What is Americana?
Americana is one of those curious concepts where those who discuss it understand its essence, even if few can articulate a precise definition. It serves as an umbrella term, encompassing a wide range of elements and flavours, yet it undeniably captures the cultural milieu that defines America at its core.
Culturally, Americana and its artefacts are historical, geographical and folkloric, specifically relating to America’s cultural heritage. It’s a multi-dimensional subject collecting materials and items concerning the US and its people, which you might even call stereotypical American culture. Therefore, things that would come under its banner include drive-in cinemas, baseball and McDonalds. You would count the American bison and the Grand Canyon as part of it. If you can think of anything symbolic of the essence of America, it fits the remit. 1969’s Easy Rider ticks many boxes within the cinema format and in general.
Americana is heavily based upon national identity, which, given the incredible span of people, places, concepts and cultures that the sprawling US encompasses, makes it no surprise that it’s an umbrella term but one that still has distinct threads. While sometimes it can be overly patriotic, a clear sense of nostalgia characterises it most of the time, tapping into the extensive mythos of the US underpinned by the American dream.
When it comes to music, Americana also accounts for a specific sound. Americana music, a contemporary form, incorporates elements of uniquely American musical styles, including blues, bluegrass, country, folk, and roots rock. Despite taking on many different forms, with multiple notable influences, it always has a rootsy spirit that often taps into the country’s past. It spiritually unites the likes of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, and Gillian Welch, regardless of musical and aesthetic differences.
The roots of Americana can be traced back to the early 20th century, when rural American musicians started combining blues, country and folk. Around this time, the banjo, fiddle, guitar, and upright banjo were used together, and the songs told stories about the struggle of everyday life. An early artistic example is Woody Guthrie. Then, from the 1940s to the mid-1960s, when folk had a revival, the themes were burnished by Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio and Joan Baez, to name a handful. Later, Phil Ochs, Fred Neil, Gordon Lightfoot, Arlo Guthrie and John Denver delved into this realm, putting their individual twists on it.
After the rock explosion of the early 1960s, when artists started fusing it with folk flecks and other forms – typified by Bob Dylan going electric – the limits of Americana were stretched further. Classic albums would be Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde, as well as The Byrds’ Mr. Tambourine Man and Simon and Garfunkel’s Bookends.
Americana even has a dedicated organisation. In 2020, the Americana Music Association defined it as “…the rich threads of country, folk, blues, soul, bluegrass, gospel, and rock in our tapestry.” Their previous 2016 account said musical Americana is “a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band.”
What artists are pure Americana?
Take your pick; there are so many. While Joan Baez and Bob Dylan did much for popularising the notion of Americana to the masses with records such as Joan Baez, Vol. 1 and Bringing It All Back Home, the 1960s saw many classic albums released that all exemplify the spirit of Americana.
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s two 1969 masterworks, Bayou Country and Green River, are absolutely typical of the musical form, blending southern rock, country and folk, an intriguing sound when noting that the band hails from California. Elsewhere, Tom Petty’s work with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist is essential, as is the work of Bruce Springsteen, from Born in the USA to Nebraska.
No discussion of pure musical Americana would be complete without mentioning The Byrds’ 1968 country-rock masterpiece, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, which was characterised by the inclusion of ‘Cosmic American’ music pioneer Gram Parsons in the lineup. I’d argue that their cover of Dylan’s ‘You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ is about as fully Americana as you’ll ever hear. Just listen to the musical performances and lyrics. That’s the sound and essence of America packaged neatly into one track.
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