Rewind: Shawn Colvin on A Few Small Repairs, “Sunny Came Home,” and Turning a Childhood Lullaby Book into The Starlight

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1:49 [SPEAKER_04]: Today, we're going to go back in time for a special rewind episode. [SPEAKER_04]: Looking back at a couple of my interviews with singer, son, writer, legend, Sean, Colvin. [SPEAKER_04]: We've actually talked three times. [SPEAKER_04]: I can't find that first interview. [SPEAKER_04]: So we're picking up a little bit more in our conversation.

2:07 [SPEAKER_04]: Starting in 2017, in fact, this time, we were talking about the, at that point, 20th anniversary of her album, a few small repairs. [SPEAKER_04]: 30 next year. [SPEAKER_04]: So this was the album that you know, Sean hit paid her on with the single Sunny came home. [SPEAKER_04]: She would go on to win a Grammy for best female pop vocal performance for the single get out of this house.

2:32 [SPEAKER_04]: Of course, Old Dirty Bastard would interrupt her at that during that Grammy speech with the whole Wu Ting's for the children. [SPEAKER_04]: That's that's that moment. [SPEAKER_04]: This is Sean COVID. [SPEAKER_04]: So of course, we're going to bring that up. [SPEAKER_04]: And a whole lot more.

2:44 [SPEAKER_04]: So let's get into this [SPEAKER_04]: of our special rewind episode, Kyle Meredith with Sean Colvin. [SPEAKER_02]: Hey, Kyle. [SPEAKER_04]: Well, that's good to talk to you again. [SPEAKER_04]: How are you? [SPEAKER_02]: I'm good, and you. [SPEAKER_04]: It's been nice to go back and revisit a nice classic album of yours.

3:01 [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, a few smaller pairs, 20th anniversary. [SPEAKER_04]: When you have an album this successful, were you ever really able to even step away from it? [SPEAKER_04]: Does it feel like 20 years passed? [SPEAKER_02]: Well, no, in a way, no. [SPEAKER_02]: But in another way, I've was thinking about this.

3:17 [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, yeah, 20 years kind of wild because it doesn't seem like that long ago. [SPEAKER_02]: But I've been doing this for a very long time. [SPEAKER_02]: Performing as a musician before I had a record deal making my living that way, just being on the road and playing bars and stuff. [SPEAKER_02]: And so in a way, the whole thing, it's relative.

3:36 [SPEAKER_02]: The 20 years really, a relatively speaking isn't that long. [SPEAKER_04]: But yeah, and that's what I think like, you know, I know this is your fourth album, you know, when it came out and then for it to take off at that point, and to be as massive as it was, it's almost like I would think like, you just probably still play a few of those songs, most nights, right?

3:57 [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, definitely. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I play songs from all my records, but people probably know those the best. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and I love the songs on that record every single one. [SPEAKER_04]: With it being your fourth album and looking back on that, having success, you know, not right out of the gate, that you know, a lot of artists find that overwhelming, you know, in that first record.

4:15 [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, what pops out in your mind about that period, were you able to really grasp it and hold it for what it was? [SPEAKER_02]: I think so. [SPEAKER_02]: I think so. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, yeah, I wasn't taking a background and well, I was kind of taking a back actually. [SPEAKER_02]: But I had the opportunity to kind of develop a grassroots following and get my feet under me as far as being a recording artist.

4:37 [SPEAKER_02]: And not, I remember specifically going into the making of a few smaller pairs just going, you know? [SPEAKER_02]: We don't care who likes this or if a radio station plays it, we don't expect a hit. [SPEAKER_02]: It's been, you know, it's fourth record and we never really tailored the stuff towards hits anyway.

4:56 [SPEAKER_02]: Just try to do it. [SPEAKER_02]: We did to the best of our ability. [SPEAKER_02]: But in this one, we especially went, let's just have fun and not worry about any of it. [SPEAKER_02]: So the irony, of course, is that we got a hit. [SPEAKER_04]: It's interesting that you say have fun because thematically this has also been called, you know, a divorce record.

