Malin Wagnon releases long-awaited debut album
by Miranda Steadman | Contributing Writer
Local music man Malin Wagnon admits that some lyrics and melodies in his songs on his newly-released album Suffering date back to writings of his from the ’90s. At that time, he was a coming-of-age songwriter in Birmingham, AL. Years later, in March of 2021, Suffering was recorded live at Fairweather Studio just off of Folly Beach.
The studio is owned by local percussionist and Bert’s Market proprietor Omar Colon. It would be almost another four years after that, and Suffering was finally completed. Released at the end of last year, the long-awaited debut album is chockful of heartfelt songs and great musicianship that speaks to listeners through reflective, existential lyrics and moving instrumentals.
“Omar played a huge role in our recording process … he was the sixth member of the band, our conductor, producer, and psychoanalyst,” Wagnon says.
Drawing inspiration from The Basement Tapes by Bob Dylan and The Band as well as Cowboy Junkie’s The Trinity Sessions, Wagnon says he chose to record all instruments and vocals on Suffering simultaneously at Fairweather Studio. All the musicians involved gathered around two microphones while recording the songs. Although Wagnon says he felt pressure and found the recording process to be intense, the studio atmosphere at Fairweather formed a fitting nest for the folky-roots album they created there.
Local percussionist Marshall Hudson of the Charleston-based band Susto plays drums on Suffering. Wagnon claims that Hudson had some revolutionary thoughts that helped steer the direction of the album.
“They got ahold of these songs I wrote and started pushing it in different directions and took it into areas I could have never predicted,” says Wagnon.
Whitt Algar of Sideshow Americans plays the mellotron on most songs on Suffering. The mellotron is an organ-like keyboard that uses magnetic tape spools to generate realistic acoustic sounds. Wagnon jokes that Algar sounds so good that “He makes me sick.” Algar helped Wagnon transform the title track, “Suffering,” into an emotionally-driven, retrospective tune about Wagnon’s childhood.
Regular musical collaborator and bassist Alan Shmitt joined Wagnon on recording Suffering, along with guitarist Jeff Davis, who contributed on electric guitar and lap steel. Davis plays a profound guitar solo in the blues song “Shelter of Arms,” and his rare skill of playing lap steel sets a beautiful tone for the album’s opening titled “The Elevator Game.”
“He really killed it,” says Wagnon of Davis’ sound on the track. Wagnon tells the story of how he wrote the song after he had a dream in which Black Sabbath’s Ronnie James Dio recognized him.
Although asking a songwriter to pick their favorite song is akin to asking a parent to choose their favorite child, Wagnon obliges when asked what’s his favorite track on Suffering.
“If I had to pick one, I’d probably pick ‘The Flood’,” he says thoughtfully. “It’s a good example of the height—when everybody’s hitting all cylinders.”
James Anderson of Staggers & Jags plays fiddle while Cory Jarrett of Sideshow Americans plays banjo on “The Flood,” which was written about perhaps the most famous flood of all, the one that involved an arc, a man named Noah, and a lot of animals.
Wagnon’s wife, Kevin Wagnon, sings harmonies and backup vocals on the love song “Sky’s For Flying.”
“She has a very natural ear for music,” says Wagnon about the collaboration.
While he wrote the song “Caulder Run” after moving to Charleston in 2001 and being awakened by the tide after a long night of drinking on Folly Beach, the tune “A Glass of White” was written about Wagnon’s friends going through a divorce and their self-medication of various substances. Algar plays piano in that tune while Wagnon strums an acoustic guitar and Davis soothes with his lap steel. “The Tipping Point” is a darker, brooding number, which Wagnon says many listeners can relate. The closing song of Suffering, titled “High,” weaves a tale of Wagnon’s love/hate relationship with marijuana.
Wagnon regularly plays eclectic sets at The Drop-In Bar & Deli in a trio they call Baeyoncé along with percussionist Stratton Moore of satirical pop band Sexbruise? and bassist Buzz Busby.
Malin Wagnon’s album Suffering is now available on all streaming platforms. He will perform with Unity Gain at The Bounty Bar on Saturday, Feb. 8. For more information, visit www.malinwagnon.com.
