Exploring Americana by guest blogger Tess Henley
- Tess Henley
- Mar 21
- 4 min read
In today's blog, Tess takes up the challenge of understanding what constitutes the genre of 'Americana', and as with all of her blogs, considers how it relates to one of her favourite hobbies, the classical guitar.
From my perspective it's a well timed blog which I honestly swear I didn't put her up to. My new single, 'Horses' (put out under the name Westingway) is out this week, and, billing myself as an Americana artist it's pretty useful to have somebody unpick what that means for the uninitiated. Anyway, I'll let Tess explain...
Jon
Reading threads and feeds on social media has almost become a part of my daily bread, some I relish, others I unfollow straight away. One called Westingway, with graphics of mustangs, the Appalachian mountain range and a lonesome pine piercing a wide expansive sky took my interest.
Westingway is described as an Americana & Alternative Country Music artist and I found myself asking, where or what is a Westingway, and what is Americana music? A google search came up with 'A residential road in Bognor', which seemed a long way from Nashville or Tennessee.
My only encounter with the word 'Americana' was in Starbucks which, after another google search, was certainly more than just a black coffee. I also thought Americana might have been a type of Latin American dance music but I was wrong again. My ignorance was increasing exponentially but, as I found by the multitude of websites, so is Americana music!
The Americana Music Association, in 2019 came up with the neat definition of Americana as a contemporary music style that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band. It seemed that, as with all roads lead to Rome, all forms of music end up in Americana.
I decided to forget definitions and learn more about the spirit behind 'Americana music'. America is a vast country of expansive landscapes, a chequered history of emigres searching for freedom and a new life, people sadly bound by slavery and indigenous people displaced by an influx of the new. It is no surprise that so many music forms have emerged, cross pollinated and are constantly reworking their roots and identity. So much music can be traced back to the traditional song ballad because everyone from every country has a story to tell about their people and their homeland. Folk music, passed verbally from one generation to the next, was a means of maintaining a cultural identity .
These musical styles and instrumentation were blown by the wind into America where they were shaped by the land, the ranches, the mines, the cotton fields , the great wild west and the Church. Differing musical cultures fused and interacted and this mixing of tunings, instrumentation, words and subject matter created many different genres.
The Woody Guthrie song 'This Land is Your Land ' almost summed up this inclusive musical spirit and freedom of musical expression.
Choosing a favourite example of each musical thread that makes up Americana music is almost impossible as the ocean of songs is wide and deep and changes with age and mood. I guess well known ones would include country, bluegrass, blues and folk.
It seemed to me that Americana music is free spirited, has no geographical boundaries and has crossed the Atlantic and found a home in the UK including Bognor. Americana songs from Bognor or anywhere else, sing of thoughts, hopes, fears, allegorical stories of love and battles lost and won. They paint a picture or film where we all find a little part of ourselves on the screen or canvas.
Plugging Bognor's own Americana artist, I love 'Horses' but will leave the final choice to Westingway!
Well seeing as it's out this week it seems a bit silly for me to turn down an opportunity to share the song with you. - Jon
And, extending it's boundaries even further, a little piece of Americana has seeped into the contemporary classical guitar repertoire. Gary Ryan is a composer, performer, adjudicator and teacher of classical music and his contribution to the promotion and development of the classical guitar is huge.
His interest in music began with the xylophone until he was given a guitar at the age of 7 years old. His gift of a 'good ear' for capturing lyrical folk melodies and inventive reworking of their musical themes and rhythms has produced numerous compositions that stir the imagination of students of all ages.
“Scenes from the Wild West" explores and blends a wide range of techniques used in many vastly different styles of guitar playing and American music. Inference to steel, slide, plectrum, gospel, country & western and can be found in these pieces. I like to think his compositions are a small outgrowth of Americana music and worth a listen.
My favourites are 'Wayfaring Stranger' and Rondo Rodeo so if you are interested to have a taste of Americana classical music then look no further.
Tess Henley.
I'd like to thank Tess again for another excellent blog. The classical world is outside of my wheelhouse, but I'm always interested to read these pieces to understand just how much crossover there is between the various genres and playing styles. Hope you enjoyed it too!
Jon
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