The Shape of Authenticity
{Brad’s Corner} February 2012: The Shape of Authenticity
Posted by Brad Beheler on Wed, February 01, 2012
Authentic and genuine are two words that get thrown around quite a bit in regard to Texas Music. Rightfully so in my opinion. What many of us love so much about our kind of music, OKOM, is that it (most of the time) comes from a very real place.
Many of the lyrics written by our favorite artists come from a very deep place within their life experiences and soul. Whether that’s a rowdy recounting of a particular night out or a more somber reflection on their lot in life. Even when fictional characters are involved and the song is written entirely in the 3rd person, their are elements of the artist bubbling just underneath. As Randy Rogers once said…”that’s a true story I made up all by myself.”
When Adam Hood talks about being broke during a long, cold winter in Nashville and running out of money while chasing his dreams you can tell he’s lived every single syllable. That type of reality based songwriting draws listeners in. There’s a reason guys like Hood, Sean McConnell and Will Hoge have connected to Texas audiences in a way many artists from within the state borders never have or could.
Believability.
If you want to sing about floating the river, at least make it sound like it’s something you truly enjoy and not just a half-baked idea you had to capitalize on something that came before you.
Townes Van Zandt wrote from the point of view of a drunken lunatic because that’s essentially what he was. The reason he’s still so revered is because he was so damned true to himself.
Pre-famous Ryan Bingham wrote about being a desperate troubadour caught somewhere between hell and redemption, and his vocals matched every word to the point you felt like you yourself were on that same exact journey.
When Evan Felker talks about awkwardly running into his old girlfriend at the grocery store in the Turnpike Troubadours “7&7″, you can relate even though he made the story up. You feel his despair and live every second of that awkward moment with him.
The reason people are responding in growing numbers to these types of artists is because in the ever expanding and fractured music climate of 2012, people are seeking true connections.
For a decade, pop and rock music has continued to get more plastic and software driven. There’s always been a rebellious attitude toward that around Texas, but it’s a movement that’s growing. Fans want something that they can hold onto and claim as their own.
Texas/Red Dirt music fans are savvy. They listen to Brandon Rhyder sing about the backroads of this county and immediately connect because they’ve driven the same type of routes in their own county.
Casey Donahew is as popular right now as Pat Green was in 1999 because he appeals to the teenage party crowd. He doesn’t live in a double wide and his best friend isn’t really a tractor tech named Junior, but there are plenty of his fans that can relate to that lifestyle and therefore respond to it.
Even bad music can be authentic. If it comes from a real place and not simply with visions of a cash register ringing. There’s a reason rootsy acts like Lincoln Durham, Jason Eady and The Damn Quails are some of the most buzzed about acts right now. They adhere to the definition of authenticity: of undisputed origin. There is no gray area or marketing plan. The music speaks for itself and people are responding.
Without a genuine base to your art, you’re just a fad. Fads come and go. Truth lasts forever. There’s a reason people still go back to Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. They never burnt up the charts or bigtimed around on tourbuses to play at tiny bars, but they’ve outlasted the influence of many of their contemporaries.
Why?
Authenticity.
The shape of authenticity is in good hands as we move forward in 2012. True artists will stand the test of time. Despite the over-saturated playing field now, in 30-40 years when music historians look back on this scene, there will only be a handful of names recounted. Think of all the records released each year. Who will make the history defining cut? Time will tell in a very genuine and authentic manner.
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