Posted by Keith
Earlier today, I was getting ready to head down into the festival ground proper to subject myself to the hydraulic miasma of the mobile units. Before I crested the hill leading down from the Hunter, however, I was stopped short at the Unum Stage by the sounds of Diana Jones and Beau Stapleton soundchecking for their performance at 6:30 p.m.
Diana has a beautifully rich vocals that are well complimented by Stapleton, her longtime performing/touring partner. Normally, I might have just made a note to mention this to you under my, “I’m sure you missed this, you should feel bad” section of the blog, but instead, I decided to let the artist speak for herself.
Here’s a transcript of the conversation I had with Ms. Jones, who was accommodating enough to answer my questions from the cool confines of her air-conditioned trailer.
Q: Who were some of your influences?
A: Mamma Maybelle Carter was definitely my biggest. I love all the old stuff, the Smithsonian Folkways recordings, Roscoe Holcomb. I love Lucinda Williams’ writing and John Prine.
Q: Were all those songwriting influences or were some vocal influences as well?
A: Both. Actually, one of my biggest influences was Loretta Lynn because she joined her musical voice with incredibly creative writing. That doesn’t happen all the time.
Q: Do you feel like combining those skillsets is something you’ve been able to do?
A: I feel like it’s something I aspire to.
Q: How did you and Beau (Stapleton) form your duo?
A: We met at the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) in Nashville. We just started jamming together. I think we both liked the way we played. I started doing some stuff in England, and Beau came with me a lot. We don’t actually play as a duo all the time. I’m doing a lot of solo stuff, too. When I can bring Beau I do.
Q: He’s sitting right here, obviously, but what do you like about performing with Beau?
A: He’s an incredibly solid musician, and he has a great voice. His harmonies are always on. He remembers things well, and he writes a great set list. (Laughs.)
Q: Do the two of you do any collaborative writing or does he finds ways to fit himself into your arrangements?
A: Beau is a writer in his own right. He plays stuff I write with me. We haven’t written much together, but I’d like to. We just never seem to have much time.
Q: While you were doing your sound check earlier, I heard a snippet of your song “I Need a Job.” That’s a timely topic, considering the state of the economy. Was that written recently?
A: I wrote it a couple of weeks ago. I live in the kind of neighborhood where you can’t own a lawnmower because if you put it in your shed, they steal it — the lawnmower, not the shed. I have a weedeater, and I keep it in my house.
I weedeat my yard, and I probably look crazy to my neighbors, but that’s what I do. I was out there weedeating — it’s a big yard — and this guy came up and asked me if he could mow my yard. I said, “Well sure, how much would you charge me?” He said $15, so I said, “OK, you’ve got yourself a job.” Then he started telling me this story about all these horrible things that happened to him like how he lost his job and his house burned down. I thought I had so many friends in similar positions, on different levels of the job market, that there’s a common feeling of not feeling useful and wanting to be back in the workplace.
Q: Where do you tend to draw your inspiration from when writing songs? What do you look at? Friends? Family? Do you fictionalize characters often?
A: I don’t look at much. I let it filter through me. I try to focus on what’s in front of me.
I wrote a song for this new record which is about an Iraqi soldier who’s a woman because that’s an issue that’s happening a lot now. Women are coming back from Iraq and falling through the cracks. There aren’t a lot of programs for them, and they have very specific needs.
I might read an article or see something on TV or hear someone talk about something and a month later, it might come out in a song. I don’t actually try; I just let it filter through.
Q: Do you feel like music is a good platform for initiating a social dialogue?
A: I think it can be, yeah. Most of the things I write are personal because I’m trying to make sense of my life.
Q: Does it help?
A: It helps a lot. It’s the best therapy I’ve ever had. (Laughs.)
Q: You’ve played with a lot of big names, from Martina McBride and Del McCoury to Old Crow Medicine Show. What do you take away from those experiences?
A: It’s always wonderful to play with great musicians and great singers and great writers. It kind of raises the bar. You’ve got to break it.
Q: Do you remember the first song you wrote?
A: I do. I was 3, it was about Jesus. I got in big trouble because I was yelling his name from the swing set in the back yard. It’s a true story. (Laughs.)
Q: What’s the first one you wrote that you still sing?
A: Gosh, I could brush up on that one. You know, most of the stuff I sing now I started writing in 2000 or 2001.
Q: If someone wants to find out more about your music, where would they need to go?
A: They should go to dianajonesmusic.com. They can check out Myspace as well (myspace.com/dianajonesmusic). I have clips to listen to and stuff to buy. I’m also on Facebook, but I don’t know exactly how to use it.
E-mail Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com
