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Swamp Lightning, yet another terrific duo, is one of a handful of acts trying to make a thoroughly contemporary interpretation of American folk & traditional music. Drew Ford and Angel Attew have a delightfully expansive view of what constitutes folk, however, and do their best to mash as many pieces of the pie together as they can. Anchored by an excellent command of stringed instruments, especially Drew’s wicked dobro, their songs can come out anywhere from a jazzy contemplation to hard-edged not-quite-country to the still young style of hick hop. “Carved in Stone” is a hit-in-waiting, an immaculately produced & written meditation on small town life and romance that would be equally at home on folk, AAA, bluegrass or country radio. We hope it gets there someday.

Q & A

What is your goal in recording and sharing music?

Realistically? To connect somehow through music. After we released our first album “Family Business” we received an email from a lovely man who said we must’ve written “Devils Like Me” from watching his own life, and it moved both him and me that we shared so much life experience. That email and the connection we now have – we already achieved our goal I guess.

Come up with a descriptive, original genre name for your music.

AAAAGH, dammit, you had to mention the word “genre” … I honestly cannot answer this question. We make sounds with Dobro, banjo, mandolin, etc., but that don’t make us country or folk, we sing and deliver “talking blues” but that don’t make us blues. We rock telecasters but that don’t make us rock. If you pressed me to define it … today I’ll go with “Swampgrass.” Tomorrow will likely be a different answer. [smiling]

Who do you view as a likely audience for your music?

That’s a tough one. Maybe anyone who has reached the point where they find themselves suddenly standing in the kitchen and shouting at the radio “WHAT THE HELL!?! WILL YOU, JUST ONCE, PLAY SOMETHING FRESH?!”

We (so far) seem to appeal to people who like to hear real instruments, stories, honest lyrics, but with a fresh edge. We respect and are influenced by our roots in traditions of song writing but are not rooted to the spot.”

If trapped on a desert island with only three songs, which would they be?

• “Willing” by Little Feat … the best trucking song I ever heard. Wistful, truthful, cool!
• “Childish Things” by James McMurtry … I was hooked from those opening lines. And again, honesty, wistful, cool.
• “Long Hard Times To Come” by Gangstagrass … First time I heard this, it was spine tingling to me. That doesn’t happen nearly enough these days. Honest, brutal, and uber cool.

Is there an instrument you do not currently play that you’d like to learn?

Blues harmonica. PROPERLY!

Who is your musical hero(es), if any?

Ry Cooder, JJ Cale, Lowell George (Little Feat), Bob Dylan, and way out front: Steve Earle.

You can hear more from Swamp Lightning on their website: Click Here