It is about Time

Chuck and Mud devote decades to their sweet sounds -- and finally cough up a CD

by John O'Neill

With nearly 20 years under their belt playing innumerable small bars, coffeehouses, outdoor festivals, Chuck and Mud, through flat-out perseverance, are Worcester legends. Fixtures on the folk circuit, the affable couple of Chuck Demers and Marie (Mud) Rocheleau-Demers are just as much a part of the seven hills landscape as Elm Park, triple deckers, and downtown decay. With name recognition on par with Coney Island hotdogs (known to most, liked by many, and, at worst, considered a simple pleasure), Chuck and Mud have delivered their unique blend of country-flavored folk to at least two generations of listeners. They continue to reach out to children through their ongoing work with the Chestnut Nursery School and Kindergarden. So why did it take them all this time to finally cut their debut CD, It's About Time?

"We weren't ready," says Mud. She (unbelievably) isn't joking. "Mainly, I don't think it was a top priority. We just kept thinking about playing out."

"We had a 45 in '82, just about the time people stopped using 45s," quips Chuck. "We made three or four dips [into studio recording], but it just didn't feel right . . . didn't sound right."

The duo's music is the result of an interesting crossbreeding of it-will-get-done-when-it's-done and music-is-a-never-ending-lesson attitudes. The more you write, the more you learn, the more your writing changes. In the case of Chuck and Mud, two very distinct styles of narrative play well off of each other.

"Mud's songs are almost conversations. There's no attempt to hide [behind] word play, where I'd try to make it into a mystery," says Chuck of their writing styles. "I'm moving more towards [simplifying] and Mud is becoming more artistic."

"Chuck's a more serious songwriter and he thinks about songs more than I do," Mud adds. "I play and the songs come out. I work on [songwriting] now because I realize how much I like playing my songs. I never thought of myself as a songwriter . . . I do now, somewhat."

Recorded at Appleland studios and produced by Bob Dick (besides twiddling the nobs for Valerie and Walter Crockett's recent album, he's is a world-class bluegrass musician), It's About Time is a solid representation of Chuck and Mud's individual and collaborative work. There are some beautiful highs and a couple of lows, but all things considered, it's well-played and thought-out. Chuck's weathered and warm vocal delivery has an everyman feel, especially on the stand-out tracks "Wyoming," and "Marie's Song." One is a bitter-sweet dialogue that traces a doomed relationship, the other an open love letter to his wife. Done as a waltz by a guy who knows how lucky he's got it, it's a remarkably graceful song. On the other hand his "Glory Be (The Tiny/Tinker Tune)," while a heartfelt tribute and not a bad song otherwise, gets hamstrung by a chorus that is unimaginably ruinous. In all fairness (and maybe a case of poetic irony), it's also the same song that refuses to stop rattling around the noggin. Mud, whose singing is consistently gorgeous, pens six of the 13 originals. Ranging from the simple pleasure of stopping to smell the roses on "Take a Little Walk," to an ode to a departed friend on "Separate Ways," she is able to convey an endearing innocence. And that's because, no matter what, songs by Chuck and Mud have a basic honesty to them, which is the sign of any real artist -- and a hard thing to do. Any sense of pretense is essentially neutralized by the underlying vibe that they are simply writing about things they believe. Their nostalgic songs are earnest, the preachier tunes still sincere, and even numbers that are meant to be downers have a certain hopefulness, because in their world love conquers all. And it doesn't hurt to have a crack backing band and sympathetic producer.

"We were working with someone who could put all the pieces together. [Dick] was able to keep it all mapped out for us, plus with his experience and ear, he could take us to a higher level," Chuck explains. Both he and Mud freely spread praise around the room. "It's something we couldn't do alone, and a lot of other producers couldn't do. It was very comfortable. We were comfortable in ourselves and with our band, that we could make something we could be proud of."

Next up for the Demers is a children's CD that they'll record when (natch) they have the time to get around to it. It's an obvious choice for a duo who take so much pleasure out of working with and performing for children, as well as a chance to pass on the aural tradition of folk music to another generation.

"Being able to play children's music has opened up a lot of doors for us. I think some people have gotten confused and think all we play is children's music," says Mud. "But our fans like that we can do both."

"Just listening to Bob Dylan gave me a whole new vocabulary. Singing songs to kids gives them words to use, it's a good teaching tool," adds Chuck, who as a lifelong student of music understands the importance of passing that knowledge along, which may stand as Chuck and Mud's greatest contribution to area music. If they never recorded another note, it really wouldn't matter, because their real calling is to spread the music around. That's why they'll continue to turn up at summer festivals, free concerts in the park, classrooms, and clubs. While many musicians have their passion, and their talent, and have been in the game just as long, few have their drive to share. They give back each time they strap on a guitar and play, and that's a virtue that is uniquely Chuck and Mud.

"I've had kids come back to me as teens and tell me that I was the first guy to put a guitar in their hands," says Chuck with a hint of satisfaction. "Now they have their own bands!"