Last Train Home              Coffee East February 9th, 2008

I have never met anybody involved in the Washington-Baltimore area music scene who has anything bad to say about Eric Brace. Forget for a second that he is the leader of his incredible band Last Train Home. He is also one of the best people you'll come across in the business. I can't tell you how many people have looked at their poster at Coffee East and said, "Oh wow, Last Train Home is coming! Man, that's great..I don't know if you know them, but that is my friend Eric's band." I am lucky enough to know them, and Eric doesn't have to be a nice guy for Last Train Home to recieve the recognition they have - their music takes care of that just fine, thank you. Their legacy is starting to suggest that they are one of the greatest bands to emerge from the Washington D.C music scene, and their latest album "Last Good Kiss" is regarded by critics as their best work yet. Eric was nice enough to take the time to answer a few questions from us:

MM: For those that don’t know you guys, can you tell us where you’re from and where you are now?

EB: Last Train Home started out in Washington DC in 1997, as a part-time project so that I could get some of my songs out there. I'd been playing bass in a few other bands (Kevin Johnson & the Linemen, the Alice Despard Band) but hadn't really ever fronted my own group. We recorded our first record in 1997, then kept at it, until it became clear (after 4 CDs and a steady growth in paying crowds) that would could become a full-time band if we put our mind to it. That was in January, 2003, when I moved to Nashville, along with the rhythm section of bassist Jim Gray and drummer Martin Lynds. The three of us remain the core, and we've got about 10 musicians in 5 cities (Nashville, D.C., Philly, Houston, New York) whom we call upon to join the gig, depending on where in the country it is.

MM: For someone who doesn’t know the music of Last Train Home, how would you describe your music?

EB: The short answer is country-rock and folk-rock, because the initial model was bands like the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Emmylou Harris, The Band. In other words, consciously bringing in old folk and country material, and playing it (and our originals) with a modern rock sensibility. We've moved a bit beyond that where we have our own sound, I think. There are often horns (trumpet and saxophone), keyboards, big fat loud electric guitars... So we're really a rock band, like say, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. But we still bring country, folk, bluegrass, blues, tin pan alley and other influences into the mix.

MM: It’s been a while since you guys have played in Easton. I see you have added a female vocalist. What else is new about the band since the last time we saw you?

EB: I miss playing in Easton! We played the Avalon Theater a few years back, and the good people of Easton were very good to us. As far as LTH personnel, you refer to Jen Gunderman, who is a spectacular keyboard player we met down in Nashville. She chimes in on vocals, but mainly she's really affected our arrangments. Having a keyboard frees me up to play lessbig strummy chords on the acoustic guitar, and gives breathing room to the material.
Having said that, Jen won't be making the trip to Easton. But who *will* be making the trip is Steve Wedemeyer, who is just about the best guitarist I've ever heard. He joined us about 3 years ago, when we met him touring in Germany (he's from texas, though), and then he moved to Nashville to be with us. He had a huge impact on the band, and our arrangments, and you can really hear it on the recent CD "Last Good Kiss," and on the "Live at IOTA" DVD we just put out.

MM: Love the new record. What was your focus when writing it? How has the response to it been?

EB: Reviews have called it our most mature and across-the-board excellent record we've ever made, and I think they're right about that. We recorded it pretty live, with Steve and Jen, Martin and Jim, all down in Nashville in the studio at the same time. It was a very collaborative recording, with everyone having a say in the song choices and the arrangements.
As far as the material goes, I think my songwriting (which accounts for 10 of the 11 songs) is wayyyy better than before. I'm just getting better at it. Partly because I'm getting older and hopefully always improving, but also because I'm living in Nashville, where the guy making your espresso is very likely to be a pretty incredible songwriter. There's just a million great writers here, and you can't be a slouch.

MM: Your band is listed on your website as having as many fourteen members! How many pieces will you be bringing to Coffee East, and what will the makeup of the band be?

EB: It'll be me on acoustic guitar and singing; Martin on drums and singing; Jimmy on bass; Steve on guitar; and Kevin Cordt on trumpet. I promise a great show!!

MM: You were a longtime music writer for the Washington Post. Did that experience effect you as a musician, and if so, how?

