“I’ll start by saying that Australian identity is not American, we are different we are a bit of a ‘blank canvas’ so to speak. We do not have, with the exception of indigenous music, the established traditions of other parts of the world. This can be seen as a disadvantage but we do have the freedom to pick and choose what we want.”

Andy Baylor:

The Roots Reach Deep Down (Under)

Andy Baylor (born in Melbourne in 1954) is one of the most respected and authentic figures in the Australian roots music scene, with an artistic career spanning over 50 years. As a multi-instrumentalist, he plays the fiddle, guitar, and mandolin with equal virtuosity, while also standing out as a songwriter, vocalist, and visual artist. Since the 1970s, Baylor has been a pioneer and founding member of some of Melbourne's most beloved bands, including The Honeydrippers, The Dancehall Racketeers, Banana Oil, and The Cajun Combo. His career is highlighted by major international and domestic collaborations. He was personally selected by Bob Dylan as the support act for his 1992 Australian tour, opened for Robert Plant, and played fiddle alongside country music legend Slim Dusty. Furthermore, he has collaborated with American virtuosos such as David Grisman, Flaco Jiménez, and Dewey Balfa, and his bands have backed legendary blues and jazz artists including Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Louisiana Red. His personal musical identity is a unique blend that bridges traditional Australian heritage with blues, jazz, country, and Cajun rhythms.

(Photo: Andy Baylor)

With more than 18 independent albums to his credit, he continues to create music to this day with his current line-up, The Banksia Band. In parallel with his music, Baylor expresses his artistic vision through painting. In his studio, he creates oil and watercolor works capturing the Australian bush and urban landscapes. He frequently designs his own album covers and showcases his artwork in galleries, proving that his music and painting are two facets of the same inner need to tell the stories of his homeland.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How did a young musician growing up in 1970s Melbourne fall in love with authentic American blues and roots music? Was there a specific record or artist that completely changed your life?

Growing up in a small Australian country town in late 60’s and 70’s I listened first to the radio and then to records. The radio played the pop music of the day: the Beatles, Stones, Dylan and all the late ‘60’s pop music. It’s worth noting that artists like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone also found their way into this roster of pop stars with a strong blues and soul sound. Later I started to go to parties in suburban Melbourne in the ‘70’s where I heard records of music from the ‘Pre-Beatles Era’. I heard swing and jazz by recordings of Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong and  blues by Lightnin’Hopkins and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. These recordings showed me that there was something different, something  deeper and perhaps more expressive than commercial pop music of the day.

With this in mind I began seeking out more blues and jazz and folk music on records.I would spend hours in Melbourne’s collector record shops sorting through their stock finding gems. You could read great liner notes on the back of the records which would tell you about the artist -where they came from, who they played with, their influences and style etc. It felt like you were doing some secret kind of detective work to find out musical lineage and stylistic connections. For me, it was a matter of ‘seek and ye shall find’ and a very different process from today’s digital storehouse with everything available at the touch of a finger.

“I usually start with the voice and the guitar to get the song down and then add colours with the fiddle or the mandolin. A Cajun styled song would require the fiddle to add the flavour and Cajun Shuffle rhythm. Similarly, on a folk or country song, the mandolin can be used to evoke a sweetness and atmosphere. Of course, all these stringed instruments are great blues instruments as well.” (Photo: Andy Baylor, a unique blend that bridges traditional Australian heritage with blues, jazz, country, and Cajun)

You have been dubbed the "King of Roots" in Australia. How do you manage to marry the traditional sound of the American South with Australian culture and landscapes, as heard in tracks like Down Where The Banksias Grow?

