What we value most often depends on the situation. Our physical possessions stir emotions that connect deeply to our instinct for survival, a sense that “if I do this, I’ll get that.” Regardless of the outcome, the feeling of owning something gives our possessions meaning and worth. But what we hold dear isn’t limited to the physical. Our emotions are also shaped by what we experience through our other senses.

All of our senses trigger feelings that can be pleasant or unpleasant, consciously or unconsciously. It might be difficult to imagine something you can’t touch or taste, but who’s to say that seeing, hearing, or smelling something is any less powerful? This is why the arts and our ability to create beyond material needs remain essential. Art can awaken a memory or create a moment that stays with us forever.

That’s what country singer-songwriter Logan Ledger often seeks: a moment. Born and raised in San Francisco and now based in Nashville, he finds joy in capturing the fleeting feelings that inspire a song and in creating moments that last long after the music fades. Much like the things we consume, the physical dissolves, but the memory endures. Ledger reminds us that what we share with others is a reflection of who we are and the more we share, the less alone we feel. These connections, both emotional and sensory, are vital to our survival.

LOGAN Ledger reminds us that what we share with others is a reflection of who we are and the more we share, the less alone we feel.

words BY iAN RANDOLPH | images by David Katzinger

Ian Randolph: Do you find inspiration when in solitude?

Logan Ledger: That's interesting you mention that because I'm trying to make my house more of a sanctuary for myself lately, so I do.

I've lived in this house longer now than any other place I've lived in including my childhood home. I've been here for so long and never really fixed it up or made it a nice place to hang out, work, or write, so now I'm just starting to get around to it (laughs). I need my solitude for these things.

IR: What kind of atmosphere would you like to create when making music?

LL: Well, a clean house is the start of it (laughs). A lot of it comes from here and I'm constantly working on it, so I think I'm still working on that atmosphere.

IR: I enjoy listening to music the most when alone in my car. The imagery, the thoughts, and the sounds that come to mind when listening to music possess me while driving to my destination, becoming a motivation for the day. With that being said, do make songs intentionally to be heard in certain spaces such as that?

LL: You know I haven't, but that's a great idea and I should...I'd like to make a driving album. With Golden State I didn't write it thinking "This is going to be a driving song.", but when we were in the studio we kind of had this idea of it having a driving rhythm to it, so I guess that was intentional during post production. Songs are always being written from the early stage to even the late stage where things could be recorded and performed differently.

When you're recording something it's almost like you're writing the song again. You have to figure out how it's going to be arranged and all sorts of stuff. It's always the best when you're surprised afterward.

IR: Though our materials don't make the man in some cases, what are some key essentials that make Logan Ledger?

LL: I need at least one guitar. Without it, I'd be...I don't know. Nice pair of shoes or boots.

IR: What kind of boots are we talking about?

LL: Cowboy boots...it depends on who you are.

IR: Ok because we're team Red Wing over here(laughs).

LL: I have Red Wings. I'll even get some fucking Doc Martens. I love them. I have a very ample closet that goes a little beyond essential at this point (laughs). You also need a great ear to listen to music. That's essential to me.

IR: Your music, most importantly your lyrics, really captures an old country feel that can't be bought. With newer country music, much like rap music, coming from a rebellious background to now being the norm, do you feel like now it's lost touch with its pure roots?

LL: It's sort of like...such a big question...On some level country music has always been a constructed thing. There's always been a show aspect to it, but I think country music has gotten away with some of the things that made it good (laughs). I think country music still speaks to people, but country music now has no appeal to me. I also don't want to say it's not country because it is and it's a constantly evolving thing. Even though it doesn't have a guitar or a banjo, it'll still be country music as long as it's in the same trajectory or movement of history. I don't want to tell people what to do or say what country music should be or shouldn't be. I like a certain kind of melody and phrasing. I think a lot of melodies in contemporary country music aren't my thing.

I think the improvisational aspect of it is lost in popular country music now. I like to hear the rawness of the performance as opposed to things sounding pre-produced.

