Interview by NOTES FROM VIVACE
– LOS ANGELES – Charlie Overbey may live in New Mexico these days, but he has been a defining figure in the Los Angeles music scene. He’s even been referred to in the press as “an LA cult figure,” but as his interview with US Rocker indicates, he’s much more than that. His latest album is In Good Company. His record release party is this Sunday at The Echo.
USR: Your album In Good Company is coming out on July 26th. When fans listen to the album, what are you hoping they take away from the songs?
Charlie Overbey: I think a good song should make us feel, regardless of the emotion or emotions taken away from it. We all write the occasional mindless fluff tune, although with In Good Company I wanted to deliver the entire roller coaster of life from the party to the funeral so to speak. I hope this record delivers just that for each individual listener.
USR: You’ve toured with acts such as Blackberry Smoke, David Allan Coe, Foo Fighters, and Motorhead. Do you have an interesting story or two you can share about those tours – a story that won’t get you in trouble, of course?
Charlie Overbey: The best-of tour stories get buried intentionally and only brought up in the same reminiscing circles. I think most people make up bullshit stories to appease the fans, but the best stories truly worth sharing are generally stories where somebody would be pissed if shared in print. A couple of highlights: We were playing The Fillmore with Blackberry Smoke, Lemmy telling me after a set one night that I was “the punk rock spy in the house of honky tonk,” and David Allen Coe telling me I wrote a song that he should have written. That was a pretty validating moment as a writer and a huge fan of his songwriting.
USR: I remember reading that your daughter played violin on your song “Ode to John Prine.” How does it feel having your daughter join you on your music? Does she ever assist with crafting songs?
Charlie Overbey: It’s an incredible feeling to be introducing the band and looking over to my right to introduce my 18 year old daughter. I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced a more proud moment, honestly, than watching her play Carnegie Hall last year at 17. And yes at just 14 she got to play on my track “Ode To John Prine” with members of Rolling Stones,Tom Petty, and Foo Fighters along with my pal Jimmy Vivino, and the mind blowing homie LP. That was a grandstand, “above the fold” highlight for me and I’m certain for her.
From as early as less than a year old she’s always been in the studio with me and others, and having experiences like getting her first chocolate chip cookie ever from Alice Cooper while he was tracking in 2006. She was lucky like that, but she knows the struggle and lack of a silver spoon as well, because she’s watched my struggling career climb for 18 years now.
In 2017, at the age of 11, while we were tracking the song “Echo Park” for the Broken Arrow LP she said “Dad, I have a great melody idea on the piano.” We took it with a grain of salt, humored her, fired up the mic on the piano, and sent her out into the tracking room . . . she said “when I raise my hand hit record!” She did, we did, and that little piano part is one of the highlights of the melody of the song. To this day, she plays live on violin along with the piano.
Katie Overbey is a natural and writes her own incredible, extremely heartfelt songs at just 18. Sometimes I get lucky and she still appears live with her old man.
USR: I’m sure you’ve read about the current popularity of Americana-Country in the local Los Angeles music scene. What are your thoughts on the topic? And do you have any favorite bands or musicians from the local scene?
Charlie Overbey: It’s been growing for years, and being born and raised in LA, I’ve watched it grow immensely from the days of when I was in the cowpunk band, Custom Made Scare, wearing just about the only cowboy hat in town. I think it managed to stay somewhat low-key and cool with small go-tos such as The Grand Ole Echo, at least up until I left for New Mexico in 2021.
Country music, or at least the apparel, has become a bit of a campy fashion trend. As long as people are having a good time, I back it! I’m glad there is a home in LA for Americana-Country, but on the flip side – when trends get too hot . . . they change, which I’m honestly ready for. The “look at me in my traditional George Strait Stetson“ has gotten a little outta hand.
As far as local California acts, I like Lasers Lasers Birmingham, my buddy Kapali Long is doing pretty well I think, Manda Mosher is always good to hear singing, Ted Z & The Wranglers are killer and, of course, Ted Russell Kamp is always great to see if I can catch him in LA but he’s mostly an international act these days. I always feel lucky and blessed to have been born and raised in Southern California. There is no place like it!
USR: I know that you are involved in the world of fashion with your Lone Hawk Hats. What got you interested in designing hats? And what would you like your music fans to know about this venture?
Charlie Overbey: Well, I think fashion is kinda gross, honestly, but I started doing hats back in ‘91 while rocking the Sunset Strip in Big Bang Babies, which I used to be a bit embarrassed to talk about, but every day I get older, I get a little wiser and I know I was damn lucky to have been there for all of that magic. Still, to this day, I hand-make hats out of the best old beaver shells on the planet and my lids ain’t cheap, but they say they’re the best. I do hats for everyone from Blackberry Smoke to Beyonce to the show 1883, and I am currently doing season two of 1923 with Harrison Ford. We were also lucky enough to find a pandemic silver lining and raise over $100K for Navajo Nation COVID Relief with a bunch of the Lone Hawk celebrity family and enthusiasts, which was extremely soul-rewarding. There is a Lone Hawk Hats brick n mortar in Highland Park, LA on York Blvd combined with sister store Honeywood Vintage and the same basic shop in Madrid, New Mexico.
Charlie Overbey’s record release party will be held at The Echo on July 28th (Sunday), hosted by the Grand Ole Echo. Get tickets to see Charlie Overbey here.
Listen to Charlie Overbey’s ‘In Good Company’ here:
