“I wanted to rock this time,” says the multi-talented musical and literary artist, and local Nashville hero, Tommy Womack, sitting making love to an early morning cup of coffee at Bongo Java in East Nashville. “They’ve called me an Americana artist for over 20 years now, and it’s a great important genre; I’ve got nothing against it. I’ve had a great time being part of the movement. But one day a while back, I had an epiphany. I thought, hey, I hate dobros anymore! And if I hear another song about a train in the key of G, somebody’s gonna get hurt.”
“I Thought I Was Fine has more in common with the Replacements than Car Wheels on a Gravel Road,” Womack continues as the caffeine begins to kick in. “It’s up-tempo, and sometimes totally in your face. Look, I’m 58 years old, I nearly died in a car accident on the way to a gig in 2015, I’ve beaten back cancer three times since 2017. I’ve seen musician friends of mind die before they hit my age, so I want to go back to my first love, rock ’n’ roll, while I still have time.”
Set for release October 15th on Schoolkids Records, I Thought I Was Fine was co-produced by Womack and Jonathan Bright (Raelyn Nelson Band), who took their time in Bright’s home studio, with sessions going back to 2019. “A consequence of all the chemo I’ve been through is that I get tired easily,” Womack explains, “so we recorded the record in bits and bobs three hours at a time. That’s one thing about the record: nobody sounds like they’re tired when they’re playing. And we did like the Beatles and would do a whole song in three hours from top to bottom.
Womack enjoys a tremendous affection in Nashville, as well as in some of the rest of the world, for his (often intensely personal) songs that are sometimes funny and sometimes sad; he’s also been known to raise laughter and tears within the same song. From 1985-1992, he played in the legendary post-punk college radio darlings Government Cheese. Then came the Bis-Quits, from 1992-94, with Will Kimbrough and Mike “Grimey” Grimes, who did a critically acclaimed record for John Prine’s Oh Boy! label in 1993. Then Womack’s first book came out, the story of his first band, Cheese Chronicles, which is a cult classic among both musicians and fans. Then came a slew of solo albums (eight so far) starting in ’98. Womack now also plays in Daddy, a part-time band that includes Kimbrough. And alongside all the record-making, two more books were published.
Just in time for the release, Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of the video for “Pay It Forward,” one of the standout tracks on the new album. The twang-laden roots rocker is about as straightforward as it gets, with Womack singing in a direct almost deadpan fashion as he chronicles his efforts to do as good as he can in life despite all sorts of hang-ups. There is of course plenty of guitar shredding to complement the straightforward rock beat, and the layering of synths gives the tune a poppy vibe that adds to its infectiousness. The mundane nature of the lyrics are brought to life with visuals of Womack driving around town and hanging out in his living role playing air guitar, which is something we can all relate to.
“The video makes me happy. There’s not a lot of action in it. Nobody dances behind me or anything, nothing explodes, but it nailed who am, either sitting in my living room chair, or driving around town, sometimes with somewhere to go, sometimes not. That’s what I do. Kudos to Stacie Huckeba for shooting it and putting it altogether and thanks to Madison Thorn for helping out with the shooting. I love it.” —Tommy Womack
WATCH:
Photo credit: Scott Willis
One Response
A big yee haw to you Tommy! What a cool song, and great to hear you rocking the guitar again. That smokes.
Always proud to be your friend and musical journeyman on at the Lost Highway.
Jason Ringenberg