Old Man Markley Annie DeTemple of Old Man Markley talks about playing the autoharp in a Punk-Bluegrass band, tricks for performing with the autoharp on stage and maintaining her instrument while she is on the road. By Keith Daigle Old Man Markley is a band that likes to do things a little differently. They describe their sound as punk-bluegrass and they have an autoharp and a drummer; two things likely to give any bluegrass purist a heart attack. They play all acoustic instruments, but with their sound and energy they are anything but stripped back and bare. All of these things combine to give them a sound that is distinctly theirs. They mostly play original music, but also occasionally mix in a cover, such as the old jazz song “Do Me Like You Do,” giving the tune the Old Man 22 Autoharp Quarterly Winter 2014 Autoharp Quarterly Winter 2014 23 Markley treatment to make it their Me Like You Do.” That song was the melodica, which looks like a own. written in 1924 by the vaudeville duo miniature keyboard with a tube on one Gene Austin and Roy Bergere, and has end that I blow into. It works in much AQ: How long you’ve been playing since become a jazz standard. It is still the same way an accordion does, and autoharp? one of my favorites to play. is considered a reed instrument. Some Old Man Markley played it at our of the other fun things I play on stage AD: I have to say that even though I first show in January of 2008 which, include spirit flute, cow bell, and a had fooled around with the autoharp coincidentally, was the first time I ever couple whistles. when I was younger, I have only been played in front of an audience. taking the autoharp seriously since AQ: What are some of the concerts/ 2007. Prior to that, I had been familiar AQ: How does OMM mix the countries you’ve played in? with it, and even had an old CythaHarp autoharp with the rest of the music? around the house. When I picked up It is normally a solo instrument, and AD: From 2008-2010, OMM an actual autoharp, I realized that the not a traditional punk or bluegrass played mostly in California and only CythaHarp is built backwards - with instrument, what does the autoharp occasionally ventured up through the the bass strings where, typically, the give to the sound of the band? Pacific Northwest. But all that changed high octave strings would be. when we began our relationship with AD: The autoharp is definitely the independent record label Fat Wreck AQ: What drew you to the autoharp? something that is usually played on its Chords. own or with minimal accompaniment. Once we released our first full length AD: My dad won the CythaHarp in the For OMM songs, the autoharp is album “Guts N Teeth” in January of Topanga Canyon Banjo Fiddle contest a rhythm instrument. Since it has to 2011, tour life became our whole life. in the mid 70’s as a prize for winning blend with seven other instruments, we Since then, we have toured across Best Professional Banjo playing. He make sure that the rhythms and strum the US half a dozen times and twice let me toy around with the harp, and I patterns I play complement the other through Canada. We have also twice thought it was such a neat instrument. things going on. When we record a flown to Europe, where we have toured The autoharp is perfect for a beginner, new song, I often try a few different throughout Europe and the UK. In Photo by Keith Daigle and that’s just what I was. It was an patterns of strums or plucks before we March/April of 2013, we even flew Old Man Markley performing at the Showbox in Seattle instrument that allowed me to learn find just the right sound. to Tokyo, Japan, where we played and play fundamentals like the I-IV-V As a little trick to add something a huge festival called Punkspring autoharp? How might other people do my felts so often that I experimented communication with Bill via email, progression easily. I was playing very unique to our sound, once in a while and performed in front of our largest it also? What do you do for work, and with alternate materials. A material that and in the following months he was quickly with friends and family, and when everyone else in the band is audience to date: about 12,000 people. has it helped you gain confidence in I found to work extremely well that able to “Chromafy” my gold autoharp that was my main goal! playing a B-minor, I will strum a D working on your autoharp yourself? was also long-lasting was linoleum, the “Anniemal” to my specific When OMM began back in 2007, chord. I’ve found that the sound of AQ: Where have you met other in the form of blocks used for print requests. I recalled the CythaHarp that my dad the autoharp playing a relative major autoharp enthusiasts around the world? AD: With our heavy tour schedule, making. I cut the blocks into strips and The project began at the DeTemple had. I told my husband Johnny that I over the band playing a minor chord I found that autoharp maintenance is covered them with very thin pieces Guitars workshop with a total overhaul wanted to get an electric autoharp and actually produces a really unique AD: In May of 2013, we were in almost as important to learn as playing of craft felt. This proved to last three on one of my 21 chord Oscar Schmidt learn to play it for the band. The next sound. Cologne, Germany at a venue called the darn thing. I have to replace my times as long as my traditional all- harps that I didn’t play very often. I thing I knew, he had one delivered to To make sure the autoharp stands Live Music Hall where we shared chord bars very often and have also felt chord bars, and still gave me the refinished it to be a gold top and even our front porch! out when we play live, I also have a the bill with two prominent punk had to change out my pickups and beautiful sound of the felt dampening did some fancy binding along the sides. few EQing tricks. I always make sure bands called Pennywise and Strung preamps while on the road. When the strings. The downfall was that it Then I shipped it off to Bill to get AQ: How long have you been with the that the “presence” is high and that the Out. After our set, I was greeted at we’re not touring, my husband Johnny made my autoharp much heavier, and “Chromafied.” I believe that I have the band? “bass” is low. When playing with so our merch table by a gentleman who and I work for my family’s company with the way I perform, the lighter very first Chromaslide with a pickup! many other instruments, the autoharp introduced himself to me as Ziggy called DeTemple Guitars, where we the better. I tend to jump and dance It is awesome. Having a two-in-one AD: When our band started in 2007, I stands out the best this way. Harpdust. handcraft some of the best custom and move around too much for added autoharp has been a total game changer told my husband, Johnny, that I wanted Another trick is to always play like Ziggy is a fellow ‘harper and friend electric guitars in the world. weight. for my stage show! to get an autoharp. I told him that if he I’m turned up to eleven and to stomp of Bill Bryant. Bill had recently given My dad, Michael DeTemple, has Another logistical difficulty I faced got me one, I would learn to play it. my boots a lot; somehow, that makes my autoharp an overhaul, and Ziggy been working on instruments since he on the road was having switch between AQ: Can you talk more about The next week, a box from an Oscar everything better! had learned of our band via an online was a kid and has perfected his craft two differently tuned autoharps during DeTemple guitars? Schmidt showed up at our posting by Bill. This was the first time over the years. Although our shop had a set, sometimes three or four times! house, and I was hooked. The first AQ: What else do you play? Do you that my connections to the autoharp never worked on autoharps, I knew Since our stage show is so AD: DeTemple Guitars is a business song I started practicing was “Do Me play anything else for the band besides community had brought someone new that I would be able to figure out how fast-paced and action-packed, started by my father, Michael Like You Do,” which is a song that we the autoharp? to see our band! to, especially with help from my dad sometimes it would waste too much DeTemple. He began repairing and perform with the band. It is a song that Usually the audience that our and Johnny who are skilled luthiers. time to switch harps, and we would building instruments when he was just I became familiar with from an old AD: On stage, I play several fun performance attracts is from a punk So when it came time to experiment on have to adjust our set list accordingly.