She couldn’t put this keyboard down · piano lessons.” Her early musical back-ground was in...
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10 BUDDY MAY 2013 She couldn’t put this keyboard down Brave Combo’s 42nd album debuts May 12 at Sons of Hermann Hall with one of Ginny Mac’s songs, a waltz named “Seduction.” By Tom Geddie AMERICANA Mac went home and told her parents she wanted to learn to play the accordion. “They thought it was strange, but they got me one and I never put it down,” she said. She and her older brother, Glenn McLaughlin, also learned to play piano because, well, there was one in the house. She never put the piano down, either. Figuratively speak- ing. Today, Mac is 27 years old. She’s released three albums of her own and will release her fourth late this spring or early this summer. “I started taking music les- sons when I was seven, on accor- dion, and within a couple of years I was also taking voice and piano lessons.” Her early musical back- ground was in classical music, adding in some Broadway and pop songs along the way and absorbing classic country and jazz from her parents and grand- parents. Patsy Cline, Hank Wil- liams, Johnny Cash, Hank Th- ompson. Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, big band music. Later, Hot Club of Cowtown and Wayne Hancock. Lots of guitar players. Jazz influences “I REALLY LOVED Ella Fitzgerald. She was a big vocal influence,” Mac said. “I’ve always been an accor- dion player, but most of my mu- sical influences are jazz guitar- ists and jazz violinists.” With that eclectic back- ground, she began singing coun- try music — actually, western music including western swing — on the Texas opry circuit when she was 11 or 12. “I didn’t play very much then. I couldn’t play by ear,” she said. “I was a singer when per- forming in public, then I started taking my accordion around and started playing professionally — showing up and getting paid to play — when I was about 14.” Along the way, songwriters including Tom Russell — heavily influenced by western music — added into the mix of influences, along with her contemporaries including the Austin-based jazz fusion bluegrass band Milk Drive. “I like all kinds of music,” she said. “If it’s done well, I like it.” An unexpected, perhaps, in- fluence is Queen. “My parents listened to Queen. I love Freddie Mercury’s voice, how crisp and energetic it was,” Mac said. “And the music is interesting music. I was raised on classical and opera, and to hear the operatic influences in rock blew my mind. When I was nine, my dentist recommended I go to an orthodontist to fix my overbite. I said absolutely not. Freddie Mercury had an over- bite, and I don’t want to change the way I sing.” Mac calls music a universal language. “It’s one of those things that connects people. That’s what I love most about it,” she said. “I love to play. I love to use music as a medium to connect to people. I may know nothing about them, but when I see people smiling and enjoying it, I realize it’s a universal language.” Brave Combo MAC DIVIDES HER TIME between her own solo and small- group shows and her gigs with Brave Combo, a band that makes universal music. “That band has opened up my mind,” she said. Brave Combo’s 42nd album, The Sounds of the Hollow, debuts May 12 at Sons of Hermann Hall with one of Mac’s songs, a waltz named “Seduction.” All of that adds up to, at a minimum, 150 shows a year, although it’s hard to keep track. One recent weekend, she did three shows in one day. Mac also co-produced an al- bum with Woody Paul of Riders in the Sky and Hall of Fame fiddler and Nashville session player Buddy Spicher, an experi- ence she treasures. “It was his (Paul’s) project, and I’ve known him about 11 years. He’s mentored and helped me, and asked me to help pro- duce this project for him and Buddy Spicher,” she said. “Among the three of us there was a good mix of ideas. Buddy has major clout with his arrang- ing and producing experience, and is a beautiful person. Woody has a lot of great ideas and expe- rience. Drawing from our differ- ent experiences and influences, we found common ground. It was great to work together.” She also filled in with Riders in the Sky at the Grand Ole Opry when, backstage just six minutes before the show, the band told her she was playing with them. “It was the craziest thing I ever heard. I didn’t even know what was happening as I wrestled my accordion out of the car and dashed backstage. Curtains opened. The guys played a quick 2-5-1 to get into ‘Texas Plains,’ and, man, is it ever huge looking out from that stage. Between yodels and guitar chunkin’ and fiddle licks and beautiful, soar- ing western ballads, that was one of the most memorable and beau- tiful experiences in my life.” Fourth CD SHE’S GETTING