Page 9 - ION Indie Magazine JulyAugust 2019

Scott Wikle: Gary, tell me about the original songs you wrote for this project.

Gary West: Well, the song ‘I Do It For The Love Of Cash’ was a long time coming. I get the question
a lot as to why I do Johnny Cash music. I spent over six hours writing this song and it explains my love
and respect for Cash’s music. The other song is called ‘There Ain’t No Trains,’ which is inspired from
the small town I was raised in of Wilkinson, Indiana. I remember the train track that came through
there and when they took it up. It’s tuned a lot of small places like that into a ghost town now.

SW: You recorded ‘Jackson’ with Leona Williams. How did that collaboration come about?

GW: I probably get more requests for this song in my shows than any other. But I never found the
right person to record it with. I was talking with a mutual friend one day who suggested I ask Leona.
It worked out that all the stars aligned, and we were able to record the duet. It just blew me away.
Our plan is to release this song as a vinyl record single, too.

SW: You have a unique way of keeping the songs true to the originals while giving them your own
spin. How do you achieve that balance?

GW: Well, I guess they just kind of come out that way (laughs). I did ‘Blue Train,’ ‘One Piece At A
Time,’ plus some other songs that were not by Cash, like ‘Nine Pound Hammer’ and ‘A Dozen Pair
Of Boots.’ I try to maintain the spirit of the originals because of my love and respect for them all. I
also mixed this entire project; very hands on. I can’t imagine doing all this and then turning it over
to someone else to finish. I have never understood that.