ACL Music Fest Interviews

Son Volt

Sunday, 5:30pm, Heineken stage

Today, Andrew Duplantis (left) is splitting time between playing bass for Son Volt and his own solo career – literally. This weekend he's with Jay Farrar and friends at ACL, but he's also releasing his own album, Colorblind (GFY), with his own band, the Unfaithfuls, at Momos on Friday evening. With Son Volt's touring schedule winding down – they're just back from shows in Alaska – Duplantis is glad to be home.

"I'm back in Austin now for a whole month," he happily reports. "I think it's been a year and a half since I've been here for four weeks straight. So I'm getting back to the Austin groove."

As a sideman he's played bass with Alejandro Escovedo, Jon Dee Graham, and the Meat Puppets, and regularly plays with local metal heroes Tia Carrera. With Son Volt being his primary focus of late, we wondered how much input he has into the band's rootsy sound, especially since Farrar is the dominating frontman.

"Jay is the songwriter," Duplantis explains. "He pretty much lays out the songs, and we come in and play them. I do have input, but it's pretty much just what I get to play on the bass. He shares, though. The fact is he's sharing his music. He trusts me as a musician to be true to his vision. He's able to let go in that way. As far as music, you could say I've got a good reputation."

Then, he adds with a grin, "I wish I could say that with all my other reputations."