A Conversation with John Hiatt – HuffPost 8.3.11

Mike Ragogna: Hiya, John.

John Hiatt: How ya doin’, bud?

MR: Doing well, thanks. Your new album Dirty Jeans And Mudslide Hymns kicks off with a pretty universally themed song, “Damn This Town.” It’s true, no matter what town you grow up in, every kid can’t wait to get out of it.

JH: Yeah, of course, the character in this song is particularly twisted, but I thought it was something that everybody could probably relate to. At some point, we all think “If I can just get out of here, I know things will be better.” (laughs) But of course, everywhere you go…there you are.

MR: And another one that speaks to the basics is “‘Til I Get My Lovin’ Back.” I think you’re saying, in a very sweet way, I can’t get my life back on track until I’m done with my love for you. Man, it doesn’t get truer than that.

JH: Yeah, I thought it was looking at a love story from a little different angle, you know? Sometimes, we don’t get into relationships, we take hostages, so it’s looking at love from that angle. The guy in that story is basically saying, “I can’t go on. You got all the love out of me I had. I can’t go on until you give me something back. I’m just dead in the water here.” (laughs)

MR: Speaking of love songs, you do have that other angle with “Don’t Wanna Leave You Now.” That concept, to me, is like not wanting to even get out of bed and face the world–just wanting to stay with the person you love.

JH: Who hasn’t wanted to do that? (laughs) Yeah, that one’s just, “Babe, I don’t wanna go to work. I just wanna stay here.”

MR: Now, not to go too far back with older songs, but “Damn This Town” reminds me a lot of your classic, “Perfectly Good Guitar.” It has the same kind of vibe.

JH: I really just keep rewriting old stuff, I hate to say it. (laughs) Trying to write something new out of the same three chords…that’s pretty much me.

MR: (laughs) No, I just meant there were similarities, and another song on this album, “Detroit Made,” reminds me a little of “Tennessee Plates,” just the fun and the attitude. You love your car references.

JH: Well, you know, I grew up in the Midwest and that was sort of what we had to get our kicks with. Get a car, get going, and “get outta dodge.” (laughs) That’s sort of your birthright when you live in the Midwest–get going. You’re in the crossroads of America, so you get on the highway and go.

MR: Plus you’re originally from Indianapolis, so yeah.

JH: Yeah, so, of course, I was brought up on the Indy 500 and big racecars and racecar driving.

MR: And then there’s “Memphis In The Meantime.” The mood of that recording, it’s like you’re on that trip with you.

JH: That’s great, that’s great to hear. That’s just another one of those–“I know life will be better if we just go. Let’s take a roadtrip and go someplace else.”

MR: That’s also a good way to setup Bring The Family, your breakthrough album from ’87 that you did with Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner, and Nick Lowe. That album had so many great songs on it–“Have A Little Faith In Me,” “Thank You Girl,” of course “Memphis In The Meantime,” and “Thing Called Love,” which Bonnie Raitt had a big hit with. Do you remember how Bonnie came across it?

JH: You know, I think Bonnie just heard the song, heard my recording of it, if I’m not mistaken. It was a big lift for me and Bonnie did such a great job, of course. That really opened up the door for me and got us going.

MR: You’re considered the songwriter’s songwriter, you know? It’s always been so strong, right from your first album that included “Sure As I’m Sittin’ Here,” which was a big hit for Three Dog Night. And there were those covers by Rosanne Cash, your recording with Elvis Costello, plus your classic “Riding With The King” that eventually was recorded as a duet by Eric Clapton and B.B. King, Jeff Healey’s cover of your song “Angel Eyes,” and so many others. Whew. So, why did it take it until Bring The Family to get your own big break?

JH: I was a terrible, awful drug addict and alcoholic for many years, and I pretty much just got in my own way for a lot of my early career. I got cleaned up and was so much more able to focus on music that things started to come out better. I was able to do better, more focused work. That started to show, and things started to get better. It’s pretty simple.

