INTERVIEW
As he readies his first studio album in six years, the country legend reflects on being a road dog, surviving Covid, his favourite memories of Johnny Cash and why heartbreak will never go out of fashion
For the rock journalist, there is no greater joy than a musician living up to their mythology. As the Zoom call connects, the Marty Stuart of our mind’s eye is suddenly sat opposite us in a Memphis dressing room. Soundcheck might be an hour away, but the famously dapper country star already looks the part. Black scarf. Black jacket. Black hat. Black everything, in fact, except the stray silver hair that speaks of his 64 trips around the sun. A slightly evaluating look on his face, perhaps, while he waits a moment to establish if we’re an idiot or not. But then a palpable thaw, as Stuart relaxes into his witty and generous interview manner, never far from an anecdote or rumbling chuckle.
And what anecdotes he has at his disposal. Stuart is fascinating company for his solo career alone, which got motoring in the late 80s when he signed to MCA and reignites this year after a half-decade silence with the excellent Altitude. But it’s worth reminding yourself, too, that this man cut his teeth with bluegrass giant Lester Flatt, held his own in Johnny Cash’s road band, recently toured with the remnants of The Byrds and still owns the heavily modded Telecaster first owned by that band’s fallen legend, Clarence White. Let’s start with the here-and-now.
Do you still enjoy the road?
“I love the road. It’s my office. I love the applause. I love the smell of diesel fuel. I love the bad food, whatever. I’m a road dog.”
It’s six years since Way Out West. How has that time been for you?
“I hadn’t had a year off since about 1972, so I enjoyed being at home with Connie [Smith, wife and country musician]. And the band probably needed a rest. Because after Way Out West, all of a sudden, people came calling. We played 60-something shows with Chris Stapleton, 30-something with The Byrds, 40 or 50 with Steve Miller. So we were scrambling. I knew that Way Out West was just the beginning of something I wanted to tie back into with Altitude.”
Are you pleased with Altitude?
“I’m very happy with it. We had that record so ready to go, and then here comes the pandemic and they close Capitol Studios. I thought, ‘If we don’t record this record right now, we’re gonna lose the whole feel. It’ll be a different record.’ So we put on masks and went to East Iris Studios. The end result, I think, is pretty honest. But that recording session was a new one on me. I hope we never have to do that again.”
The guitars on Altitude have both jangle and twang – what prompted that?
“Well, it started with my Clarence White Telecaster. That old guitar is kinda like an
