Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams
On this week’s episode, we dig into the eponymous third album by the “Queen of Americana” 1988’s Lucinda Williams.
After a move to California, Lucinda Williams found herself in the middle of a burgeoning roots rock scene, where traditional music was being performed with a punk-rock attitude. She formed a band of ace musicians and began making a name for herself as part of the scene. Eventually signed by Rough Trade after several labels passed, Williams recorded a self-titled LP that is the work of apioneering artist who has finally found her voice. Its a transformative album that is genre-defining; deftly blending country, blues, and folk to create a sound that is accessible and compelling. Williams' voice and songwriting are on full display here, creating songs that are personal, heartbreaking, defiant and utterly unique.
Recommendation for this episode: Day of the Doug by Son Volt.
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
Lucinda’s father was the poet and professor Miller Williams
.
He was selected by President Clinton to read a poem at his second inauguration. He was only the 3rd person to have do so at the time.
Lucinda released her debut album Ramblin on My Mind on Folkways Records in 1979. It was a collection of country and country blues covers.
After signing with Folkways, Lucinda moved to New York to be closer to the label’s offices and to immerse herself in the local folk scene.
Here she is playing at the legendary Gerdes Folk City.
When Lucinda moved to Austin, she would often busk around the University of Texas for extra cash.
In support of her second Folkways LP Happy Woman Blues, Lucinda performed at the Austin public radio station, KUT. She performed a coulple of newly penned tunes as part of her ste, including “Abandoned,” which would appear on her 3rd album.
Lucinda also lived in Houston, Texas for a while. Here she is performing at Liederkranz in Houston in 1980.
In the early 1980’s, Lucinda packed up and moved to Los Angeles, where she quickly became a part of the local roots scene.
A favorite venue of the scene was the legendary Palomino Club.
While in California, Lucinda was briefly married Long Ryders drummer Greg Sowders. There relationship inspired many of the songs on Lucinda Williams.
Lucinda has appeared Austin City Limits four times, including her debut, which aired in 1990, where she performed songs form Lucinda Williams.
You can watch her excellent performance of “I Just Wanted to See You So Bad” below.
One of the things we mentioned on this episode was Lucinda performing with Elvis Costello. They do so to the Country Music Television program “Crossroads.”
Lucinda was interviewed for CBS This Morning in 2023 where she discussed the stroke she suffered in 2020, her new album and her memoir: Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You.
