Born and raised in Wilkesboro, NC, home of MerleFest, Shay Martin Lovette grew up with admiration of the festival’s origins and performers. The combination of setting and the influence of his father, also a songwriter, inspired Lovette to begin writing his own songs in high school. In 2019, Lovette and his backing band won the band competition at MerleFest and were invited to perform a prime time set on Saturday night of the festival with thousands in attendance.
Written mostly from a remote, creekside cabin, Lovette’s new album Scatter and Gather solidifies Lovette’s role as a versatile harmonica-wielding wordsmith, effortlessly drifting between the formulas of folk, indie, and roots music. With song structures, instrumentation, and a vocal delivery that, in its more rootsy moments, brings to mind 70s folk heroes such as Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan (and Jackson Browne in its poppier moments), the album reflects the talents of a songwriter enamored with the craft. A self-described “student of songwriting and stories,” Lovette is as influenced by the written word as he is by songwriters, noting his admiration for Flannery O’Connor, John Cheever, Kurt Vonnegut, and Ron Rash.
Lovette filled us in about his songwriting process, the origins of the album’s title track, and about how he’s slowly but surely checking off the items on his bucket list.
Do you try to make the most of being in a city, or do you prefer to just rest up?
I prefer a bit of both. I love traveling, meeting new people, and soaking in the art and culture that make a city unique but I also believe that I perform better when I’m rested and ready so I aim for a happy medium balance.
Can you tell us about the title track for your new album Scatter & Gather?
At its core, “Scatter & Gather” is about an endless love. The narrator is assuring a lover not to fear the unknowns and to embrace each living moment like it were the last; because it very well could be. When writing this I wanted to capture the feeling of connectedness you can have to someone no matter where they are in the world due to the impact they’ve had on your life and vice a versa. The narrator embraces the mystical point of view that the deepest human connections can not be severed by time and space. In the end, you will find a way to rise above adversity and be together.
Do you start off with the music or lyrics first? Why?
I have written songs starting with music and others starting with lyrics. I don’t believe that one way is better than the other. My process of songwriting is ever changing and I like it that way. Lately, I find that I’ve been starting with a melody and music until it makes me feel something and then I’ll try to translate that feeling to words.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
“Don’t Cry No Tears” by Neil Young. The lyrics of this song poignantly capture the pain and sadness of someone who has gone through a breakup. The narrator is still very much in love with someone who has moved on and is now in love with someone else. “There’s nothing I can say to make him go away, true love ain’t too hard to see.”
All of this anguish and heartache falls in perfectly with the emotionally brash sounds of the electric guitars and hard-hitting drums as Neil’s vocal sails above it all.
Tell us about your favorite show you’ve ever played.
My favorite show has to be the Merlefest Cabin Stage performance in 2019 with my band. We won the band competition that year which happened during the day and culminated in a performance that night between the performances of Keb’ Mo’ and the Sam Bush Ban on the adjacent Watson Stage. I grew up attending Merlefest as a fan so being able to grace the Cabin Stage was definitely a bucket list moment.
Shay Martin Lovette — Official, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify