In any event, I’m not taking him seriously. I think he’s pulling someone’s leg.

“And it also misleads the people that like the new country music; they hear the word “country” and come out and hear us, they’re not going to like what we do. They’re expecting something different.”

it makes me wonder just how many complaints of this nature he’s actually gotten. I’ll bet the answer is in the low single digits. At most.

You’re absolutely right that performers are going to where they’re wanted, can reach audiences, etc. My anecdotal evidence the last few years is that they’re certainly getting this at BRRR; I have no idea what combination of not being wanted, not drawing crowds is leading to their decreased presence at the AMA.

Artists who perform more traditional country are pretty much going to go where they’re wanted, treated well, can reach audiences, and maybe even make a few cents, if they’re smart–smart enough that any of us get to hear of them!

“Traditional Country is a nebulous term — it can refer to anything from Roy Acuff’s simple songs to the electrified honky tonk of Johnny Paycheck — but the name does evoke a specific sound, namely the long-standing tradition of simple country songs delivered with simple instrumentation and a distinct twang.”

While that type of music is certainly included under Americana, my opinion is that it is only a small (and perhaps decreasing in prominence) slice of the Americana pie. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Ameripolitan title is necessary, but I can sort of see where Dale is coming from.

It seems to me that there are artists who “couldn’t catch a break break on the main stage, or at least have at one time but have since decreased in popularity” performing and recording in all musical styles. It’s also true that some musicians with enormous sales have started out their careers in the Americana catagory. Two of the 2013 Grammy nominees in the Americana catagory– Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers– were nominated for albums which have gone platinum, and both groups consist of artists in their 20s and 30s.

Q. You’ve taken to using the term “Ameripolitan” to describe your music. What do you mean by that?

A. The reason I use it is to separate myself from what is called country music today, because I don’t fit in their category, or any of their sub-categories. For people that like the kind of music I do, it’s very misleading [to call it country]. And it also misleads the people that like the new country music; they hear the word “country” and come out and hear us, they’re not going to like what we do. They’re expecting something different.

Q. So it’s kind of truth in advertising on your part.

A. Exactly. I tried to think of a name that really didn’t mean anything in particular. If you heard it, you wouldn’t have a connotation in your head, anything that would connect it to what country music is today. If you hear “Ameripolitan,” you know what you’re getting. It’s original music with prominent roots influence. Alison Krauss is a good example; you can hear her roots, you know exactly where she came from. The same with Dwight Yoakam.

I tell you what puzzles me: What is Jazz? What is rock ‘n roll? What is country Music? What is pop? All of these are broad enough, vague enough even, to evolve, grow and keep existing in ways music makers, marketers and listeners find helpful. The same has been true for Americana for over 20 years now, and it’s played o a good 100 stations, satellite radio, and in other countries. If I say “country Music” or “jazz,” I don’t get, “Gee; I’ve vaguely heard of it, what is it?”–maybe just because they’ve been around ling enough as terms that people THINK they know what they consist of, or even “sound like.”

After decades, I’d think the best thing to do is listen to what Americana music makers are offering online, on radio, maybe in shows in your area, etc; check out discussions of it, and you’ll probably get it. Because I tell you what, I think that greta efforts have been made, and very public and accessible ones, to make that clear enough, and anybody who wants to know can find the answers. Perhaps country or folk is where artists wind up who couldn’t catch a break in Americana. Or in selling insurance.