Leslie Tom’s Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams is not your typical tribute record. It’s a 10-track reflection of Leslie’s own journey in life, thoughtfully—and often playfully—intertwined with Hank Williams-inspired tales of addiction, love, heartache and loss. “A part of all of us died, too, the day he passed away,” she croons on “Mr. Williams,” spotlighting the legend’s lasting emotional and musical impact.
Leading with her irresistible vocals and proclivity for grounded storytelling, Leslie has worked extensively with some of country music’s finest players, from honky-tonk piano veteran and Country Music Hall of Famer Hargus “Pig” Robbins (Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Sturgill Simpson) and pedal-steel genius Lloyd Green (George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, Charley Pride) to Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson. Leslie has also had the honor of sharing stages with Lee Roy Parnell, Gene Watson and Kevin Fowler, and played the 2017 ZiegenBock Music Festival alongside such acts as Aaron Lewis, Josh Abbott Band, Blackberry Smoke, Whiskey Myers and Jamestown Revival.
On Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams—recorded at Nashville’s Cinderella Sound Studios and produced by John Macy (Los Lobos, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)—Leslie once again enlists Lloyd Green on steel and is joined by a long list of talented musicians, including Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters (dobro on the somber “Angel of Death”), Walter Hartman (drums), Joe Reed (bass), Eugene Moles (guitar), Todd Moore (drums), Lindsey Brown (bass), Ben Waligoske (acoustic guitar) and Matt Weesner (wurlitzer). Alabama singer and songwriter Larry Nix can be heard throughout the record singing in perfect harmony with Leslie.
Like many origin stories, the concept for this album—which began as an EP and contains a healthy mix of Hank covers and Hank-inspired originals—stemmed from a seemingly ordinary conversation. Talking merch at the bar of an album listening party for Casey James Prestwood & The Burning Angels, Leslie nonchalantly expressed the need for “some new swag.” Her husband—an industrial engineer by education and who “has not one creative bone in his body”—looked at her stone-faced and said, “I think you should do a shirt that says, ‘Are you ready for some Hanky Panky?’” The spontaneous double entendre echoing in her ears, she replied, “Where the hell have you been hiding for the last 10 years?” That moment led to Ain’t It Something’s song of the same name, co-written with and featuring Roger Miller’s son, Dean Miller (George Jones, Jamey Johnson).
Leslie’s covers of classics “Hey Good Lookin’” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” channel that old-school Williams swagger, but are peppered with her own brand of magic, as she brings a distinct female energy to the table. What she cooks up is a magnificent ode to a bygone era, sharply dressed and expertly delivered. Of the originals, “Audrey’s Song (Still Love You)” has an especially moving backstory. When writing partner Andy Wren had to cancel a songwriting session last spring, along with Tony Gunter, Leslie was uncertain at first whether he’d pulled a fast one… or was legitimately under the weather. Tragically, it turns out he was deadly sick, diagnosed with stage four cancer from overexposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Wren continued working for as long as he could, contributing lyrics here and there, before he passed away six weeks later.
Leslie was gutted but, with Sean Gasaway, continued crafting the song into a portrayal of Audrey Williams, Hank’s first wife. “Obviously, I don’t know her,” Leslie says, “but I thought, ‘If I went through being married to one of the most prolific songwriters/artists in country music history and he divorced me and married someone else very quickly, how would I feel?’ We decided to channel that. It’s a very special song to me.” Not to mention one of the finest vocal performances on the record.
Glide is proud to premiere “Audrey’s Song” off Aint it Something, Hank Williams, a twangy deal breaker reminiscent of Loretta Lynn and Tanya Tucker. Green’s lonesome prairie pedal steel gives the track a postcard romanticism that is both timeless and big-hearted, while the smokey vocals echoes the golden era of country.
“We channeled Audrey Williams for this song,” describes Leslie. “I’ve often wondered what it would be like to be married to one of the most influential artists in country music, go through a divorce, and have him marry someone new in a few months. We used that thought process to complete “Still Love You”.
One Response
Just read your piece on Leslie Tom’s upcoming release of “Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams,” and while I’m pleased that you’re promoting the album, I ask you to correct the information you’ve given above about the origin of the title cut. It was not co-written by Ms. Tom and Dean Miller as your article says.
I wrote “Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams” more than 40 years ago when I was still in college, and it was first recorded not long after by Bottle Hill, a bluegrass band, in the 1970s.
Please see Country Daily’s recent interview with Leslie Tom, in which she gives the true account of how she learned about the song and why she adopted the title of my song for her latest (tasty) album http://thedailycountry.com/interviewsessential-8/essential-8-leslie-tom.
Thanks to Leslie and to Harry Orlove and John Macy for remembering.