Drina Seay answers seven questions for songwriters

SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR SONGWRITERS

1. What makes you write?

That’s a question I ask myself all the time! Everything has already been done, why even bother? I always come back to the fact that every single one of us on the planet has a different perspective. I think about the songs I love and how it feels to be able to relate to them. I hope that by writing what I like and what’s true for me that somebody else will relate to it, too.



2. Who is the greatest unknown influence on your music?

By far, my husband Dave. He always believes in me. Thank you, Dave! I love you!



3. What is your most closeted, secret, guilty and humiliating musical pleasure?

Love Hurts, the Nazareth version. There, I said it.



4. What established artist made you want to write songs, and why?

Holy cow, there are so many. Here in NYC I would have to say that my 2 favorite established songwriters are Monica Passin of Li’l Mo & the Monicats and Elena Skye of the Demolition String Band. Both are amazingly strong, bold women, excellent instrumentalists, and know how to throw down and have a great time. They both made me realize that you can write and play all different kinds of songs from all genres, and that silly and fun songs can be just as good as or better than serious and sad ones.



5. Advice for just-starting songwriters on establishing yourself as a woman in the industry?

Well, I’m certainly not established. Here’s some advice I have been given that I try to keep in mind: write everything you think of, don’t self-judge. Even if you think a song is terrible, it’s still good to go through the process of writing it so you can move on and get to the next thing. Not every great songwriter can be like Bob Dylan and have the songs just pour out. I’ve heard many great songwriters say you have to write a hundred bad songs before you get a good one. The point is to just keep on doing it.



6. Why country?

Funny, I grew up NOT liking country music at all. I’m still not fond of mainstream pop country. I’m more of a vintage girl. I like the roots of country, a bunch of folks sitting around, singing and playing their hearts out together. I love jam parties in peoples’ living rooms and sitting around campfires. I love melodies and songs that seem timeless.



7. Favorite backwoods expression?

Hard tellin’, not knowin’!

Hey, Loretta!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Hey, Loretta...




As many of you know, I am a huge Loretta Lynn fan-- and today being her birthday, I thought I might take a moment to jot down a few thoughts I have on the road she forged for all women in music, but particularly for Appalachian women and those of us working in country music in particular. I wracked my brain this morning, trying to come to grips with a way to articulate what Ms. Lynn's music-- coupled with her experience making it-- really means to me.

A few weeks back a good friend of mine and I were batting stuff back and forth on the ubiquitous facebook page, and he asked me who Loretta Lynn is; "Is she a singer?"
I was amazed. How could someone not KNOW Ms. Lynn's ouvre? Her stature as an artist, a writer, a woman, a warrior?

Anyway, this here is what I told him:
Loretta Lynn is the iconic female trailblazer in American country music. A honky tonk maverick, she demurred from taking the "Stand By Your Man" stance of most of her peers, penning hits such as "Don't Come Home A Drinkin' With Lovin On Your Mind", "Your Squaw is on the Warpath Tonight", "Rated X", "One's on the Way", "The Pill"..., and won a grammy in 2005 at the age of 74 for her rock and roll collaboration with Jack White of the White Stripes for their studio album, "Van Lear Rose". Ms. Lynn was married at age 13 to "Doo" Lynn, and did not pick up a guitar until she was 26; transforming herself from housewife to country music superstar, she never lost touch with her rural roots, once telling a record executive, "Record?! I can't come to Nashville and record! I'm canning sausage!".

So in writing all this, I recalled a song that I don't sing that often anymore, but that I wrote as a tribute to her. Here are the lyrics, and a little pigdin recording I did a long time ago. I hope you like it.

"Country Girl's Lullabye"

Sister’s in the driveway, peddalin’ her life away
I try to play along to “The Pill”
I always wanted to sing like Loretta and I guess I always will
It was miles of dirt road to the nearest town
And no neighbors to holler, “turn the radio down”
So we listened to it loud and long as we could
sang along till thought we sang it just as good

Patsy, Dolly and Kitty and Emmylou
If not for them women pushin’ through every Kentucy’ gal’d be alone and blue
With a sound so sweet it’d get you high, keening so fierce it’d make you cry
They brought us the sound of a country girl’s lullabye


Them label reps on the Nashville scene, with their synthesizers and drum machines
Can’t tell me what nothin but a dollar means
The neighbors never holler “turn the radio down” because ol’ country’s gone to town
I turn it on to pick me up and it just lets me down


CMTV jumps and screams with girls more fit for magazines
Than singing about working peoples dreams
None of the sound gets me near high, and I just hang my head and cry
Is this the sound of a country girl’s lullabye?


I don’t know where all them years have gotten to
I spin that dial searching for a tune
half as true as “Sixteenth Avenue”
Work your hands to leather on that old guitar
saw that fiddle like you got some heart
Take back the sound from the boys in A & R


Break the radio and throw it in the pond
Lord knows where the music’s gone
And the ones that’s left behind gotta carry it on
With a sound so sweet it’d get you high
keening so fierce it’d make you cry
And listen to the sound of the country girl’s lullabye
I was born to sing a country girl's lullabye...

love,
Jamie Lyn

Honky Tonk Angels April 29 at Hill Country!

New York’s finest all-female alt-country show continues to bring you high quality roots music straight from the heart of the five boroughs on April 29 at Hill Country Barbeque. Jamie Lyn & The Red Tail Hawk Band make a rare appearance, kicking off the show at 9pm with bassist Ryan Combs joining Jamie Lyn’s roster of venerable honky tonk heroes. At 10pm, The Rosy Nolan Band takes the stage, bringing their spiky, rustic, country-inspired style of music and Nolan’s disarmingly honest lyrics. Banjo Jim’s booker and local country music maven Drina Seay headlines the show, with Drina and the Deep Blue Sea. NYC music blog Lucid Culture (www.lucidculture.wordpress.com) describes Drina as "honey-voiced". Drina is a frequent guest harmony singer with Li'l Mo & the Monicats and Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers, and appears on both the new album by Li'l Mo & the Monicats ON THE MOON, and Sean Kershaw's new release CONEY ISLAND COWBOY.

The show begins at 9 pm and live music continues until midnight, with each set starting on the hour. Honky Tonk Angels is of the most highly acclaimed NYC roots-country events running. The monthly songwriter series was chosen as a recommended event on NYCountry.com in January 2010, featured on the front page of Deli Magazine in October 2009, named a Voice Choice in December 2008, is a a TimeOut Recommended Event, and was named BrooklynCountry.com “Event of the Month” in June 2008, September 2008, and February 2009. Honky Tonk Angels is in its third year of providing a stomping ground for women who write cutting edge songs across a variety of sub-genres: classic country, country-rock, alt-country, Americana, bluegrass, western swing, and country-folk.

On Thursday, April 29th Honky Tonk Angels presents Jamie Lyn & The Red Tail Hawk Band (9:00 pm), The Rosy Nolan Band (10:00 pm) and Drina & The Deep Blue Sea (11:00pm) at Hill Country Barbeque, 30 W. 26th Street, New York, NY 10010.