May Erlewine

I've been looking forward to this one. I came across May Erlewine very recently but fell quickly for her quirky lyrics, her service-with-a-smile and a glint in her eye. As well as the guitar, the broad-brimmed hat is such a signature of country music. We're not in Tennessee this week but Michigan.

Can we call them cowboy hats? Absolutely not. We will allow Stetson with these girls. Stetson anyway is the brand, and one of their first models was the wonderfully named Boss of the Plains. Anyway this one is more of a straw boater, almost an English summer hat. Once you see a photo of May, you can easily imagine her musical sensibilities. She's wonderful.

In All That, May turns out to have sleep issues too. I say too. As in, me too. As in, perhaps everyone has insomnia from time to time and some just have it a little more often than others. It's the only explicit warning on the album, and I'm dying for her to do that just a little more.

This note on her about page really struck home with me. We really do need to listen to women more.

Erlewine’s music has touched people all over the world. Her words have held solace for weary hearts, offered a light in the darkness, and held space for the pain and joy of being alive in these times. She is a true artist, an anthem, and another example of why we need to listen to women. We need to hear these stories. When she starts to sing, there’s no way around it: The time is now.

I try not to dig too deeply into why I prefer female songwriters. I think my favourite delivery might be the duet actually, and that's why I love Iris and the Shade so much, although Iris does most of the work. But true duos are quite rare. One of the reasons I am drawn to the female point of view is because it counters my own. I need to be able to write credibly women in my work. But mainly that is an excuse. Women have more nuanced voices and tell more dynamic stories of their own. They can vary their appearance more than men and really inhabit a role with costume and makeup changes. Is there really any contest? But then, art is not a competition.

Creature is one of two song titles taken from the animal kingdom though in this one we find she is simply a creature of habit. Her boyfriend (her ex?) is some kind of shallow womaniser. His half-baked efforts are strewn around town. Basically she's had enough. Time is a teacher, not a healer. She's moved on. What a groove! This is the stand out track for me, even though there are so many great tunes.

May is one of the (not so many) artists in my recent selection on Patreon. I'm not an enormous user of Patreon but it is a really great platform for musicians, especially those with an international following. Buying mail order CDs and records is problematic for those in Europe or further afield but Bandcamp, Patreon and others provide a really engaging way for us fans to support our favourite artists and this one is top drawer. Not only does she post regular live songs, but there are really thoughtful essays and notes below each one along with the lyrics. She goes way beyond talking about the music, sharing her philosophy of life and art too.

And what's this? She has a section on making coffee at home on her website. And, like me, she favours the pour-over method. This is a match made in heaven. Those coffee shorts/reels/stories. My goodness. They're so... I don't know. Fetch the thesaurus. Tender? Mindful? She talks about coffee like its... like its... a romantic partner, maybe. Oh just take a look. She likes or loves coffee and she makes it the same way I do, by carefully pouring the water over the grounds in a careful and purposeful way. I am sure her coffee tastes divine. I even have the V60 too. We have something profound in common here. Let's celebrate it. Let's celebrate everything.