5:15 [SPEAKER_02]: I know it has. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I just think that's something maybe I contributed to that. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't think so, but it's possible. [SPEAKER_02]: But, you know, within a certain, within certain parameters, I guess there's some songs about my ex husband, but, you know, for the most part, they were all...

5:36 [SPEAKER_02]: They were all pretty stream of consciousness and I think there's plenty of beat songs on there, or songs that have nothing to do with a relationship like Sunny Came Home and Wichita Skyline and suicide alley and, you know, new thing now, have nothing to do with a relationship, you know.

5:53 [SPEAKER_04]: Just what the press tries to grasp on for for the hook. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I mean, we can't deny that some great divorce records have been made. [SPEAKER_02]: So, yeah, they do like to latch on to something. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, and we'll be right back right into this. [SPEAKER_04]: Welcome back, it's Kyle Meredith with a rewind episode with Sean Colvin.

6:10 [SPEAKER_04]: You talked about, you know, you kind of given up trying to write for the radio on the irony that it happened and everything. [SPEAKER_04]: So when you did finally have that radio hit with sunny, I mean did that have any effect on the record that came out of that, you know, had you found your group or did you go back on, okay, now we have to follow this up.

6:28 [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, I felt pressure. [SPEAKER_04]: No, yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: I did, and it sucked. [SPEAKER_02]: I really did. [SPEAKER_02]: I had had a baby. [SPEAKER_02]: She was really, really, you know, an infant, when it was time to make that record, I'd really kind of been immersed in that experience.

6:46 [SPEAKER_02]: She was born in 98, which is when I run one of the Grammys for a few small repairs. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I was kind of preoccupied and not writing, and then when we did get together to write John Levent all in I, I didn't really know what to write about it. [SPEAKER_02]: I, uh, my life had changed tremendously and I didn't, I didn't know how to express what was going on.

7:08 [SPEAKER_02]: Plus I felt the pressure of, you know, of following up with another big record. [SPEAKER_02]: It was not, uh, it was not a great alchemy, you know, at that time. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I thought it was, I mean, you hear about that pressure a lot and I just can't imagine. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you do.

7:26 [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, but luckily, you know, it will say, you know, you had the least, the luxury of having a past to fall back on to that point. [SPEAKER_02]: It's true. [SPEAKER_04]: I was going to surprise, you know, the live songs are so good on this. [SPEAKER_04]: Was there nothing like unreleased in the vault?

7:40 [SPEAKER_04]: Was it 12 songs? [SPEAKER_04]: Were those the songs that you wrote and recorded? [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, we looked and we, you know, they're, yeah, you know, I saw in my notebook, I have one notebook that represents all the lyrics that I wrote. [SPEAKER_02]: They're all in one notebook. [SPEAKER_02]: It's pretty pretty cool.

7:59 [SPEAKER_02]: There was a couple that we started, but we never even got so far as to make demos of them. [SPEAKER_02]: So there was really nothing to put out that was that were tracks that that just didn't [SPEAKER_04]: And I will say also the sequencing of this record is so impressive, especially as I go back and listen to it now, like I was looking at, I want it back, the way it just punches you right after trouble.

8:22 [SPEAKER_02]: You know, and thank you, sequencing is important, it really is especially, you know, for those of us who remember, [SPEAKER_02]: Side A and side B, you know, you've got the first side in the second side. [SPEAKER_02]: It's very important how you start, you know, side two because you've had a little break and had to turn the vinyl over and start it up again.

8:44 [SPEAKER_02]: So thank you because you do the best you can with sequencing. [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's very, very important and I'm glad it's holding up. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, but you can you can tell you put the work in on that one. [SPEAKER_04]: It really does feel like this big arc that happens and I mean, there's so many iconic moments all over that record.

