Love Song to the Upstate

Folk Musician Champions Area’s Outdoors

Most album covers are plastered with images of the artist – it doesn’t matter if the musicians are sexy or swollen.

However, Bobby Holliday’s “Crown of the Carolinas” deviates from that formula.

When the Easley-based singer/songwriter released his paean to Upstate nature in October, his face and name were conspicuously absent from the cover.

“I wanted the focus on the area, not me,” Holliday explained. “It’s really a love song to the land.”

It took Holliday seven years to write the 17 songs on “Crown of the Carolinas.”  All of the tunes laud local natural luster. Some of the titles, like  “Jocasse Jewel” and “Oconee Bells,” leave little doubt to their impetus. Others, like “Peaceful Eastatoe” and “Winter Wildflower,” require some explanation. That’s exactly what the liner notes to “Crown of the Carolinas” does. Holliday even integrated a map marking points of inspiration into the CD’s packaging.

“Most of the songs are about a certain place, but some are about the nature of the area in general,” Holliday said. “I wanted to create something that was more than music – a souvenir. It was quite a production, visually.”

The idea for the song cycle originated during a barely avoided eco-tragedy.

“It was around 1998, when Jocasse Gorge was in danger of being sold and divvied up,” Holliday said. “I was going to put together a compilation album with various artists to raise funds. The state ended up coming through with some money and the land was saved. The urgency was gone, but the idea became the seed for this.”

On “Crown of the Carolinas,” Holliday’s woodsy words are surrounded by dobro, fiddle and fingerstyle guitar.  World-class supporting musicians include members of Dolly Parton’s band, Alison Krauss’ brother, Victor, and producer Bil Vorndick, who’s worked with Bob Dylan.

Holliday knew Vorndick from his stint as a staff writer with a Nashville publishing company. That gig was the antithesis of the casual and unhurried manner of his newest project.

“I would sit in a cubicle and crank out 10 tunes a month,” Holliday said. “It was a great way to learn about the craft. On the other hand, the record companies really under estimate the public and what they can grasp. They just want a hook and some ear candy.”

In contrast to the Music Row machine, some of the songs on Holliday’s new release took over a year to write.

“I tried to stay away from creating something that was commercial or ‘hooky,’” Holliday explained. “If that happened, it was OK. But it wasn’t the driving force.”

The folksy sound on “Crown of the Carolinas” is tinged with bits of bluegrass and an unlikely asset – Hawaiin slack key guitar. Holiday wrote most of the record using the islands’ mysterious guitar tunings. The result is a panoramic glow on tracks like “Peaceful Eastatoe.”

In the late-60s, Holliday got a taste of regional fame as the singer for The Bojax, a garage rock combo that was equal parts Beatles and Stones. The Greenville-based group released four singles for Panther Records, including “Hippie Times.” That single rose to 31 on the local charts, two spots below The Who’s “I Can See for Miles.” An Italian imprint, Misty Lane Records, recently issued a Bojax collection.

“We’ve actually accumulated a following in Europe,” Holliday said. “Which is kind of weird to me.”
Recently Holliday received a $1,000 grant from the South Carolina Arts Council to market his new record. According to Holliday, he plans to use the funds to spruce up his modest website and implement advertising. Holliday may also hire a business consultant to keep his disk from becoming, as he puts it, “another dusty relic in a discount CD bin.”

When asked to name a handful of his favorite songwriters, Holliday hastened to include the team of Lennon/McCartney.

“The synergy of those two was beyond what either one could reach on their own,” Holliday said.

Holliday singled out Mike Reid’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” which was made famous by Bonnie Raitt, as the “perfect marriage of music and words.” Of course, the Easley wordsmith also heaped praise on Bob Dylan.