For many, there is an interesting and unspoken misconception that has seemingly come to dictate what makes a great Americana song. What I’m speaking about is the idea that how sad a song is ultimately equates to how good it is. Certainly, the themes of heartbreak, struggle, and the whole gamut of difficult human experiences have been featured heavily throughout the histories of all of the various roots genres which now comprise the Americana moniker. However, these themes only tell half of the story; for alongside them have always been songs of hope, humor, and joy. It is a genre built on the full emotional spectrum, not just the sad parts.
A beautiful reminder of this fact came to me in the form of Zach & Maggie’s SCENES Live Sessions performance from last December. It was, in a word, delightful. The video opens on the Nashville based duo, smiling with instruments in hand, standing in front of a Christmas tree—which has a top hat instead of a star. After introducing themselves, Zach immediately rips into a brisk, intricate finger picked guitar line as Maggie bobs her head playfully awaiting her entrance on fiddle. It is an original tune called “Western Wind,” and their instrumental adeptness is on full and immediate display. Zach sings lead in a smooth, country baritone as he tells the story of a rancher caught between his duty on the Texas plains and his desire to return to his love waiting for him in Abilene. It is a classic song of longing, but the effect is not one of sadness; rather, it is of a sort of peace that comes from having love’s safe harbor to return to—even if it’s just in one’s mind. It’s hard not to think of Glen Campbell’s version of “Gentle on My Mind”—a John Hartford penned tune—both in its romantic, lyrical wistfulness and its toe tapping, yet still calming, arrangement. It’s equally hard not to smile right along.
The second tune “Happy Goat Lucky” is an instrumental written by Maggie in which she shows off her own remarkable instrumental abilities on the fiddle led barn-burner. Zach accompanies her in a percussive, Bluegrass acoustic guitar style. The tune is reminiscent of the traditional Irish fiddle reels, and more specifically conjures The Goat Rodeo Sessions—a 2011 album by Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan, and Edgar Meyer; with the obvious sonic similarities, one wonders if the goat referenced in the title is a nod to this project. Admittedly, to follow in those footsteps—whether intentional or not—is not an easy feat, yet Zach and Maggie seemingly do it with ease. Again, the tune is lilting, gorgeous, and joyous in its delivery; again, you can’t help but smile.
Before beginning their third tune, Maggie switches to a mandolin and playfully points out that they would be continuing with the animal theme as the next tune is entitled “Elephant in the Room.” Though Zach wrote this song, Maggie takes the lead vocals. The sauntering, Western swing arrangement, matches perfectly with one’s mental picture of the titular animal walking, and it tells the story of a clumsy narrator coming to terms with feeling out of place in a sophisticated social gathering, as she commits a comedy of errors. Comedy is the correct word for it, because paired with the jazzy harmonic progression which feels befitting of phonograph wax is the type of clever wordplay one might find in a Shel Silverstein poem. “I tried to grab myself a drink. I spilled it on a lady’s mink. While they were cleaning up her garments made of pricey little varmints, I spilled a glass I filled with something pink.” Overall, a story that could easily be framed as a sad exploration into a self-conscious wallflower is instead a genuinely funny and infectious caricature—a tongue in cheek reminder to not take oneself so seriously.
Charmingly, before starting their final song, Zach & Maggie make it clear that they don’t take themselves too seriously. In explaining where we can continue to follow them and find their music—which I highly recommend you do here–they clarify that it is “Zach with an H and Maggie with an M.” Obviously the pair is having fun, and it is infectious. Their last tune, “Caesar Said to Brutus” features a bouncing, intricate musical interplay between the guitar and mandolin, reminiscent of Paul Simon’s classic “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard.” Once again displaying a masterful cleverness, the song explores the hilarious irony in sociopolitical division citing examples such as the head of the Anarchist party needing to collect dues, strategize, and organize in order to abolish organization and government. Meanwhile, the pair trades off in tasteful musical interludes again bringing to mind Chris Thile and Nickel Creek.
All in all, Zach and Maggie’s performance is just plain fun. It is unapologetically playful, clever, and upbeat. There is no doubt that their talents run deep, each exceptionally gifted on their instruments and in their voices; further, there is no question that they are firmly rooted in the Americana tradition. In other words, though there is absolutely nothing wrong with a heavy, heartbreaking folk song, it is not the only approach to creating something within the genre that is emotionally impacting, substantial, and well-crafted. Zach and Maggie prove that again and again. They lay bare their humanity in a way that is distinctly authentic, while still doing it with smiles on their faces. It is refreshing, infectious, and a much needed reminder that joy and humor are just as integral to the human experience as the weighty seriousness that we as music lovers—and as people—can easily get caught up in.
