Introduction to Billy The Kid @ The Garage (29/5/2014) + Interview
I first heard of Billy The Kid (Billy Pettinger) through the Xtra Mile label and Frank Turner plugging her on Facebook. In January earlier this year I attended her show at The Hawley Arms and was finally able to put a face to the voice. After this brief encounter with ‘The Kid’ at The Hawley I decided that I had to head out to Chuck Ragan’s Overseas Till Midnight Tour at The Garage this May in order to catch Billy’s support slot. I was excited to hear some new songs live, and to see how Billy had progressed since the recording of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, her fourth studio album (and label debut).
As a side note, anyone interested in some true folk stomp and Americana music should try and check out a Chuck Ragan show, or the Revival Tour. These are great gigs that display solidarity between the artists and their craft. It gives acts the chance to ostentatiously show off what they’ve got to a crowd that may never have come across them by conventional means. And of course all the acts are incredibly grateful to be given this shot, which is evident in their performances.
The Show
Billy The Kid jumps up on stage tonight, slightly limping (from a boxing related injury she later tells me), wearing a ‘Jon Gaunt Music’ t-shirt, tattoo sleeve on display and harmonica bracket fixed around her neck.
Billy starts with a new song, Riverbank. An a cappella introduction leads in to a Neil Young-esque folksong about life and love on the road with someone waiting for you back home. As the song progresses Billy starts pumping up the tempo and biting into those lyrics, finally rounding the song off with a with a strong harmonica solo; something that seems to be a staple of anyone playing alongside the Ragan family.
Soon enough Billy plays Boxcars. Before starting, she relates the song to travelling up and down Britain by train for the first time earlier this year, playing to audience sizes that were a handful in magnitude. This song is a perfect example of why you should go see Billy live and solo. In contrast to the driving rhythm section of the recorded track (found on Stars, Exploding) Billy plays a more delicate, slowed down piece, giving her a chance to really show some soul in her vocals. I’m still fairly new to Billy’s music, slowly learning the names of different songs, but throughout the set I already find myself singing through lyrics that I’ve picked up that night. A familiar hook is a nice thing to have in a song. It brings a crowd together.
The set also includes 16 Tons, an old American ballad about a coal miner, covered by Billy in a bluesy-jazz style, in which she holds the last note for a good 30 seconds (and includes a miniature acrobatics routine), and fiery new original, Lord Let Me, the romantic tale of how her grandparents met, which Billy cheekily admits she made up.
Coming up to the end of the set we get a great taster of what is to come on the new album. Billy mentions how one of her tracks, This Sure As Hell Ain’t My Life, was written and recorded as a duet and that in the last few days she’s been desperate to play it in that fashion. With no coaxing needed Chuck Ragan jumps on stage to take the second microphone. The two artists accompany each other perfectly with the raw, huskiness of Chuck Ragan underlying Billy’s lighter (but still strong), sweet tones. This has to be the highlight of the evening and is a really beautiful moment.
Billy finishes her set with the phrase, “Fuck. I’m just so happy to be here. Thanks a lot,” and dedicates her last song to the American boys that are out on the road with her, looking out for her. Billy is the sort of artist that is completely content in playing live and building her musical family. It’s only at these times that we really get to see artists for who they truly are, and I believe Billy is one of those that has really set their roots in a musical community and established a firm stance.
It was a nice surprise to see Billy later join Chuck Ragan’s set to add her vocal and tambourine skills to Non-Typical.
I caught up with Billy in front of the barriers after the show. It is always nice to see an artist making the rounds, meeting and greeting fans, seeming genuinely more than happy to allow for the photo opportunity, and being wished well on the next leg of the tour. I asked Billy some questions about the tour and the upcoming release of Horseshoes And Hand Grenades, produced by folk punk hero and Xtra Mile poster boy, Frank Turner.
How has the revival tour been for you and what are you looking forward to most about it/ have already enjoyed the most?
I think the best part about being around these guys is just the stuff that happens before and after the show. I didn’t realise this but Chuck Ragan is the funniest dude ever and everybody in The Camaraderie (the touring group of musicians), they’re just amazing people. So that’s the best part for me. I mean the music is almost a bonus right now. And you’d think that would be the first part of it all but it’s really the hang outs before and after with a bunch of cool people.
So how long have you known Chuck and have been listening to his music? And how has it been playing with him (after dueting This Sure As Hell Ain’t My Life during your set)?
Well tonight was the first time (we sang the song together). I kind of dropped a not so subtle hint that it would be cool if somebody sang Frank Turner’s part and he was the first one to kind of put up his hand and go, “I’ll do it”. But I’ve really been a fan of him for so long, even his first solo album. I mean I killed that record listening to it so much so I know the songs inside and out and it’s been a blast. I mean they’re the best people in this, to watch every night, (the way) they deliver like they do.
How has your relationship been with Xtra Mile in terms of recording, the production and promotion phase and the anticipated release later in the year?
Well it’s coming out in September so it kind of remains to be seen because this is my first time working with any kind of label or any outside help.
Because you’ve done your albums through kickstarter campaigns?
Yeah, I’ve been totally independent this whole time so I’m really looking forward to having a little bit of help. I really trust them because, not only do they have a track record, but they were always, from day one, cool with me being me. The whole time. They never asked me to change one thing. They were just like, “Billy do Billy”. So I’m looking forward to that. I’m looking forward to seeing where the record goes when it’s finally out because we had such a great time making it.
So, for people new to listening to you, could you give me a track that you’d recommend from your catalogue so far and a track off the new album that you want people to listen to or that you were happiest with the recording?
Totally. Well for me everything started with the song Riverbank. I just think that Frank (Turner) made a great bass line. Nigel (Powell) from The Sleeping Souls had a great drum track. It was kind of one of the first songs when I was working on new material. As far as older stuff, I’ve got to go back to my very first solo record (The Lost Cause). There’s a song about me looking for a job called ‘Just Trying To Get By’. That’s where it all kind of started (she smiles and laughs).
Horseshoes And Hand Grenades will be released in September 2014 on Xtra Mile Recordings. You can pre-order the album at:
www.xtramilerecordings.com More of BillyThe Kid at:
www.billythekidonline.com
www.youtube.com/billythekidofficial
