I always say that Warren Haynes is the modern-day "Hardest Working Man in Show Business," but David Mayfield may be giving Haynes a run for his money. Hailing from a musical family - his sister Jessica Lea Mayfield is a lauded singer/songwriter - the singer/guitarist fronts The David Mayfield Parade when he's not performing with his sister, Cadillac Sky, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons and Zac Brown among others. Currently, Mayfield is on tour in support of his latest CD titled The David Mayfield Parade. On Wednesday, June 22, The David Mayfield Parade will perform at Workplay. Recently, we caught up with the Ohio native and Nashville resident by phone shortly before his Bonnaroo gig that same night.
Birmingham Weekly: David, thanks for your time. This will be your fifth time to perform at Bonnaroo. Is there a way to sum up what the festival is like?
David Mayfield: It's pretty intense. There are definitely a lot of people out in the middle of a hot, sweaty field (laughs).
BW: We are enjoying the new CD. If you will, talk about the writing and recording of it.
DM: There are a few songs on there that I had written years ago and then a few that came while I was already planning the record. I'd been planning on making the record about a year before I went into the studio. I was touring really heavily with Cadillac Sky, so it was like, "There is one more thing to do, but I cant do it for three months because I'm on tour." So, it took a long time to bring it all together.
BW: The variety your career affords you must be an exciting thing.
DM: It's a lot of fun - I don't know how it happened (laughs). It comes completely out of left field. It doesn't make sense but it comes together.
BW: Some of the bands you play with are very different stylistically. With that said, are musical genre lines blurring in general?
DM: There's a Folk revival going on, not just Folk music-wise, but that Folk mentality of collaborating. It seems like less of a competition than it was in the past.
BW: How do you feel about the musical climate right now? Is the exposure that the Internet, satellite radio and iTunes provide helpful or does it cause clutter?
DM: That's an interesting question. It's leveling the playing field so that raw talent has a chance and you dont need a big budget. The Avetts toured for 10 years before they signed a major label deal and they just toured their butts off and made records on their own. As recent as the '60s and '70s, it was impossible to make your own record and put it out just because it was so expensive. (Today) You don't need to have a big major label to fund your project in order to get it out there. If you put on a good live show and your music is good, then you have a chance.
Tickets to the 8 p.m. all-ages show are $10 and can be purchased at www.workplay.com
Birmingham Weekly: David, thanks for your time. This will be your fifth time to perform at Bonnaroo. Is there a way to sum up what the festival is like?
David Mayfield: It's pretty intense. There are definitely a lot of people out in the middle of a hot, sweaty field (laughs).
BW: We are enjoying the new CD. If you will, talk about the writing and recording of it.
DM: There are a few songs on there that I had written years ago and then a few that came while I was already planning the record. I'd been planning on making the record about a year before I went into the studio. I was touring really heavily with Cadillac Sky, so it was like, "There is one more thing to do, but I cant do it for three months because I'm on tour." So, it took a long time to bring it all together.
BW: The variety your career affords you must be an exciting thing.
DM: It's a lot of fun - I don't know how it happened (laughs). It comes completely out of left field. It doesn't make sense but it comes together.
BW: Some of the bands you play with are very different stylistically. With that said, are musical genre lines blurring in general?
DM: There's a Folk revival going on, not just Folk music-wise, but that Folk mentality of collaborating. It seems like less of a competition than it was in the past.
BW: How do you feel about the musical climate right now? Is the exposure that the Internet, satellite radio and iTunes provide helpful or does it cause clutter?
DM: That's an interesting question. It's leveling the playing field so that raw talent has a chance and you dont need a big budget. The Avetts toured for 10 years before they signed a major label deal and they just toured their butts off and made records on their own. As recent as the '60s and '70s, it was impossible to make your own record and put it out just because it was so expensive. (Today) You don't need to have a big major label to fund your project in order to get it out there. If you put on a good live show and your music is good, then you have a chance.
Tickets to the 8 p.m. all-ages show are $10 and can be purchased at www.workplay.com
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