8:58 [SPEAKER_04]: Of course, you know, to bring up that mandolin intro that starts it out that's still just I'm sure you have those records in your past where only takes a couple notes of one of those first songs and you just [SPEAKER_04]: feel every bit of the history of that moment. [SPEAKER_04]: And that's that's definitely one of them for me too.

9:14 [SPEAKER_02]: So it's true. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, thank you. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I got to give a shout out to John Levent all who produced the record and, you know, that Mandolin part was not my idea. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, it was all him. [SPEAKER_04]: I've had a lot of fun listening to it again and and thanks for talking and I'm sure you got more coming up You know, I know you're not an artist.

9:33 [SPEAKER_04]: It just spin the entire year celebrating or you're working on anything new right now Hey, I'm writing songs for another record. [SPEAKER_02]: It always takes me a little time, but I'm in the midst of it And I just finished to follow up to a lullaby record that I made Like 19 years ago and that'll be out October 27 Some while look forward to listen to that as well [SPEAKER_02]: I hope you like it.

9:56 [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, it's nice talking to you, Sean. [SPEAKER_02]: Same here, thanks. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, we'll see you next time you're in Louisville. [SPEAKER_02]: Alright, cool. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, we'll be right back right to this. [SPEAKER_04]: Welcome back, it's Kyle made a special rewind to episode with Sean Colvin.

10:07 [SPEAKER_04]: So that was 2017. [SPEAKER_04]: Now let's bump up just a year later to 2018. [SPEAKER_04]: This is when Sean returned with the album, The Star Lighter, which was songs adapted from the Children's Music Book, Lullaby's and Night Songs, feature classic illustrations by Marie Centac. [SPEAKER_04]: So part two of our rewind episode, Kyle made it with Sean Colvin.

10:28 [SPEAKER_01]: Hi, Kyle. [SPEAKER_04]: Good to hear from you again. [SPEAKER_04]: It hasn't been too long this time. [SPEAKER_01]: I know, very nice to talk to you. [SPEAKER_04]: Well, we did this just a what a few months ago with the 20th anniversary. [SPEAKER_04]: It's a quick follow-up here. [SPEAKER_04]: You've been all right?

10:41 [SPEAKER_01]: I've been great at a great time on that tour and now I'm playing with Lyle and having a great time out here with him. [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I'm excited to talk to you about this new record, the Star Lighter, what a beautiful record that you've just put out. [SPEAKER_04]: A Lullaby's record, your second one, right?

10:55 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, the first one was a combination of some holiday songs, shoot. [SPEAKER_01]: But all the lollabies on holiday songs and lollabies, that record I made when he years ago, we're from the same book that the star later is used that were lollabies on the last record or from a book and all the songs on this record are from the same book.

11:20 [SPEAKER_04]: And this is a book that as I read, like you received when you were what like six years old or something like that, like it's still amazing that this can speak to you all these years later. [SPEAKER_04]: What is it about it that still hangs around for you? [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I think I was eight, but I had started taking cannabis since when I was six.

11:36 [SPEAKER_01]: So when I was given the book, I could actually read the music and play the song. [SPEAKER_01]: And I think my parents [SPEAKER_01]: bought me the book mostly because of the illustrations, which were by Maurice Sendeck and we had more Sendeck books in our home and I'm sure they knew it was a music book but I don't, you know, it's not like it was a, you know, bestseller or anything and I just decided to learn how to play their songs in that book and I had never heard piano arrangement like that before in terms of the choice of voiceings and the way the chords [SPEAKER_01]: were mapped out.

12:13 [SPEAKER_01]: I learned classical music and mostly that. [SPEAKER_01]: And this was different and different to my ears. [SPEAKER_01]: And I just loved it. [SPEAKER_01]: I was just enthralled by it. [SPEAKER_01]: And it's really a big part of my musical path. [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I just always been in love with that book.