MR: You had a nice run at A&M Records, and then you moved over to Capitol/EMI. You also were part of Little Village, which revisited the same lineup as Bring The Family. How did that reunion come about–did you guys just want to do another project together?

JH: Oh yeah, it was just such a great band. You know, great and magic bands don’t come around every day, so we just wanted to play together. That’s why we thought, “Let’s make a record as a band,” and I still think we’ll make another one…I just don’t know when.

MR: Another Little Village album, or do you think it’ll be a John Hiatt album?

JH: I have no idea. Anything’s possible.

MR: So many have recorded John Hiatt songs, and there have even been compilation albums of that material. Do you view yourself more as a songwriter or a recording artist that’s getting lucky as a songwriter?

JH: Well, I look at is as good fortune that all these folks sing my tunes. I’m doing the same thing I’ve always done–I write songs and I make records and I go out and sing ’em for an audience. Nothing’s changed for me, I’ve always done the same thing and I’ve been fortunate. You know, I’m a slow learner, but I’m tenacious–I think Paul Newman said that about his racecar driving. I’ve been fortunate enough to build up an audience and be successful at it without having any huge hits or anything like that, so it’s been great. I’ve been able to make records on my own for the last ten years and own the masters, lease the records to the label of my choice, so I don’t have to deal with the record company. I can accept per-album and make the deals I wanna make. Everything’s decided up front–who’s gonna do what–so nobody’s lying to anybody or blowing smoke up anybody’s skirt. These are the best relationships I’ve ever had with the record companies. I’m free, I can do what I want. To me, that’s successful.

MR: And New West really has that kind of attitude. They’re so artist-friendly.

JH: They’ve been fabulous–we’ve had a great relationship.

MR: Let’s talk about “When New York Had Her Heart Broke”–this seems like your tenth anniversary song for 9/11. What’s the story behind writing it?

JH: I actually wrote it about two days after 9/11. We were in New York City, by coincidence, on 9/11. We were there to tape some sort of music show. We got out the next day, on a train, and I wrote it the next day as we were sitting in Philadelphia, so two days later. I never wanted to record it, to be honest with you, and never did. But I played it for Kevin Shirley–the producer of this record–and he was living in New York City at the time and had kids going to school in very close proximity to the towers. He got so emotional when I played it for him, and he said, “I want you to record this song,” and I said, “Okay.” So, we did and that was that.

MR: You’ve had an amazing career, John. What advice would you have for new artists?

JH: (laughs) Man, it’s so tough these days. The only advice I’ve ever given out is just to be true to yourself. It’s about the music. Don’t pay attention to all this other bulls**t–just make your music. It’s just about the music–it’s about the music. It’s the only thing. “Music is the only thing”…I think Frank Zappa said that.

MR: Is that how you live your life. Do you get up and just write, just make music?

JH: I get up and play pretty much every day. If a day or two goes by and I don’t pick up a guitar, it’s weird.

MR: There’s a book called The Artist’s Way that suggests you wake up in the morning and immediately write something. Is it like that for you?

JH: No. It’s just something I’ve done since I was eleven, so it’s more like what Flannery O’Connor called The Habit of Being. It’s just me. It’s just part of me. It’s just who I am, to pick up a guitar. I’ve always picked up a guitar because I like to play. Where as other guys, when they picked up the guitar when they were eleven and twelve, they were copying Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton licks. I started writing songs immediately, as soon as I had two chords. So, it’s just what I’ve always done.

MR: Do like recording or playing out better?

JH: I like ’em all. I wouldn’t want you to take away any one of ’em.

MR: So, you’re about to go on tour to support the album.

JH: Yeah, I’m rehearsing the band over the next couple weeks. We’re coming out for a few dates in August and then starting in earnest in September. We’re gonna run from September right through Christmas.

MR: Thank you very, very much for your time, John, and all the best with the new album.

JH: Thank you very much–my pleasure.

Transcribed by Claire Wellin