Wayne Hancock is a unique individual. Unwilling to waiver to what others may say, he has stuck to his guns and remained true to his music. He uses no drummer. He records his songs virtually on the fly. You will find a little bit of everything within his music if you listen hard enough. This is not by mistake. The man has spent numerous years hitting the road not for profit, but only for the love of music.
The new record titled “Viper of Melody” continues to show an energy which has gained a loyal following. I was able to catch Wayne at his home outside of Austin via his cell phone, just before he prepares to leave on tour.
AR – Appreciate you taking the time. You are getting ready to head out on tour right?
WH – Yes, we are. We have about 3 days before we head back out on the road. I am definitely looking forward to it. We got some new band members and record to promote.
AR – Has the current economy changed your tour plan at all, with the depressed status and high unemployment?
WH – No, not really. I have tried to keep my prices low, around $10 or $12, to help out as much as possible, but they have always been low anyway. I would want someone to do that for me if I was pinched dollar wise, but still wanted to get out and see someone I enjoy. To be honest, I keep hearing about a bad economy, but I have yet to see any signs of it. I was just in Detroit and all of our shows were packed and sold out. People still want to get out and have a good time I guess. It was a fun place, and a great staff up there to work with too. That helps a lot. We are there helping them make money too, so if they enjoy it, we do too.
AR – Let’s talk about the new record. I really enjoyed all of the energy in your music.
WH – Thanks, I appreciate that. What is your favorite song?
AR – I would have to say “Working at Working,” which I wanted to ask you about now. Can you tell me a little bit about that song, and how you came up with it?
WH – I like that one too. Well, back in the early 1990’s when I got back into Austin, I was living in an old building with no windows. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, and a friend let me stay there for the time being. I wrote the song while I was pretty much homeless, trying to work a straight job. Trying to work a straight job as a homeless person is tough, because first of all you have to have an address to provide to your employer for Uncle Sam. So I wrote it thinking how am I going to find work without any address. If I don’t have a job, I can’t get any address either. So it is tough.
I wrote it a long time ago, and it is a good song, but as I grew older the song lost its meaning to me because now I had a home. Now with the economy going down, the song made a comeback. My daddy always told me about The Great Depression. The only difference today is that we are better informed, but I am not sure that is a good thing or not.
I put the song on the record thinking now was a good time, but I was also hoping no one would think I was trying to make a statement or something. I don’t give a rat’s ass about politics. All I care about are the people.
AR – I don’t think it came across as a statement song at all.
WH – Good, because it certainly is not. I am not the type to make political statements. I just thought it was a good song for the times.
AR – So you wrote this song back some time ago. Did you have to go back at all to update it, or make any changes to it?
WH – No, I did not have to make any changes to that one. I just left it exactly the way it was.
AR – You have another song on the new record that strikes a similar tone that I also enjoyed titled “Throwing Away That Money.” Can you tell me about that one?
WH – (laughs) Yes that is another one. You know I wrote all of these songs, and that one was just recently. It is kind of funny that the theme to this record is kind of about hard times, a lot like what we have right now, but that was not my intention at all. I just tried to put together good music for the record, with no theme in mind. The record company was harping because I had not put a new one out for three years, so I figured it was time.
AR – Now I know you have a somewhat unique way to record an album, by just going in and getting it done fairly quickly. Can you talk a bit about that?
WH – I have found at least with my music, it is a lot like bluegrass in the sense that it is much easier to get everyone together at the same time to do it. I am in my own little room, but I could see the rest of my band right in the next room playing live. There are only four of us, so that is not too bad. I can not record music one instrument at a time in layers. With me, we have to all do it together or it just doesn’t work. So, when we go to do an album, we just set up all of the microphones and get the amps set up in another room so it doesn’t bleed in. We get probably at least two songs an hour down easy.
AR – So there is no stopping and listening, then going back and making changes?
WH – We do from time to time, but not that much. I know we change a few things on lead and such, but we don’t waste too much time with it. We cut the whole record in a day and a half, so we do it fairly quickly. I have just found a way that works for me. As long as it does not sound sloppy, I will continue to do it that way.
AR – You have a new lead guitar player on this record right? Eddie has left for good?
WH – Yes. Eddie has moved on into bluegrass. Ay time you have to switch lead guitar players you hope you get someone as good as the last guy, and I think we accomplished that.
*** UPDATE *** – Since the time of this interview, the band has gone through much turmoil and a massive shake up. Due to an ugly incident involving the new lead guitarist, Izak Zaidman, and steel guitarist Anthony Locke, Wayne was forced to terminate each and find new players for the tour. Eddie Biebel filled in admirably to help out until Wayne found a replacement. James Hunnicutt was recently added as the new guitarist for the tour, along with Bob Hoffnar on steel.