12:31 [SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't as precious to me. [SPEAKER_04]: So I wasn't familiar with that book. [SPEAKER_04]: Of course, I think most of us are at least familiar with [SPEAKER_04]: It's been a lot of time with the start work and going back and seeing, you know, the shots of that book, you know, and the digital shots that I have, like it's so imaginative that I can see how it was such a perfect marriage to go along with that music and I don't know if that resonated with you as you were a kid or if you see that now, but it's it's really beautiful the way it all came together.

13:03 [SPEAKER_01]: The illustrations definitely added to the, I don't know, the, the mood, you know, of the book. [SPEAKER_01]: They're fantastic. [SPEAKER_01]: And it's not a small book. [SPEAKER_01]: It's not a tiny book. [SPEAKER_01]: It's pretty substantial. [SPEAKER_01]: Not in terms of the number of songs, but the, the actual size of the page.

13:20 [SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, I remember the illustrations. [SPEAKER_01]: clearly for each song and so the pictures in my head when I sing them and play them are there. [SPEAKER_04]: I know you stick sort of close to the arrangements as they were written in the book, but does that drive when you do kind of go away?

13:37 [SPEAKER_04]: Those images or was there a musical direction that was obvious aside from what was on the page when you rerecorded these? [SPEAKER_01]: you mean in terms of the production and and the things that we added yeah yeah yeah it was pretty obvious i mean i i have to credit my producer dead patty who also have the book when he was a child so that was a he's a great keyboard player and and that was we knew one another but when i had the idea initially that to records and songs from that record he was the obvious choice as as a producer can see could play the songs great and he [SPEAKER_01]: has a, you know, a very keen and beautiful sense of what should go with that kind of song.

14:19 [SPEAKER_01]: So I really have to credit him because most of the instruments that were added, which of course aren't in the book, we're put together by Doug and arranged by Doug and chosen. [SPEAKER_01]: by Doug and I just think you did a fabulous job. [SPEAKER_04]: If I'm so interesting too, it sounds like it's just by chance that you know this you know that these that book and these songs really hold a cool place in your childhood, but this project also bookends your daughter's childhood, right?

14:49 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, she's almost 20 years old. [SPEAKER_04]: because like the first one came out when she was, was it she had boom borne and was about to be borne and this one kind of comes right at the end. [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, what timing to go along with that? [SPEAKER_01]: It's pretty wild and it wasn't planned that way at all.

15:05 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I was approached to do a children's record. [SPEAKER_01]: My Amazon and I wasn't interested. [SPEAKER_01]: I just didn't have any ideas for one and never had, well, except for 20 years ago. [SPEAKER_01]: And then I realized there were plenty of tunes left in this book. [SPEAKER_01]: And I asked them if it would be okay.

15:23 [SPEAKER_01]: I did a law by record and they were down. [SPEAKER_01]: So then I was extremely enthusiastic about making children's record. [SPEAKER_01]: But I think the record will appeal to all ages, honestly. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I think we short-sell the kids sometimes, because if it eight years old, these arrangements resonated [SPEAKER_01]: they were exquisite and and moved me and I think we uh we got to remember that that's that's possible we don't have to um you know dumb down musically to kid.

16:00 [SPEAKER_04]: I do just I I love the um the idea and the concept behind it and I don't know if I put too much weight on this you know as you get to it to be an adult and it's sort of you have a harder connection to the idea of magic [SPEAKER_04]: You have these moments that they become sort of like time machines, I think, you know, this this feels like a direct connection to a past your past or whatever it is and almost like a conversation with with your younger self I don't know if you perceive it like that, but it's a good way to think about it at least.

16:27 [SPEAKER_01]: It is a cool way to think about it, you know, and I like using the term magic because [SPEAKER_01]: what would the illustrations and the stories in the lullaby, you know, and the music itself, their fantasies, a lot of them. [SPEAKER_01]: And the... [SPEAKER_01]: The pictures that come into my head when I hear them and sing them are vivid, you know, they're not these literal stories.

