Larry Folk’s “Hey Politician!” Is A Bluegrass Scorcher Taking Aim at Today’s Divisive Political Climate
Retribution; in-fighting; stalling; personal attacks; Sounds like a plot from HBO’s hit series Succession. Actually, it’s politics as usual these days. And just like that hit show, it’s hard to find a likable character among our current elected officials. Toronto-based composer and vocalist Larry Folk follows up his moving song of goodbye (“Gathering of Friends”) with a to-the-point commentary on the current political climate called “Hey Politician!” Though never intended to be released publicly, the atrocious level of un-civility that exists in today’s politics begs for the song’s inclusion in his upcoming album Lessen the Blue (radio add date September 10, 2024). In the tradition of the great protest songs of the past, Larry’s view on the outrageous behavior is a biting statement on our divided reality. “Hey Politician!” is a fast, upbeat bluegrass scorcher that calls for a return to civility. In the words of Bob Dylan, “You gotta serve somebody.” When it comes to our public officials, that should be the people.
For more than 45 years Larry Folk has written and performed in a variety of styles, moving with ease and sustained emotion from simple folk ballads to the swinging standards of the Great American Songbook. On “Hey Politician!” He plays everything except for the bass playing of Pat Collins, and Folk engineered the recording which Murray Daigle mixed.
Folk’s ability to write lyrics that create stunning visuals for his listeners is matched perfectly to his masterful guitar playing. Larry’s early songs mused about love and the beauty of the vast Canadian wilderness but didn’t shy away from more serious subjects such as the horrible treatment of North America’s Indigenous Peoples. In the 80’s he performed his original song “Amandla! Ngawethu! (Power to the People)” on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill and at Toronto City Hall during rallies to end Apartheid in South Africa. A completely new version of that song called “There is a Power” appears on Lessen the Blue.
Larry’s songs continue to challenge the status quo, confronting our complex relationship with the planet, political divisions, the loss of innocence, and his response to Covid 19. He wrote his guitar piece, “Nunca Mas,” in response to the atrocities inflicted on the citizens of Argentina by the military in the 70’s. The title is the name of the committee formed to investigate what happened and translates as “never more.” The forthcoming album includes a new version for solo guitar.
Hi Larry! Care to introduce yourself to the readers?
I’ve been making music since the mid-70s, just out of high school. My friend, Steve Merchant, and I began performing in the coffeehouse scene in downtown Toronto, alongside other great players like Sam Larkin, and Robert Priest. I began a solo stint as a performer soon afterward and headed on to study music at Humber College in Toronto, where I graduated with the first-ever Gordon Delamont Memorial Scholarship in Composition. I began recording and releasing music to Canadian Radio in the mid 80’s until the present.
“Hey Politician!” addresses the current political climate. What inspired you to write this song?
The song was actually written for a songwriting website I used to be part of, that used to have annual songwriting contests with various challenges. This was written for the Protest Song challenge, along with another song called Woodstock Nation, a CSNY-sounding song that took aim at how the charms of that festival were traded in for the same ideals as the so-called Establishment, and Star-Spangled Rhetoric (unreleased) which takes aim at the vitriol-enthused rhetoric of Talk Radio. Feeling Lost in America was released during the horrible exit of the U.S. from Afghanistan, and the reversal of Roe v. Wade, but was written about the terrible toll IEDs were having on U.S. and Canadian troops that seemed to be stationed there forever, and wondering if there were parallels to the endless situation in Viet Nam.
Why did you initially not intend to release “Hey Politician!” publicly?
Hey politician was actually inspired by Utah Congressman Mitt Romney and his “binders of women,” comment. Things back then seem mighty tame compared to the current divisive politics on display today. With all the personal bashing and public trashing going on between politicians, especially in the U.S. but also in Canada, I thought the song had something to add. It’s very different from anything I’ve released previously, which is why I never intended to release it. However, it speaks to the current situation so poignantly, and it’s been a while since I released any bluegrass music. I tend to see it as a novelty song myself, but folks really connect with the message when they hear it.
You play most of the instruments on “Hey Politician!” except for the bass. Can you talk about the collaborative process with Pat Collins?
Pat has been a member of my jazz trio since I began performing Jazz in 2014 in and around Toronto. He is one of the best players in town, and I love what he does. I thought it would be great to have him add his bass to the song. He told me he doesn’t play a lot of Bluegrass but he loves the music. He played his upright on two more songs on the upcoming release Lessen The Blue, coming September 13, 2024.
What are your thoughts on the role of music in social and political change today?
I would like to think singers can observe what’s going on and comment, which is the approach I tend to take. The problem is, that people on either side aren’t listening to each other, because they discredit everything that doesn’t agree with their stance. So I’d like to think there’s a role for musicians to state their views on what’s going on. Will it make a difference? Perhaps. At least it might point out some of the absurdities, and maybe give some listeners pause. Like the protest songs of the ’60s and ’70s, there are lots to comment on these days.