This probably happens to Teddy Thompson a lot, but I first heard him when I took a chance and bought his first disc because I was (and remain) a big fan of his father, Richard Thompson. How bad could it be, I thought; he grew up hearing great music made by his parents (his mother is Linda Thompson) and their friends, so some of that surely seeped in.

It was a fortuitous purchase, as it introduced me to a talent that would entertain and challenge me over the coming years. While Thompson's music isn't much like that of his father -- his voice is much smoother and he has found a more laid-back style that suits it well -- he clearly learned something about how to craft a song.

Thompson's first two discs, his self-titled, Joe Henry-produced debut and last year's Separate Ways, are very much of a piece, offering sweet yet moody folk-pop. The thing that is most evident from these is that Thompson is a talented stylist. He settled on a sound and is willing to be patient with it, giving his songs what they need within that framework while not letting things feel formulaic

He puts those skills to good use on his latest disc, Upfront & Down Low, a collection of classic country songs. He tackles "She Thinks I Still Care," "Walking the Floor Over You" and "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" and eight others, adding a song of his own, "Down Low," that fits stylistically well with the rest of the material. It's a bold stroke for a young artist, but one whose results bear out his wisdom. For those familiar with Thompson's music, the interpretations are not surprising, as he brings the same sophisticated cool to these songs as he does his own, finding the emotional core of each while eschewing any fake down home sentimentality or twang.

Thompson took the time to answer a few questions about the project, showing a quick wit and musing on the difference between his parents' formative professional years and his own.

TIRBD: This feels like the kind of thing a label allows a career artist as an indulgence, not a young artist making his third record. Was there any work needed to persuade Verve that this was the right direction for you now, and if so, how did you go about that?

TT: Well, I started making this record without telling Verve, then played them some roughs. And to their credit, they loved them. However, after a couple of weeks they got worried. They were obviously concerned about how this was going to sell and whether it would alienate my fans. So, yes, there followed a great deal of fighting and pushing and pulling and eventually it got made. The more they resisted, the more I wanted to do it. It became a real cause for me.

How did you choose the songs? Did you have a long list that you whittled down to this? Are there future volumes in the wings?

I had a few songs that I had in mind and the rest I found by searching through old box sets and records. It was great fun trying to dig up some gems. The next volume will be an indulgence 30 years from now when I'm a career artist.

Is this a reflection of the influence of what I assume to have been the eclectic tastes of your parents rubbing off on you, discoveries made later in life or some of both?

I was certainly exposed to country music by my parents. They are to blame. But they did listen to a wide variety of styles. I just immediately loved country when I heard it. Specifically the Everly Brothers.

You tackle some standards that people can't help but associate with other artists. I mean, covering "She Thinks I Still Care" is like an author re-telling the story of Holden Caulfield. That's a bold move; any trepidation about any of that, and if so, how did you overcome it?

That's probably the one song that I really knew very well, perhaps too well. So I didn't try to re-invent it. I just sang it very plain, as it came out. Then added the strings to try to make it something special. But I certainly had no fear singing it. I love that song so much.
Most of the other songs were not as familiar to me so we just learned 'em and cut 'em!

Writing teachers sometimes tell students to type out paragraphs from great books so they can physically see how they were constructed. Was there an element of that in this project for you, in terms of you now having a better understanding of why these songs work so well that you can now apply to your own work?

No. I really didn't look at them in that way. The structures are really so simple that it's more of a mystery how they can fit so much into three chords! I do love that economy but I don't strive for exactly that in my own writing.

Why did you decide to put one of your songs on the disc rather than leave it as all covers? Did this particular song seem to fit well?

I did struggle w/ this decision a bit. I felt for a while that it would look bad for me to put a song of my own in the company of all these country greats. Who do I think I am? But in the end I thought, "Fuck it!"

You are among a generation of musicians who are the children of musicians, including your friend and sometime collaborator Rufus Wainright. How would you compare this time with what your parents went through at this stage of their careers? Is it more difficult? Easier? Simply different?

Certainly different. In the business sense I think it is harder now. The industry is big and unprofitable and unstable. I would love to have been on Warner Bros in the '70s, making million dollar records, but then we wouldn't get to do online interviews. So there you go.

Labels: Monday Interview, music