Now Playing: Buddy Mondlock’s ‘Filament’

Buddy Mondlock is readying for the release of a new album. It's titled Filament and has a drop date of February 17th. But first, for those of you not yet familiar with the artist in question, a bit o’ background.

Buddy Mondlock

According to his official website, Buddy Mondlock is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter with over four decades of experience in the industry as a songwriter, musician, and live performer. In an e-communique, Mondlock noted: “I've been at this songwriting thing for a while now. My first album [On The Line] came out in 1987 and it's been a pretty amazing ride since then.”

Mondlock recently reviewed some high points from his resume. He recalls: “Garth Brooks recorded a song we wrote together called ‘Every Now and Then’ in the mid-nineties. So much talent and energy concentrated in one guy.”

He continues: “Back around the beginning of this century I got to write and record an album with Maia Sharp and Art Garfunkel called Everything Waits To Be Noticed. That's something, standing opposite Art Garfunkel with a microphone between you singing in unison! And I've had the great pleasure of hearing artists like Nanci Griffith, Joan Baez, Janis Ian, even Peter, Paul & Mary, (and others) sing my songs.”

Signature Sound

Buddy Mondlock’s signature sound is a blend of music genres including Americana, country, and folk.

Filament

Filament is his sixth full-length album. It includes 11 tracks. On it, Mayse leads the way on vocals and acoustic guitar. He also can be heard playing banjo, electric and acoustic baritone guitar, 12-string guitar, resonator guitar, and high-string guitar.

He is backed by an assortment of other artists including producer Brad Jones (upright bass, harmonium, mellotron, Hammond B-3, harmonica, electric guitar, xylophone & string arrangements); Mike Lindauer (fretless electric bass); Josh Hunt (drums and percussion); Jim Hoke (pedal steel); Avery Bright (violin and viola); Austin Hoke (cello); Evan Cobb (flute and oboe); and Melissa Greener and Carey Kotsionis (harmony vocals).

Mondlock discussed this new album on social media. He said: “I've been talking onstage about making a new recording for some time. I never want to just repeat what I've done before and this album takes me in some new directions for sure. Which feels good and fresh too. Writing these songs and others has been my life's work. My heart is in these songs.”

Track by Track

The album opens on the title track “Filament.” Mondlock notes the contributions of Dana Cooper with this one. It’s a strong opener and hits the nail on the head in terms of experience-free success in the recording industry.

The second selection is the rose-colored glasses-impacted pretty piece “Perfect.” It’s a lovely little love song co-written with Max Maxson that focuses on the perfect perspective in terms of the realities encountered in a long-term relationship too. Mondlock added: “I do have a romantic side, it's true. Hey, I just got married…!” It has a nice rhythm for a love song.

The next number is “Jackson Petty.” This song was also co-written with Maxson. It makes a statement about the realities of the draft, war, and how everyone suffers and it’s a song-story that has a sense of history to it as well.

Mondlock explains why, saying it’s “a song about my Great Great Grandfather and his experience in the Civil War as a young boy. My Grandmother told me his story a long time ago.

“If You Will” is another example of what Mondlock and Cooper can do together. This one visits familiar themes about relationships and dedication but Mondlock manages to make it his own. It is undoubtedly a little overshadowed by the following song.

“Sunlight in My Pocket” is another love song. It was co-written with Guy Clark. It’s always interesting to hear a love song that is intentionally driven by percussion. It gives it a refreshing, fun feel that makes it soundtrack-ready.

The sixth songful serving is the mysterious musical missive “The Woman in the Window.” Mondlock’s songwriting partner here is Richard Berman. This tuneful tale is another example of Mondlock’s interest in creating an interest in unique characters in a world where even a dream unfulfilled can be intriguing.

The seventh selection is “Come Back First.” This is the final tuneful team-up with Cooper. It’s a friendly, clever cut.

Mondlock worked with Nick Tibbs on “Ticket Taker Blues.” This song focuses on the feeling one gets working in a position where he sends everyone else on their way to exotic locations without personally going anywhere.

“Weak” follows here. It is well-placed as this too is another track co-composed with Tibbs. This song-story reveals the unwritten experiences some in the military may encounter upon returning home. Mondlock recently discussed the cut’s origins online.

He explained: “One of the projects I got involved with in the last few years was writing with veterans who've been diagnosed with PTSD. Those retreats are sponsored by a wonderful organization called Music Therapy of the Rockies. [I’ve included] one of those songs here, called ‘Weak’.” He notes that Tibbs “served in Iraq. The hard part doesn't necessarily end when you come home.”

“Problem Solved” is an early fan fave and one more upbeat example of what Mondlock and Maxson can do as collaborators. Mondlock summed up the essence of this piece. He said: “Picture two guys in a bar, the old guy and the young guy. The old guy (our narrator) is trying to impart some sort of wisdom to the young guy – if such a thing is even possible.”

The last track is the imaginative offering titled “The Dark.” It is an apt album endnote since Mondlock co-wrote the song with his musical mentor Guy Clark and serves as a clever closer.

Besides, what is more apropos than ending the album with a current rendition of a song he co-wrote with the man he credits for helping him early in his career? Mondlock elaborates: “I met Guy Clark at the Kerrville Folk Festival around that time [1987] and he took me under his wing. That got me to Nashville and a publishing deal.”

He concluded: “I've managed to make a living doing what I love and getting to work with some of my heroes along the way. That includes Guy of course. We wrote ‘Mud’ and ‘The Dark’ together and those two songs bookend his album also called The Dark. I recorded my version of that song for this new album.”

Overall…

Overall, this album is essentially Mondlock effectively presenting a carefully culled collection of specific songs meant to be presented together. It includes some intriguing production choices and makes it clear that even a veteran of the music industry can allow himself to occasionally color outside the lines. The songs are at times less expectedly folk.

Happily, the music moves a bit beyond that of the usual musically-inspired mental image of some traveling troubadour sitting on a sturdy stool in some slightly smoke-tinged hole-in-the-wall. Individual instrument selections and even thematic choices sometimes seem to confirm that, as noted in a recent e-mail, Mondlock is, indeed, “exploring some new territory.”

The material not only demonstrates how well he works with others, and how willing he is to work a wee bit outside the box, but how personal the music has become to him and maybe even how he has somewhat surprised himself. So, check out Buddy Mondlock’s Filament, and you might enjoy what you discover “In The Dark.”

(Images courtesy of Buddy Mondlock)