EB: Over the course of my 12 years at the Post, I probably saw about 1000 bands play. No lie. I definitely couldn't help learning a lot about how to put on a show. It's not just about getting up, plugging in, and playing your songs. There's a very clear line between bands that are professional and have all their ducks in a row--their gear works, they're comfortable on stage, they know the songs, they deliver the goods--and those that don't have it together. It taught me to take playing music in front of people very seriously, because watching so many bands, I'd frequently get mad at them for wasting my time. I like to think that no matter what else you might think of Last Train Home, you'll never feel like we didn't put on a show.

MM: I got a chance to have a beer with you in Nashville a few years back when we were both down there for the Second Americana Music Conference, at which time you expressed the importance of that genre’s acceptance in the radio and retail world. For those who don’t know, what qualifies as Americana music, why is it important to artists like you that it succeeds as a format, and what is the “state of the union” for it?

EB: Last Train Home plays rock music, for sure, but we also have all these other elements in it. We can't compete with Avril Lavigne or the White Stripes or Interpol for airplay on major commercial radio stations, and we're not indie rock to make it on lots of college stations, so we rely on the growing world of the "Americana" stations and publications. Those folks play and write about bands like Ryan Adams, Old Crow Medecine Show, Keb Mo', Los Lobos... bands that don't get much mainstream attention. We definitely fall in that category, and so we have an interest in these media outlets paying attention to us. Down in Nashville, I started a label, Red Beet Records, and I've put out a couple of East Nashville samplers because there's so many great artists living within minutes of me, folks like Todd Snider, Garrison Starr, Thad Cockrell, Kevin Gordon.... We're all in the same boat, some more successful than others, but we all need that spotlight pointed in our direction, so that we can sell enough records and book enough gigs to where we can actually make a living at it. Because these are the people that are making what I believe to be the most timeless music right now.

MM: I see you have released a DVD and a full blown video for Last Good Kiss off your latest album. What is the significance of the multimedia world to a band now? Is it an effective tool?

EB: It's a multi-media world, and we spent a lot of money doing some really fine work, i think, on both the "Last Good Kiss" song video, and the 100-minute-long live concert movie. We've put excerpts from "Live at IOTA" up on our sites, and it's definitely increased traffic. I think people want to see what a band looks like sometimes. With a singer/songwriter, you sort of know something about the person, but a band is a little more anonymous, and these videos have helped people feel like they know us more. And it's definitely increased the traffic to our websites.

MM: You guys have gotten some major exposure in the last couple years with appearances on Craig Ferguson’s Late Night Show, as well as Mountain Stage. Can you shed some light for music fans as to just how important those types of appearances are?

EB: Strangely enough, playing for millions of TV viewers and radio listeners didn't really do much for us. Not that we didn't have a blast during both of those things. We did, and I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world. But in terms of sales, or other kinds of quantifiable recognition, there wasn't anything tangible. From what I've heard, the only shows where an appearance can have an impact are: "All Things Considered" on NPR, Leno and Letterman, Oprah, and the Today Show. After that, the bands kind of blur together, and people don't take much notice.

MM: What is good about working down in Nashville? What is frustrating about it? How competitive are the musicians and the environment down there?

EB: Nashville is amazing. So many great musicians and songwriters make it their home, and I feel like through some general osmosis, it makes me better, makes my band better, makes the whole scene better. There *is* a competition, but it's healthy. I love playing a Nashville show with a few new songs in the set, knowing some of my musician friends will be there to hear them. I won't bring a new song to the band unless I'm really proud of it. I want pals like Kevin Gordon, Todd Snider, Peter Cooper, to hear them and say: "good tune."There's frustration, sure, but mostly on the Big Business side to it. So many friends are hanging at the coffee shops wondering how to put together a good tour, or how to nail a solid publishing deal... but those things are pretty broad, and are caused by downturns in the industry as a whole, not by something you can blame on the Nashville establishment.

I am going to throw out a couple of different musician’s names and just share a couple of sentences or thoughts about each.

1) Gram Parsons: Hard to argue this man's impact on the "Americana" world, and on my in particular. I can still listen to him endlessly. He did so much by the time he was 26, it's incredible.

2) Bob Wills: Talk about a band leader!!! His recordings always make me happy, especially the ones where he's got the fiddles, the steel guitars, AND the horn sections. He didn't record a lot with horns, but those tracks are a big inspiration for me. He brought so many elements to the table.

3) Joe Ely: This man can take country/rock/Norteno/soul and put it together as well as anyone since Doug Sahm. Plus he got to open for the Clash. How much cooler can you get??