Earle adds acting but favors music

By John Benson

A new marriage and new home have given the singer a positive outlook.

Fiction mirroring reality.

That’s where rock-country singer-songwriter Steve Earle found himself cast as a recovering addict on HBO series “The Wire.” While the alt country troubadour could relate to his character’s heroin addiction (Earle suffered for years from the demon before finally going clean 13 years ago), there’s another apropos connection.

The idea that the critically acclaimed yet under the mainstream radar singer Earle would be cast on the critically acclaimed yet under the mainstream radar TV series proved fitting to the artist, whose 2007 album “Washington Square Serenade” won a Grammy Award earlier this year.

“It was funny, at the end of the series people did start watching it,” said Earle, calling from Houston. “Critics loved it, but the audience lagged behind until this year. Now I can’t walk down the street. People don’t know my music, but they’ll yell at me about the show.

“It didn’t require any acting. It’s a recovering redneck addict. It was also like going to a meeting for like six hours a day when I shot a scene because I played [character] Bubbles’ sponsor, and was always in and around stuff that had to do with the program, which is kind of a way of life for me. That’s still how I stay clean; I go to meetings and I call my sponsor.”

While Earle has dabbled more into acting, including an appearance on “Law Order: Special Victims Unit,” as well a significant role in upcoming feature film, it’s his music that he said he truly enjoys the most.

However, it was the melding of the two worlds that led him to the sparse organic sounding “Washington Square Serenade,” which is produced by John King of Dust Brothers fame. At first Earle had recorded new material on his laptop using beats. Then he had an idea.

“Originally what I thought I was making were demos and then I figured out maybe this is the record,” Earle said. “It was a lot of organic, folk-y instruments — banjo, guitar — but I was doing it with beats and it was sort of a neat thing.”

That’s when Earle contacted King, with the idea of covering Tom Waits’ “Way Down in the Hole,” which is “The Wire” theme song recorded every season by different artists. The one track, acting as a sort of audition to see if King and Earle could work together, ended up being used during the reality crime show’s final season, which ended earlier this year.

As for “Washington Square Serenade,” it won Earle his second Grammy Award in as many record releases after being nominated 11 times. Now the singer is on the road playing solo, with wife Allison Moorer opening the show and joining him on stage for a few songs. The bill comes to Cleveland on Wednesday at Playhouse Square Center’s Ohio Theatre.

Not only does “Washington Square Serenade” take Earle into new territory from a style standpoint, but he said the album is actually optimistic. The 53-year-old singer-songwriter said the positive outlook stems from recently marrying Moorer, as well as relocating to New York City. It’s a feeling that may catch his audience off guard.

“Well mostly if I piss people off, I can tell I’m doing something right, but also I’ve got an audience who has stayed with me for over 20 years,” Earle said. “Even though my loyalties lie with them, I have to keep myself interested in it, too.

“I’ve been lucky to lead a loud rock band, a bluegrass band and then this record is acoustic over beats. For the most part, my audience has been willing to take all of the detours with me, and I’m really proud of them.”