A concise account of Harris’s path from folk clubs to Americana mainstay, her working method as an interpreter, the influences that shaped her, and what she plans next.
Harris built her career by following strong songs and arranging them around her voice rather than chasing hit singles.
Her early years in Greenwich Village, a pawnshop guitar and a consequential meeting with Gram Parsons set the direction of her music.
She is preparing a Farewell Tour in the UK and Europe and is working on a memoir that may arrive within about a year.
Emmylou Harris reflects on a five-decade career built by seeking out songs she could make her own. She describes herself as comfortable "in left field," preferring to follow material wherever it led rather than being defined by hit singles. Two projects are current: a Farewell Tour for British and European audiences and a memoir she has been working on for several years.
While performing, Harris was noticed by members of The Flying Burrito Brothers. Chris Hillman recommended her to Gram Parsons. Parsons introduced her to a country approach he described as "washed in the blood," and singing harmony with his Fallen Angels helped Harris find the voice that would carry her through her career.
Throughout the interview Harris emphasises that her work has always been about the song. She says great songs "grow with me" and that she doesn't tire of them if they are strong. Her live shows depend on a reliable band and arrangements that can vary subtly night to night because each audience and day is different. She has a reputation among her band for changing sets, and she resists being boxed in by past commercial success.
Harris traces a pivotal moment to seeing Townes Van Zandt at Gerde's Folk City in 1968. She describes his presence as unlike anyone else she had heard in the folk scene. One song she cites as having become a signature for her is "Pancho And Lefty," which she has performed for roughly fifty years and attributes to Townes. Even though other artists had chart success with it, Harris says she thinks of the song as part of her own catalogue.
The recurring message is practical and specific: Harris chooses songs based on their quality and endurance. The band and the audience's changing presence make each performance distinct. Her place in the field, she says plainly, is "left field."
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images Emmylou Harris recalls the first time she saw Townes Van Zandt play in a smoky folk club in Greenwich Village in 1968. The post Emmylou Harris Remembers the Songwriter of One of Her Biggest Hits, Credits Him With Establishing Americana appeared first on American Songwriter .
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