Johnny Irion
Johnny Irion is best known for duetting with his wife, Sarah Lee Guthrie, daughter of Arlo and granddaughter of Woody. He’s largely defined by this inescapable connection to the first family of American folk music, but his own musical history extends beyond his connection to musical royalty, territory he continues to expand with new collaborative efforts, both released and forthcoming.
A native of Columbia, Irion commemorated one particular facet of local lore in “A Good Cry,” from his 2007 solo album Ex Tempore, writing about the West Columbia institution Cafe Strudel. He and Guthrie lived just down the hill from the restaurant for seven years, forging friendships and a fondness for the area. The Guthrie clan eventually drew them to stake out a homestead in rural Massachusetts, and Irion’s relatives in California — his late uncle Tom Steinbeck provides a link to an American cultural hallmark — have provided the means to a bi-coastal existence while also fostering musical connections.
“I’ve been out there the past year while Sarah Lee was on tour with Arlo,” Irion says. “We have a 14-year-old daughter who’s in middle school in Santa Barbara.”
While in and out of town, he put together and independently released 2015’s breezily psychedelic pop-rock gem US Elevator with Tim Bluhm and a cast of younger musicians. Bluhm’s credits include multiple producer stints, the briefly major-label `90s band Mother Hips, and time in his ex-wife’s group, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers.
“It was an interesting process to do that and get some radio play, reviews in Mojo and Rolling Stone, all the stuff you want if you’re a record label,” Irion notes. “It’s pretty noisy out there, so to get any reaction at all was good.”
Concurrently with the US Elevator project, another old friend facilitated more creative opportunities for Irion. Zeke Hutchins, his former bandmate in Queen Sarah Saturday and now the manager for acts such as Deer Tick and Sharon Von Etten, made a key introduction.
“While we were making the US Elevator album in 2014, the two brothers in Dawes came up from Los Angeles and I recorded four of my songs with them,” Irion says. “We got back together in March of this year and did more, I think it’s 14 songs total now.”
The sessions were done in the same house as the band recordings, with some of the same extra players contributing, creating a familial atmosphere despite the generation gap.
“It is interesting to play with these kids who eventually ask me how old I am,” Irion admits. “When I tell them I’m 47 they’re always surprised, but to me it just shows that I can still play with whoever is in the room.”
Don’t expect that Dawes/Irion album any time soon, however.
“I’m excited about it, and Tim has been working on the final mixes this month, but I’m not going to rush it out there,” Irion says, describing the material as “Southern songs as recorded in California with a nice tension built into them.”
“I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to make another record like it again so I want to release it properly,” he explains.
But while Irion is keen to expand his reach with such connections, his collaborations remain rather organic. This week’s Columbia appearance follows a string of similar dates out west, forging a friendly, laid-back approach to their performances.
“How the night goes just depends on how we feel at the time,” Irion says.
