Cherie Call is a singer-songwriter and a member of the great Americana supergroup, The Lower Lights. It’s that time of year again when The Lower Lights begin their residency of holiday concerts at Kingsbury Hall on the campus of the University of Utah. Ticket information for these concerts and Cherie’s upcoming solo show will be provided at the end of this interview.
I had the opportunity to visit with Cherie earlier this week. We talked about how she got started in music, the origins of The Lower Lights, and how they figure out all the songs and solos they’ll be doing with such a large band. Enjoy!
Interviewed by Kevin Rolfe
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Utah Concert Review: Big week! We’re finally here. How are rehearsals going? How are things coming along?
Cherie Call: They’ve been going great. We’ve had several rehearsals. We have another one tonight and we’re just, we’re ready to go. We’ve added a couple of new things and plan to do lots of everybody’s favorites too. It’s always so great to see everybody again. Uh, you know, when we all get together. So it’s fun.
UCR: So how do you decide what songs go on the setlist? You have so many great songs to choose from and there are so many talented musicians and vocalists. It seems daunting to try to put together a setlist. But you guys always do such a good job of it.
Cherie Call: I think it’s just as you were talking about. We’ll get to our first rehearsal, and we sit and look at our set list from last year, from night to night. We change them a tiny bit, but usually they’re a lot the same. And we do listen to a little bit of feedback from people, about the ones that they like a lot, of course. Then there are the ones that we enjoy playing. With new things, a lot of times someone will just kind of bring something. Paul has all kinds of great ideas for new things to try a lot of time. Things for the first um rehearsal or two and if they work, then we run with it and we make it better and if it’s not really working, then we maybe decide that we’ll try it another year or not worry about it. We have one or two new things that will be fun. But we take it all into account what we like playing, what people like, and what new things we can add.
UCR: As I mentioned this band has so much talent. And so many great vocalists. Is there a process that the band goes through to decide who gets what solo and how many solos each vocalist gets? It seems pretty well divvied up. That doesn’t seem easy.
Cherie Call: I think one of the reasons why our band has lasted as long as it has is that there’s not really a lot of big feelings or fighting about how many solos each person gets. At least not that I have been super aware of. I do think that, like Brian Hardy does a lot to put together the set list and I don’t think he’d ever wanna make it so one person does all of the solos or anything like that. I think it’s something that we keep track of. But I can’t remember any time when anyone has been really demanding or bent out of shape about that.
UCR: You’ve been with The Lower Lights from the beginning. How did it all start? And how did you get involved initially?
Cherie Call: There were a few people who started it. I wasn’t one of the main instigators but I was at some of the first sessions that they had. Pat and Paul and Scott and Sarah and Brian, I think I have those names right. And Ryan Tanner, of course. Um. There was just a handful that they had talked about wanting to record some hymns in a unique way and some other gospel songs. Scott being a studio owner, just started calling all the people who he thought would be fun to have come and sing on it for a few days. I don’t think we ever planned on becoming an official band. It was just a project to start with. And then it just turned out so well and we had so much fun with it that we started doing a few shows.
We started kind of gaining a following and ended up needing to become a band, which we’ve all loved. The band has changed a little bit over time. There’s a handful of us who’ve been there from the beginning. Some people who maybe came to one session or have only been to one or two sessions. But it’s just kind of been this thing that’s evolved over time with a little bit of a core foundation of people who’ve been there and then also people who’ve been here for quite a while. Even if they weren’t there in the beginning. Like Marie Bradshaw, some of these other people who have been with us now for so long.
UCR: It’s such a cool thing. I just don’t know if I’ve ever heard of that kind of collaboration that then becomes this tradition in people’s lives. I’m sure you see people multiple nights.
Cherie Call: We love that so much.
UCR: How did music start for you? Did you take piano or voice lessons as a kid and then it just took?
Cherie Call: I’ve loved singing probably as long as I could talk. I’ve always loved music. I started trying to write songs when I was just really little on the piano and stuff. It’s just something I’ve always loved. I took piano lessons and singing lessons, but I didn’t really pick up the guitar until I was in college. That’s when everything really kind of made so much more sense with my style and everything else playing guitar. It was back in the nineties, I’m showing my age here. But I think for a long time I thought that only boys could play the guitar. I listened to my brother play and I loved it. I didn’t really give it a try until I was in college and now I feel much more comfortable playing the guitar than piano.
I’ve loved so much being a part of the Utah music community. I think we have some of the best musicians in the world really. I love the sense of community and the kindness. I feel like I just love being a part of this music scene in Utah. Just over so many years that I’ve been recording and performing, it’s just been my favorite to do things here.
UCR: When did you start releasing your own music? How did things start happening for you as a performer and songwriter?
Cherie Call: I teamed up for my first album with some of my classmates as a BYU student. Then I scraped my pennies and put together an indie album that got picked up by a distributor. I did a couple more indie projects and I’ve done a few with labels. I got picked up by Desert Book for a few albums even since then some more indie projects that I funded with Kickstarter.
I’ve done all, almost, almost all of my projects at Scott’s studio (June Audio). You can hear a lot of the band. Especially on my album, Grace that came right before we started The Lower Lights. It’s almost The Lower Lights playing my songs. That’s probably why I was on their radar when they were calling people to come in and record for those sessions. I’ve, I’ve recorded 10 albums. A mixture of indie and label. Over the years, that’s what I’ve done. I also teach songwriting at Snow College, which I love.
UCR: Oh, awesome!
Cherie Call: I did one album with my friend Lindy Butler. That was a children’s album. I love the collaboration and all the things about working with Utah musicians. It’s been great.
UCR: Do you have a favorite band or artist that you love seeing in concert?
Cherie Call: One of my favorite concerts of all time was actually at Kingsbury Hall where we’re doing our shows. That was to see Alison Kraus and Union Station. I went all by myself. I was still single and I couldn’t think of anybody to go with. But I didn’t want to go with somebody who didn’t like her as much as I did. And so I just bought myself a ticket and went to that show. I was in the balcony because I was in the cheap seats. And I sat right by this old man who had also gotten a single ticket and we both had started crying during the show and we’re looking at each other, like this is so good. That was probably one of my favorites. I’ve loved seeing The Indigo Girls. I’ve seen them multiple times. I’m a huge fan of them.
UCR: I appreciate that. I feel the same way. I’d rather go to a concert by myself than just have someone there to have someone if they’re not gonna appreciate it like I do. And that’s a great call with Alison Krauss because her shows are incredible. Thank you so much for taking the time. I enjoyed talking with you. Can’t wait for Wednesday night!
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The Lower Lights will be performing their Christmas concerts at Kingsbury Hall on December 11, 13, and 14th. For more information or to purchase tickets go to thelowerlights.com.
Cherie Call will be performing a solo concert, We Wish You The Cheriest, the Cheriest!, on December 18th at Sego Lily Church, formerly the Fellowship in Sandy, Utah. She’ll be backed by Tyler Castleton and fellow member of The Lower Lights, Colin Botts. You can get your tickets here.