The “cosmic Southern soul” artist gives C&I readers a first listen to his latest EP, Avalon Ave., out August 16.
For fans of: Langhorne Slim, Otis Redding, and Anderson East.
About the artist: Troubadour Kurt McMahan, a k a King Corduroy, hails from Montgomery, Alabama, and has put in time everywhere from Austin and Los Angeles to Todos Santos (Baja, Mexico) and Nashville and lays down his “cosmic Southern soul” on vocals, guitar, harmonica, and piano. Influences include Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Van Morrison, Leon Russell, Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Ray Charles, the Allman Brothers, Dr. John, and Little Feat.
King Corduroy has played alongside Ed Helms and Dierks Bentley at Bonnaroo and was featured in Tanya Tucker’s “Hard Luck” music video. McMahan takes his talents to new impressive levels on Avalon Ave., available August 16.
About the album: Produced by Jimbo Hart and recorded at the iconic FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Avalon Ave. is an original, brutally honest modern take on Southern soul and American roots music. Along with McMahan’s scintillating lyrics and soul-twangy vocals, the album also features a plethora of notable musicians, including Jason Isbell’s bandmates drummer Chad Gamble and accordion player Derry deBorja, St. Paul & The Broken Bones organist Al Gamble, and Muscle Shoals session regulars guitarist Barry Billings and Wurlitzer/piano player NC Thurman.
About the songwriting: “Avalon Ave. is a collection of storytellin’ songs that are all true stories,” McMahan says. “’The Emerald Triangle Blues’ is written in the first person, but it is from the perspective of a weed grower that I worked for several years ago in Humboldt County. He grew up in the trade and had all these unbelievable stories that he would tell me. I asked him if I could start taking notes to write a song and he obliged. He was one of those cats that would finish every sentence with the question ‘You know what I mean?’ So I just had to put that line in the chorus. There are all these little towns up there that have an entire community thriving off of the grow culture and industry. Everyone was calling it ‘The Green Rush’ because so many outsiders were traveling out to Cali to try and make a buck before it all went legal. There are some amazing people out that way, but there is also a dark underbelly as well. I just gave a shoutout to all the spots where he had referenced settin’ up shop at one time or another. I’m excited for people in that area to hear the tune and I hope that they can close their eyes and see the story as they hear the lyrics.
“’Workin’ for a Livin’ was written from my perspective and is about the time I spent in Southern California in the small town of Perris, where I worked as a trimmer. Perris is in a region known as the Inland Empire and is relatively close to Los Angeles. I was able to make an easy commute by train back to L.A. to play all my regular gigs and continue following my passion. It is very easy to take inventory of your life when you step out into the vast and expansive beauty of nature. I was really able to harness my energy and take stock of my journey while living out that way. Every morning we put on our working gloves and put in the work, but the overall purpose was much larger than the task at hand. We were all working toward facilitating our own individual dreams and aspirations. For me, that meant finding my way back down South to the fine city of Nashville, where opportunities in the music business are much more abundant.
“’The Queen of New Orleans’ tells the story of Norma Wallace, who is said to have invented the lap dance. I heard a story about her on the NPR show Snap Judgment. There is a book about Norma entitled The Last Madame by Chris Wiltz and the author was interviewed. I jotted down some notes while I was listening since it was such an interesting story. Norma ran a brothel on the third floor of a building in the French Quarter, located at 1026 Conti St., during the Prohibition era that served gangsters, politicians, and social elites. She knew all of her clientele’s dirty laundry, and, therefore, could utilize all of their connections. In 1936 Norma was able to help the FBI nab Alvin Carpus (Public Enemy No. 1) and send him to Alcatraz, which solidified her invincibility. It was said that President Hoover extended her a pardon for her cooperation. In the end, Norma took her own life because she was unable to find love — a true Southern tragedy.
Why we like it: Stylishly swampy and naturally cool, King Corduroy proves his bona fides as the “Cosmic Troubadour of Southern Soul” on Avalon Ave.
For more information on King Corduroy, visit his website.