Michael Rank Talks “Horsehair”
Michael Rank and Stag played a sold-out show on August 14 at the Cat’s Cradle Back Room in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to celebrate the release of their most recent album, Horsehair (Louds Hymn). Heather McEntire (Mount Moriah), who adds her beautiful vocals all over Horsehair, opened the show with a four-piece electric band and played an impressive set of new songs as well as a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy,” that she slowed down and turned inside out, transforming it into a sweet country love song.
Rank has released five well-received albums in a little over three years with Stag, his revolving cast of musical compadres. With each album, he inches further away from the rock and roll of his previous band Snatches of Pink (of which Rank states: “Let the record show that I did not personally name the band Snatches of Pink. I just spent two decades of my life playing in a band named Snatches of Pink!”).
On this night, Rank and Stag took the stage and the lack of a drum set or an electric guitar was evidence of an ongoing shift towards a softer back-porch, country-folk vibe, even if the mellower sound still finds Rank dealing with the lingering anguish of a shattered relationship. Rank hasn’t discarded his Stones-flavored rock roots (think “Wild Horses”). But with pedal steel,
Stag finds a silver lining and some consolation as he laments the dissolution of his marriage while celebrating the product of that union in “Two Shades”:
Hal Bogerd: Is your son’s mom flattered or annoyed that she is still your muse or has it morphed into a generic “she”?
Michael Rank: Good question, I think my son’s mom at this point is more uncomfortable by it than anything. I believe the word she likes to use is “awkward”. But she still listens one time on headphones to each album and she says they are beautiful songs. At first when I used to play her these songs as I was writing them she would cry and be really affected. And I admit to getting a perverse satisfaction from that response. But these past couple of years she’s put up a bit of a wall when listening. Self-preservation I reckon. It’s interesting that you suggest it may have morphed into a universal “she” because I think there is an element of that at play as well.
I recently went back and listened to the title track “Stag” from Snatches of Pink’s 2005 album. There’s been a pretty big change in your sound over the last few years. It’s certainly not pop music but it’s a much more accessible roots folk sound. The vocals are out front and featured and the backing by the band is more or less acoustic. I’d guess your influences/tastes have shifted over the years?
It’s been more like a big circle. When we first started Snatches of Pink it was all about presenting our version of country Stones. Our version of Dead Flowers. And we added in the energy of early Jason and The Scorchers (although at that point it was Jason and The Nashville Scorchers) and the attitude of early Replacements. That was our starting point. Twenty years later when the S.O.P. album Stag rolled around I was fleshing out my version of late 70’s Aerosmith meets Royal Trux. Every song I’ve ever written was birthed on an acoustic guitar, but it’s how you then dress her up where the waters start to muddy.
Evolution, maturation, everyone changes but it is impossible to imagine how having a child changes a person until it happens to you. Jon Dee Graham had a great line in one of his songs: “Having a child takes the paint right off a man”.
At first I thought you had just said “takes the PAIN right off a man” and I was thinking no the fuck it doesn’t! Then I realized the quote was PAINT and it all clicked into place for me. That might be the best way I’ve ever heard fatherhood described. That’s near perfect. I’m ’bout down to the primer at this point.
Horsehair is your 5th album in three years. One of the benefits of the DIY approach is being able to do what you want on your own schedule.
There used to be a lot of personal validation for me every time I got a record deal. I had wrapped up my self-worth into whether I got the next deal or not. When I started putting out albums again as Stag, and playing shows again I tried to leave that old way of thinking behind. It’s a trap and a black hole. At least it was for me. I’ve enjoyed being in control of my own shit. I certainly think it’s probably possible to have the best of all worlds, a record deal and artistic control, but unfortunately it usually happens for those who have already sold a lot of fucking albums.
I’ve seen you live as a trio (fiddle, acoustic guitar and mandolin) and that’s what is really featured on the new album. Not to undervalue the rest of the band, but is that stripped down version the “bones” of Michael Rank and Stag? Is that close to what you’re hearing when you write the songs?
We do a lot of gigs as a duo with just me and Ron Bartholomew on mandolin. But I’m partial to that trio with fiddle. And here lately we’ve been doing some trio gigs with pedal steel in place of fiddle that have been very cool. I’m just excited when someone other than me shows up!! When I’m writing all I think about is the voice and the acoustic guitar. That’s it. Then once the song is done I start hearing the orchestra!!
You’re joined by Heather McEntire on vocals on your new album. She really pushes the album towards the country side of roots rock. How did that collaboration come about?
As you know, I’m a devotee of songwriting. I’m such a fan of the craft. In my opinion there honestly aren’t many songwriters out there, anywhere, better than Heather. I spent such an enormous amount of time driving around in the truck just listening to that self-titled Mount Moriah album. The songwriting, the lyrics, her vocal performances truly truly impacted me. At that point it was just a matter of gathering up my courage to ask her!! And the care and attention she brought into the studio for my songs meant the world to me. And it always will.
You’re also worked with Emily Franz (Mandolin Orange) on In The Weeds and Mermaids and Skylar Gudasz (Big Star’s Third) on Deadstock. The contrast of your voice with their voices, whether it’s the male/female or rough/smooth thing, really works.
You’re not gonna find anyone that acknowledges how lucky and fortunate I’ve been more than I already do. To have had the artists that I’ve been lucky enough to have singing and playing on these albums of mine are just dreams come true. And let’s be honest, Emily and Skylar could literally make anyone they sang with come off sounding like a million bucks.
If you could pick one track from Horsehair to play for someone who had never heard your music what song would you pick and why?
I keep going back and forth between “Two Shades” and “Husk”. It’s a coin flip.
Pick a track from the album and name an artist you’d like to cover it.
What a great question. I don’t think I can contain it to just one track. So…Jamey Johnson doing “Trails”. Steve Earle: “Bluebird”. Lucinda Williams:”This Side of Texas”, Dave Rawlings & Gillian Welch:”Fire Walkers”, Simone Felice:”Frontier”, Jakob Dylan:”Horseman”, Willie Nelson & Emmylou Harris:”Two Shades”, and Chris Knight & Lillie Mae Rische covering “Husk”.
Photo of Heather McEntire and Michael Rank courtesy of Andy Tennille.
Thank you Trickledown Productions for the “Trails” video!
And thank you Guitartown!