CLOSE TO finishing her own fourth album, which remains an unnamed work in progress. “There will be some original songs, but also a lot of songs that I’ve always wanted to record, includ- ing an old Broadway song and a couple of Cole Porter- type songs,” she said. This is a little bit more of a jazz and swing album although there will defi- nitely be an ele- ment of western swing and coun- try, and a little bit of pop.” A good song, for Mac, com- bines melody with a story that people can re- late to. “I don’t re- ally think of that when I’m writ- ing, and I write about things I have never ex- perienced so imagination counts, too,” she said. “You can write about something you know and about something you don’t know. When I hear songs I like, it has something to do with thinking about how that person imagined put- ting it together” Boundaries do not count. “If I sit down and try to write something too structured, it doesn’t work. Structure doesn’t have to count. Imagina- tion — not putting boundaries on yourself — does.” When she’s not performing with Brave Combo, she’s doing duo shows and more with vari- ous people including her brother. She had a four-piece band, but a couple of the members moved out of state. “I’m kinda looking to expand the band again, and to start maybe working more as a trio and quar- tet,” she said. “I’m looking for- ward to getting to travel a little bit. I’ve been writing for a long time and playing for a long time. I feel like I’m really starting to come into my own as a singer and writer, developing my own style. “I’m still young, but not like when I was 20 and all over the place. At 27, I’m excited about keeping growing.” ■ WHEN GINNY MAC WAS SIX YEARS OLD, WA man with an accordion came to her Welementary school in Fort Worth and did a show. Her early musical background was in classical music: Ginny Mac “I don’t really think of that when I’m writing, and I write about things I have never experienced so imagination counts, too. You can write about something you know and about something you don’t know. When I hear songs I like, it has something to do with thinking about how that person imagined putting it together”.” —GINNY MAC
Transcript of She couldn’t put this keyboard down · piano lessons.” Her early musical back-ground was in...
10 BUDDY MAY 2013
She couldn’t put this keyboard downBrave Combo’s 42nd album debuts May 12 at Sons of Hermann Hall with one of Ginny Mac’s songs, a waltz named “Seduction.”
By Tom Geddie
A M E R I C A N A
Mac went home and told herparents she wanted to learn toplay the accordion.
“They thought it was strange,but they got me one and I neverput it down,” she said.
She and her older brother,Glenn McLaughlin, also learnedto play piano because, well, therewas one in the house.
She never put the pianodown, either. Figuratively speak-ing.
Today, Mac is 27 years old.She’s released three albums ofher own and will release herfourth late this spring or earlythis summer.
“I started taking music les-sons when I was seven, on accor-dion, and within a couple ofyears I was also taking voice andpiano lessons.”
Her early musical back-ground was in classical music,adding in some Broadway andpop songs along the way andabsorbing classic country andjazz from her parents and grand-parents. Patsy Cline, Hank Wil-liams, Johnny Cash, Hank Th-ompson. Ella Fitzgerald, FrankSinatra, big band music. Later,Hot Club of Cowtown andWayne Hancock. Lots of guitarplayers.
Jazz influences“I REALLY LOVED EllaFitzgerald. She was a big vocalinfluence,” Mac said.
“I’ve always been an accor-dion player, but most of my mu-sical influences are jazz guitar-ists and jazz violinists.”
With that eclectic back-
ground, she began singing coun-try music — actually, westernmusic including western swing— on the Texas opry circuit whenshe was 11 or 12.
“I didn’t play very much then.I couldn’t play by ear,” she said.
“I was a singer when per-forming in public, then I startedtaking my accordion around andstarted playing professionally —showing up and getting paid toplay — when I was about 14.”
Along the way, songwritersincluding Tom Russell — heavilyinfluenced by western music —added into the mix of influences,along with her contemporariesincluding the Austin-based jazzfusion bluegrass band Milk Drive.
“I like all kinds of music,” shesaid.
“If it’s done well, I like it.”An unexpected, perhaps, in-
fluence is Queen.“My parents listened to
Queen. I love Freddie Mercury’svoice, how crisp and energetic itwas,” Mac said. “And the musicis interesting music. I was raisedon classical and opera, and tohear the operatic influences inrock blew my mind. When I wasnine, my dentist recommended Igo to an orthodontist to fix myoverbite. I said absolutely not.Freddie Mercury had an over-bite, and I don’t want to changethe way I sing.”
