On his 43rd album, prolific Georgia-based folk musician takes a big leap

After 50+ years making music, John McCutcheon is just enjoying the ride.
John McCutcheon will play Eddie's Attic on Feb. 3.

Credit: Irene Young

Credit: Irene Young

John McCutcheon will play Eddie's Attic on Feb. 3.

While most of us were baking bread or pursuing comfortable hobbies during the pandemic, John McCutcheon was busy writing songs. Upon returning home from an Australian tour in March of 2020, the singer-songwriter self-quarantined at his rustic cabin in Cherry Log in the North Georgia mountains.

A promotional photograph of singer-songwriter John McCutcheon, pictured here with his dog Maybelle. 
Courtesy of Eric Peterson.

Credit: Eric Peterson

icon to expand image

Credit: Eric Peterson

“I took my dog and we quarantined for about three weeks,” explains the multi-instrumentalist. “There’s a great little community up there. Cherry Log is one of those places, that by the time you hit Canton or Jasper, you can feel the pressure just melt away as you arrive. I was relieved of the stress of tour preparation. I didn’t have to go to the airport every weekend, but the one thing I could do was write.”

And that’s exactly what he did. To date, an impressive 54 of those songs have been issued, beginning with 2020′s “Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine” and “Bucket List” in 2021. His latest, “Leap!,” released this past September, jumps into the catalog as his 43rd release during a 50-plus-year career.

“But none of them are about the pandemic, they’re songs because of the pandemic,” McCutcheon continues. “One of the things that time did was remind me how much I really like to be at home, either here at Smoke Rise or up at the cabin. At 70 years old, I don’t have to be doing 100 gigs a year anymore.” This weekend, he’s playing a self-described “hometown tour” that brings him to Eddie’s Attic on Friday, a benefit in Cherry Log on Saturday and Athens on Sunday.

As his touring schedule has decreased a bit, his productivity level has dramatically increased. “It feels like writing is my primary job now,” he says. “At different points in my life, I’ve turned to writing as a way to investigate the moment, wherever I was at the time. I did a tour in the Soviet Union in the early ‘90s and I wrote the whole time, just to see what would come out. I think this is a continuation of my exploration.”

A promotional photograph of singer-songwriter John McCutcheon, pictured here with one of his banjos. 
Courtesy of Irene Young.

Credit: Irene Young.

icon to expand image

Credit: Irene Young.

But how does any musician turn out an incredible 43 full-length albums of good material? He says discipline is key. “When I do songwriting workshops, the number one rule I stress is ‘ass in chair.’ I just took my own advice, sat down and wrote.”

“Art is not about control,” he continues, obviously warming to the topic. “It’s about abandon. I just found that place to let go. I would start a line and not even know where it was going. A character might suddenly turn left when I’d intended them to turn right. I’d say, ‘Well then, let’s see what’s down this road.’ That’s how it works.”

McCutcheon reveals that he also has another full album of material ready to go as well as a hefty batch of co-writes with several of his likeminded friends — including legendary folk artist Tom Paxton. “I guess it’s a wonderful problem to have,” he laughs. “Maybe I’ll be like Prince and start a vault! I record in D.C., but if I had my own studio here, I’d probably work in it every day like Vince Gill or some of the Nashville folks.”

Born in Wisconsin and schooled in the folk arts throughout Appalachia, McCutcheon once considered Nashville as a possible home. But he settled in the metro Atlanta area 17 years ago to be near his partner, prominent author and storyteller Carmen Deedy. “I fell in love,” he says. “Not only with Carmen but the perks of the area and the Georgia music scene.”

“It was the first time in my life I’d ever lived in a town with a baseball team or a world-class symphony. It was nice not to be sitting in baggage claim in Topeka or somewhere, wondering if my guitar had made the connection. There’s a fraternal and friendly music scene here; it’s so cooperative and diverse. People want to create together, no matter the genre. ‘Oh, you’re a hip-hop musician and I’m a folk musician? OK, let’s go!’”

Despite his divergent writing explorations, McCutcheon’s vision is firmly dedicated to his listeners. “I’m basically a utilitarian songwriter because I’m writing with the audience in mind. Hoping they’ll get what I’m trying to say or at least adding their own meaning to it — which happens a lot.”

The songs “become living documents, carriers of ideas.” For songwriting advice, McCutcheon insists all you need to do is just “sit down and get out of the way. The song will come alive in the moment.” The next step is to play it live for an audience. “If they go, ‘huh?’ you’ll know you’ve got to work on it some more.”

For McCutcheon, presenting his folk songs to appreciative live audiences is a vital part of the storytelling tradition. “I’m not just singing my diary or rehashing love songs, I’m plugging into stories from the ether of the zeitgeist, thinking, ‘Yeah, this one deserves to be told, again and again.’ So rather than sacrificing it to the 24-hour news cycle to disappear forever, it becomes a bit of aural literature.”

Though he may not be a household name to the masses, the entertainer has a hardcore legion of fans who sustain his vocation. “I’ve been doing this for a while now, as you know. I’ve lived my entire adult life without having to seek other gainful employment. I guess that’s major success, in and of itself. A bonus is, I get to keep doing it while almost all my friends are retired. It’s just part of taking that leap.”

The leap, as referenced in the album title, is from “The Ride,” the first track on the new record. It’s also McCutcheon’s not-so-subtle philosophy of life. “When you jump into something, you take a leap of faith,” he says. “Rather than scream all the way down, maybe you should just enjoy the ride.”


CONCERT PREVIEW

John McCutcheon

7 p.m. Feb. 3. $28-$32. Eddie’s Attic, 515 B N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976, eddiesattic.com.