If you’re unfamiliar with the musical genre Appalachian Grunge, you’re not late to the party. In fact, the term was created by Virginia (and Appalachian Mountain) based musician Dori Freeman for her latest release Do You Recall. If you’ve listened to any of Freeman’s first four albums, the thought of her releasing anything grunge should instantly cause your mind to short circuit.
From the first notes of 2016’s debut Dori Freeman, Freeman’s vocals have been as pure and effortless as they come. There are no runs or riffs. Those are completely unnecessary. She relies on the vocal training picked up as a child in her choir. Add in the acoustic guitar she’s been playing since age 15 and it’s quite a leap to Nirvana, Soundgarden, or Pearl Jam.
That’s why Freeman chuckles as she coins the phrase “Appalachian Grunge” to describe the expanding amplified sound found on Do You Recall. Just adding an electric guitar and drums is a seismic shift to the sonic palate Freeman has put forth so far. She hinted at expanding her sound on 2021’s Ten Thousand Roses.
This time around, there’s no doubt. Songs like Good Enough, Why Do I Do This to Myself, and River Runs are the “hardest” songs in Freeman’s short but prolific career. There’s no need for earplugs. Yet. Continually expanding their musical range is a necessity for all musicians. Freeman does it as effortlessly as her vocals in Do You Recall.
Along with her impeccable vocals, Freeman uses each song to paint a perfect picture of life in Appalachia (or any rural area). She artfully captures escapism in Movie Screen and Laundromat. Relationships are well covered in Wrong Direction, Good Enough, and Rid My Mind. She even tackles poverty and greed with Soup Beans Milk & Bread and They Do It’s True.
Slideandbanjo.com caught up with Freeman to discuss her fifth release in the last seven years. She begins by discussing her process for introducing new music to the world.
Freeman- Usually a year or so after I put out an album, I start to think about another one. I’ll have little pieces of songs. They’ll accumulate enough to where I get the feeling it’s time to make another one. I liked the way Ten Thousand Roses turned out and wanted to keep exploring that. Keep this album in the same vein. It continues on the same path Ten Thousand Roses started on.
S&B- You use the album to continue a more amplified approach to several of your songs. You started this harder edge, by your standards, in Ten Thousand Roses. Is there a specific direction you’re trying to go adding these more electric songs?
Freeman- It’s kind of (laughs) grunge. There’s an extra layer of grit on the last couple that wasn’t present on the first few albums. I’ve been playing longer, and the older I get, the less afraid I am to try different things. It was probably the music I was listening to at the time. It’s a natural evolution of the albums I’ve made. You can’t make the same album five times. You can, but it will be boring.
S&B- There’s really a greater maturity on this album. You come from a point of confidence. Probably from having five albums behind you. You tackle several topics on the album. Do you feel a greater confidence in your voice and are more fearless in what topics you approach?
Freeman- My confidence has grown just with natural aging. I’m raising a young daughter and want to be a good example for her. The older I get, the freer I feel about writing about different things. I don’t have the pressure of a label with set ideas on what songs they want me to produce. There are positives to having the backing of a label. In a lot of ways, I’m glad I did things the way I did. It’s kept me from getting boxed in. It’s confidence, getting older, and not worrying about what people think and how they perceive things. Just being honest in my songwriting.
S&B- There are several themes that appear throughout the album. Escapism, motherhood, rural life, and greed to name a few. You paint a very clear picture of the aspects of small town life. Was that deliberate or another example of the growth you’ve found over your career?
Freeman- I don’t know if it was conscious, but the songs feel like a collection of short stories. The album doesn’t have one theme. Each song is its own story. There are two songs I wrote about my experience growing up and living in Appalachia. That was important for me. There’s a song on Ten Thousand Roses called Appalachian. I wanted to explore that more. I wrote about personal relationships, relationships with my husband and my daughter. The perspective of motherhood isn’t super common in music, and I like to write about that. It’s so universal. Everyone has a mother or are mothers. I wrote about a lot of different themes and made an album about it the best I could. Anyone who grew up in a more rural or country area, those songs are relatable in that way.
S&B- Is there a specific process you use when putting an album together. Is it lyrics and then the music or vice versa? How do the songs go from birth to ending up on the album?
Freeman- It’s different each time. Usually, I have a piece of the melody first. I have a lot of voice notes on my phone. In the car or when I’m making dinner. If something pops in my head, I’ll put it on my phone. They don’t always turn into anything. I’ll go back and sort through those and see if I can find pieces to start from. It’s usually melody first. Occasionally it’s lyrics. With Laundromat, I got an email from my dad. It was the first few lines of the song. He was like this is a song I started years ago and never finished it. If you want to finish it go for it. I liked the imagery a lot and was able to finish it.
