July 97
Touring Machines
By Lisa Brandt
"God bless Canada!" Sawyer Brown's keyboard player Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard
shouts his thanks to Canadian fans, who have helped keep the band at the
forefront of country for more than a decade.
"We started goin' up there probably in '85, and then, since '89 or
'90 we've made it every year because the audiences are incredible. Radio
stations are wonderful. They go way deep into the album and play all sorts
of stuff so people are completely familiar with it. It's just a blast to go
out and play for people like that."
In dog years, Sawyer Brown's life span is pushing 100, and
historically, they are part of a rare breed indeed. Few champions of new
country have survived this long. Hubbard says he and bandmates, lead singer
Mark Miller, axe-man Duncan Cameron, bassist Jim Scholten and drummer Joe
Smyth, are grateful.
"From the beginning we wanted more than anything to be able to have
a career that lasted a long time. Your main focus has got to just be the
music. That's the most important thing. All that other stuff just comes and
goes but if you keep payin' the greatest amount of attention to makin' sure
you come up with strong songs each time, you make an album that puts you in
the plus column."
Their latest effort, Six Days On The Road, is a dependable
instalment in a string of successful CDs that has inspired worldwide sales
of more than 11 million. And their cover of Dave Dudley's classic was a
long time coming.
"Back in '89 we started talkin' about doin' Six Days on the Road,
because it's one of those songs that we loved. And it's got a lot of drive
to it, no pun intended. This year, when we were workin' on this album we
thought this could be the time that that song will fit perfectly. I think
it even turned out more fun than what we had hoped."
The track holds some irony for one of Nashville's most reliable
touring machines. Their days on the road are diminishing, although not
quite to six.
"We will do about 125 days out this year, which is significantly
different. When we first started we did 300 days a year for a good while,
then kinda notched it down to 275, 250Š hung at 225 probably for forever.
125 is about the perfect kind of schedule for us these days."
There may be fewer stops on the tours, but one Sawyer Brown
tradition stays in place.
"Every day, every show, we do a meet and greet. If you're in our
fan club you get a backstage pass that you can use one show a year, and so
we meet those people and then people from the radio station, or whoever.
On the rare, rare occasion we do a show and don't really see anyone,
without some kind of contact with the folks in the audience, I'm not sure
exactly who it was I just played for."
Re-printed with permission of Country Wave Magazine
Thank you Country Wave Magazine for allowing me to this interview.