Terri

Folk-Country Renegade

Interview by Don Harrison

Terri Allard’s “Rough Lines” is pure proof that heartfelt country music can find a regional voice. Terri has lived in Central Virginia for most of her life. Growing up in Barboursville, the singer-songwriter first popped up in a duo with longtime cohort Billy Brockman (doing Patsy Montana and Wanda Jackson tunes– yow!!), and later established herself with an ongoing Wednesday night solo stand at Random Row in Charlottesville that spotlighted her burgeoning original material as well as winning her a loyal local following. Allard’s also earned her stripes opening up for everyone from Roger McGuinn to Nanci Griffith. I have to say: Whenever I hear some cheesy country singer on Neuvo-Tonk radio, I wonder why the hell Terri Allard hasn’t been signed to a major label yet. They could do no better than “Rough Lines”– a rootsy, folksy set of songs recorded in an old two-room Charlottesville chapel for maximum acousticals. Terri’s band– which includes multi-instrumentalist Jim Taggart, bassist Sonny Layne, lap steel czar Jeff Saine and harmonica wiz Gary Green– is one of the region’s live wonders, and “Rough Lines” spotlights their organic blend. We caught up with Terri before she skipped town on another jaunt outside the Commonwealth, and asked her about “Rough Lines,” her relationship to “country” and “folk,” and her devotion to the family thing.

Grip Monthly: So would you describe yourself as a folk singer or as a country singer?

Allard: No. Neither. I’m right down the middle. Right down the middle.

Grip: In talking to you before, you almost said the word ‘rock’ like it was a bad word. It’s the opposite of what I get from people sometimes when I say the word, ‘country.’

Allard: Oh, no. I never meant it like that. I like playing my music and being creative. I just don’t like to give in to trends. I would say it’s an age thing except I felt the same way when I was 19.

Grip: What were you listening to when you were 19?

Allard: Bonnie Raitt. This is when the Bee Gees were popular. Also John Prine. Emmylou Harris. Those were all people creating music of their own that I still listen to today. It might not have been stuff that was as successful or played a lot on the radio, but it lasted a lot longer. That’s what I want to do– make music that isn’t here today, gone tomorrow.

Grip: I kind of wonder what will happen when some producer or major label says, “Okay, Terri, great– but we need a synthesizer solo.”

Allard: There’s nothing saying I wouldn’t do that. God no. I mean, I did (the stripped-down) Rough Lines the way I did it so I could have some control over what was going on. . . plus I loved the way my band was sounding and I loved the rootsy rawness of it.

Grip: Whose idea was it to record in the old schoolhouse?

Allard: It was Danny (McCrystal’s) idea to record in the Chapel. I love working with Danny McCrystal. Anyway, I said to him that I wanted a place to record the band that would sound good and he set it all up. Everything fell into place on that project. And now the CD is getting great reviews and is really setting off my career. The first CD (1994′s Terri Allard, produced by Bruce Hornsby’s sax man, Bob Read) didn’t quite do that. The first disc kind of opened up people’s eyes and they said, ‘Okay let’s keep an eye on her.’ But it’s not that I’m adverse to electric guitars. In fact, my next CD may sound like, oh, John Hiatt or somebody. . . I don’t think of myself as a traditionalist. In fact, when I’m playing a coffeehouse I think of myself as a renegade.

Grip: Why? Because you perform mostly original music?

Allard: No! The coffeehouses are all original music really. I feel that way because I have a little country (music) in me. One thing that always happens to me when I play a traditional coffeehouse is that they’ll say, ‘Oh, you’re a country singer.’ Then, when I play in a country bar, they’ll say ‘Oh, you’re a folk singer.’ And I’m, like. . . nope! I’ll sometimes get people who’ll come up and say, ‘I hate country music, but I really like your stuff.’ So (the music) doesn’t really fit, one way or the other.

Grip: You’ve brought a lot of different people into your music. You’re married and heterosexual– but you’ve written songs about ‘alternative’ relationships. . .

Allard: I find that a lot of women, especially in the lesbian scene, are huge music fans. And they are very into women who are doing their own thing. Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin also have a huge lesbian following.

Grip: Your dad (a well-known National Geographic photographer) is a nature photographer, right?

Allard: Not nature. His specialty and what he’s really known for is capturing the human spirit. (His photos are) mostly people. He’s an incredible artist. A real perfectionist. I was thinking about using a photograph of his (for “Rough Lines”) but we really couldn’t find anything that fit. Not that I wouldn’t do it somewhere down the road. I would do it to impress myself and get the whole family thing going. It would be great, but it’s got to be the right photo for the right project. As my father would say (affecting deep voice) ‘Do it right or don’t do it at all.’ Actually my mother used to say that too.

Grip: How do they feel about your music?

Allard: They’ve always been very supportive. My dad’s fond of telling me that I’ve paid my dues. (Deep voice again) ‘You certainly have paid your dues, Terri!’