The solo acoustic performer tradition has transcended generations as singer, musician, storyteller and comedian. This month features three male singer-songwriters: Matt the Electrician and Southpaw Jones, both from Austin, Texas, and Casey Holford from New York City.

Although a full feature could be spent on each artist, I’ll touch on the similarities of three aspiring visionaries expressing their individual views of the world, brought together through music.

All three artists are extremely witty and charming, yet completely serious about their music in their own light-hearted way. Their music sets the standard for Americana, music rich in poetry and lore that relates to all walks of life, adding another layer of pavement to the road traveled by Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Woody and Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen and every other great artist who has voiced a generation.

They were just on tour together last month and a number of their performances were ‘house-parties’, shows arranged and hosted by one of the artists’ fans. I was able to hook up online with all three of them as well as Matt’s booking agent, Laura Thomas from ComboPlate booking.

HotBands - Howdy folks

Casey Holford - What's up? Nice to meet you!

Matt the Electrician – Howdy

HotBands - I've been doing research on each of you and this is going to be a fun interview. All of you have a background stretching back to childhood with music. How did you wind up in the profession? I guess all real pros have the need to do it.

Matt the Electrician – It was a mandate from God.

HotBands - All three of you are male singer-songwriters that perform for the most part as a solo gig, correct?

Casey Holford - Yeah, that's right.

Southpaw Jones - Yes

Matt the Electrician - I play a lot with a band, but also solo...probably 50/50.

HotBands - Would you say that the solo singer-songwriter is an even split between male and female?

Laura Thomas – There's more men, but women are easier to book.

Casey Holford - I would say it depends where you look. At open mics, there tends to be more men, but in the folk clubs it seems pretty even these days, which is good.

Matt the Electrician - I think more woman make it to the higher echelon as singer/songwriters, because sex sells.

Casey Holford – So Matt, you mean more cute women?

Matt the Electrician – It seems that the ones that make it tend to be better looking from the point of view of the society.

Southpaw Jones - Ugly people have no shot, either gender.

Casey Holford - Well that about does it for me then!

HotBands - Interesting. If women are in fact easier to book, there should be more women touring, which gives the impression there are more female solo performers. Does it work better for the guys to stick together while touring? I see touring solo female performers, but not really guys...I've not thought of it, but I'm guessing the gender thing makes a difference in booking.

Southpaw Jones – I think club owners are partial to gender. I think a female with equal talent to a male; will have a greater ratio of success.
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Laura Thomas - I book seven artists that are men, and two that are woman. My experience has been women are easier to book, because they are fewer in number.

HotBands - Do you think club owners are partial to gender?

Matt the Electrician - Female homosexuality is much more hip, so as men touring together, we never really talk about our feelings for one another, unless we wrestle.

Casey Holford – That’s too true about gay female acts. I’ve often felt a little bit shunted to one side.

HotBands - Why have you felt shunted?

Casey Holford – I feel that the glitz of a pseudo-political message can mask the songwriting. Sometimes women who are queer have an edge in that respect.

HotBands - Do gay male performers tour? It sounds weird since lesbianism is more socially accepted.

Matt the Electrician - Gay male performers never tour, except Rufus Wainwright, and he travels alone.

Casey Holford - Definitely ... they're just not as much in the limelight because they've had no huge beacon like Ani DiFranco to get behind.

HotBands - Do you all share the same booking agent?

Laura Thomas - I only book Matt, but I did book their recent tour because Matt twisted my arm and I liked Southpaw and Casey’s music.

Casey Holford - Paw and I don't have agents, so we we're very grateful to Matt and Combo Plate Booking (Laura Thomas’s company) for helping us out.

HotBands - As a collective, what drew you to each other?

Matt the Electrician - We met at the Nashville New Music Conference, a few years back, and we were the only ones not being signed to a major label, so we got drunk together.

Southpaw - We were drawn to each other by our taste in talent.

Casey Holford – In my opinion there are some people who are getting by more on message than on good songwriting ... I've met a few. But these guys (Matt and Southpaw) are just great songwriters, period. So I agree, that's what drew us together.

HotBands - So songwriting styles is what you have in common. Do you think it's easier to do an entire evening alone or do you prefer sharing the stage time w/other performers?

