Basic Folk 138 – Amy Helm

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Amy Helm grew up surrounded by some of the most influential musicians in American roots music, including her father Levon Helm, legendary drummer and singer for The Band. That also meant that her childhood was a “very colorful” experience where she was raised by a “village of brilliant and talented people who were also wrestling with the grips of addiction.” When she was a kid, she liked kid things, just like a normal kid. Case in point, she attended the fabled 1976 concert, The Last Waltz when she was five years old. Her most prominent memory: all the candy and snacks her and the other kids were given backstage. She also didn’t have a great relationship with her dad until she was a young adult. Levon took her on the road to tour with his blues band, The Barn Burners. He thought she was ready and it was trial by fire each night on the road for young Amy. She learned so much from that experience. After that, she and her dad started his much loved Rambles at The Barn in his Woodstock home. Those nights started as a rent party for Levon who had just overcome addiction, survived throat cancer and had just filed for Bankruptcy. They soon grew into a Woodstock institution, featuring artists such as Emmylou Harris, Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello, Phil Lesh and more. After Levon died, Amy decided to record and release her first solo album at 44. Now, she’s on her third album, the excellent and very personal What The Flood Leaves Behind.

Amy Helm – Are We Running Out of Love (live)

She also, thankfully, has been able to break the cycle of addiction in her own life. Raising two young sons as a single mom, Amy’s brought the best of her childhood into their lives with lots of music. On the album, she reflects on the people who raised her and how they did their best. She ruminates on creativity out of loss in the song “Verse 23” (written by M.C. Taylor/Hiss Golden Messenger), particularly with the line “what the flood leaves behind/is what we’ve got to make.” Amy wanted to record the album in the Mexican desert, however, after crunching numbers, it made more sense to use The Barn, the space her dad had designed and built specifically for musicians. That ended up being so clutch in the making of this music. Being in the space where she learned to sing and watched some of her dad’s most joyful performances allowed her and producer Josh Kaufman to fully relax and lean into these songs.

Watch a part of our interview with Amy Helm

Amy’s new album, What the Flood Leaves Behind