Scherler Sundays 3: Michael Hurley, James Maeda
Still from video by Andrew Ebright
Note: this episode is edited for time, but if you become a supporter on patreon.com/lowprofile you can hear the entire show.
Musical storyteller Michael Hurley made his debut on Folkways records way back in 1964 and shows no signs of slowing down because there’s always another story to tell. His songs have been covered by The Violent Femmes, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo and previous Low Profile guests Eugene Chadbourne and the Holy Modal Rounders. Michael’s performances are few and far between these days, and interviews with him are even more rare. Without him American music would not be the same, and it was an honor to welcome this living legend to the stage.
James Maeda is a mutual friend of mine and Michael’s, and the two of them are planning to start a new band and make a new record any day now. Madea’s songwriting is spot-on: feels like you know it by the time it’s done, and it really sticks. According to James, none of these songs have ever been recorded or released before this episode, so that’s an exclusive to the max. Most music fans in Olympia probably know James Maeda from our vinyl mecca Rainy Day Records where he obsessively curates a treasure trove of 45RPM singles, or his occasional DJ sets as Wildman James, spinning underground garage rock gems most people have never heard. He’s also a founding member of the group Spider and the Webs, along with his wife Sara Pete and Bikini Kill’s Tobi Vail. But Wildman James is also a gifted songwriter, with leanings toward early rock and country music, echoing the lonesome twang of artists like Townes Van Zandt, Billie Joe Shaver and Hasil Atkins.
Regrettably, though somewhat predictably, I found myself with my first positive test for COVID-19 a few days before this eagerly anticipated show and could not attend. I hadn’t heard these remarkable performances until the weekend of this episode’s release, and I can say you’re in for a real treat. The noble Jack Habegger returns as guest host on my behalf, thankfully, and makes it all work.
This episode was engineered by Miles Rozatti in front of a live audience behind the historic Carnegie Library in downtown Olympia, WA on July 3, 2022.
Scherler Sundays is a collaborative effert by Low Profile and Three Magnets Brewing Company.