How an artist adapts music from other places and eras in an effort to create their own style is a life’s work with a lot of twists and turns. Firstly, its important  to understand that growing up in Australia was a long way from the source of the music. There was very little direct contact with the traditions of American folk , blues and jazz. Records were inspirational but the hard work of creating your own style and  being more than a mimic or a copycat have been ongoing and challenging. The first thing I tried to do was to find a sense of place in my music. As Americans mythologised their locales and homes I decided to do the same. For instance, Sleepy John Estes, ‘goin to Brownsville’, became in my hands ‘goin to Healesville’ (the small mountain town I grew up in). Similarly as in the Cajun tradition a waltz or a  two-step I would  name after the town it was composed in, or a person that liked it. As well, I looked for similarities between styles rather than differences and not being bound by a tradition I found a freedom of expression. Music is an emotional language and speaks of shared feelings but an Australian experience can never be an American experience.

Fortunately, my trips to America over the years provided me with many insights into cultural identity and finding meaning in the music. For instance, A zydeco musician once suggested to me that music can and should be a transcendent experience of sorts: “you must study the artist you are emulating, know about their life, become that person! They feel it and you feel it -that’s how it works.” Cajun musician Dewey Balfa generously encouraged me in ‘89, ‘If you love the music, do it your own way”. Curiously, being away from home can engender a kind of self-realisation of who you are. On returning from the USA in the 80’s I felt determined to bring Cajun rhythms, and Southern folk and blues into the Australian scene in my own way- a way that was natural and real. My recordings, firstly ‘The Bush Is Full of Ghosts’ 1995, followed by ‘Arcadiana’ 2002 then ‘Down Where The Banksias Grow’ 2012, are largely attempts at re-casting my American influences in a contemporary Australian landscape.

In 1992, Bob Dylan personally chose you to open his Australian tour. What is your most vivid memory from that tour, and what did you learn from watching him perform up close?

The back story for this was that Bob (Dylan) wanted a support act that he himself chose rather the touring agency pushing some rock act upon him. He asked a friend of mine, Suzette, who ran an alternative music booking agency to provide him with CDs of local independent bands. Apparently, so the story goes  he listened to all of these CDs and chose Andy Baylor’s Cajun Combo. His next choice was my brothers’ (Donal and Peter Baylor, both talented musicians) western swing band The Baylor Brothers, who worked in Sydney at the time. So we all teamed up and played for his Sydney show. This would have been in about 93/4. His band and performance was v loose and I’d describe it as ramshackle and chaotic. I don’t think it was a great period for him and his music but still it was great to see and hear him. The standout performances for me were some Carter family songs and old folk stuff, just him and his guitar solo. There is a lot more to say about this night but the thing that I realised from talking to him was that he was so knowledgeable about the history of American music and loved the old blues, folk and country. You must remember that this was in a time when Rock Industry ruled and there was very little acknowledgement of the “roots” of the music.

“For me, one of the most important things is to know where everything comes from. This gives you  the power and know-how to re-interpret the great music of the past and re-create songs, as it were, in new ways. If you know the history of a song you can keep it fresh.” (Photo: Andy Baylor)

You have backed massive icons on stage, including Jimmy Witherspoon, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and Louisiana Red. How challenging—and educational—was it to adapt your playing style to such different and powerful musical personalities?

Playing music with these people was immensely challenging and I learned so much. Each artist showed me something special... Spoon (Witherspoon) was in the twilight years of his great career and coached me on the rhythm of blues music… the swing of the back beat and the closeness of blues to jazz. He also showed me the ‘Call and Response‘ nature of the guitar answering the vocal refrain, rather than playing over everything randomly. He said “the blues is a language and we’re talking to each other – and we’re telling a story to the people”. Louisiana Red was also very helpful and had been close to Muddy Waters. He would jam in the backstage area playing slide and old blues songs to get in the mood. He was uncompromising and unpredictable. He would say “The Blues is how you feel...you cant fake it” which mean that he could do a show that was a bit on the quiet uninspired side one night and the next could be electrifying the next. This was in contrast to Screamin’ Jay, who was more a show biz construct and had a set show.

