JOURNAL EXCERPT: Trey Anastasio on Opening the Lens

EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece was the Screen Door — the final page — of the Summer 2022 issue of No Depression‘s quarterly journal. Phish frontman, singer-songwriter, and guitarist Trey Anastasio shared his thoughts on the theme of “Movers & Shakers” with Managing Editor Hilary Saunders.

Writing is like breathing and food for me. And I’m a live musician. I’ve always been that way. Many times in my life I’ve written specifically for the concert. I’ll write a set closer. Writing and recording is very close to live playing and improvising, which is my first love.

But mercy, which came out in March, was my first solo-acoustic record — just me in the living room with my acoustic guitar. It was like a mediation. I don’t expect any kind of success when I make albums, though, especially not at this point in my career.

I’m a musician because I want to play live and be with people. I want people dancing and I like to watch them dancing. I like the feeling of unity, when everybody’s together. And it’s always been that for me, it’s always been a social thing. It’s sounds trite, but I think music brings people together. I’ve lived it.

What’s exciting about this era, as bumpy as the whole road has been, is that progress is being made bringing people together in terms of inclusivity. That, to me, is the next development of roots music.

Go deep. That’s what’s down there — acceptance, diversity, unity. That’s where it’s got to go.

In order for roots music to progress to its natural next stopping place, it’s got to go backward to go forward.

Everybody knows this, but Sister Rosetta Tharpe invented rock and roll. Sylvia Robinson was the mother of hip-hop. And Beverly “Guitar” Watkins? There are so many examples of Black women who started this whole thing.

And they’re continuing it: One of the people I thought of first was my friend Celisse Henderson, who’s about to put out her first record. She’s a guitar player who’s played in my band and who’s been a good friend for years. I’m so excited for her, but more importantly, I’m so excited for the world of roots music to begin celebrating its own roots.

A lot of the music that I actually play in my house is West African music. I like Ebo Taylor and I like King Sunny Adé. Once, I had the opportunity to fly to Africa with Dave Matthews to do a project with Orchestra Baobab in Senegal. This legendary 1960s band/orchestra plays a sort of Afro-Cuban music with American jazz influences and traditional African rhythms. It’s unbelievable! It’s the coolest music.

I’ve been thinking about some of the other artists I’ve been listening to recently, too, like Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, and Khruangbin. I don’t really know where the “roots” label ends and begins, but they’re so exciting to me. Their points of view are new and unique and I definitely hear roots influences in there. It seems like the stew is mixed in a completely new way based on a 2022 point of view because their lenses are wide.

And the lenses are opening a little bit to the rest of the world. I’m over-the-moon excited about what the next 10 years are going to bring, because as has always been the case in music history, global social developments are going to combine with a new generation. Something new is coming, and these are examples of that.

There’s going to be room for all the voices who have been marginalized. It’s going to be reflected in the music industry and it’s going to be a thrilling ride. They are the movers and shakers, and that’s the future of roots music.