A few years ago I wrote and recorded a semi-autobiographical song called “Mariaville.” It never became a full-band Jo Henley song (not yet, anyway); it was just a burst of an idea I had rattling in my head. I went to my buddy Tim Lynch's studio, The Recording Company, we tracked “Mariaville,” and I set it aside.
“Mariaville” never stopped rattling, though. This idea of marrying my two artistic loves—songwriting and fiction writing—became something of an obsession. My fiction always exist on their own and never with music in mind. Period. Likewise, I never write a song with an inkling that a story could come of it. But when it makes sense to, when what happens beyond the page, or before or after a song fades out, compels me to pick up a guitar or pen and explore further, it’s creatively exciting. It’s a loose thread I have to pull.
“The Readout” is an example of this story/song project. I wrote the story, submitted it to the fine folks at Shotgun Honey in hopes they would want to publish it, and fortunately for me, they did. Between the time I wrote the story and it was accepted for publication, though, it had been off my radar. My brain was deep into the novel I’ve been working on. As soon as I reread the story, though, I reached for my trusty old Martin and climbed inside Kenny McCaul’s mind just long enough to come up with a song of the same name.
Last week my compadre Ben and I went to our buddy Tim’s studio, The Recording Company, and we tracked “The Readout.” I hope you’ll read the story here and give the song a listen below—preferably in that order, but the choice is yours. And I also hope you’ll keep you eyes and ears peeled for more story/song collaborations I have up my sleeve coming soon.
Thanks again to Shotgun Honey for putting “The Readout” into the world!
-Andy