Features

Reflections on 2012 from Drive-By Truckers,The Meters, Dawes, Dark Star Orchestra

Here is the first of our pieces in which we will ask musicians to look back on the year that has passed and project what may follow in 2013…

PATTERSON HOOD – DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

What will you remember most about 2012?

Playing with The Mystic Rumblers (Oxford MS 4/12) – Band I put together with my Dad, Brad, Jay and Jacob. Played a killer cover of “Take A Letter Maria” with two great trumpet players that Matt Patton helped us find.

Playing with The Downtown Rumblers (Sept-Oct) – The killer band I put together to go out and work my new album featuring the fabulous Campbell Sisters (also known as Hope For Agoldensummer). Great shows coast to coast, especially Helsinki on the Hudson, Hudson NY and The Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Playing with The Dimmer Twins (Marriage Equality Tour – June 2012, more to come?) Cooley and I celebrated 27 years together with two shows in Virginia that were among our favorite shows we’ve ever played.

Playing with DBT. Damned if we didn’t have some great shows in our Sweet Sixteenth Year. Makes me look forward to recording the next album.

Alabama Shakes – Watching them have such an amazing year has reaffirmed my faith in the power of Rock. Having them back me up in London and Germany was great fun.

The Americana Music Awards in Nashville. I always hate awards shit, but this show at The Ryman was an absolutely incredible evening of great music and vibes. I got to present Booker T. Jones with a lifetime achievement award, met Tom T. Hall and saw an unbelievable Richard Thompson performance. All that and so much more.

Playing with Craig Finn and Will Johnson – An unbelievable pleasure to sit between them for two weeks in Europe this past fall.

And finally, playing with The Downtown 13 – Having so many incredibly talented friends all jump in to record “After It’s Gone” to raise awareness about a proposed development in Athens GA. On no notice at all members of DBT, Widespread Panic, REM, Hope For Agoldensummer, Henry Barbe, Futurebirds, and Lera Lynn joined David Barbe and I and two weeks later it was released (with a great video by Jason Thrasher). AWESOME!

What album or albums have you listened to this most this past year?

Father John Misty – Fear Fun and Bill Fay – Life Is People

What emerging band should readers watch out for in 2012?

I’ve really flipped over an artist from Bloomington IN who goes by the moniker Elephant Micah. His album is called Louder Than Thou and its excellent.

There are tons of great newer artists of late. Can’t wait to see what comes next from Father John Misty, War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, Dylan LeBlanc and of course Alabama Shakes.

Any big plans in the works for 2013?

Some writing. Some recording. More touring behind Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance. Work on my sense of humor, thicken my skin, tighten my abs, sharpen my knives, expand my range, hone my focus, finish a screenplay and tour with The Dimmer Twins.