Scott Miller
Universal Buddy
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You'll talk about politics, sports, history, car accidents, the cost of living, marriage and just about anything under the sun. If it's important to you, chances are its important to him, and chances are he'll have an opinion.
Here's a random sampling:
"If I listen to the radio, I listen to talk radio -- Sports talk, [University of Tennessee] Volunteers, baby! They can talk football here all year long."
"[Jimmy Carter] was a good man. There's politicians and then there's statesmen. Even Barry Goldwater was a statesman, even though I don't agree with his politics."
My personal favorite, on baby boomers and the suburban sprawl of Washington, D.C.: "Well, don't get me started on D.C. I met one guy, this was a long time ago, he was old-school Arlington, [Virginia]. His dad grew up there, and he was like, 'you know, I remember when McLean [Va.] was just a post office' and all that stuff. And I was like, 'yeah man, its beautiful country, it's a shame its been ruined.' Of course all these baby boomers who worked for the government are now about ready to retire, and they're sucking up land everywhere. So maybe the next interview I do I'll have my musket."
Of course, Scott Miller isn't my old buddy from college. But his conversational style says a lot about his easygoing and well-rounded personality, which is reflected in the breadth and depth of his songwriting. The artist is about to embark this fall on a major tour in support of his second solo album, the short, snappy and dynamite Upside/Downside, released in June on Sugar Hill Records.
Miller is best known for his stint in the mid-'90s for the cult alt.country band the V-Roys, the band "discovered" and produced by Steve Earle. Earle signed the group to his fledging E-Squared label and the band released two critically acclaimed albums, 1996's Just Add Ice and 1998's All About Town.
The V-Roys "disintegrated," as Miller puts it, in late 1999, and he resurfaced alone in late 2000 with a live acoustic record called Are You With Me?, following that up in 2001 with the breathtaking Thus Always To Tyrants, an album recorded with a loose coalition of musicians he simply calls the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth has been a revolving door of sorts, with several musicians playing on different tracks throughout Tyrants, although a core of three players -- drummer Shawn McWilliams, bassist Park Chisolm and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Eric Fritsch -- were retained to perform and play on the Upside/Downside sessions.
Miller admits that settling in as defacto band leader has not been easy.
"Coming from the V-Roys, where it was like four guys against the world, where everybody had their jobs and we all had our vested interests, these are paid players," he said. "It took me awhile to learn how to keep them organized, and let them find their smile, and for me to relax too. It's just taken me awhile."
Another problem has been injuries and other commitments that prevent certain players from being available full-time, he said. Between bassists having carpal-tunnel surgery and keyboardists having babies, Miller has been forced to juggle the line-up consistently. "These guys got lives too," he said. "Not everyone can sacrifice everything in the fucking world like I do."
The constant shifting has not affected his writing, as Upside/Downside continues his knack for writing catchy, rootsy tunes with seemingly incredible ease. The album is noticeably shorter than Tyrants, which was a bit of a schizophrenic album referencing his past, the Civil War, growing up, growing old and dying. Upside/Downside is much more focused, tighter and thematically varied.
"I didn't really have like a concept as much as I did on the last one, where I was trying to shove Virginia down everyone's throat," he said, referencing Tyrants' nod to his home state. The album title is Virginia's state motto, and it is chock full of homegrown tales about love and war in the Cradle of the Confederacy.
"On the first one ? I [tried] to go back and find a foundation and be like, where the hell did I come from, who the hell am I? On this one, I try to do the same thing, but more musically," Miller said. "I'm not really breaking any musical ground here, but this one was where I got to produce it myself, and not that I'm against working with producers, if I get to work with another one I would, but on this one I got to have that kind of control. And kind of get even more of a foundation with myself, if that makes any sense."
While the songs on Tyrants came from his past and love of history ("In Virginia, that stuff is kinda stuffed down your throat"), Upside/Downside has a more universal feel. He does sing about being from "the tired dirt of the Tidewater" in "Raised By The Graves," perhaps the best song on the record, but by and large, Upside/Downside is more universal.
"This one was a lot more instinctual than I think the last one was, which was more of a thought process," he said. "And I think that can only be good."
Miller's slight move toward a more mainstream foundation is highlighted on "Angels Dwell," a soothing number with beautiful harmony vocals from rising country star Patty Griffin. "Oh man, she's an angel, she was great," Miller said.
Such an angel, in fact, that her presence turned a big fender-bender in Nashville, when Miller picked her up from her hotel, into a minor accident with no harm done. "So I picked her up?and I was so excited about having her in the car, I was just talking a mile a minute and I rear-ended somebody," he said.
It wasn't a bad accident, he said, "it was Nashville traffic and I rear-ended the shit out of somebody? So I got out and it was this old couple, and I was like, 'Ohimgod, I'm so sorry, are you okay? Here's my information'. You know, dumbass. And he goes, 'That's what bumpers are for,' and got back into his car and drove off. [Patty] was a blessed presence."
"It would've been up to me to ruin her fucking career," he said.
Griffin's presence is indeed blessed on the record, as "Angels Dwell" and "The Way" are two solid numbers. Of course, any slight movement toward a more universal sound does not mean he is finished with writing about history. Far from it, he said.
In fact, the new album contains a gripping acoustic number -- "Red Ball Express" -- retelling the story of a World War II company charged with delivering gasoline to the Allied front lines during the Normandy invasion. The Allies did not expect to push through the German barricades so quickly, however, and the fuel trucks also served as temporary hearses and morgues.
"And so these guys would be in those trucks," Miller said, with the enthusiasm of the best storytellers. "And I had a great uncle in it, my Great Uncle Fink, and they'd sleep in those things. As soon as they unloaded, it was bumper-to-bumper in a big circle, and the guy behind you would bump you, and you'd move up. And they just did that for, I don't know, three months or something. It was insane."
History, Miller said, is "such a fountain of song information, song titles, you know ? There's just tons of stuff, tons of stuff. No, I'm not done with it at all."
Looking ahead, Miller said he's got a few road dates this summer, and is preparing to hit the streets pretty hard in the fall. "I'm gonna do a few dates this summer, and kind of just gear up for the fall," he said. "Touring in the summer is hard, but its been going so good and the record's doing good, I can't complain."
Nor can he complain about the sweet gig he just got: "Hell, I'm opening for Cheap Trick this summer! Nothing wrong with that! That's good ol' rock," he said. Recalling an earlier tour the V-Roys had opening for the quintessential guitar rock band, Miller is eagerly awaiting this round of shows.
"You forget how many freakin' hits they had," he said. "Of course, radio was a lot different back then. But just good, solid songs, man, just right where it needs to be."
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.