About That Song: John Louis
About That Song #30
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
I was excited to connect with a songwriter I’ve admired for a long time, John Louis, to talk about tracks from his brand new album and other influential songs in his life.
John Louis. Photo credit: Nate Ryan/MPR.
Sarah: Hi John!! Oh, I’m such a fan of your songwriting and thrilled that you have a new album to share with us. Thank you for stopping by About That Song to talk about your album For Everyone (Especially You), and maybe the songs that brought you to where you are today. Do you remember the song that you heard that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
John: I grew up hearing great music in the house—Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Buffy St. Marie, Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, John Denver, Little Richard, Simon & Garfunkel, Jimmy Dean, Marty Robbins, Hank Williams. And we always had instruments around—guitar, uke, piano, and banjo. Starting maybe at the age of 7, I think, it occurred to me that if you have instruments you can write songs, and I just found myself doing it. I also remember around that same time seeing a guy in a wing bar playing guitar and singing “American Pie”, and I realized I want to do THAT.
Sarah: It sounds like you grew up with the world’s best playlist as a soundtrack. “American Pie” would absolutely strike me as a song that would make someone want to take their chances at songwriting magic. An 8-minute long song that is incredibly catchy and carries so much storytelling weight with such apparent ease? It’s pretty spectacular.
Once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it. Was there a song that gave you that “a-HA! I AM a songwriter!” moment? Tell us about that song.
John: Not for a long time. In my twenties I played in a bunch of basement bands where we mostly played classic country and rock covers or another bandmate’s originals. We rarely played for the public, but when we did we sometimes included a song or two that I had written. At one of those rare public shows (at Lee’s Liquor Lounge) a complete stranger came up to me at set break and told me how much she liked my song “Baling Hay.” Stranger validation! That clicked the switch.
That song doesn’t really stand up for me today as an example of good songwriting, and it’s not on any of my records, but it’s fun and people still seem to like it, so I’ve started including it in sets from time to time. Since that song, there have been a number of songs I’ve written that have confirmed for me that I am a songwriter. And a few songs that have made me feel like I’m a “not bad” songwriter at that.
Sarah: Lee’s! Oh, what a spot! Cheers to that stranger for making a difference in your life—I’m so glad she whispered that affirmation at you.
I’ve long admired the conversational tone of your writing—I can read it in the lyrics, but you convey that spirit melodically as well. In your song “The Wind,” you get there right away in the first line, “You were here just now, I could tell.” Can you tell us about that song?
John: I have lost too many dear people in my life, starting at a young age. “The Wind” is, at heart, a one-sided conversation with the lingering ghost of one who is gone. And a reflection on the comfort that a ghost can provide. I love the way that one turned out on the record. The instrumentation and production give it a sufficiently haunting feel, to my ears.
John Louis’s For Everyone (Especially You) album artwork.
Sarah: I agree, the production is beautiful, John. In your song “After The Funeral” you paint the scene so vividly with images like “buttered ham bun sandwiches and sheet cake” and the “uncle smoking”—tell us about that song. (Also, is it weird that I got immediately hungry upon listening?)
John: Not weird at all! “After The Funeral” is almost an inventory of that mind-numbing experience of a loved one’s funeral, and the aftermath. The things you remember, the random things that strike you, the taste of those funeral sandwiches, the difficulty of leaving things behind and taking things with you, and the reality of what you experience in the moments when that person is gone.
Sarah: The almost-inventory recollection works so well to bring your listener right there with you. Weirdly, my parents had those sandwiches at their wedding reception—I was 3 years old and have such a strong memory of them! Funerals, weddings—buttered ham buns are there for you, I suppose. (That’s for another song, maybe.) With the new album coming out—is there anywhere we can hear you play that song, or another song, soon?
John: Yes! I have a CD release show coming up Thursday, January 25, 2024 at the Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis. This will be a rare “full band” show for me, and it should be a good one! Music starts early—7:30 pm—and Bad Posture Club and Jon Rodine will also be playing sets at the show.
Sarah: Wonderful! I’m wishing you a fantastic release show, and thank you so much for coming by About That Song.
Get tickets to John Louis’s For Everyone (Especially You) CD release show!
Listen to “The Wind”
For Everyone (Especially You) Album Credits
All songs written by John Louis
Produced by Dex Wolfe & John Louis (all except tracks 2, 4)
Engineered and mixed by Dex Wolfe (all except tracks 2, 4)
Produced by Shane Leonard (tracks 2, 4)
Recorded and mixed by Shane Leonard at The Bungaleau, Eau Claire WI (tracks 2, 4)
Cello recorded by Mark Ettinger at Lethe Lounge, New York NY
Piano, organ recorded by Sam Kassirer at Great North Sound Society, Parsonsfield ME (track 2)
Mastered by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound in Nashville, TN
John Louis: vocals, acoustic guitar (all except track 7); electric guitar (track 3)
Jimmy Johnson: pedal steel (tracks 1, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11)
Hannah Hebl: background vocals (tracks 1, 3, 7, 9)
Clifton Nesseth: violin (track 8)
Mark Ettinger: cello (tracks 5, 6)
Robbie Weisshaar: upright bass (track 8)
Bryan Hanna: drums (tracks 3, 7, 10)
Jeremy Boettcher: bass (tracks 2, 4)
Ben Lester: pedal steel; mellotron (track 2); wurlitzer keyboard (track 4)
Sam Kassirer: piano; organ (track 2)
Siri Undlin: background vocals (tracks 2, 4)
Shane Leonard: drums; acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 4)
Dex Wolfe: banjo: piano (track 1); electric guitar; bass (tracks 1, 3, 7, 9, 10); acoustic guitar (tracks 3, 7, 9, 11); background vocals (track 3); drums (track 1); percussion (tracks 1, 3, 9, 11)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
