Ep. 196 - DAVE ALVIN ("King of California")

Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

PART ONE:
Paul and Scott chat about the canonical playlist that's part of every Independence Day fireworks display, the time Scott accidentally hit Lee Greenwood in the face with a water balloon, and how our Patreon supporters can get the chance to get their hands on one of the very first copies of Dave Alvin's forthcoming book New Highway.
PART TWO:
Our in-depth interview with "Fourth of July" composer Dave Alvin on the Fourth of July!
ABOUT DAVE ALVIN:
Grammy-winning artist, musician, songwriter, poet, and roots music pioneer Dave Alvin launched his professional career when he and his brother Phil founded the Downey, California, based group The Blasters. Blending rockabilly and R&B, Dave became the band’s primary songwriter, penning classics such as “Marie, Marie,” “American Music,” “Border Radio,” “Jubilee Train,” “Little Honey,” “Dark Night,” and “Long White Cadillac,” which later became a Top 40 country hit for Dwight Yoakam. After a brief stint as a member of the band X, Dave launched a solo career and continued to craft critically-acclaimed songs that defy genre, including “Fourth of July,” “Haley's Comet,” “Dry River,” “King of California,” “Abilene,” “Ashgrove,” “Harlan County Line,” “Johnny Ace is Dead,” and “Downey to Lubbock,” a collaboration with Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Dave’s songs have been covered by Los Lobos, Little Milton, Buckwheat Zydeko, Shakin’ Stevens, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, James McMurtry, and others. Additionally, his music has been featured on a number of TV soundtracks, including Justified and The Sopranos.