Dale Hollow ~ Jacy Farrow

Hack of the Year  

“Stupid is as stupid does / does that make me the dumbest one of all time?” — Dale Hollow,  “Hack of the Year”  

A bit Andy Kaufman, a little Orville Peck, a hint of Father John Misty, Dale Hollow possesses “a fascinating combination of performance and purveyed authenticity,” as the lifestyle magazine  Mundane once posited, while also noting that “no other country music artist has ever claimed to  be the best, except for Dale Hollow.”  

Legend has it that Dale actually tried to trademark the phrase “The Country Music Superstar,”  so every time someone like Luke Bryan, Loretta Lynn, Jessica Simpson or Darius Rucker  attached that phrase to their names, Dale gets some cash.  

And while Hollow can be purposely self-elevating, that seemingly tall tale is true. “I sent $150 to  the copyright office…and I got denied instantly,” he says. “That’s why I use that parenthetical  justification (trademark pending).”  

A mysterious figure in the country music world, here’s what we do know: Hollow, who hails from  Nashville and is named after the Kentucky reservoir, had an inauspicious start to his music  career. The future country legend was just trying to pay off $35,000 in back taxes. “I was trying  to get cash fast,” he admits. “One day, sitting in an internet cafe, I read this article that detailed  how Luke Bryan was the most profitable artist in streaming. So I just thought, ‘I’ll do what he  does.’”  

Thankfully, that odd inspiration has led to some not-so-seriously good music. Dale’s new record,  Hack of the Year, is a hoot, full of crooning, shuffling beats, yelps and plenty of self-effacing singalongs. “Don’t Wanna Do Anything” is a legit slacker anthem, while “I’m a Lover” serves as  a rollickin’ love song with a hint of Roadhouse menace. Several moments here, including the  title track and “Dead End Job,” possess a real sense of melancholy.  

Jacy Farrow
Philly-based alt-country. 
https://jacyfarrow.bandcamp.com/album/big-dog-in-basement-country