“The last thing I wanted to do was be a cow at the auction block for everybody to bid on.”
This was folk n’ country viral sensation Oliver Anthony at a small press conference on Music Row in Nashville back in April speaking on his desire — or lack thereof — to sign to a major record label after the chart-topping success of his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” last summer. He allegedly received many an offer for lots of money, but turned them all down. He discussed his disdain for ivory tower types, the disingenuous nature of big time labels, and their notorious track record of ripping artists off. “I’d rather not have a career than feed those people,” he proclaimed.
“Rich Men North of Richmond” was released completely independently, and debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making Anthony the first artist to achieve this without any prior charting history, hence the onslaught of interested industry vultures.
Anthony went on to explain that even if his career ended today, he’d still be content and grateful for everything he’s endured since his supremely rare overnight success. He apologized for getting a bit emotional when asked how he navigated such a journey as someone who is as salt of the earth and unsuspecting as they come. “Even just to experience what I experienced in August and September, even if that’s all I got out of it, I’d be good with it,” he stated. “I could just go back to what I was doing before.”
And what he was doing before was working for an old fashioned ma and pa company in his native Farmville, Virginia, which is actually the reason he chose the stage name Oliver Anthony over his real first name, Christopher. (Christopher Anthony Lunsford is his real name) “They were older and real funny about pot,” he said. “The first song I put out was ‘Ain’t Got a Dollar,’ which talks about hanging out and passing the bowl around. And if they would’ve heard it, I’d be out of a job. So I used my grandpa’s name as an alias,” he admitted.
While “Rich Men North of Richmond” topped the charts for weeks at a time, it was naturally a lightning rod for praise and criticism alike, with all walks of life (especially conservatives) using it as an American rallying cry, while others saw it as Anthony missing the mark, like actor Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute on The Office.
“I still feel like I haven’t gotten the respect I was hoping for, because my favorite Office character didn’t like the song,” he said with a laugh about the tweet. (which was met with a barrage of comments in support of Anthony)
Love him, hate him, or feel indifferent, the bottom line is he is just a guy with a guitar and a voice, and he’s entitled to that. He just happened to make it in front of your eyes and ears. And if his lyrics trigger you, you might need to take a look around and pick your battles more efficiently. And with the overwhelmingly superficial, AI-oriented music society we slip further into, his genuine human nature is a breath of fresh air.
Speaking on his human nature, another topic he broached was stage fright, and being no such glutton for the limelight. And this past March he performed at the Houston Rodeo, playing in front of 70,000 people. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do that show. My knees were buckling going out on stage. It felt like I was jumping out of a plane without a parachute,” he said. He spoke on the common feeling of dread some artists including himself feel moments before stepping foot on stage, but once in the swing of it, those feelings tend to melt away.
He also spoke to his connection with fans, as he claimed to making it a point to stick around after shows to chat with them, which for him, makes it feel like he’s playing for friends or family. “I try to meet as many people as I can. It makes it less terrifying,” he said in regards to the stage fright that would engulf him pre-show.
Anthony put out his debut full-length album, Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind, this past March, which was produced by Dave Cobb in an old repurposed church in Savannah, Georgia. He spoke about Cobb’s plight to not worry so much about quality so much as “purity.”
“They were just songs that were written in the moment,” he shared. “They’re very real. I was using those songs in the same way some people might journal their thoughts. The whole album’s supposed to kind of tell the story from maybe 10 years ago until everything blew up.”
In talking about how his songs manage to connect with those not just in The States, Anthony chuckled while relaying a story of playing his (very serious) song “I’ve Got to Get Sober” to a crowd in Sweden, when he noticed a guy down in the front with a beer in his hand “crying like a baby singing the song.” Switching gears and speaking in earnest, he continued, “We’re all a lot different culturally, but we’re all running on the same operating system. We’re a lot more similar than we like to admit.” Ironically, he also admitted that his best selling merch is his “I’ve Got to Get Sober” beer koozies.
It’s also the song that Anthony admitted to being the most special to him on the new album. “[‘I’ve Got to Get Sober’] is the best song that I’ll ever write. It’s the one that touches me the most. I was struggling trying to get sober when I wrote the song,” he confessed.
Reverting back to the business side of things to which he was thrust upon to learn quickly, he discussed the tightrope walk that is music maintaining its soul and magic, and not being strictly a commodity to line pockets. It’s indeed a double-edged sword, as money needs to be produced and exchanged, but it’s about being careful not to lose sight of what’s most important throughout, and that’s the quality and effect of the music itself to inspire and help fill the void in people’s lives. “We have to have freedom in music. It just can’t be so algorithmic in the way its produced and released. Part of our existence is contingent upon us having music,” he proclaimed.
He went on further stating, “Everybody’s so worried about making money, but nobody’s worried about time. And time is the most valuable thing we have, because we don’t know how much we have. Every one of us in this room will be dead before you know it. Not to sound grim,” he said with another hearty chuckle. He talked about hoping his album acts as a time capsule, and something people will resonate with long after he’s gone. “What I really hope is 60 years from now maybe somebody who listens can feel the same way about it that people at my shows feel about it today.”
Overall, Anthony spoke with a lot of inherent inspiration, deliberately speaking his truths as if he did not know any other way. Aside from the stage fright, he spoke of the general crippling fear and anxiety that comes with pursuing a life and career as a songwriter and performer. Especially considering it’s an incredibly low percentage of those that can live off of such a lifestyle individually let alone as someone with a wife and three kids such as himself. “I did choose the path of fear for a long time,” he said. It was the persistent pestering of those in his inner circle that heard him play that gave him the fuel to forge forward. And speaking on his devotion to his family, he also discussed taking his family not just on tour, but around the world to witness the beauty of new places together.
Whether it was seen as the next great folk anthem of America or a poorly executed political song that didn’t please every brittle ear it landed on, the fact remains: he’s an imperfect human being like the rest of us, expressing his earnest feelings through song. One size does not fit all. He is a guy writing and singing his peace, and for the most part, doing it decidedly and with passion. And after hearing him talk and chatting with him one on one, it’s abundantly clear he’s a real one. A down to earth, kind, family-oriented guy who happens to have a way with words, a strong voice, and a means to put it all together. He is no leech for fame, money, clout, etc. like so many others in music and media today, so for that alone, he earns this writer’s respect.
For all the critics that nitpick him or any other genuine artist, I implore you to write a perfect song. Or a better song. Or any song. Any way you spin it, Oliver Anthony’s music undoubtedly has had and continues to have a profound effect on listeners all over the globe, and his salt of the earth demeanor and lottery-like fame only helps his case.
Featured photo by Chris Hollo
