The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass
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The Jayhawks are often overlooked as one of the pioneers of the alternative country movement, even though they released their debut in 1986, years before that genre would enjoy its day in the sun. Mark Olson and Gary Louris, the two singer/songwriters of the band, have individual talent in spades but created something much bigger than the sum of its parts when working in harmony (HA!) together.
On this episode, we discuss the 1995 LPTomorrow the Green Grass, which was the fourth (and final LP) of the initial Mark Olson/Gary Louris collaboration before Olson decided to leave the band (he would reunite with the band to record the fantastic Mockingbird Time). Tomorrow the Green Grass is exactly what you'd expect from a Jayhawks record; it is replete with close harmonies, jangly guitars, unconventional song structures, and dreamy yet heartfelt lyrics. The addition of keyboardist Karen Grotberg brought additional depth and dimension to the band’s sound and resulted in an album that, for all intents and purposes, represents the Jayhawks at their musical zenith.
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
The Jayhawks were originally formed in 1984 by Mark Olson (left) and Caleb Palmiter (right).
Gary Louris joined th band the next year and their self-titled debut was released in 1986.
Listen “Dirty Pontiac”, an early Jayhawks demo from 1985 recorded a year before their debut album was released.
The Jayhawks had the honor of playing at Farm Aid in 1993. Watch them performing "Waiting For The Sun" and "Martin's Song" (both form the album Hollywood Town Hall) below.
In 2003, Matthew Sweet partnered up with Pete Droge and Shawn Mullins to form an acoustic-centric trio built on three-part harmony named the Thorns. They released an eponymous LP that contained a cover version of the Jayhawks song “Blue,” from Tomorrow the Green Grass. Their version, which you can listen to below, actually received some modest airplay on US radio.
As discussed, after Mark Olson left the Jayhawks, Gary Louris moved the band into a more pop-oriented direction. Their third LP, Rainy Day Music, features Stephen McCarthy from the Long Ryders on guitar and backing vocals. Here is the band (with McCarthy) performing “Save it for a Rainy Day” on Late Night with Conan OBrien in 2003.
In 2011, Mark Olson returned to the fold to record the critically acclaimed album Mockingbird Time with Gary Louris and the Jayhawks. Here’s the title track from that album.