Other artists I have been fortunate to play with include organ great Jimmy McGriff who calmly and kindly challenged me to play far beyond what I thought I could. He pushed me to new levels of expression just by being in his presence onstage, almost a shamanistic kind of experience. I must make mention of Big Jay McNeely, the rockin’ sax player. He imbued his blues with a strong sense of Gospel spirituality and preached the music. He could squeeze every drop of expression out of the simplest song- strength in simplicity. So these are some of my experiences with these greats.

You move with incredible ease from the guitar to the fiddle and the mandolin. When composing a new track, how do you decide which instrument will become the "voice" of the story you want to tell?

I usually start with the voice and the guitar to get the song down and then add colours with the fiddle or the mandolin. A Cajun styled song would require the fiddle to add the flavour and Cajun Shuffle rhythm. Similarly, on a folk or country song, the mandolin can be used to evoke a sweetness and atmosphere. Of course, all these stringed instruments are great blues instruments as well.                                     (Photo: Andy Baylor)

“Fortunately, my trips to America over the years provided me with many insights into cultural identity and finding meaning in the music. For instance, A zydeco musician once suggested to me that music can and should  be a transcendent experience of sorts: “you must study the artist you are emulating, know about their life, become that person! They feel it and you feel it -that’s how it works.”

You were a central figure in shaping Melbourne’s independent music scene in the '70s and '80s with bands like The Honeydrippers. How has the city's live music atmosphere changed from those days to the present?

In the 70’s and 80’s the music scene was largely run by the Rock business people -that was the order of the day. The Honeydrippers played swing-style, jump blues-Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker and the like and in those days we were almost run out of town! This was pre-Blues Brothers or Brother Where Art Thou. Australian audiences were not into blues music. Over the years, many of us worked up independent and alternative bands that operated outside the mainstream parameters and played blues, folk, country and world styles. We spent these formative years presenting these styles to a growing number of people who were seeking music that wasn’t commercial rock and pop. In the 90’s our ‘roots and blues’ scene, as it became known, got a massive push from the technological innovations of digital recording and self-production of CDs. This meant that smaller acts could produce their own music and sell it to the public at their performances and at a string of small shops in Melbourne and other cities. As a result the 90’s into the 2000’s were a golden period for the growth of roots music in Australia. Ironically, the same technology has made it difficult to sell CDs but these days we do see a healthy Melbourne music scene with many styles -blues, Cajun, Zydeco, Old country styles, Celtic folk, all kinds of jazz, played at a high level to strong audiences. The Australian public is much more knowledgeable about the history of American music and I think Melbourne in particular has developed its own voice.

Beyond the blues, you’ve dived deep into Western Swing and Cajun music with the Cajun Combo. What draws you so strongly to the traditional dance sounds of Louisiana?

I first heard historical Cajun records and old western swing from the ‘30’s on records. Melbourne had several collector record stores which specialised in re-issues of historic music. At a certain time I was playing with Slim Dusty, a famous Australian country singer and I remember feeling that there was something lacking, to me at any rate, in Australian country music … It was the rhythm and the feeling of the blues- an emotional intensity and honesty. Both of these I heard in Cajun music. It seemed to me that Louisiana Cajun music had created its own style, taking what it wanted, a little blues, some country, some old French music and made its own style. I fell in love with the style and set about learning as much as I could from records. Later in the 80’s I went to Lafayette and surrounding areas and met many musicians including Dewey Balfa, Rufus Thibideaux, Marc Savoy who were all very enthusiastic about my interest in their music and culture. They were all very encouraging and urged me to keep playing it in my own way. Similarly, in the 80’s I spent time in Texas and met some of Bob Wills’ famous players including guitarist Eldon Shamblin and fiddler Johnny Gimble. They too were most encouraging and told me stories of old western swing days. Perhaps the greatest fiddler I met was Cliff Bruner who had many great recordings in the thirties and was still going strong in the 80s .

