Alison Krauss Talks to The 13th Floor About Making Arcadia and Reuniting with Union Station

Alison Krauss & Union Station are about to release their first new album in over a decade. It’s called Arcadia and its the first to feature new member Russell Moore.

Alison Krauss took time out from her busy schedule to talk to The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda about making Arcadia and how she, Union Station and Nashville have changed over time. So we begin our conversation by asking what circumstances made this album happen…

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Read the transcription here:

Alison: Well, you know, I never stopped gathering songs, to make another record. Mostly it’s just scheduling, you know, getting everybody at the same time, and everybody’s on a tour here, and that’s always booked, you know, six to nine months in advance.  

I’m trying to remember when I first got everything together to record. You know, it’s been a number of years back. It takes you however long to get everybody studio at the same time, and, you know, that whole thing so, you know, it would have been a few years earlier if we weren’t, you know, counting the time in between of not being able to get everybody in the same place.

MD: And over that time you’ve got a new member of the band, Russell Moore is now part of the scene. What does he bring to the table?

Alison: Oh, did you hear him sing? Can you believe it? Isn’t he great? When Dan decided to focus on his solo stuff… it came up, you know…because Union Station within a hamburger and fries wouldn’t work, you know, we’ve always had that other, you know, voice and so, when space name came up, Jerry (Douglas) said, ‘Well, what do you thinking?’ And I said, ‘Russell Moore’. And everybody goes, ‘Oh yes’. So we had to see if he would do it, you know. So I think I called him late that day when we talked about it, and I wasn’t sure he would do it, because he’s very busy with his own group, you know. But he said yes, He sure, sang great on the record. I can’t wait for everybody to hear him, you know.

MD: Very exciting! And my understanding is that the song that kind of made things fall into place for you with this album is a tune called Looks Like The End Of The Road, which leads off the thing. What was it about that that kind of made things make sense for you?

Alison: Well, you know, through the years, you kind of develop patterns with, you know, how you get a record together, and how you…when it’s time to record, and all that. And that tune, for me, kind of like the first song. So when I heard that, probably within the first half of the first verse, I was like, ‘Oh, there we go!’ So I’ve had everything else sitting around for a long time, but not a first song…not until I heard that one.

MD: And it was written by Jeremy Lister, who also writes the final track on the album. There’s A Light Up Ahead, kind of bookends the album. So was that planned in advance, or did it kind of just fall into place?

Alison: Well, we knew, Looks Like The End Of The Road would be first, and I felt like The Hangman was obviously second. Then I’m trying to remember. I think that was always an obvious last song to me, and I like the story of it too. The you know, Looks Like The End Of The Road is…even though it’s talking about an ending, it’s really about a beginning, and There’s A Light Up Ahead is a similar message.

MD: And speaking of messages, I’ve read that overall, the album is kind of reflections of history. So what does that mean? Is that true? And if so, why?

Alison: Well, you know, reflection of history well like, you know, there are some historical songs on there, but you know, most songs are a reflection of history, whether or not it was a personal song or a grander view of a subject. And for me, especially this, most tunes, in my mind when I sing them, they kind of live in certain time period.

Maybe because bluegrass, you know, became popular then and and when I heard all that music growing up, I thought about that time period. And so, you know, whenever I think of tunes, I always see it kind of in that time period. But this even more so with these tunes for me, I guess. And, yeah, I mean, it’s all history, right? It’s all encouraging and making you remember and making you reflect and give advice. A lot of times, people doing songs, and they remember people and, I mean music is a way to record history.

MD: And of course, history is being made all the time, especially now. So do the current events kind of seep into what’s going on in the in the music for you? Or do you try to keep them separate?

Alison: No, I don’t… I don’t try to do anything you know, whether to include it, or exclude it. It’s just collectively that we feel at that time, and we don’t really pick it apart, as far as you know… I do think you know, because I’m not a songwriter, you do find that you’re drawn to certain things at certain points in your life, you know. I’m not writing them down, like a lot of artists do, but I find them…like you may realize what your theme is after, you know.

