Carrie Rodriguez offers an abject apology for tumbling out of bed just before noon to answer the phone. A cup of coffee and some yogurt will ease her into the day, one of the few free ones left before she heads out to begin promoting her first solo CD, Seven Angels on a Bicycle (Back Porch/Train Wreck). This will bring her and husband Javier Vercher, drummer for her band, home to Austin for a CD release show and a week or so of rest and relaxation with her family.
For the last few years, Rodriguez and Chip Taylor have thrown their fortunes together with winning results. The duo’s albums reap high praise, and constant touring has provided them with a high musical profile. Yet while Taylor’s veteran songwriter status (“Wild Thing”) is his titanium calling card, Rodriguez was a virtual unknown before they teamed. When both pursued solo projects, Rodriguez found herself the novice once again. Seven Angels also carried heavy emotional baggage.
“A year ago, one of my best friends from Austin, Andy Morgan, was killed here,” Rodriguez explains. “I’d known him since I was 2. He was riding his bike to work in Manhattan, and a delivery truck didn’t turn on its signal so ...” Her voice trails off, but she clears her throat and continues: “I was working on the album at the time, but it became secondary while [Morgan’s death] became a huge influence. I was grieving. The album was an outlet for it, and I felt a deep spirit as we were playing the songs.”
As the conversation winds down, Rodriguez talks about her plans for the day, including a trip to Manny’s Music to buy strings for her new Mandobird, a Thunderbird basslike instrument tuned like a mandolin. Then there are the daily routines and preparations for her return to Austin. After that cup of coffee, of course. – Margaret Moser
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