Austin Chronicle Music Anthology: An Interview with Editors Austin Powell and Doug Freeman

Doug Freeman: It really was one of those things where we ultimately just had to make our decisions and move forward, too. We could have easily gotten lost in selecting and re-selecting material, and I’m not even sure how many versions of the manuscript we went through before we finally forced ourselves to call if final.

AP: At least twelve.

Were there any articles that particularly saddened you to leave out of the book due to space or other restrictions?

DF: There was obviously a lot of stuff that we would have liked to have included, both in terms of the artists and the coverage. I think we’re pretty happy with the compromises we made though, and feel that we struck the right balance.

AP: In my opinion, some of the Chronicle’s strongest music writing has occurred this past decade. That’s a combination of some great freelance writers and a real maturation in style from the Music staff itself. For these past few years especially, there’s a lot more that I would have liked to include. Some examples would be the tribute issues to Clifford Antone and Doug Sahm (in their entirety), Doug’s articles on the Meat Puppets and Walter Hyatt, and the prison diaries of the Fabulous Thunderbirds' Preston Hubbard. Had it been easier to edit down, I would’ve liked to include my article on White Denim, not as an ego-stroke but because they’re a band that people are going to be talking about for decades to come.

Which of the articles included are your favorites and why?

DF: There were so many unexpected gems that we came across, stuff that isn’t even up yet on the Chronicle’s online archive and hasn’t really been read for 20 or 30 years. For me, coming across the article with Peter Buck and Michael Stipe interviewing Roky Erickson was one of those priceless, unexpected pieces. And also just being able to experience those moments when the artists that are today the pillars of Austin music were so young and hungry and their futures so unknown was really special.

AP: That’s definitely one of my favorites as well. There are several instances when there’s this perfect of pairing of the right band, at the right time, and with the right writer. You can really sense that in the features on Stevie Ray Vaughan (Michael Corcoran), W.C. Clark (John T. Davis), Daniel Johnston (Louis Black), Spoon (Raoul Hernandez), Sam Baker (Doug Freeman), Ralph White (Audra Schroeder) and LZ Love (Margaret Moser).

As editors, what was your level of involvement overall in getting the book created and published?

AP: We pitched the idea to both the Chronicle and to UT Press. While we obviously called a lot upon the advice of Raoul [Hernandez], Margaret [Moser], and the other contributors, especially the photographers, the entire curation and editing of the book was our own. We’re really grateful for the level of freedom and support that the Chronicle gave us. UT Press has also been fantastic to work with as well. Our sponsoring editor Allison Faust got the big picture right from the start, and our designer, Lindsay Starr, and marketing manager Colleen Davis have really gone above and beyond.

DF: I feel like it also actually helped us to be able to bring a somewhat objective eye to the project, so that in going back through the archives we could do so without a kind of sentimental or nostalgic attachment to the selections or coverage. We want it to be a kind of “greatest hits” collection, but not shy away from the raw or controversial pieces that Chronicle has been known for either.

Who do you expect to pick up this anthology?

AP: People that visited for South By Southwest and never left. And my family.

DF: Well, obviously we expect this to be in every Austinite’s home. In fact, if you were born in Austin and don’t have a copy of this book, you should probably be ashamed of yourself. And if you moved to Austin from somewhere else, then you definitely need a copy of this book or you’ll never be anything more than a carpetbagger.

Who would you like to pick it up that might not without some prodding?

AP: In all honesty, we do hope that a lot of people from our generation pick it up and find it enlightening or at least engaging. There’s a kind of outside misconception of Austin music as either the Armadillo scene of the Seventies or the Stevie Ray Vaughan blues of the Eighties. And while both of those are certainly integral to Austin’s history, it’s by no means the whole story, and that context is necessary in a way to really understand where we’re at now. The Butthole Surfers, the Big Boys, Glass Eye, Ed Hall, Standing Waves, the list just goes on and on. There are so many great local bands that we want to be sure people know about.

DF: In a sense, we really do want to begin to shift the conversation of what Austin music is about. The history of Austin music in Eighties or Nineties really hasn’t been written yet, and while we don’t necessarily think that the Chronthology is that history, hopefully it is a step towards inspiring that conversation.

Do you recommend reading the book straight through from cover-to-cover, or to choose articles at random?

DF: I think most folks will read pieces at random, but there really is an interesting narrative arc that emerges when taken as whole. I think Adam tapped into this in his review of the book for the Austinist, and it will be interesting to hear other readers’ opinions when the book comes out.

AP: Reading through the entire thing, you really get this interesting sense of how music journalism and criticism has changed over the past 30 years as well. Stylistically, the Chronicle has gone through so many stages, and it’s a fascinating evolution to watch unfold.

Are there future plans for a second volume as the music scene in Austin continues?

DF: Not by us!

AP: Absolutely not, but it would be great if someone decided to do something similar with Chronicle's film, news, or arts coverage.

Any other commentary on the anthology?

AP: We really hope that the Anthology serves as a proper tribute and celebration of all the amazing work that folks have put into the Chronicle over the past 30 years. Even more than that, we hope it spurs some fond memories from all of the music fans that have made this scene and the Chronicle what it is today.

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