JamBase Questionnaire: Chatham County Line

Welcome back to JamBase’s baker’s dozen to the bright lights in the jam scene (and beyond). Last time we heard from Truth & Salvage Co., and this time we visit with a bright light on the rock scene.

A lot of the most talented folks toil away without drawing much attention. The work is more important than the spotlight, and the end results have possess solidity and endurance fame whores will never know. North Carolina’s fabulous Chatham County Line has consistently cranked out some of the best Americana of the past decade. Though often seen as a bluegrass outfit by ill informed sources, CCL have huge gobs of pop smarts and rock subtext inside their acoustic leaning, twang-inflected sound.

Their fifth release, Wildwood (arriving July 13 on Yep Roc), is their first self-produced effort and shows more than ever that Chatham County Line is dedicated to making great music, regardless of what anyone else calls it. Carried along by the bone deep lilt of guitarist-singer-songwriter Dave Wilson, Wildwood (and the rest of their catalogue) represents what happens when a band really knows how to play their instruments and keeps their ears wide-open to the entire American musical landscape. Anyone smitten by Levon Helm, Yonder Mountain String Band, Hot Rize, Leftover Salmon and the like is cheating themselves to miss out on CCL. (Dennis Cook)

Here’s what Dave Wilson had to say to our inquiries.

Chatham County Line by Bergen Paul Bernhard

Nicknames: Bronzy (For coming in third at the Merlefest songwriting contest)

Instrument(s) of choice: Beulah (1967 Martin D-18)

1. Great music rarely happens without…
An instrument that is in tune.

2. The first album I bought was…
U2’s The Unforgettable Fire

3. The last song or album to really flip my wig was…
At My Age by Nick Lowe

4. When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be…
An architect

5. My favorite sort of gig is…
Where half the audience could care less at the beginning and then nobody wants you to stop by the end.

6. One thing I wish people knew about me is…
I’m kind of a private person.

7. I love the sound of…
A set of drums played by Zeke Hutchins (Tift Merritt, Johnny Irion)

8. One day I hope to make an album as fantastic as…
Neil Young’s Harvest Moon

9. The best meal I ever had on tour was at…
Some French joint in Pittsburgh. Going back there in a few weeks!

10. I always find the coolest audiences in…
Virginia

11. The worst habit I’ve picked up being on the road all the time is…
Anything with the name “Lance” on the package.

12. The Beatles or the Stones? Por qué?
If I’m freshly showered with a cup of coffee in the morning, it’s The Beatles. If I’m rolling a smoke with a cold glass of beer in the evening, it’s the Stones.

13. The craziest thing I ever saw was…
A SAS flight landing on a sheet of ice and snow – with me in it.

Chatham County Line Tour Dates :: Chatham County Line News :: Chatham County Line Concert Reviews

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