Back in his Johnny Cougar days, John Mellencamp professed the idea that nuthin’ matters, and what if it did? But over the course of nearly 50 years, the Indiana singer and songwriter has made lots of music that’s mattered.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has 25 studio albums to his credit, including the just-released (June 16) “Orpheus Rising.” He’s had multi-platinum successes and flops, but an assortment of honors — including a Songwriters Hall of Fame induction, a Billboard Century Award, the Woody Guthrie Prize, an Americana Lifetime achievement Award, an ASCAP Founders Award — are only a partial testimony to the impact he’s made with songs such as “Jack & Diane,” “Pink Houses,” “Small Town,” “Rain on the Scarecrow” and many more.
Along the way Mellencamp, 71, has also co-founded Farm Aid, acted (“Falling From Grace,” which he also directed, “After Image” and “Lone Star State of Mind”) and created the stage musical “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” with Stephen King. On last year’s “Strictly a One-Eyed Jack,” meanwhile, he collaborated on three songs with Bruce Springsteen…
• As he’s done for his most recent road trips Mellencamp is playing smaller theaters on his Live and In Person 2023 tour rather than arenas and amphitheaters in order to serve the music better. “I made that decision a long time ago (that) I’ll never play outside again. The last time I played outside it was Willie Nelson, me and Bob Dylan and we played some baseball parks, and during that time period I just thought, ‘Nah, I can’t go outside. I don’t want to play to the galley. I don’t want to play to people drunk. I don’t want to play to people screaming and yelling and throwing up and fighting. That’s not what this is for.’ The audience that comes to those shows, they’re there to party. I’m not there to be your jukebox. If you come to listen to music, that’s great. This is a music show. This isn’t a ‘Let’s get drunk and fight and pick up girls’ show. And to be honest, I was one of those people once. (laughs) But there’s other bands that do that that are happy to have your attendance. Now, as an older gentleman, I don’t like it.”
• Mellencamp remains happy to play his songs from nearly five decades of recording, but that’s the extent of his relationship with that older material. “I never listen to my old records, ever. The only time I’ll even listen to an old record is when we’re getting ready to go on tour and I’m thinking, ‘What could I put in a show that I haven’t done or never played live’ or something. Otherwise I never think about that stuff. I’m glad those records were made and I was there when they were made, and I don’t want to think about it. I’m already writing songs for another record. I’m talking to you about a record that was done for about a year and a half, so I’m already on to my new songs — not as a job, just as they come.”
• Mellencamp says his orientation towards making music has changed considerably in the 47 years since his first album, “Chestnut Street Incident,” was released. “Back then, everything was crafted. When I signed my first record deal I had never written a song and everything was really hard because I had to really try, and of course it was important for me to be on the radio. Then about 15, 20 years ago I quit trying and I got out of my own way. With this record here, I never sat down once, not one song, and thought, ‘I need to write a song about this…’ The songs just come to me now, sometimes at very obtuse times, but they come to me and I’ll write ’em down and then I’ll find them later and be like, “When did I write this?” That’s the way my songwriting has been for the last 20 years, really. Some people call it inspiration, but I think I’m just a conduit for something. What I’ve found after all these years is true art is when the artist is surprised by it.”
• Mellencamp acknowledges that his voice has changed over the years as well. ” Well, the cigarettes are finally paying off. It’s nothing I tried to do, try to sound like Tom Waits or anything like that. It’s just what happens when you smoke your whole life. I still smoke cigarettes. I know other singers who smoke, and their voice has changed — Dylan being one of them. I’ll tell you a funny experience; I walked into the studio and Dave (Leonard), my engineer, had A/B’d my voice and put Louis Armstrong singing something solo, and he’s going back and forth between the two and he goes, ‘Well, you finally made it!’ (laughs) The timbre of Louis Armstrong’s voice and my voice was exactly the same.”
• Mellencamp says he’s been approached, like so many artist, about selling his song publishing rights and feels “it’s a good idea to do that. Because if you leave it to your heirs, it’s just gonna cause trouble. If you leave them money, they’ll know what to do with that. They’re not gonna know what to do with songs, y’know? Only Bob Dylan knows what to do with Bob Dylan songs. Only Bruce knows what to do with his songs. I mean, he’s got one kid who’s a fireman…How’s he gonna know? It’s a big burden to put on your kids, and I think it’s very fortunate that these guys can (sell) like that. And yes, I’ve been approached. I haven’t done it, but that doesn’t mean I won’t.”
John Mellencamp performs Saturday, June 17 at the Masonic Temple Theatre, 500 Temple St., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. (313)548-1320 or themasonic.com.
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