AR – I have always heard rumors that during live shows, or even recording sometimes, you toss it to someone for their solo, and if they are not ready they get skipped over the rest of the night. Is that true?
WH – No, that is not true. I might have told people that in the past just kidding around or something, but it is not true. Rule in my band is everyone has to keep their eyes on me. When I holler for a solo there are only three possibilities. I do dislike it when one of them try to outguess me and think I am going to call on them so they start out on their own. That is a big no no, and will get you into trouble. Instead of skipping them, I will wear them out, and make them play ridiculously long until they get the idea. Everybody makes mistakes, it happens. I am there to sing, and they are there to play. I am not doing my job if I don’t allow them to play.
Problem I have with the new lead guitar is keeping him slowed down. He really likes to pick up the tempo. We have two code phrases on stage to help with that. If someone is going to fast I will say give yourself a Thorazine shot. If they are going too slow, I tell them to get some Benzadrine. If I mess up at some point, I will say I got gum in my shoe. We just use this stuff trying to lighten the mood and be funny. Bob Wills used to do something similar.
AR – Well, I do appreciate the type of music you put out, with the live energy feel and such, much more than other polished stuff out there today. It just adds character to the music.
WH – Thank you sir, I appreciate that. Everybody else has got there thing, and I think I have found mine. I like my sound, and don’t plan on changing it. You know people have said everybody’s sound revolves around something else, but mine does not. I like to get creative, sound a little jazzier every once in a while, but I am not going to come out with a Beatles album or something like that anytime soon. We respect the Beatles, so I wouldn’t do that to them.
AR – Perhaps I have missed it, but you have not honestly touched bluegrass too much before either have you?
WH – No, I have not. I like bluegrass a lot, but right now I am only trying to do my own thing. There are lots of good bluegrass singers out there that could probably sing circles around me. I used to play banjo, but when I got back to Austin I autographed it and sold it for $150.
AR – You do have a lot of different genres within your music though, traditional country, jazz, and blues to name a few. Do you do that so you can not be pigeon-holed into any one particular genre?
WH – I think it is always a pretty good idea to mix it up and keep them guessing. It is true, if you let someone stick you into one category, they can put you in a hole. Maybe part of my problem is there is no category for me. Country people say we are too country. The kids that get heavy metal and stuff, they are the ones that really get it, and that confuses the hell out of me.
AR – When you originally started out in the music business, did people attempt to put you into a category? Did they ever say you sound too much like Hank Williams, so this is what you are going to do?
WH – I think I sound like Hank, plus a lot of other old singers from the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. It always amazes me how fast people want to get into country music, then watch how fast they want to get away from their roots.
AR – If someone asked you to define what makes true country music, how would you describe it?
WH – Well, I will probably get into trouble for this. I don’t know what it should be, but I know they should not be telling people what they can and can’t have in their own music. Not everyone has the same interpretation of what country music is. What is rock and roll? You may expect a loud guitar, or people that can at least play it well. For country music, you should at least be able to hear a steel guitar.
I get ticked when I hear about the people with the money telling artists they can’t do this or that, when there are all of these jokers out there today with little or no talent at all. They are pawns, and nothing more. There isn’t anything wrong with being a pawn if that is what you want to be. But why would you want someone over you telling you what you can and can’t do, plus taking money out of your own pocket at the same time?
My wife and I have got to where we really like to make fun of songs. We go into Denny’s and eat, if you want to try to avoid fast grease food Denny’s is better than most, but they play the worst music ever in there. Kind of like at the truck stops, they play the most god awful country music you have ever heard in your life. They can’t sing, they can’t write, they are kind of like the Free Credit Report guys in the commercials, They got the look, but no talent.
AR – I did want to ask you before I forget, I had read in another interview that you are in the Country Music Hall of Fame somehow?
WH – At one time they had a display in there on some of us Texas musicians that were bucking the system and trying to do our own thing, and they had me in that display. I don’t know if it is still there or not, but at one time I had made it in!
AR – There is a movement going on to get Hank Sr. re-instated into the Grand Ol’ Opry. What are your thoughts on that?
WH – Well, I am against that whole thing. I just don’t want my heroes name over that pile of shit. I love Hank William’s music. Why would I want his name over the “new” Grand Ol’ Opry? It just doesn’t make any sense to me. They are too commercialized.
