by DOMINICK CROSS
ARNAUDVILLE — Tommy Malone has always wanted to do what he’s doing now — and that’s his own material.
“It’s something I’ve dipped my toe in all along, even during the subdudes and in-between all the break-ups,” said Malone, frontman of the legendary Americana band out of New Orleans. “It’s just been sitting there and rarely do I get to play any of it.”
Of course the singer/songwriter/guitarist has always written songs. He’s also made three solo records and had solo projects: The Batture Boys comes to mind. Malone has recorded with Rosanne Cash, Keb Mo’, Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, and Anders Osborne. His songs have been recorded by Joe Cocker, Orleans, and many others.
“So I’ve always had a hankering — always liked that word, hankering — to do this other material,” Malone said. “It’s just been sitting there and rarely do I get to play any of it.
“So, I’ll be bringing stuff that I’ve had for sometime, honestly, but haven’t had much of a chance to play for people,” he said.
And he’s bringing it to NuNu Arts and Culture Collective, Thursday, May 12, 2022. There’ll be a culinary pop-up by 5 Mile Cafe at 5:30 p.m. Music begins 7:30.
NuNu’s is located at 1510 Bayou Courtableau Hwy. Tickets are $25 and available here.
“I’ve got this kind of hybrid guitar that’s somewhere between an acoustic and a baritone,” said Malone. “It’s what I use when I go on the road.”
The pandemic did a lot of things to a lot of people and most of it did not so good. For Malone and the subdudes, it brought an end to the band and a new beginning for the musicians.
“The group finally laid it to rest,” said Malone, who began charting a new, personal route for himself when covid hit the U.S. in March 2020. “And then simultaneously, the ’dudes just broke up.”
Malone said the split was something everyone agreed on.
“It just wasn’t fun anymore. It wasn’t creative. It wasn’t fun,” he said. “It seemed like everybody was interested in doing other things. It was kind of like the perfect time.
“It was mutual with everybody,” said Malone. “I’ve made peace with my fellas. Everybody’s doing fine and doing things they love; creative projects and stuff.”
Malone’s 2022 tour schedule takes him to Oklahoma, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Richmond and and he’s working on other shows in Annapolis, Philadelphia, Texas and the West Coast.
“I want it to be fun, creative and simple and I want it to make sense.”
Tommy Malone
Time and wisdom has Malone taking a different approach to performing, and keeping it to two gigs per outing figures prominently into it.
“I keep it simple. I limit my shows to two. I’ll go out, I’ll do two and I’ll come home,” he said. “I want it to be fun, not terribly difficult or draining. Even my voice, it won’t hold up like it used to.
“Simpler and easier is how I approach it, where it’s fun again. I feel like we used to always try to pack too much in. By the end of it, you’re just beat and worn out. Everybody’s in a bad mood.
“I want it to be fun, creative and simple and I want it to make sense,” said Malone. “And I want to go where people really are interested.”
In other words, the veteran musician is past the days of building an audience.
“I mean, that’s silly,” Malone said. “I have to take advantage of what I have now, or have done in the past, and work with that.
“But it is a young man’s game, you know?” he said. “But I’m happy to just go where people want to hear it.
“Like I said, do two shows on the road and then come home. And that is my approach,” Malone said. “Get a good night’s rest, eat well, take care of business, and that’s it, man. No delusions of grandeur.”
Come October, Malone hopes to be in Northern California “to do some recording,” with a full band, he said. “It’ll be my project, so I’m excited about that.”
Looking back on his music career, Malone pretty much jumped in the deep end and learned to swim.
“No plan,” said Malone. “Like Van Morrison said, ‘No plan B.’ I didn’t have any frickin’ plans. I was flailing around like a mongoose. I don’t know, you know what they say, stuff happens like it’s supposed to, I guess.
“But I feel very lucky. Very lucky that. I’m able to do this, still,” he said. “I don’t know if that sounds hokey or cheesy, but I’m amazed.
“I wasn’t real sure when the pandemic hit. I was going through some other stuff. It was good, but it was difficult and it kind of put you into some soul-searching mode like, ‘Man. What am I doing?’
“I almost wanted to quit,” Malone continued. “I almost just wanted to quit music and putter around the house ’til I’m 67 and get my social security and Medicare.
“Just write songs and just sit in my little space, play for myself,” he said. “But a friend of mine who was in the last version of the subdudes — Tim Cook — he’s a dear friend and he really was inspirational in getting me wanting to play again. He really was. So I’m grateful for that, too.”
Cook now manages Malone, who lives in Metairie.
“You know what, I never dreamed of living in Metairie. I was kinda like, ‘Metairie? Oh, lord,’” said Malone with a laugh. “But we’ve got this beautiful little house, nice backyard, and I’ve got a music space in a separate building.
“It’s quiet. It doesn’t flood, big plus,” he said. “Crime is honestly not an issue. I kinda like it. Kinda like it.”