"When we play a show, we put a little of something in it for everyone. We can't write for only one group. We just don't know any better."
Just a few of the words Stacey Earle brings to brighten up any conversation. Full of amusing sound bites and endearing flavor, the folk/Americana/country artist will delight the audience at 8 p.m. on Thursday night at the Mohawk Place.
It was not too long ago that Earle was working to provide for her children as a Nashville waitress. That all changed rapidly. Now part of a duo with her husband Mark Stuart, Earle's career is taking off in ways she never imagined.
Earle's brother is the famous Steve Earle, who has been rocking with his band the Dukes across the United States for years. Stacey did a stint as a Duke on Steve Earle's "Transcendental Blues" record in 1990, with an especially noticeable turn on their duet "If I Fall." While both she and her husband have played with Steve Earle's band, Stuart's work with the Dukes in 2000 was not how they met.
"I've been doing this for 11 years, and it's been 11 years with Mark," Earle said. "We've only toured apart from each other twice and it was the loneliest time ever."
Earle is a woman in love and it is a beautiful thing. Born in Louisiana, she moved to San Antonio in her youth and finally to Nashville in 1990, where she met Stuart.
"It's where I got my Southern twang," Earle quipped, later joking that Stuart "is one of the only people to claim to be from Nashville that actually is from Nashville."
They actually met at a songwriter's night, which got a lot out of the way as far as introductions.
"We were both familiar with the music business," she said. "For most people, it's hard to understand that artists are all semi-self destructive at heart. We're not just a duo, we're excellent business partners. We own Gearl Records together and we just have a sense of who we really are."
Despite connections to the industry (both have had publishing deals in the past), Gearl Records is thriving on what Earle calls "not rebel music."
"We never wanted to be rebels. We just found the folk circuit was a real family atmosphere and wanted to stay in that way," Earle said. "The whole Americana music deal just touches you somewhere. We were at Folk Alliance (a musical summit) and we saw all these new industry reps. It was so silly, all you could do was grin. So glad to be a part, such a great, wonderful experience."
Earle also explained that the folk circuit is great because every song is genuinely touching to audiences. They listen to lyrics and they put their hearts into the listening experience.
"It's like we'll be playing, stop and say 'you wanna hear another one?' and they'll applaud. I think I could say 'you wanna hear another one?' a hundred times and they would still respond well," she said. "The passion keeps you up on stage until your manager pulls you off. And sometimes you still sneak back on."
Earle describes herself as an artist who did not know any better, who could not afford tickets or CDs and has been inspired by the love of her life. Still, she can describe the couple's sound as "a little Emmylou Harris, a little Creedence (Clearwater Revival), a little Chet Atkins, and sometimes we get a little swampy."
There is absolutely no reason not to expect this unbridled enthusiasm to transmit on Thursday evening.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
