Cleaves is respected for his songwriting, often telling stories minutely depicting the worst times in people's lives with stark honesty as well as respect, never seeming voyeuristic: “The song is the most important thing to me; it is why I do what I do. It is like my religion, songs and literature and films. Songs moving other people the way they move me is a great feeling. I carry my notebook with me these days to various places (to write songs). I'm not ready to make a new record yet, but I have some songs in the works.”
Cleaves was born and lived in Virginia until age 5 and moved to Maine for years; his parents grew up in New England: “it was a big adventure to move to Texas in a Dodge Dart towing a trailer.” But he believes it is coincidence that he has lived in several areas known for storytelling: “I went to school in Ireland for a year, and it was very much like Austin in that everyone knows a song and plays music. In New England, it seems to be left to the musicians.”
But there may have been an unexpected side to being a musician in Austin.
“It never came across as if people had higher expectations from me being from Austin, but it can be a double-edged sword. I moved there because it was a musical Mecca with a history and support system,” he said, mentioning musicians such as Joe Ely. “There is a whole lot of music being made there and a limited audience. It was a bit depressing at the start, but in the end it made me work a lot harder and lift myself up from open mics to my own shows.”
Cleaves most recent CD was last year's five-song “Holiday Sampler,” with songs for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and Valentine's Day.
“`Holiday Sampler’ was my booking agent's idea at first; I had a few songs that didn't fit on a regular record and we wanted to record something a bit lighthearted,” he said. “My previous records were a bit more blues and laments; my agent thought it would be good to show some of the lighter side.”
While not coming to Buffalo yet (“I hope to get to Buffalo; I talked to Marty (Boratin, who books Mohawk Place); we haven't been able to work out a show yet, but I hope to when the new record comes out”), in May, Cleaves will play May 31 in Minneapolis, Minn. He will also play three dates in Texas June 2, 8-9, including his birthday show Sunday, June 9, in San Marcos, then hit the road for Ellsworth, Maine, June 22; Piermont, NY, July 3; Pawling, NY, July 6, and Ringwood, NJ, July 7.
For CDs, other items and more tour information, check his Web site at www.slaid.com, and his music is also available at www.rounder.com.