S&B- As you put the album together, were there any older songs that didn’t make it on the previous releases you wanted to take another stab at? Or was this all fresh material?
Freeman- A song that wasn’t specific for the album was Rid My Mind. I wrote this song five years ago for another band who recorded it. I hadn’t thought about recording my own version. Nick (Falk), my producer and husband suggested we give it a try. I was super happy with how it turned out. So, we put it on the album.
S&B- Speaking of your husband. The two of you took a new approach to recording this album. You recorded the first three albums in New York and the last in Richmond. This time you changed things up to stay close to home.
Freeman- Every album we have done, we didn’t have much time. I’ve had a strict time frame and budget. We have “x” number of days to record all these songs. This is when the musicians can be here. This time we literally made the album in our back yard. My husband built a timber frame studio during the pandemic. He engineered the record. It was a much more relaxing process than I’ve ever had making a record. We could choose the day and choose the song we wanted to work on. If it wasn’t right, we could come back to it a few days later. It was great to have the time to focus on them that way. There’s something to be said for the pressure and having to do it in a certain time frame that can create good work. This was a completely different approach, so it was nice to have the extra time to put a lot of care into the details.
S&B- Looking back, are you able to see an extra synergy from working with your husband in a more relaxed recording situation?
Freeman- Obviously, we already have a great relationship and know each other really well. When you work with someone, well, honestly that can go the other way too. Sometimes it’s not great to work with your spouse. That’s how we met, so it’s always worked for us with music. It adds a level of comfort when you’re working with someone you know that well. That knows your voice and the way you approach things. It was an added layer of comfort which was nice.
S&B- Your entire life has been around music in some form. Your father and grandfather are musicians. It was a little surprising you didn’t pick up a guitar and get more serious about music until you were fifteen.
Freeman- I came to it on the later side. I was always involved in music. I started choir when I was in elementary school and did it all throughout school. I really, really, loved that. It gave me a strong foundation for singing the style of music I do now. Protecting my voice and knowing the proper techniques. All that training is now a subconscious thing. I always was into music in some capacity but didn’t find interest in an instrument until I was 15. I decided I wanted to learn how to play guitar. So, my dad taught me how to play. I didn’t start writing songs until I was in my early twenties. I definitely came to it on the later side.
S&B- That’s really unique because you’re so talented. It’s like, imagine if you started when you were ten? Was there a specific moment or situation where you knew music was the road you were heading down?
Freeman- I still have crippling stage fright. I get so nervous. No matter the venue or audience size. That’s why I took so long to come to performing. My dad mainly teaches music lessons. Fiddle and mandolin. He’d play some gigs. I’d go to a gig with him when I was younger, and he would ask if I wanted to sing a song. It was so difficult to even get through one song. I practiced a lot and built the ability to stand on stage in front of people. Yeah, I get very nervous before every gig.
S&B- Let’s discuss your voice and vocals. Do you ever scream and yell? You have the calmest pace that seems to never change. Even with the more electric songs you’ve been putting out.
Freeman- That goes back to the years I spent in choir properly learning to sing. When I found my voice outside of choir, I don’t know. That’s where I landed. I’m glad it seems chill, because it doesn’t feel that way sometimes.
S&B- What are your plans for getting this music out to your fans?
Freeman- I want to tour and I’m booking for 2024. It’s tricky because I’m in a relationship to a full time touring musician. We have a young daughter. My priority is definitely her. I try to be home as much as I can. I tour enough for the album to be heard. I’ll go out for four days at a time. The hardest part of my career is trying to balance the time I spend at home and on the road. There’s never a perfect way to do it. I’d like to ideally play a little more than I do and one day I will be able to do that. For now, that’s not ideal.
S&B- You certainly have taken a different approach to recording and touring than most musicians.
Freeman- I try to make music as frequently as I can which is why I’ve put out five albums in the last seven years. I feel like I have to put music out more frequently because I don’t tour as much. If you’re a touring musician, you can get a lot of mileage out of an album. I try to write often. I’m already working on songs for the next album. When I finish an album, I have a weird sense of great accomplishment but also a panic of ‘Oh my god I’ll never write another song again. That’s it. That’s all I have.’ Inevitably songs do start to come again. I’ve been writing. Trying to push this album out and get ready for the next one.
S&B- Any hints on the direction you’re headed for the next album. Should we expect more Appalachian Grunge?
Freeman- I’d like to have a completely acoustic album at some point. Mainly me and a guitar. I’m sure I’ll do another one with an electric vibe. I’m not sure it will be the next one. There are a lot if things I want to try.
S&B- Thanks so much for the time, Dori. Best of luck going forward and congratulations on the new album.
Dori Freeman Do Your Recall 2023 Blue Hens Music Calabro Music Media
Photos Kristina Lynn