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Sarah Lee Guthrie Talks Woody, Fans, and Wilco

First it was Bob Dylan. Then it was Wilco. And now the world is joining America’s folk music royalty, the Guthrie Family, in celebrating the 100th birthday anniversary of Woody Guthrie. To mark the July 14 anniversary, Arlo Guthrie has gathered his family including children and grandchildren – for the Guthrie Family Reunion to celebrate Woody in music.

Sets include Woody Guthrie tunes such as “This Land is Your Land” and plenty of his rare songs, too. In addition, the Guthrie family is playing some of their own songs.

One member of the tour is Sarah Lee Guthrie, who is not only Arlo’s daughter and Woody’s granddaughter, but music royalty in her own right. With husband Johnny Irion, Sarah Lee Guthrie has combined her love for rock with her deep folk sensibilities to build a loyal fan following and release critically acclaimed albums including the 2011 Bright Examples.

Although Sarah Lee Guthrie has always gravitated toward rock, she and her husband and their two young daughters are active and enthusiastic members of the Guthrie Family Reunion tour. Just before heading out for the summer tour, Sarah Lee Guthrie talked about music, fans, and why Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy is the right choice to produce the duo’s next album that they plan to release in 2013.

It seems that you live in two very different musical worlds – the rock that you and Johnny play including on your last album, “Bright Examples,” and then the folk music of your family. Is it difficult to balance between those two worlds?

It just comes naturally, really. We love all kinds of music. And I love being flexible enough to play Woody Guthrie songs and get awesome feedback and then for the very next song pick up my awesome electric guitar [and play rock]. It’s the full experience for me and the audience loves it, too. With music, you don’t have to put a name on it or a genre. I never wanted to be cornered into any of those [format] titles – and I like to play kids’ songs, too. We have a very large repertoire. We can go into a library and play for 100 five year olds, then go to a rock club and play for 20 year olds and then go to theatres and play for those that like hearing music in theatres. That variety is really what keeps Johnny and me excited about music.

So many second- and third-generation musicians seem to move far away from what their parents or grandparents played. You’ve never seemed to do that.

It’s important to tip your hat to history. It got us this far so we’re ready to see where we can progress and expand it. It’s both exciting and challenging. And it’s exciting to keep things moving in all directions. That’s what we love about it and it works. Not everybody can do that, walk that line.

You must get a lot of people at your concerts that are huge fans of your dad’s music or that of your grandfather. I know, again, a lot of other kids of famous musicians find that annoying. How do you react to those fans?

Woody inspired so many people and so has dad. Those are the kind of people who love to hear our music and it just makes me feel like giving more. It’s just inspiring in a lot of ways. You can look at it and you can crumble under the expectations, or you can realize there is a gift there, There is a gem, and there is a reason I am here doing what I am doing. It’s a gift as those relationships grow. As we keep making music and see new fans and old fans, the relationship seems to be growing. The relationship and meaning of the Guthrie family grows in me, too.