Nanci Griffith has remained one of the most enduring American folk musicians of the past 20 years. Respected for her songwriting skills, simple lyrics, unique voice, and warm presence, Griffith has made a mark in the worlds of folk, country, and Americana. With over 20 albums and countless “best of” compilations, this prolific songwriter is still going strong — Griffith has released four records in this century so far.
The daughter of musical parents, Griffith was raised in Austin, Texas, a major musical capital in the country. Home to television’s “Austin City Limits” (where Griffith has appeared multiple times), the South by Southwest Festival, and scores of young musicians, Austin exposed Griffith to the worlds of music and performing.
“I started out playing the French horn and I was really loving it. I came home from school one day, and my parents had taken it away!” Griffith laughs. “So I took up the guitar.” Growing up, Griffith loved the music of her parents’ generation — Judy London, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra — but also had many favorites of her own, citing Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Bob Dylan, July Collins, and Carolyn Hester as favorites. “There were a lot,” Griffith laughs.
Griffith eventually moved to Nashville, where she resides today. “Nashville has the Grand Ole Opry, and Austin has Austin City Limits,” says Griffith. “And one of the biggest differences is that Nashville is such an active community. Everyone interacts with each other — there’s no pecking order here in Nashville. Austin is very left-wing, and very scattered and fun and exciting — it’s a live music capital.”
Griffith’s myriad influences come together seamlessly in her impressive corpus, and some of Griffith’s most memorable moments are her renditions of others’ songs. Her 1993 album Other People, Other Rooms is an homage to her major influences, and features her versions of songs by Townes Van Zandt, Emmylou Harris, Woody Guthrie and others (as well as an awe-inspiring guest roster featuring John Gorka, the Indigo Girls, Bob Dylan). The album was a major success for Griffith, both critically and commercially, and earned her a Grammy in 1994 for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
More recently, her 2006 record Ruby’s Torch is Griffith’s take on classic torch songs. “That comes from a childhood with a stepfather who played in big bands and piano bars, as well as listening to what my parents listened to,” Griffith says. Ruby’s Torch and Hearts in Mind (2004), Griffith’s most recent albums, display an economical sense of line and melody. “I don’t think I’m as prolific as I used to be,” Griffith says. “And I think that just comes with maturity. I don’t waste notes anymore.”
When asked if she saw her music as quintessentially American in tone or style, Griffith replied: “I think that throughout my career I’ve concentrated on writing short stories — little vignettes of American life. And hopefully I’ve captured it, because it seems to work for me.”
Despite Griffith’s remarkable longevity in the music industry, she is still attuned to a younger generation of folk artists, and cites KT Tunstall and Elizabeth Cook as exciting new musicians. But Griffith looks back to the greats for inspiration.
“Loretta Lynn and Judy Collins are musical heroes. But boy, I have so many,” she says. “I’m always inspired by Jimmy Webb, Tom Waits, John Prine, and, lately, Mary Gauthier. She’s relatively new on the scene; she’s maybe been out for three years, but she’s just an incredible songwriter.”
This Tuesdsay, when she performs at the State Theatre, will mark Griffith’s first concert in Ithaca. “I would really much rather be playing in Ithaca than New York City,” Griffith admits. “I love all of it, but it’s more fun for me to get out there in America.”
After years of experience performing, Griffith is beloved for her intimate, unpretentious live performances. “The audiences are familiar, and for me, they’re just one person,” says Griffith. “I just love touring.” She’s been entertaining for generations now, and has created a loyal, devoted fanbase. “After doing this so long, I’m seeing audience members [now] who were five or six-years-old the first time their parents brought them to hear me play,” Griffith laughs.
Griffith didn’t achieve mainstream success right away, and started out as an alternative singer-songwriter, a self-described “folkabilly” artist.
“When I started out, it wasn’t cool to be doing what I’m doing,” says Griffith. “It wasn’t cool to be on an independent label like Rounder [Records]. I literally drove myself around America for seven years before anything really happened to me.”
At the time, Griffith was playing “alternative” country or folk before the term Americana had been coined. “Basically, we called it alternative music in the 80s. And now, of course, it’s called ‘Americana.’ And that’s interesting because [that term] encompasses so many forms of music,” says Griffith. “Everything is more open; [we’ve] got a wider audience now with the advent of Americana.”
That Griffith has accomplished so much and is beloved by so many is a feat in and of itself, but it becomes close to miraculous, considering that Griffith began this century recovering from not one cancer diagnosis, but two — she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and thyroid cancer two years later.
“I’ve had my hills and my valleys,” says Griffith, reflecting upon her career. “There were some really good times, and times when things were… not so good; exciting things and some disappointing things.”
But Griffith is a strong woman indeed, and her perseverance is inspirational for cancer survivors. It’s hard to imagine a better role model for recovery, and many of her fans have taken solace in her music. “Music did play a big role in my own recovery,” Griffith says.
And now, back on the road, Griffith has come full circle. Everything has changed, yet Griffith remains the same. She stays busy, still writing and recording music, and still as enamored of her musical icons as she ever was.
“I just started a project with The Crickets,” Griffith excitedly tells me. “They’re celebrating their 50 years as a band and songwriters. And we’re going to write a record of rock ‘n’ roll! We’re getting ready to start next week, in fact. I’m just so excited that in my career I’ve had the opportunity to work with them — they were such a big part of my childhood.”
Nanci Griffith will perform at the State Theatre this Tuesday, September 11 at 7:30pm. Saint Low will open. For tickets, 607-27-STATE.