“In the 70’s and 80’s the music scene was largely run by the Rock business people -that was the order of the day. The Honeydrippers played swing-style, jump blues-Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker and the like and in those days we were almost run out of town! This was pre-Blues Brothers or Brother Where Art Thou. Australian audiences were not into blues music.” (Photo: Andy Baylor with The Honeydrippers)

You have released over 18 albums while maintaining absolute control over your production. What are the greatest rewards and challenges of being a fully independent roots artist in the digital age?

I was fortunate to come up in a digital era where you could produce your own recordings and maintain artistic control. Originally, the technology meant artistic freedom at reasonable cost. The major labels and the Rock establishment who had been controlling music production since the ‘60s were threatened by this new-found independent music-making but they couldn’t stop it. This led to a chance to create your own body of work playing what you wanted. I set about establishing an identity as a versatile roots and blues musician introducing new styles and flavours into the scene in Australia. The main challenges then were that the audiences didn’t know much more than commercial pop and rock so it was often hard to reach people. Over the years this changed and people now have very broad tastes and, through the internet, every conceivable style and era is available. Having said this the ease of availability and the sheer amount of information on the internet has, in my opinion, somehow debased the quality and meaning in the music.

Also, since the millennium, for several  quite complicated reasons, ‘Retro culture’ has emerged as a dominant cultural force. Probably for the first time in its history, America has become obsessed with its own history and has gone about re-creating its own glorious past. There are many musical examples of this, including the resurgence of old-timey Appalachian music, an interest in old blues, old Cajun...anything old! So digital technology has brought the past more into our lives than ever before and the streaming of music has put an end to making any financial return for small independent recordings. On the up-side, live performance of historical styles and my own music has become more popular as people want something that is real and happening right in front of them.

“Growing up in a small Australian country town in late 60’s and 70’s I listened first to the radio and then to records. The radio played the pop music of the day: the Beatles, Stones, Dylan and all the late ‘60’s pop music.” (Photo: Andy Baylor (born in Melbourne in 1954) is one of the most respected and authentic figures in the Australian roots music scene, with an artistic career spanning over 50 years)

Through your Easy Ridin' Blues show, you transport audiences straight to the atmosphere of New Orleans. What is the secret to keeping this music alive, fresh, and engaging for younger generations of listeners?

For me, one of the most important things is to know where everything comes from. This gives you  the power and know-how to re-interpret the great music of the past and re-create songs, as it were, in new ways. If you know the history of a song you can keep it fresh. An example may be ‘Matchbox Blues’ - recorded by many artists including Carl Perkins and the Beatles. Originally it was made by the brilliant Blind Lemon Jefferson. A good listen to his original  will give you insights into the poetry, meaning and rhythmic setting of the song. If then you listen to Pine Grove blues by Nathan Abshire, Cajun Accordionist, you may hear similarities between the songs and you may be able to re-imagine Matchbox Blues as a swampy Cajun Blues with fiddle and triangle. This is the kind of thing I’ve learned how to do. I can, in a similar way, recast a New Orleans pop song like Bobby Charles’ Before I grow To Old as a wistful  country song, adding steel guitar and fiddle. All of this keeps the music fresh and alive. Naturally the feeling and emotion has to be real and this is something that you cant teach easily .It has to be lived.

Looking back on a career spanning more than five decades, what is the main message or feeling you hope your musical legacy leaves behind for future Australian musicians?

I’ll start by saying that Australian identity is not American, we are different we are a bit of a ‘blank canvas’ so to speak. We do not have, with the exception of indigenous music, the established traditions of other parts of the world. This can be seen as a disadvantage but we do have the freedom to pick and choose what we want. With this in mind, I’d like to think that I have helped in a small way to broaden the palette of Australian music by introducing the following, Cajun music with its rhythmic drive, joyous expression and community feeling; old western swing which shows us how country music and jazz can be combined; the Blues in all its forms and variations with its spontaneity, improvisation, storytelling and pulse; and finally, my original songs and tunes that bring together many diverse artistic elements and hopefully may offer a contribution to a deepened sense of Australia’s musical identity.

Andy Baylon - Bandcamp Home

(Photo: Andy Baylor)