MD: And there’s a one tune you’ve written that is called Richmond On James, which I’m assuming has something…

Alison: I didn’t write it. I arranged it. You know, a lot of these public domain tunes, you arrange them, and you…

MD: Yeah, you got a traditional…

Alison: We changed it from a 3/4 you know, timing tune, to a bluegrass tune. So that was that. But, no, I didn’t write it, but I do love it.

MD: And what makes you love it and want to include it on this record?

Alison: I thought the story was just…that story of that soldier is just so intense. And when you think of how young he was and how brave he was, and you know, it’s a real battle. And you know that story is true of the things people kept and wanted to send back and what was important. And the phrasing of that poetry from that time is so beautiful. You find you know that style, that rhythm, in different tunes. You know throughout your life, you’ll hear it in these ballads.  But that picture, like when I heard that and the words to that, it just was alive immediately, you know, just you see it. And that’s when I want to do something. It becomes an urgency to to get to sing it and share it.

MD: And what was the vibe like in the studio, getting back together after all these years? Was it relaxed? Was it intense? Was there nerves?

Alison: No, no nerves. It was like Christmas dinner! Everybody together, you know, and, and the tracking, you know, with them is just a beautiful experience. They just fit together like crazy. And it was just easy and beautiful. And, you know, even rehearsing the stuff before we went in, the arrangements, it always has, just kind of fallen into place. You know, those first rehearsals and doing the tracking, the laboring comes, you know, later when I’m in there, but when they go, it’s beautiful.

MD: So when you’re in there, when you’re doing your vocals, is it a laborious process? Do you spend a lot of time coming up with the take?

Alison: I do, yeah. You know, and it’s like, I’m one of those people, if the wind blows the wrong way, ‘Oh, I can’t get a vocal, you know, today’, so you know its like that. But what it is, you know,

MD: And over the years, has your voice changed from what you can tell from, say, 10 years ago, when you last recorded?

Alison: It has, you know, you know age it’s going to change. And life experience changes your voice and how you say things, or how you phrase things, you know, I’m sure it has if I go back and forth and compare it.  But you know, this is about, you know, capturing what you sound like now. It’s like, probably a lot like comparing yourself to an old photograph, you know?

MD: Now, one of the songs you don’t sing is Granite Mills, but it sounds like it’s also a true story…something about a factory fire. What can you tell me about that?

Alison: That song, I heard a guy named Tim Eriksen sing on YouTube. And I knew who he was because he worked on a movie Cold Mountain that I did some music for, too, and then we were on a tour together. And just an animal, like, he’s just ah, and he plays the banjo, and he sings like crazy, and he’s a very interesting character. So I was looking him up, because he’s so interesting, and I heard that song. He was playing it in a pub, and it was awesome.

And then we found the story, you know that it is a horrible situation that happened where all these young girls died in this fire, and, we say 300 people died, but it was really 23. But 23 didn’t sing so great and so anyway…It’s almost completely true say that it was all the young girls working in there and even speculating on whether or not they were watched out for and if there was some mistake in the handling of the mill. We don’t know if it’s true, but I found it like, you know, the story teller was, makes a tragedy, like we all do, trying to find some blame, why something happened.

MD: And I see a couple of tracks were written by Robert Lee Castleman, who has history with you folks from way back when. There’s a tune called The Wrong Way, and then Forever, which has some lovely harmonies. What can you tell me about him and Forever in particular?

Alison: RL, I call him that, you know, he’s a great mystery. He’s as much a muse for me as he is a songwriter. Oh gosh, he’s amazing guy, and so interesting. And we go eat, or we go ride around, and he smokes the cigars in the car, and then I gotta go change my clothes, and I get because…like whoa, you know, we go eat, you know, turnips at the restaurant down here. But you know, he’s just a very interesting guy. I met him, let’s see how many years ago now, nearly 30. And you know, we’ve heard songs that he wrote, was in jail and stuff like that. He’s one of the best in the world. You know, it’s just amazing, an amazing person.

And yeah, he wrote Forget About It and The Wrong Way. And I mean, not Forget About It, but Forever. And hey, he also wrote Forget About It...but, yes, Forever, which is beautiful. I love the the line, forever only lasts so long. He did a lot of these tunes where he’ll take a cliche and change it, and then you’re thinking about it for the next 20 years.

