Americana Music Festival

Ruby James "The Predictable Kind"

JDSouther-RubyJames-JessieScott Her name is Ruby, and her hair is also. She cuts quite the figure and her voice is as striking as she is. Ruby James has a new album coming, Happy Now, produced in Austin by Charlie Sexton, and with Will Sexton and Mike Thompson on it. Having heard the CD, I can tell you it is lush and beautiful. We had her on the bus solo, though, and fortuitously, she followed JD Souther, which was just a magic moment. Pictures were taken, hail, well met. Here is a song from the CD, which is not yet out, but we love to bring you stuff ahead of the box. "The Predictable Kind." Amen.

-Jessie

Ruby James

Eric Brace "Missoula Tonight"

Eric Brace We love Eric Brace and Peter Cooper. And we love them separately, too. We chased each other for days, random snippets of text messages as we poked the soft white underbelly of time for a hook up moment while in Nashville. I think I even said something like, "...if we could only get you on the bus..." which prompted Eric to fire a text back referencing my forwardness and cheekiness, "Well, I never!" But it wasn't meant as that kind of come on, and we were finally able to get the mist clear enough to see our way to do this as we were winding down, on our last night, second to last session, as I recall. There was only one problem. There was no Peter Cooper. We heard he was cooking scallops (we wanted some), then that he had a previous commitment which was not initially time specific, but then became so. Scallops We waited, we drank beer, we kibitzed. And then we said, "What the hell..." and told Eric to do a solo tune. It is a brand new one called Missoula Tonight

Not to worry, Peter finally showed up and we got one from the duo, too, coming at you soon.

-Jessie

Eric Brace & Peter Cooper - You Don't Have to Like Them Both

Chuck Mead "Let Jesus Make You Breakfast"

Chuck Mead Chuck Mead came on the bus late on the last day of shooting. There was a woman who had also joined us and claimed to be his neighbor. She told the story of how everybody in the neighborhood would grab their children when Chuck decided it was time to mow the lawn. I wondered if it was because he mows shirtless. Chuck said that neighbors "grabbed their children in fear" because his mower technique was a bit "nontraditional."

When I began to sling a camera about the room, Chuck started to work the lens and play to the camera. I told him this wasn't Hee Haw, and mugging the camera would only alienate viewers of Music Fog. Chuck told me he was "old school" and learned from the best. There was friendly banter about when I would start or stop rolling. I told Chuck that every time he mugged the lens I would fine him $10. He thought that was fair.

This song cost Chuck Mead $10.00. It is really the first money Music Fog has ever made.

God bless you Chuck Mead.

-Beans

BR5-49 - Dog Days - Let Jesus Make You Breakfast