One guy told me the other day it is almost like they are just waiting for all of the old guys to die off so they can forget about them and get all the pretty newcomers in there. Personally, I am just waiting for Nashville to die. I don’t like what they stand for. I don’t like what they have become. There has not been anyone fresh come out of Nashville for a very long time worth a crap. I am not trying to insult anybody, but I honestly can not think of anyone at all. All of the true heroes from there are almost gone. All that is left are their sons and daughters and shit. It is like they are looking at family roots to re-supply the original idea, instead of finding new talent. They expect just because their mom or dad was good then they must be too, but talent don’t always flow that way. I am not trying to pick on anyone in particular, but that seems to be the way it is going.
Let me give you an example. There is Hank Williams Jr., who now has hooked up with this other guy Kid Rock right, or whatever his real name is. They are both laughable characters now really. He kind of sold out with the whole football thing. His music was decent in the late 1970’s, but went down hill quick. Now I am not talking about Shelton (Hank III) because he has fought and earned his own right, but I am talking about Jett and all of these others that have came through the door just because they are family, and riding on the Williams name. Shooter Jennings is another one. I don’t have anything against him personally. I have never met him. But if he were not Waylon’s kid, he would never be where he is.
Shelton is a different story entirely. I like old Shelton and hope he finds himself and gets everything working for him. I have heard he has really cleaned up his act, and I hope he gets it going. I have not spoke with him for a couple of years now, God Bless him. He actually has talent. He can write and sing with the best of them. I was afraid the Hank Williams curse had him too, but he had to get away from all those people and find himself. They all wanted him to be something he was not.
AR – You can obviously hear the influences of Hank, Bob Wills, and Jimmie Rodgers in your music. Who else has influenced you?
WH – Hank Thompson, Glenn Miller, and believe it or not Burl Ives too. I also like quite a bit of the old folk music out there. Faron Young is another one. Kingston Trio and The Limelighters are a couple more.
AR – Your new record is titled “Viper of Melody,” and of course you have a song with the same title. Where did that term originate for you?
WH – A “viper” is someone that smokes reefer, so for me a “viper of melody” would be someone that gets high off of music. It is kind of a play on words. As for the song itself, you could say it is about twisting up a joint, but I was actually talking about twisting up a song. Everybody can get what they want from the song, but it is actually all about getting together, playing your music, and having a good time.
AR – You also have a song titled “High Rollin’ Train.” That is straight from an old Hank Williams song right, at least the opening riff and melody?
WH – I don’t know if the melody is from Hank Williams. The melodies from all of my songs are from somewhere. You can only do so many things with three chords. I am sure Hank Williams got most of his stuff from an old blues guy.
The song is about someone dying. I wrote it for my father who had cancer. I was on the road, and my father knew he had cancer and was going to die soon without question. He knew there was nothing he could do about it. So I wrote the song pretty much about him. All we have are our friends at the end. The doctors will take every last cent you have if you let them, and still die. Sometimes it is better to just accept it, and roll with it. That is what my father did. I pretty much want to go the same way.
When I wrote it, I was not thinking of Hank Williams at all. I was thinking about dying is all. People always ask me about my songs sounding like Hank Williams, hell half of country music sounds like a Hank Williams song. I try not to step on anyone’s toes or anything, but there is only so much you can do with three chords. I guess if someone thinks it sounds like a Hank William’s song, I guess that is a compliment.
**** WRITER’S UPDATE **** – Since this interview, Wayne has professed his frustration with the Hank Williams comparison to “High Rollin’ Train” via a youtube video clip. Although there was no negative intent from my standpoint at the time of the interview by asking the question, I still feel the comparison is valid and justified.
AR – What about your song “Movin’ On #3,” I assume the number is in relation to the other songs with that title?
WH – Right. There is of course the original from Hank Snow, and there seems like there was at least one other one out there, so I just decided to stick #3 on there to keep it different. I started to put #2 on it, but I was afraid some might get the wrong idea if they seen a song titled “Movin’ On #2.” I didn’t want them to say the song was shit (laughing).
AR – You recently got married right?
WH – Yes, it will be a year in June. The place we got married isn’t even around anymore. We got married on the road, and I thought it would be fun to get married between sets at one of our shows. That was kind of interesting, to say the least. She goes out on the road with us, and helps out selling merchandise and stuff. She is basically my manager. For years I was the manager, but unfortunately I am not a very good business man. She is a lot better at it than I was. I never had the patience to deal with some people very well.
AR – Do you have any future projects lined up?
WH – I just want to keep playing music until I die. That is all I have planned, and I am not planning on dying for another 40 years or so. I am afraid we are in for a long uphill battle with the economy and all, so right now it is more important than ever to keep getting good music out there for people to listen to and forget about all of their problems.