Matt the Electrician - Actually, our songwriting styles are somewhat different, which I think is part of what makes it interesting in front of an audience. Of course, that's subjective reasoning on my part

Southpaw Jones - I prefer performing alone slightly, but I prefer touring with others way better.

Casey Holford - I've heard Matt say that he doesn't dig doing songwriter swaps in general, but we work well because we get along and because we each bring something different to it.

Matt the Electrician - I love song swaps when I'm playing with people I really respect. In this case, I was exited for my fans and friends and family to see two songwriters who I like and (especially in Casey's case) don't get to see often.

Casey Holford - Matt you have your regular swapping gig right? What's that called, “Top Of the Pops”?

Laura Thomas - Pop Stars, Dads Who Rock.

Casey Holford - There you go.

HotBands – Are song swaps bringing others with you on tour?

Casey Holford – A songwriter swap gets groups on stage at the same time trading songs.

Laura Thomas - Song swaps is another term for songwriter circle, meaning you know in advance whom you're playing with. Typically, this involves 3-4 people. More than that is too many.

HotBands - Motivations in songwriting vary as much as day-to-day weather, but it does seem that there are generally more politically, environmentally and socially aware performers in the acoustic solo arena. Do you agree with this?

Casey Holford - I would agree with that. When you’re in a band, the messages tend to be more oblique. Solo songwriters come right out with it.

Southpaw Jones – I think it results from the individualism of solo writing/performing. Bands tend to dilute their message in sub-committee meetings.

Matt the Electrician - Actually, I think there is far more political and social commentary in punk rock than in singer/songwriter. I'll stand by that.

Casey Holford - Maybe in real punk rock, but there's not a whole lot of that around these days. You're more punk rock than most punk rock, Matt.

Matt the Electrician - I think political commentary is far more hip than love songs these days. Even in the mainstream. Read SUM 41, Blink 182

Casey Holford – I would have to disagree with the mainstream remark I work for a couple of pop producers and there ain't no politics as far as the eye can see!

HotBands - It seems to me that politically critical songs are not played on any main radio stations (Clear Channel board member is a Bush cousin), so bands that want to voice a political tone have to rely on other means of getting their message out. This brings me to my next question about touring. Songwriter circles stretch across the country and you guys just finished a tour. How many of your shows were house parties vs. clubs? Matt, you and I talked a bit about this the other day on the phone and I thought it was a very interesting topic.

Casey Holford - Three out of eight shows were house parties.

HotBands - How do you like and compare the two? I remember in my college music history classes reading about Muddy Waters playing 'rent parties’ to get money together for his bills. How do you think the house-party thing has evolved over the last half-century, and where is it for touring bands and solo artists today?

Matt the Electrician - Like I started to say the other day when we were talking about Steve Poltz and the house concert series that I was familiar with 5 or 10 years ago, in general, back then it seemed to me to be more formal and kind of stuffy. There are more "living room" shows these days, as far as I can tell. I like the idea that anybody can host a performer they like in their own living room.

HotBands – Tell me about Steve Poltz.

Matt the Electrician - Steve is a singer/songwriter who just happens to play a lot of living room shows, sometimes even after playing a club gig in a town. Not only does this make him more money, but also gives his diehard fans a chance to have him in their living rooms, which is rad.

Casey Holford - And it seems like a good way to make even more diehard fans.

Laura Thomas – I find it really helpful when I can talk a fan into hosting a show. There are different types of house concerts - formal series and informal ones. Formal house concerts are often registered as non-profits and have set dates; for example the fourth Friday of the month. These tend to be hard to break into and not so friendly to people they don't know, or that's how it seems. Informal is the word I use when I talk a fan that really wants someone to come play his or her town into hosting. I teach them they are responsible for providing the space and audience and making sure a suggested donation is collected. Three fans that I talked into having their first house concerts now have regular shows and are more flexible with days of the week etc. My artists often feel that house concerts are a chance to have people there because they want to be (rather than going to a club for the club rather than the artist). They often sell more merchandise and I think the audience likes the atmosphere because it’s cool and different.

Casey Holford - The ones we played on this tour were awesome. Great hosts, great attentive audiences. It’s a welcome switch-up to the clubs…not that clubs are bad, just completely different.