Mac calls music a universallanguage.
“It’s one of those things thatconnects people. That’s what Ilove most about it,” she said. “Ilove to play. I love to use musicas a medium to connect to people.
I may know nothing about them,but when I see people smilingand enjoying it, I realize it’s auniversal language.”
Brave ComboMAC DIVIDES HER TIMEbetween her own solo and small-group shows and her gigs withBrave Combo, a band that makesuniversal music.
“That band has opened upmy mind,” she said.
Brave Combo’s 42nd album,The Sounds of the Hollow, debutsMay 12 at Sons of Hermann Hallwith one of Mac’s songs, a waltznamed “Seduction.”
All of that adds up to, at aminimum, 150 shows a year,although it’s hard to keep track.One recent weekend, she didthree shows in one day.
Mac also co-produced an al-
bum with Woody Paul of Ridersin the Sky and Hall of Famefiddler and Nashville sessionplayer Buddy Spicher, an experi-ence she treasures.
“It was his (Paul’s) project,and I’ve known him about 11years. He’s mentored and helpedme, and asked me to help pro-duce this project for him andBuddy Spicher,” she said.
“Among the three of us therewas a good mix of ideas. Buddyhas major clout with his arrang-ing and producing experience,and is a beautiful person. Woodyhas a lot of great ideas and expe-rience. Drawing from our differ-ent experiences and influences,we found common ground. Itwas great to work together.”
She also filled in with Ridersin the Sky at the Grand Ole Oprywhen, backstage just six minutes
before the show, the band toldher she was playing with them.
“It was the craziest thing Iever heard. I didn’t even knowwhat was happening as I wrestledmy accordion out of the car anddashed backstage. Curtainsopened. The guys played a quick2-5-1 to get into ‘Texas Plains,’and, man, is it ever huge lookingout from that stage. Betweenyodels and guitar chunkin’ andfiddle licks and beautiful, soar-ing western ballads, that was oneof the most memorable and beau-tiful experiences in my life.”
Fourth CDSHE’S GETTING CLOSE TOfinishing her own fourth album,which remains an unnamed workin progress.
“There will be some originalsongs, but also a lot of songs that
I’ve alwayswanted torecord, includ-ing an oldBroadway songand a couple ofCole Porter-type songs,” shesaid. This is alittle bit more ofa jazz and swingalbum althoughthere will defi-nitely be an ele-ment of westernswing and coun-try, and a littlebit of pop.”
A good song,for Mac, com-bines melodywith a story thatpeople can re-late to.
“I don’t re-ally think of thatwhen I’m writ-ing, and I writeabout things Ihave never ex-perienced soi m a g i n a t i o ncounts, too,” shesaid. “You canwrite aboutsomething youknow and aboutsomething youdon’t know.When I hearsongs I like, ithas somethingto do withthinking abouthow that personimagined put-ting it together”
Boundariesdo not count.
“If I sit downand try to writesomething toostructured, itdoesn’t work.S t r u c t u r e
doesn’t have to count. Imagina-tion — not putting boundarieson yourself — does.”
When she’s not performingwith Brave Combo, she’s doingduo shows and more with vari-ous people including her brother.She had a four-piece band, but acouple of the members movedout of state.
“I’m kinda looking to expandthe band again, and to start maybeworking more as a trio and quar-tet,” she said. “I’m looking for-ward to getting to travel a littlebit. I’ve been writing for a longtime and playing for a long time.I feel like I’m really starting tocome into my own as a singerand writer, developing my ownstyle.
“I’m still young, but not likewhen I was 20 and all over theplace. At 27, I’m excited aboutkeeping growing.” ■
WHEN GINNY MAC WAS SIX YEARS OLD,WA man with an accordion came to herWelementary school in Fort Worth and dida show.
Her early musical background was in classical music: Ginny Mac
“I don’t really think of thatwhen I’m writing, and I writeabout things I have neverexperienced so imaginationcounts, too. You can writeabout something you know andabout something you don’tknow. When I hear songs I like,it has something to do withthinking about how that personimagined putting it together”.”
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
—GINNY MAC
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