Brother Trucker’s tales from nowhere carry weight
“They found him on the steps / Out in front of Saint Alphonsus / He was missing both his shoes / With some broken teeth responses / The bloody stained glass lying busted into pieces on the ground / The arresting officer familiar with the situation / Picked him up a day before at a notorious location / Pity on the boy with the black eyes lying on the ground / He lives downtown.” - Brother Trucker’s “Downtown”
Good songwriters have an eye for detail but use nuance to tell a deeper, bigger story. Andy Fleming, singer-songwriter-guitarist for the veteran Des Moines roots-rock band Brother Trucker, is one of those writers. His band’s long-awaited fourth album, “The Flyover,” includes 12 gripping tales of the homeless, the forgotten, the loveless, the widowed, the refugee, the dysfunctional, the marginalized and the borderline criminal.
Each one has an ounce of truth.
Each one speaks to the kindness and cruelty of humanity.
“These characters have been with me for all our albums, but on this one I wanted to have them relate,” said Fleming. “They’re people of the Midwest — either characters I’ve met through gigging, or work or through conversations anywhere.”
Anywhere includes the numerous dingy bars and electric festivals Brother Trucker has played over the years; and Fleming’s previous day jobs like bartending while in college, or working in the field and in the Iowa Legislature for the Iowa Democratic Party, or working with refugees and others at the YWCA in downtown Des Moines. Over the years, those experiences gave Fleming insight into the struggle of everyday people and taught him the value of championing them in his songs.
“It’s our soul,” he said. “It’s who we are. It’s important to show that, particularly if you’re from the Midwest because you’re not going to see yourself on television unless it’s a joke.”
“The Flyover” got its name from Fleming’s experiences working alongside young political activists from the coasts who every few years stake temporary tents in Iowa to participate in the caucuses. Like a lot of Iowans, the 40-year-old Fleming despises the stereotypical images of our state perpetuated by the national media.
“I get tired of hearing about the significance of the Iowa Caucuses and the insignificance of the flyover between the coasts,” said Fleming, who was born and raised in Davenport, earned a college degree in history, moved to Des Moines in 1992 and has a wife and two young daughters. “It’s a story that sticks in my craw.
“When I would work on campaigns with these Ivy League kids, they were so amazed we Iowans could carry on a conversation with them. But by the end of the campaign, they wanted to be your best friend. They don’t think that life exists outside of their own zip code.”
“The Flyover” title not only admonishes the stereotypes of Iowans with a hint of cynicism, but it fits the cast of characters Fleming writes and sings about on it. Though he often shines a spotlight on their dark souls, he does so with empathy.
“I think I really turned a corner with my songwriting after reading [John] Steinbeck,” Fleming said. “Whenever I get stuck writing a song, I pick up a Steinbeck novel and I can just read a chapter and get turned on by the way he describes and focuses.”
Though Fleming’s lyrics are often at the forefront of discussions about Brother Trucker, the band’s sonic template brings them to life. Fleming credits guitarist Mike Fitzpatrick, bassist Lyle Kevin Hogue and session musicians, drummer Matt Winegardener and keyboardist David Zollo for helping to set the tone for each song.
“I credit the Brother Trucker sound to Mike and Lyle. I’ve known Mike since I was 6, and he’s an understated journeyman who can play a lot of styles but it comes out Fitzpatrick. And Lyle has always been the voice of taste and the barometer of cool.” Fleming said. “Matt’s a dear friend and he brought a sonic lift to the album, and Dave has always been like a fifth member of the band.”
Collectively, Fleming said, Brother Trucker hopes that the realism and messages of “The Flyover” resonate with listeners because it contains something they can identify with.
“I hope that after people listen to the record, they have a sense of themselves and a better idea of the people around them,” Fleming said. “The Midwest’s got soul.”-- Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com February 2009
