A Musician's Life: Austin singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves

A Musician's Life: Austin singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves

From: WXPN
Length: 00:05:00

Slaid Cleaves may not be the most well-known Texas musician, but he does boast some influential fans, including novelist Stephen King and public radio's "Car Talk" guys . Well, okay Tom and Ray Magliozzi never SAID they were fans . But they DID comment "anybody who drives around in a Dodge Dart Sport is worth a listen. Cleave's most recent album, "Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away" really IS worth a listen. On this edition of "A Musician's Life" Slaid talks to Tracey Tanenbaum about his new record and about carving out a living in the musical mecca of Austin. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Play Audio for 'Piece Audio' Pause Audio for 'Piece Audio'

Play Audio for 'Promos' Pause Audio for 'Promos'

None.

More from WXPN

Blues & Beyond #293: Hiromi and Akiko Yano in concert in Tokyo (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Hiromi Uehara and Akiko Yano, a new in-concert duet album only issued in Japan

Blues & Beyond #292: Funky Frank Russell, Corea-Gomez-Motian, and Bobby McFerrin with Jack DeJohn... (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Featuring funky bassist Frank Russell, a new album "Circle Without End"

Blues & Beyond #291: Remembering Etta James and Johnny Otis (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Music from Etta James and Johnny Otis who died in January 2012

Blues & Beyond #290: Omar Shariff, Joe Louis Walker, Jack DeJohnette (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Music from the late blues pianist Omar Shariff

Blues & Beyond #289: Songs and Stories For MLK Day: "Blues In The Mississippi Night" (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Music and stories for MLK Day, including the secret session "Blues In The Mississippi Night"

Blues & Beyond #288: Two-fers from Sharon Lewis, Joey DeFrancesco, Skip Wilkins, Jason Stein, Tri... (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Two-fers from Sharon Lewis, Joey DeFrancesco, Skip Wilkins, Jason Stein, Triona ni Dhomhnaill

Blues & Beyond #287: Etta James, the final album (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

The final album by Etta James

Blues & Beyond #286: A Holiday Show for 2011 - with Doug Munro, Nicole Henry, and more (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Holiday Show with Doug Munro & Nicole Henry

Blues & Beyond #285: Life & Times Of Big Bill Broonzy (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Interview with Bob Riesman, author of Big Bill Broonzy biography

Blues & Beyond #284: Tribute to Hubert Sumlin (00:59:00)
From: WXPN

Program devoted to guitarist Hubert Sumlin, who died December 4, 2011

Piece Description

Slaid Cleaves was born in a predominantly working class community in Maine. The oldest of four children, he was encouraged to go to college and pursue music as a hobby. Slaid graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Philosophy and English. But he felt ill-suited to office life. He began to play in local clubs. Eventually he became an in-demand musician in his adopted town of Portland Maine. But Slaid realized the town lacked the infrastructure to support his ambition. That's when he decided to go to the musical mecca of Austin. His latest album "Everything you Love will be Taken Away" came out of his parents' divorce after 40+ years of marriage and Slaid's own confrontation with middle-age.

Broadcast History

the feature is available as a podcast through NPR. It will air on WXPN-FM in Philadelphia in June, 2009

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

It's time for "A Musician's Life" with WXPN-FM producer Tracey Tanenbaum. Today/this week she speaks with Austin-based songwriter Slaid Cleaves.

OUTRO:

That was WXPN's Tracey Tanenbaum with Slaid Cleaves.

Feeling random? Let PRX choose a piece for you.