MD: And when you approach him, do you approach him and say, Hey, can I sing your song? Or have you got anything for me? Or did he have it out there and you found it and thought you’d take a whack at it?

Alison: Usually, he sends me what he’s done. Like some of these, like, I don’t know how many years, maybe The Wrong Way, I had 10 years, you know, and then, but he used to, years ago, write something and then call me and say, you’ve got a new song in your mailbox. Like he’d finish it and drive it there at night, leave it in the mailbox. Gravity, that song, if you know that tune of ours, that’s what happened. I woke up that was in the mailbox. What a way to wake up to that!

MD: And what do you look for personally in a song, other than the lyrics? Is there something music wise? Do you worry about the your range, or the the key, or the the song structure, any of that stuff?

Alison: No, you know, some of those things, if those are in the way, you know, you scoot them, you know, move them around. But usually if it just comes alive, you know, and I see it immediately. I see the story. I see who the people are, or I see myself, or I see, you know, it’s really…it’s instantaneous. You can’t control it. You know, you’re going to go where that story takes you. And there’s going, you know, that’s kind of sign you look for. You don’t have to make anything happen. It’s just bam! Like a movie, you know?

MD: I see you’re taking the show on the road, starting in the middle of April, April 17 or so. That’s gotta be exciting. How are you feeling about performing these songs in front of folks?

Alison: Oh, I’m really excited to hear it all come together. I think for me, y’all, I just want to get in the rehearsals and start doing it, you know. I’ll feel better when we’re running it and playing it. We’ve had some rehearsals, you know, like me, Ron and Russell. Me, Russell, Ron and Barry, you know, like we’ve had, like, rehearsals like that, but, but when we all get together, I’m excited to hear it come alive.

MD: Do they change much in rehearsal from the recorded versions. Do you kind of take off from them, or do you try to stay true to whatever you laid down?

Alison: No, you know people. Usually you know the arrangements stays…you know boundaries of it…but everybody ends up playing it a little different, though, and and you sing it a little different. Then the tempo moves a little. And then, I mean, it’s always funny when you hear it again after however many years, you know, you don’t pick these back up. You work on it for however long, and then it goes away,  You know, then you put it away, and, oh, like, oh, that’s where we oh, my gosh, that was slower. Oh, yikes, that’s faster. Oh, gosh, that was not what I remembered. You know, you’re building on a memory of it. Yeah, we’re not, you know, we don’t bring it in there. It’s interesting to check that with the old songs now, you know, oh, I forgot we did that…

MD: And of course, you’ve got Jerry Douglas with you, so that’s pretty exciting. He’s, he’s played on a few things!

Alison: Thinking about it, I think he’s been with us now, in the band, 27 years. And he’s still the new guy, but he’s not the new guy now with Russell. But you know, that was pretty good.

MD: Well, time flies, that’s for sure. And are you thinking ahead to what you’re personally going to do next? Have you got thoughts about solo things and duets and anything else that you might be wanting to do? You’ve won, like 1000s of Grammys and stuff, so I don’t know what else there can be. How do you look at your career now?

Alison: No solo thoughts. I’m concentrating on…

MD: …on what you’re doing here and now, and any, any chance you’ll be coming down to this part of the world do you think?

Alison: You know, we’ve been talking about next year, but nothing specific. So I’m not sure what we’ll end up doing that, we just know we’ll play next year.

MD: And has Nashville changed over the years much? Like I said at the beginning of our conversation, I’ve been talking to a lot of people, and a lot of them are rock and roll people, and alternative and indie rockers and things like that. It seems like it’s really become Music City for more than just country artists these days.

Alison: It’s it is built up. Like you wouldn’t believe it’s just the buildings. And the city is huge. I mean, at one point, I think there was, like, they were saying there was an average of 100 plus people moving here a day. It’s really got, it’s really grown, yeah, but the the downtown is…it used to be like, kind of one area that was kind of exciting. It was this club called ??? and then there was Earnest Tub’s record shop. And those were kind of the big, you know, hot spots downtown. And it’s just huge now. You know, it’s a serious vacation destination now. So there’s a lot of people coming here all the time.

Alison Krauss & Union Station release Arcadia on Friday, March 28th.

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