Though beloved for his role(s) within The Hollies and the many iterations and subdivisions of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young continuum, it is the solo work of Graham Nash that continues to amaze – whatever he chooses that work to be as he continues to do it.
While a conventional solo career could count for any of his self-made albums, from 1971’s ‘Songs for Beginners’ (his first) or 2016’s ‘This Path Tonight’ (his most recent), there is, of course, the new album of his own material that he just finished for 2022 release. Or there’s an almost-secret (“How did you know about this?” he asks, genuinely amazed) album of which he is just beginning to record with his legendary fellow Hollies co-founder Allen Clarke in the works.
Then, there is the fact that the ever-restless Nash has taken an active role in his childhood hobby of collecting photographs (his one-time 2,000 print collection was through Sotheby’s auction house in 1990 where it set an auction record for the highest grossing sale of a single private collection of photography), now snaps his own art photos, and recently published ‘A Life in Focus, The Photography of Graham Nash’ for his efforts.
This week, to go with his recent headline-making news of removing his songs from Spotify in protest of podcaster Joe Rogan’s wrong-headed vax rhetoric, Nash begins his first tour of the U.S. on March 2 at Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, New Jersey and the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
I caught up with Nash, unfortunately on the first day of the Russian attacks of the Ukraine.
A.D. Amorosi: As one of popular music’s most socio-political songwriters, I need to ask you about your observations regarding Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, as we speak?
Graham Nash: There are a lot of human beings that are completely stupid, and do not listen or pay attention to history. Everybody knows what goes on with empires. There have been some insanely great, in terms of size, empires throughout the centuries, and every one of them crumble. What Putin is doing is very obvious: he’s nibbling at the Ukraine, taking over the Dombass, making them independent states who’ll ask him for military help… everybody sees what’s going on. I’m just sorry that the Russian people do not, en masse, protest this man…. We should be a world community, not the borders that Putin wants. We’re one planet spinning is space. We should be together and love this planet we’re living on – it’s the only one we have. And we’re destroying it, little by little.
Amorosi: Can you tell me about the honor, blessing and curse of being an artist who documents our history and future?
Nash: I’m 80-years-old. I look at my life, and realize what has happened. There’s my photography and my new book. There’s the new music I’m making. No mater what, it all comes down to me having supported the underdog. Along with trying to be a voice for myself, I have always supported people who don’t have a voice. If I talk to myself and tell myself these things, I’m hoping other people will notice too.
Amorosi: Before I ask more about your solo work, is there anything you can tell me about working with your old Hollies collaborator, Allen Clarke?
Nash: You’re doing your job very well. I’m just happy that Allen is singing as well as he is. He left the Hollies because he had troubles missing the high notes. He’s like me in that if he can’t do it perfectly, he’s not going to do it… We haven’t written anything together yet, but the stuff I have on my computer is keeping me busy – it’s worth listening to. It will play up to our strength in harmony.
Amorosi: Is the new solo record of your own also on that same computer? The last time I heard, there was a fresh, forlorn track, “Stars and Stripes” in the air.
Nash: That’s about this country, dealing with Trump and watching stars and stripes, unfortunately waving goodbye to the truth. The record has, interestingly, been done remotely, and I’m making sure that the feeling of intimacy that you get from five people – now thousands of miles apart – all sound as if we were in the same room.
Amorosi: As someone who has also written some truly graceful love songs to go with your politically astute work essaying our dilemma’s, please tell me what else the new album will embrace.
Nash: I have a few songs on there that I have written about my wife, Amy, who is a brilliant artist, whom I love dearly. You should check out her work (AmyGrantham.com). She is at the heart of my work and my life.
Amorosi: You were talking about community and unity, the things that knit us together, which brings me to your stand on all-things Joe Rogan, and pulling your material off Spotify. It is my understanding that you were trying to get off of the streamer before Neil Young did.
Nash: My partner David Crosby, on our behalf, has forever been railing against Spotify because they just don’t fairly pay the artists who have made that company billions of dollars. All they do is play people’s music and pay out very little. Beyond that and more seriously, there are 900,000 American dead and 6 million around the globe due to Covid. I don’t want to hear from anti-vaxxers, or from people who won’t wear masks because the government is telling them what to do. When Joe Rogan puts on people who question the science, or steer you in the wrong direction, they are creating chaos. They are creating graveyards full of people. I can’t be a part of that. I won’t be a part of that.
