Five Questions: Colin O’Brien
It could be easy to dismiss Colin O’Brien as just another John Hartford imitator.
Like the legendary folk, country, and bluegrass composer, O’Brien also plays the banjo, fiddle, and guitar, wears a derby hat, and often covers Hartford material in his set. While Hartford’s influence may be ever-present, it’s the musicianship, witty lyrics, and O’Brien’s own sense of showmanship — which includes percussive dancing — that caught the attention of Hartford String Band veteran Larry Perkins. Perkins coproduced O’Brien’s most recent album, 2012’s After A Song, which has been lauded for its original songwriting that is distinctly O’Brien.
The Birmingham, MI, native, who is setting out on a solo tour, spoke by telephone from his home in Nashville, TN
Jeremy D. Bonfiglio: You studied classical guitar for a number of years before deciding to pick up the banjo. What was it that attracted you to the instrument and how has it shaped your music?
Colin O’Brien: That’s something I talk about in the song called “Banjo On My Mind,” which I wrote a few years after I started playing the banjo. I play it in almost every set. It’s a true story. After 10 years of studying guitar with some intensity, I really got turned onto the banjo in part because it wasn’t a guitar. It has a distinctly different sound and technique. It was really fresh and exciting to have access to such different sounds. Once I started, it became a vehicle for me to delve into a whole different repertoire. For me, it was like a whole new box of butterflies.
When did you first start playing music?
My first instrument, if you go back far enough, was the drums in the fourth grade. I started my musical career by failing the coordination test needed to play the snare drum in school band. After the director asked me if I’d play a wind instrument instead and I said no, he gave me a pair of drum sticks anyway. If he would have said I can’t be in the band, who knows what I would have done. It was a turning point, for sure. I played drums through high school before getting serious about the guitar.
Let’s talk about your last album, After a Song. Do you have a favorite song on that record?
I like “Hey You” because it’s a bit different for me. I don’t usually call someone out in a song. I was camping out in Wisconsin and we were miles and miles away from civilization, except for one farm house who left the street light on in the front yard. I got to thinking, why is that guy leaving his light on all night? This light was the only thing between us and the starry skies. So, I wrote, “Hey you up on the hill / Why are you leaving your lights on?” and it turned into this song.
After a Song features some notable Nashville players — Matt Combs, Mark Howard, Dennis Crouch — and Larry Perkins both played on and coproduced the record. How did you and Larry meet?
We met in 2011 at the John Hartford Memorial Festival. Larry took a shine to what I was doing. He had been a good friend of John Hartford, and he saw that I had been studying John’s music closely and was inspired by him. So Larry offered to produce the record. He may not be a household name, but Larry is probably one of the most recorded musicians in Nashville. After we made the record, Larry suggested I move to Nashville, and I’m glad I did.
How has moving to Nashville made you a better musician?
I think it’s just being next to these people. It’s the opposite of dying from exposure. There’s this amazing fluency and virtuosity that’s all over the place down here. A lot of people who are inspired and obsessed with developing their music decided to come here and a lot of them stay. That’s what Nashville is. If you want to develop your craft, it’s really an inspiring place to be.