16:49 [SPEAKER_01]: They're about little women who sleep in shells and a guy who floats through this guy and lights up the stars with a wand. [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I mean, they're, they're fantasy songs, but, but evocative and beautiful. [SPEAKER_04]: with these though, you know, the way we relate to them, sometimes they can seem like simple rhymes, but a lot of these songs end up being, you know, very much relatable to our lives and the world today.

17:16 [SPEAKER_04]: I've noticed with a lot of especially children's songs. [SPEAKER_04]: I was kind of curious if that ever occurred to you with any of these songs. [SPEAKER_04]: Like, oh, no, that's still speaking to our times right now. [SPEAKER_01]: it hasn't occurred to me. [SPEAKER_01]: It hasn't occurred to me.

17:31 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm curious about what you're hearing at. [SPEAKER_01]: I certainly don't discount it, but I guess there's so of a past to me, of the past, you know, and I don't think them think of them as topical, particularly. [SPEAKER_04]: But also, by the way, to be reading your line or notes and see words by William Blake, that's a cool thing to have in your line or notes.

17:49 [SPEAKER_01]: That's a cool collaboration. [SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't the, they aren't all traditional lullabies, you know, that have been around for centuries. [SPEAKER_01]: He set some of, some poetry to music, or due to kipling, so he did write some of the music as well as a range it, you know, to come up with the piano arrangements.

18:10 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's pretty cool. [SPEAKER_04]: That's a collaboration now that you've got, you know, on your resume. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, exactly. [SPEAKER_04]: Well, so you've spent time in the past when you were on the 20th anniversary tour for a few small repairs. [SPEAKER_04]: You've now spent time in the distant past.

18:26 [SPEAKER_04]: I'm guessing you were very much ready to get back to the present. [SPEAKER_04]: Is it a here you're already working on the next record? [SPEAKER_01]: I'm in the writing process. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: So that's kind of the most important thing. [SPEAKER_01]: You have the song before you can make the record.

18:39 [SPEAKER_01]: And probably the the most labor intensive part for me. [SPEAKER_01]: So that's what I'm doing. [SPEAKER_01]: well uh... it's it's cool to have both of these albums out around the same time anyway and uh... you being out on tour with lile i'm i'm guessing that's a fantastic show right there when i would love to see uh... i like to think so we've been friends for a long time and i've sat in on his shows he sat in on mine and i admire him a great deal and i'm a huge fan and he's just a great musician you know and uh... i love accompanying people and singing harmony with them and [SPEAKER_01]: You know, and it's very conversational.

19:17 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we talk about stuff and have banter and as it sort of dev tales into our choices of song, it's not the same show every night, and I'd like to think that it's special. [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm having a great time. [SPEAKER_04]: Well, that's awesome to hear, like I said, I love hearing both of you all play.

19:36 [SPEAKER_04]: So hopefully I'll make one of those dates. [SPEAKER_04]: Regardless, it was a lot of fun to catch up again, Sean. [SPEAKER_04]: And thank you for the music with the Star Letter. [SPEAKER_04]: It really is a beautiful record. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, well, thank you so much. [SPEAKER_01]: I appreciate it.

19:49 [SPEAKER_01]: And it's great talking to you too. [SPEAKER_04]: All right, we'll see you around. [SPEAKER_01]: Okay. [SPEAKER_01]: All right, take care. [SPEAKER_04]: There you go. [SPEAKER_04]: My thanks to Sean Colvin. [SPEAKER_04]: My thanks to you for checking out the episode. [SPEAKER_04]: Do hit that subscribe button before you get out of here to keep up with all the interviews that I've had out every single week at Spotify, Apple Podcast, NPR, WFPK.org, consequence.

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21:15 [SPEAKER_04]: And that does it for another edition. [SPEAKER_04]: I'm Kyle Meredith. [SPEAKER_04]: I'll see you next time. [SPEAKER_00]: Consequence podcast network, it's easy to hear your favorite artist on WFPK from wherever you are. [SPEAKER_00]: Listen on your smart speaker, live stream from our website at WFPK.org from Louisville Public Media.