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The trio is great but there's also something seductive about playing in a big band, which may be part of why I wanted to be part of the Crowes. It's a huge wall of sound to be surfin' on top of. It's fun and it suits me. I love singing and writing but when it comes down to it, I just want to play. Luther Dickinson |
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Photo of Luther Dickinson by imaphotog
"It's important for us to make homemade records in our own studio. The last two [NMA] records were done in Memphis, which is great and an honor and tradition, but in this day and age I think that atmosphere and the intangible vibe is more important than sonic clarity. The records I love aren't perfect. I heard [The Replacements'] Pleased to Meet Me, which my father produced, and it was the imperfections of that record that really hit home for me. If they'd made that record five years ago it would have been WAY more polished. I had to tell my band [with Hernando], 'If the vocals are out of tune, well, so be it [laughs].' Just let it be."
 North Mississippi Allstars |
Luther and Cody also worked with spectacular songwriter and roots rocker John Hiatt on 2005's Master of Disaster album, where the siblings formed the core backing band with legendary bassist David Hood, father of Drive-By Trucker Patterson Hood.
"That was super cool, man. And John, talk about committing! All the vocals on that are live off the floor. That really impressed me and started me on the path that led to Hernando, where we're cutting things live to keep it real," offers Luther. "We spent two summers touring with him, and I played on his new record coming out soon. It's largely acoustic and really really fine. Touring with him, it was great to see people react to songs he wrote but had only heard from Bonnie Raitt or Eric Clapton."
"A real breakthrough for me on this [new] record was collaborating. The band writes a lot of music together, especially Chris, who'll come up with a bassline at soundcheck or something and I'll make note of it for later. He wrote a lot of the riffs on this record. But, this was the first time I'd hang out with someone like Jimbo [Mathus] and say, 'Let's write a song.' My friend Aaron Julison plays bass for Kid Rock, and we'd go to Detroit and just write songs. I love the collaborative aspect of the music but this was the first time as a lyricist that I tapped into that tradition of two cats sitting in a room alone to write songs. It's a beautiful thing," says Luther. "After the last record touring cycle, I didn't write any lyrics for almost two years. Then, I got together with Jimbo. I had tons of music because I'd started working with computers and had documented tons of musical ideas. So, we got together in my dining room, and he said, 'I always wanted to write a song about shaking what your mama gave ya.' And I said, 'Well, I got this riff.' We started going and quickly had the first version of 'Shake.' He's such a jumpstart!"
Another factor putting some piss in Luther's vinegar lately is his invitation to join The Black Crowes last year. He's a major highlight of that band's forthcoming Warpaint album (arriving March 4 on the Crowes' own Silver Arrow label) and will be touring hard throughout 2008 with both the Allstars and Crowes.
"The trio is great but there's also something seductive about playing in a big band, which may be part of why I wanted to be part of the Crowes," comments Luther. "It's a huge wall of sound to be surfin' on top of. It's fun and it suits me. I love singing and writing but when it comes down to it, I just want to play. It's a commitment. You have to lay it down. You gotta come on with the come on!"
The idea of total commitment to each piece of the puzzle is integral to The Black Crowes, and it's heartening to see Luther's own sensibilities dovetail so well with his new bandmates.
"That's an invisible spirit. You can't nail that down. There's an energy you conjure up by touring a lot, playing nightly with the same people, and I don't think you can fake that. It's funny when you're backing someone up and you're supposed play like you've been together for years. It's impossible. You can't fake the funk."
JamBase | Mississippi
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