Michelle Malone surely would not describe herself as a Georgia peach but she is one proud native of Atlanta.
The singer, who hails from Buckhead in the northern part of the city, remembers sneaking in to see the Georgia Satellites when she was growing up and leaving a lifelong impression. Playing bluesy and soulful Georgia roots music covers a lot of genres. “There’s a great scene in Atlanta and to me it’s a family thing. It’s hard to put a finger on what that Georgia music thing is but a lot of the music that comes from there is really raw and honest.”
Malone was in to reflect on her nearly thirty-year career with Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale on their weekly radio show, the Buddy & Jim Show on SiriusXM Outlaw Country. Malone has a new album “Stronger Than You Think” and played songs from it accompanied by Reno Roberts, a friend who is from Ft. Page, Alabama and now lives in Huntsville.
Miller said he is used to seeing Malone on boats, a reference to the annual Cayamo Cruise the two regularly play. Today they traded stories in Miller’s home studio reverently referred to as “The House.”
Miller had just sat in with singer Sean Watkins at the City Winery in Nashville. He sang during the first set of the Watkins Family Hour which featured Benmont Tench, Fiona Apple and Sean and Sarah Watkins. The Secret Sisters also joined in. Miller announced that he and Lauderdale would be doing an episode of The Buddy & Jim Show every month at City Winery beginning November 14.
One of the songs is called “When I Grow Up.” She reflected on the line “I write songs when I watch tv.” It’s a process that began years earlier when she used to wake up and play to the radio to try and learn songs. When the song stopped, she’d keep playing. This happened during the Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” in which she imparts an intriguing Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus” riff to make the song darker. These days she says watching tv and writing songs helps with concentration and is better than doing drugs.
Malone was recently on the road touring with Kristian Bush, the frontman of Sugarland and former member of Billy Pilgrim. One night on a long bus ride from Detroit to Atlanta, Malone pulled out her mandolin and played “When I Grow Up” asking Bush if he could help her out. The two spent the night finishing it.
Another new song is “Vivian Vegas” which she describes as 99% autobiographical. Miller seized on the statement and quizzed her about the song’s narrative in which the person awakes to find half of a banjo tattooed to her knee after a night spent with bikers.
“I don’t know,” she ponders of the song’s events. “What can I say? I was a bit of a hellion.”
Malone remembers being at a gig and going to the bar with some bikers and then describes night became morning.
“Which half of the banjo was tattooed?” Miller wondered.
Malone said she had to call and apologize to her mother who found the song funny. She was a single mother raising Michelle and her brother. She was a singer and described how she would watch her sing four to six sets a night in hotels. Sitting in the hotel bar of a Hyatt sipping a Shirley Temple, Malone would look at her mother who was dressed like Cher. As Cher had a television show she would say to herself, ‘Why doesn’t Mom have a TV show’?”
Everything she learned about performing came from her mother who played piano and dragged the children to vocal lessons where she was exposed to Puccini and Mozart. Malone’s grandmothers both played piano and her stepfather is a drummer and music minister. “I didn’t plan to become a professional musician but looking back, had very little chance of not becoming one.”
Malone started her career by putting her first record out on her own label. Thinking back on it, she says she didn’t know she was doing it at the time. Malone was inspired by fellow Atlanta compatriots the Indigo Girls who had started their career independently. Malone followed the path, starting her career on what she looks back as a wing and a prayer.
That was back in 1988 and Malone has made over a dozen records since. Her new album is on her own label SBS Records.
Her new song “Stronger Than You Think” draws from the inspiration of meeting fans and sharing life stories. “We all are stronger than we think,” she reflects, describing hearing real-life dilemmas of people who struggle with the losses of jobs, their houses and spouses.
“I wanted to do something,” she told Miller and Lauderdale, “but there’s nothing else I can do but what I do best which is writing songs and singing them to people, trying to empower and inspire them.”
Being a Georgia native, she was honored to find herself part of Celebrating Georgia With Chuck Leavell and Friends which included a homage to the great soul singer Otis Redding. It was put together by the Rolling Stones keyboards player and Allman Brothers alumni Chuck Leavell. The Atlanta Symphony. backed Malone who found herself dueting with Gregg Allman.
Lauderdale talks about what a cool town Macon is. “You can feel the vibe of musical history in the air,” he says.
The three talk about the uniqueness of the American South.
“It’s in the air.”
Or as Miller says quoting the great songwriter Dan Penn, “it’s the density of the air.”
Originally posted here.
