Dave Alvin calls his current band, Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women, "one of the most amazing bands" he's ever worked with. Yet, the circumstances of the group have been bookended by tragedies.

"It's been kind of a rough week," says Alvin on Oct. 7.

Alvin is a music veteran. He first found national fame with his punk-rockabilly band The Blasters, later became a member of X and the Knitters, and then became one of Americana music's most respected singer songwriters. His best friend, and sometimes bandmate, was Chris Gaffney of the Hacienda Brothers. Gaffney died of liver cancer in April, 1978.

"We'd been best friends for 20 years," says Alvin. "We got each other's jokes and all that. When he passed away I was depressed and decided I needed to do something different."

The promoters of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival called Alvin a week after Gaffney died and asked him if he'd like to peform with a type of group he'd never performed with before. On a whim, Alvin said "All woman band."

"Within about an hour I had the band put together," says Alvin.

The group was made up of steel gutiar great Cindy Cashdollar, Nina Gerber (guitar), Laurie Lewis (fiddle), Sarah Brown (bass), Amy Farris (fiddle), Christy McWilson (vocals) and Lisa Pankrantz (drums). And after the 2008 debut the group recorded an album and went on tour.

On the last week of September, the group was a week away from celebrating its first year as a unit with a return performance at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival when Amy Farris was found dead from an apparent suicide. The band did complete the show, four days before this interview.

Alvin says his appearance on "Tennessee Shines" this Wednesday will be with only Cashdollar and McWilson.

"She is the ying to my yang, the light to my dark - the one who sings on key!" Alvin chuckles.

"Music, for me, that's how I celebrate or mourn or do anything. Playing music is more than just a job. Not to get too mystical, but there's a semi-kind of spiritual aspect to music whether you're playing spirituals or dirty blues or 'Louie, Louie.' It's all the same to me."

Alvin has a hard time calling the group his "permanent band," but it is a longterm commitment.

"I never say anything is permanent," says Alvin. "I'm old enough to know not much is, but as long as they'll put up with me this is my band."

Wayne Bledsoe may be reached at 865-342-6444 or bledsoe@knews.com. He is also the host of "All Over the Road" midnight Saturdays to 4 a.m. Sundays on WDVX-FM.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel
Want to use this article? Click here for options!