Southpaw Jones - Folks at house concerts will sometimes give you gifts, the profits are pure and sweet, and you have an automatic place to stay. Nice.

Laura Thomas - Sometimes my artists would rather stay somewhere else, away from the host house.

HotBands - I can understand Laura Thomas. Sometimes the host house isn't really who they are connected with in that area.

HotBands - So do you think the informality of the house party contributes to artists merchandise sales, or would you say that it's because you get an even more targeted audience rather than club regulars?

Southpaw Jones – I don’t think it’s necessarily because of a targeted audience as much as the audience seeing you as more of a real person who needs food and clothing.

HotBands - Matt and Southpaw are both in Austin; Casey, you're in New York. How do you think the support of local artists is in your area, and do you think it differs in different parts of the country? It always seems grass is greener on the other side of the fence until you get there.

Casey Holford –I live in Brooklyn, but I am currently in Manhattan with a nice view of the Empire State Building. Being a songwriter in NYC is kind of like every other aspect of life here; there's lots of stuff happening, lots of people to meet, and a lot of people trying to do the same thing you're doing. It’s kind of exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Music scenes do differ everywhere, but I think the rule is always the same: find a community to support you and keep doing your thing and working hard.

Matt the Electrician - I think the support in Austin is terrific. There's definitely competition, but I think there is a definite preponderance of music fans in this town. New York is where everyone I know that leaves Austin ends up. There is a definite country/roots leaning in Austin, and if you don't do that, they run you out of town.

Southpaw Jones - Scenes pop up like toadstools, either to thrive for years, or to be immediately eaten by hippies.

Casey Holford – I have a lot of support in the anti-folk scene here. People aren't actually against folk, but it’s just sort of an iconoclastic group of songwriters who stick together.

HotBands - I agree with the iconoclastic group thing. Folkies march to their own tune.
If Austin has a country/roots leaning, what does New York have? Do you think that traveling to other parts of the US has influenced your writing styles?

Southpaw Jones - I've lived in Texas, Nashville and LA. I write a lot more now that I'm in Austin, but each place influenced me in some small way that you can't see right off.

Casey Holford - New York has a lot of different types of music that thrive here. I stick with my anti-folkies, but my brother Matt is in a great instrumental rock group named Darediablo, and I live with a bunch of jazz cats. Everyone can find a niche here, it just takes some searching.

HotBands - What is an anti-folk?

Laura Thomas - I book all over the U.S. I've only heard of anti-folk as a New York thing.

Casey Holford – Anti-folk is a group of people of not any definite style, but has a history as a community has had some big names pass through -- Beck, Ani DiFranco, Hamell on Trial, Michelle Shocked. You can find out more at http://www.antifolk.net

HotBands -So anti folk is really folk, but just a New York thing of not wanting to be like the rest of the world…right?

Casey Holford – It’s really a whole bunch of stuff. The anti-folk thing is not a genre, it's a community of people who don't like listening to pop radio and would rather listen to each other.

Laura Thomas - That's been my sense. That anti-folk is about community.

HotBands - How long have the three of you been friends?

Matt the Electrician - FRIENDS???

Southpaw Jones - Two years.

Casey Holford - We've mostly been friends via email. We met once in Nashville and just kept in touch.

HotBands - All of you are in your late 20s, right? You've grown up during the Internet revolution. How has it played a role in marketing yourself? Did you remember a time before the Internet? Matt, were you pretty established before you started using the net?

Matt the Electrician - The first tours I booked, I did everything on the phone. You had to get maps from AAA and I didn’t have a cell phone, so I think the Internet has been huge for touring and promotion.

Casey Holford - I've been putting my music online for about 8 years or so. First I was on mp3.com, and then with the advent of CD Baby everyone could sell his or her stuff online. Mapquest, Google and everything else with the Internet make touring easier.

Matt the Electrician - Now I can mapquest, get club info, get radio stations info including DJ names and e-mail addresses. Before you had no access to these people unless you knew someone with a specific connection

Casey Holford - The Internet definitely helps a great deal with all aspects of music. It opened up the floodgates. Some people subsist on Internet sales alone.

Southpaw Jones - Yes, it's easier to manage these days. But the Internet can spoil you, too. I can't stand talking on the phone these days, although I feel that's still the best way to make contacts.

HotBands - Have you picked up any fans overseas that haven't seen you live?

Casey Holford - Matt and I have both sold some CDs in Japan. The Japanese love that old time folk music.

Matt the Electrician - I've sold some CDs overseas. Without the Internet, that would have never happened, so the Internet makes everything about doing this yourself much easier.

Laura Thomas -My new thing is to establish booking relationships overseas. I’m currently booking a tour in the UK for AJ Roach. I feel like Europe is the way to go. I attended the Americana Music Conference and enjoyed the International panels. I’ve also made great contacts during SxSW, plus I love travel.

HotBands - Why so Laura Thomas?

Laura Thomas - The two European tours I booked, I found the talent buyers and potential audience more enthusiastic. It seems like my artists have a greater potential to make it there before they make it here.

HotBands - Kind of like how Jimmy Hendrix did it.

Casey Holford - I have heard similar stuff. My brother's band just went to Europe and they were treated and received incredibly well.

HotBands - How do you see your careers advancing? Do you feel self-managed and self-owned label is the way to do things?

Casey Holford – That’s a tough question. I'm happy to just keep doing my thing, but if I were approached with an offer by a major label, it would have to be a very specific situation for me to say yes. We've all heard too many horror stories (e.g. Aimee Mann) not to be skeptical.

Matt the Electrician – If I could write songs for Budweiser, and they would pay me millions, I’d totally do it.

HotBands - Is music a full time gig (what you eat on) for all three of you?

Casey Holford - I have a day job at a music studio.

Southpaw Jones - I work temp jobs in offices. I live on a slim jims (pepperoni sticks).

Matt the Electrician - Music is full time for me. I support my wife, two kids and myself. However I do have 7 maxed out credit cards.

HotBands – How do you feel about file trading?

Casey Holford - File trading as in downloading my songs?

HotBands - File-trading as in downloading your songs, others ripping and trading your CDs. Do you care? I'm sure you'd rather have them buy the CD, but are you glad people trade your songs?

Southpaw Jones - I would love for people to share my songs!

Casey Holford – I’d rather have them buy it from iTunes, but the bottom line is that I want people to hear it, at least at the present time. So Limewire etc. is OK in my book.

Matt the Electrician - I think file sharing is fine. I used to make mix tapes back in the early eighties, and if something was done in the early eighties, then dammit, it's ok in my book. I think that the people who download lots (and I mean lots) of music for free weren’t going to buy my CD in the first place. They also probably shoplift, and huff paint.

HotBands - Will you be touring as a trio again?

Casey Holford - I hope so!

HotBands - When will you be back up toward Seattle?

Casey Holford - I'll be playing in Seattle at least once if not twice this coming year.

Matt the Electrician - When Southpaw gets the bracelet off his ankle; we can come back to Seattle. I'll probably be there solo in the spring, and hopefully with these two at some point also.

Do you have any other thoughts you’d like to share before we finish up?

Casey Holford - Look out for a great Seattle songwriter called Danny Kelly. He’s very inspiring and a great guy, and thanks to Matt, Southpaw and Laura for a great tour! My homepage is http://www.caseyholford.com

Southpaw Jones - I pledge to bring the term "whimsy" back into nation-wide, daily usage. I live online at http://www.southpawjones.com where you can find demo mp3s and much more. My music is an elaborate code, which translated and charted, forms a map, which leads to the treasures of our forefathers.

Matt the Electrician - I would like to see a day, hopefully very soon, when older folks that like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and the like, can sit down with the younger generation that listen to stuff like us, and agree that Joan Baez sucks.

Casey Holford - Poor Joan.

HotBands - Thanks for taking the time w/me for this. It was seriously demented and fun...I laughed way too much for it to be called work.

Casey Holford - Nice. Thanks for having us.

Matt the Electrician - Thanks so much for the time, Pat! Much appreciated! We'll definitely stay in touch, especially if we come through town. I'll talk w/you later. I’m going to grab a shower then head to band practice.

HotBands - Thanks again guys.

For more information on these artists visit their official homepages at:

http://www.caseyholford.com

http://www.southpawjones.com

http://www.matttheelectrician.com