is going to come down and smite me. That kind of intimacy is only achieved when the music is up close and personal.
You are doing incredibly well at the moment. What advice do you have for budding musicians out there?
Thanks! I think advice is a funny thing. Giving advice is easy, but most of us aren't so quick to take our own. That said, I can only say what works for me - keep at it, and earn every inch. Play. Write. Sing. Don't you dare give up. Just talk to your guitar and listen close when she talks back. Also, when you have a bad gig, go read Bukowski's "The Laughing Heart."
With residencies, records and a band - where do you see yourself and your music going next?
More of the same, and more of everything else. I'm going to travel more, gig more, write, record, and play more. With all of my heart, I feel as though this is what I was meant to do. So the only thing that makes sense is to keep on doing it. I started playing Blues professionally just a little over five years ago, and I just came back from a string of gigs in London. I haven't a clue as to what the next five, ten, or fifty years are going to bring. It's going to be an adventure, though. And it will probably be loud, too.
