Songwriter Knight is doing it for himself

Chris Knight will perform a solo show Wednesday at Newby's, pulling out numbers from across his catalog of original songs.

Chris Knight is the sort of fella who lets his songs do the talking.

A native of Slaughters, Ky., Knight has long been one of roots music's unheralded stars. A solo artist and songwriter -- he's had his tunes recorded by the likes of Montgomery Gentry and Blake Shelton, among others -- Knight returns to Memphis for a performance at Newby's on Wednesday.

Now 51 and a couple decades into his career, Knight maintains a curious detachment from the music business.

He isn't big on interviews or talking about himself, and he remains a solidly old-school character (he doesn't even use e-mail). But it's that same defiant perspective, poetic directness and lyrical economy that have come to define his work.

Despite having penned country hits for others, Knight says he continues to write, first and foremost, for himself.

"For the last six months, I've been trying to write whatever came along," says Knight. "A lot of times it turns into a commercial thing, where you start thinking, 'Well, I doubt if I'm gonna sing this song myself. Maybe I can pitch it to somebody.'

"But that never works out either. 'Cause almost any song I get cut is something that I would sing myself," he says, chuckling. "Even after all this time, I just ain't got a handle on how you write a song for someone else."

Playing the Nashville music game has never appealed to Knight, who still resides in Western Kentucky. It was there, as a teenager, that he found his path.

"It just came from listening to music and idolizing singer-songwriters as a kid. I started playing guitar when I was 15. I learned a whole lot of songs. When I was 16 or 17 I could play three hours worth of other people's songs," he says.

"Then, in '86, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, Marty Stuart were all out on country radio -- that was a new thing. Especially Steve Earle; hearing him inspired me to start writing. I wrote like 60 songs the first year and kept on writing. It was probably two years before I ever wrote a keeper."

For Knight, who'd gone to agricultural school and pursued a successful career in land reclamation, music eventually became his calling.

"As I kept on writing I would send songs to Nashville, and I got some positive responses. So I decided to go down there and knock on a few doors. 'Round '91 or '92 I met some people and that led to a writing deal and then a recording deal."

His self-titled 1998 major label debut for Decca proved to be a minor classic. His follow-up, 2000's A Pretty Good Guy -- this time released for indie Dualtone -- was even better. In all, Knight has recorded five discs of finely etched story songs filled with an earthy blue-collar pathos.

Knight is finishing up a new, as-yet-untitled studio album. His first effort since 2008's Heart of Stone, it's slated to come out in the summer.

"We're closing in on it," says Knight. "I recorded it at (Steve Earle collaborator) Ray Kennedy's studio. It's mostly new material, though I went back in my catalog and got a couple older ones to round out the record."

The new record follows a pair of songwriting demo collections, The Trailer Tapes and Trailer II. Fans can expect Knight to pull out numbers from across his catalog at Newby's.

"The show's gonna be just me and a guitar. By myself, I can play just about anything I want to," says Knight, who plays roughly 100 shows per year, alternating between solo and full-band performances.

The balance of his time is focused on writing.

"Nowadays, I really gotta decide to sit down and write. I need to get an idea that strikes me in some way. But as far as getting up in the morning and leaving the trash piled up and shirking other responsibilities to write songs," he says, laughing, "that don't happen much anymore."

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Chris Knight

9 p.m. Wednesday at Newby's, 539 S. Highland. Cover is $15. Go to newbysmemphis.com or call (901) 452-8408

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