Jody Davies - Fargo Railroad Co.

If you like your Americana homegrown (i.e. South Yorkshire style) then Fargo Railroad Co. are for you. I've mentioned this southern rock/good time rock & roll band a couple of times round here and I can honestly say I never fail to fall in love with every new collection of songs they release. So I reached out to head honcho Jody Davies and asked him if he wouldn't mind a light grilling. He came back with a resounding 10-4.  I told him I'd describe their sound as ZZ Top meets Steve Earle in (Sheffield's) Kelham Island but I was keen to know how he'd seceribe it.

What a fine and kind description! It’s difficult to tell people exactly, we just encourage people to attend the live show. Once you add in the audience it just becomes something else. 

In the lyrics to Barroom Band you say you don't do covers. But what one non-original song would you drop in to your set (probably a song you really wish you'd written). 

Ah, so many great songs. Songs I’d wish I’d written and songs that fit the set are not necessarily the same thing. We would easily do a great job of Take it Easy, and speaking of Jackson Browne I’m jealous of his song These Days which I believe he wrote when he was 16; what the hell, man! How??... I bet he can’t weld. Not sure if that’s the answer but it's an answer. Ha. 

To these ears your sound is getting more polished (in a good way, I hasten to add); do you prefer recording to playing live?

It’s two very different things but I think live will always win that battle. That being said, the studio is real special, hearing those songs change and take flight… it’s pretty amazing. 

Are you a band with a plan (4D chess) - or do you prefer to 'wing it'? 

I’m not sure we prefer to wing it but it often feels that way. We’re trying to be more precise and determined but honestly we probably land somewhere in between. LOL 

Have you toured America? What do you think they'd make of you? 

We haven’t, but I’ve always wondered... Could go either way in my mind. It could be like the Stones taking R&B back to America and being celebrated, or it could be like an American duo that sound like Chas & Dave coming over here - and everything in between. Not sure we’ll ever get the chance but it would be an interesting experiment.

What's the first record you bought with your own money?

I think it was Yourself or Someone Like You by Matchbox Twenty. Still love that band. 

Four wheels or two? M6 or Route 66? 

Four, and I prefer vans to cars! Route 66 would be a dream but the M6 is nice. 

Bourbon or beer?

Is tequila an option?! I’ll say Whiskey/Bourbon. 

Cowboy hat or baseball cap? 

I should really invest in a western hat but as it stands it's baseball/truckers all the way. 

Buddy Holly (1936-1959) - The day the music died

I can lend you my Time Machine for a couple of weeks. Where and when are you going?

February 3, 1959 and slash the tyres on the plane and pull some important parts out the engine. Then on to October 20, 1977 and do the same on the Skynyrd Plane. Wait! Is there a causality thing where I can’t change the future?? Great Scott!

Thank you for taking the time, Jody. Hope to see you on the road real soon.

★ 

 Jody Davies - Ghost (2024)