Hanson, Lady Antebellum, Booker T. Jones, Dionne Warwick and Los Lonely Boys joined members of Congress on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for the annual “Grammys on the Hill” day, which pairs pols up with performers for both a musical show and some good old-fashioned policy talks about intellectual property rights.
Dave Haywood, a guitarist for Lady Antebellum, said these type of visits don’t always come natural for him, calling himself “probably the least political person on the planet.”
“For us, it’s always so funny because we stay so much in our world with writing and recording, so it’s always fun to get totally out of your element,” Haywood said in an interview. “That’s why I enjoy these kind of events, to be able to be up there and meet people who do something completely different than what we do.”
He added, “It’s a little nerve-racking. I’m always nervous, because if someone really starts to bring up a big issue, I’d probably look like a deer in the headlights. It’s the same way I feel when I meet athletes. I say, ‘So, you score any touchdowns this year?’”
Haywood’s visit came on the heels of a New York Times report about differences among the various elements of the recording industry about how to best approach their Washington lobbying.
Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Nancy Pelosi appeared at the Grammys on the Hill event and also joined Neil Portnow, the president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, at a dinner Wednesday night.
If there’s any confusion around issues of compensation for artists, Haywood certainly doesn’t understand it.
“I think everybody understands music and understands taking care of people,” Haywood said. “The music industry has gone through so many changes even since we’ve started as a band. … The challenge is always going to be how do you find ways to make sure people are being well-supported for the stuff they’re creating and people aren’t being robbed of that intellectual property? I think it’s a bipartisan thing that people agree on.”
"Grammys" event strikes Hill chord
