'Encore' propels Anderson East to a breakthrough, and bigger stages
Anderson East is one of the leaders of the retro-soul revival that's taken over radio airwaves these days, alongside the likes of Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats ("S.O.B.") and St. Paul and the Broken Bones ("Call Me").
And with recent chart success, he finally is becoming better known for his musical prowess rather than his recently ended tabloid-fodder relationship with country superstar Miranda Lambert.
This year's release of his sophomore major label effort, "Encore," ranks as his highest charting album to date, hitting No. 1 on the Americana/Folk Album Sales chart and No. 5 on the Top Rock Albums. He also nabbed his first No. 1 song, with the Adult Alternative Billboard chart topping "All on My Mind," with Ed Sheeran sharing a cowriter credit on the tune.
It seems East has made the transition from small clubs, those reserved for the acts on the "ones to watch" lists, to headlining larger rooms that signal career breakthroughs.
So it goes with East, who plays the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh April 22, after spending years cutting his teeth at the small venues that call the Lincoln their neighbor. The singer has steadily grown a fanbase locally among fans of Southern R&B with a raspy vocal style —that makes one wonder if this is what Joe Cocker would have sounded like if raised in Alabama — and a back catalogue of songs that would be at home among The Embers' greatest hits, if only they had come five decades earlier.
East reveals what North Carolina musical legend's presence greets visitors to his home, what it's like to cut two albums within some of the most legendary recording studios in America, and we disagree about what his albums actually sound like.
Q: When researching your influences, Ben Folds was prominently featured. Living in Nashville, where Folds now lives, have you had an opportunity to collaborate with him?
A: Oh man, I've got a Ben Folds Five poster that is the first thing anyone sees walking into my house. I've never had the chance (to perform with him), and I've also never met him, as much as he's made himself at home in Nashville. We've just failed to cross paths, despite knowing his manager pretty well, and for being as huge of a fan of his as I am.
Q: What led to your embracing a throwback soul sound to your music?
A: Growing up in Alabama, I was just privy to a lot of gospel music, and I think it was just always prevalent to the area. Southern rock and R&B just seeps into you during your formative years down there. Then I started listening to Grateful Dead and Phish albums, and tried to adapt that jam band ethos to the way I was playing music. Hell, I even had long hair and Birkenstocks back then. I still have the Birkenstocks.
Q: On your 2015 album "Delilah," the songs were more piano-driven, with horns playing their role in the background. On "Encore," the roles are reversed, with the horn section being brought more to the forefront. What led to this change?
A: I actually kind of disagree with you. I felt that we were far more piano-heavy on "Encore," although as a listener I can't speak on whether it came out that way, but I know our intention was a lot more orchestrated. A lot of the horn runs were tightly coordinated, where the keyboard would key what the horns would do. In an interior design sense, they acted more as the curtains than the couch.
Q: How has "All on My Mind" becoming a hit song affected you as an artist or performer? Do you find that you now have even more pressure to follow through with another hit than you had in searching for the first one?
A: I've never been one to really care about the commercial side of the record, or the songs that we make and play. I'm incredibly proud that it has done as well as it has, and all of the great things that has led to, but I don't really feel burdened with having to follow it up with something that will perform as well (on the charts).
Q: You recorded "Delilah" at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and followed that up by recording "Encore" at Nashville's RCA Studio A. Does the history of these studios, and the songs cut by the performers there, ever overwhelm you during the recording process?
A: Absolutely. I've been very fortunate to have gotten to hear a lot of those stories straight from the horse's mouth. I'll be standing in a recording studio, only to have someone say, "Oh yeah, Dolly Parton stood right here and cut 'I Will Always Love You.'" After a while, you just have to consistently remind yourself that you are working in these amazing spaces, but at the same rate forget about it. You're there to show up to hold up your end of the job, and as much of a music fan as I am, I'm still just trying to make art that I believe in. The studio just turns into a tool to make that art, as well.
Details
Who: Anderson East with Mt. Joy
When: 8 p.m., April 22
Where: Lincoln Theatre, 126 E. Cabarrus St., Raleigh
Cost: $17
Info: 919-821-4111 or LincolnTheatre.com
This story was originally published April 20, 2018 at 11:05 AM with the headline "'Encore' propels Anderson East to a breakthrough, and bigger stages."