This in-depth, web-exclusive interview was conducted by Merlin David, publisher of M Music & Musicians magazine, and released in February 2017. Its appearance during Black History month is especially apt since it highlights Austin’s song and video Miss Ola (The Mississippi Giver), about the African-American washerwoman Oseola McCarty, who donated the bulk of her very substantial life savings to provide scholarships at her hometown university.
The interview covers a wide range of topics — Austin’s songwriting technique, his work with collaborators over the years, and the varied sources of his inspiration. Even Austin’s long-time fans will likely discover a thing or two they didn’t know, such as the way his song Pawn Shop Guitar was influenced by Steve Earle, or how he first heard Townes Van Zandt’s Pancho & Lefty while the two were driving around in a “small blue bug”.
Enjoy the interview!
M Music & Musicians magazine was founded in 2009, and has covered top performers across the musical spectrum, from rock, pop and hip-hop to R&B, country, folk and jazz. From the website:
M Music & Musicians is a celebration of music and the people who make it, from instrumentalists and vocalists to producers and other technical wizards who make our favorite sounds a reality. M aims to entertain and enlighten professional musicians onstage and in the studio, amateur musicians playing for the joy of it and passionate fans eager to learn how their favorite music is made.