IR: In your last album "Golden State", I get a feel of your experiences in California and your appreciation of simplicity in daily life when visiting. Did that experience bring a new sense of gratitude to your life?

LL: Not really. I'm always grateful for California. It's my home. I loved growing up there. I'm from the Bay Area and it would be a dream to move back over, but I'm grateful to be where I'm at now in life.

IR: What other things in your life that you are currently grateful for?

LL: I'm grateful for my health. I think that's the big one… I'm grateful for my friends here in Nashville and I'm grateful to have been able to peak out of the existence of this brutal industry and still be here. I tend to be a very cynical and dark person, but I try not to be.

IR: What does intimacy mean to you?

LL: Intimacy for me is communicating with people and connecting with them by putting on a good show. It's a miracle that anyone wants to come see me. My goal is to get in there and make people cry. That's what I strive for when it comes to intimacy.

IR: Do you think intimacy is something that is undervalued or overrated?

LL: In regards to my music, I do seek an intimate connection to the audience. I'm not one of the kinds of people who don't care about them and have this "I'm an artist!" mystique to them. It's fine, but I can't relate to it at all and it's weird in a way because it's entertainment. That's part of what makes it a beautiful thing.

IR: Yeah. I hear about bigger artists going back to their roots and getting more into the 200-1000-person venues for a couple of nights rather than stadiums for their true fans now.

LL: Yeah, I think they're realizing that too and it's coming back, so it is something that is undervalued really.

IR: Inspiration can come from anywhere. Our car, touring, or just sitting in the studio, but there's a comfort that comes with that that helps you relax in that feeling to create. Where do you feel the most comfort in that sense?

LL: The place I feel the most comfortable was where I shot the Golden State album cover. It's called Mt.Tamalpais near Marin Country, where I grew up. It's a mountain that they blew the top off of in the 50’s, so they could build a radar facility to track soviet nukes or some shit (laughs). The mountains have been desecrated to some level, but still feels like this potently charged place. The ground is mostly covered in red dirt, but in the spring it turns very green like Narnia. It's where mountain biking was invented apparently. It's a beautiful and fun place to visit. I used to go to those same spots as a kid which now feels more far away, but it's also very familiar.

IR: What feels like home to you?

LL: Oh man... I like retro video games and arcades.

IR: Yes, dude.

LL: I love Super Nintendo. Sega Genesis. Any kind of place with old games like Street Fighter.

IR: Did you ever get into a Time Crisis?

LL: OH YEAH! I love all that stuff. For the past couple of years, I've been getting nostalgic over that stuff and have gotten too deep into it recently. It's a problem (laughs). My favorite arcade bar here is called Game Terminal. You pay 10 bucks to pretty much play anything you want.

IR: Do you go there mostly with friends or solo?

LL: Sometimes with friends but I like going there solo more. I go to a lot of places solo. I like going on solo explorations.

IR: Solo dinners are underrated.

LL: That's one of the reasons why I like solo tours. I like going to dinners by myself or driving in the car by myself. Sure, it can be lonely, but I don't know. It's fun.

IR: Though we've been talking about the idea of the artist and comfort, to push forward we need moments of discomfort to evolve. Do you experience that often when working or in life and what has been the most challenging moment for you that ultimately turned out for the better?

LL: I've gone through a lot of things that I hope turned me out for the better.

Everyone went through that pandemic, I went through a lot of tough relationship stuff, and family stuff...It's all been for the better and informed my music because it's life. I hope that I've made choices and grown through that because I am a human being. But the jury's still out and who knows what they'll say about me when I'm dead.

IR: Damn! (laughs) That's underrated and undervalued! Honesty with thyself.

LL: I can't help myself.

LOGAN LEDGER

Intimacy for me is communicating with people and connecting with them by putting on a good show. It's a miracle that anyone wants to come see me.

My goal is to get in there and make people cry. That's what I strive for when it comes to intimacy.

— Logan ledger

ACOUSTIC

PERFORMANCE