DEANNA DEVORE

>>>>> How was your disc release show at Schuba’s  for Half & Half, your 3rd release?  It was a super great show! The turn out was really good and so we had lots of energy on stage.

>>>> What is your live format in terms of instrumentation? has that evolved over time?  The live instrumentation is electric guitar/vocals, backup vocals, bass/synth, wurlitzer/synth, live drums/electronic drum pad and a laptop playing some tracks from the recordings. It has evolved over time…I had a hard time over the years recreating the sound of the recordings live and my current live arrangement does just that. I’m really happy with it.

>>>>>> How do you get in the right head-space to perform? do you have a ritual at this point?  Alcohol… kidding. I try not to over think it, because it’s when I do that it causes me to second guess things. I have so much to think about while I perform – between playing guitar, singing, pedals, live looping etc. It’s hard to not get in my head.

>>>>> What’s the biggest high for you:  writing, recording or playing your stuff for an audience?  I’d say the writing/recording process. Playing is great too, but writing is really where my passion lies. When I record, it brings the songs to life, and I like seeing how the song transforms from the bare bones where I started, to the song after production.

Did you have a goal in or specific approach to recording the new songs?  This album is called half and half because it features two different production styles and a spectrum of sound – from electronic to acoustic. Half the songs are more electronic, while the other half are more acoustic. 

>>>> The production on each track is stellar and concise: how do you know when a song is done?  Production is a big part of what I do in the studio since I’m mostly self-produced (some tracks from the new album had additional production, but most of them were produced myself). It depends on the individual song, but sometimes the song goes through different production/directions until I get the right vibe from it. That’s usually the case when it’s a song that was written on guitar and then I end up making it more synthy/electronic in the end. Other times, I know right away what sound I want from the time I’ve written it. Production is fun because it can really make the song come to life.

>>>> With the file sharing as the life blood of social media, and the widening gap between talent and compensation, what drives you to do this? Things have definitely changed over the years, but it’s important to keep up with the times. I just want to get this new music out into the world.

>>>> Today artists are in a way forced to see each tune as an island onto itself that can stand alone as a promotion: do you think of the songs as individual pieces or as part of an overall statement that is the album?  Hmm I’d say both. I think they can stand alone but also be heard in the album as a whole. I had released 3 singles previously, before the album came out, so maybe that’s why I feel that way.

>>>>>> What were the first few albums you picked up as a kid? are they essential to who you have become as an artist?  I remember my first albums as a kid were Ace of Base and Green Day, but I don’t think there’s an overlap there haha. My taste has definitely changed since then.

>>>>> If you envision yourself on stage in an arena sized venue, what role do you think theatrics would play in delivering your music?  I think there could be something cool in a visual component being added to the live sound – especially at such a massive venue. Not saying dancers etc but I mean more in terms of a screen with images being shown, tying in with the music.

MATT FEDDERMANN

How did your love affair with rock & roll begin? As a kid listening to Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Elvis, Jerry Lee and more on 104.3 the oldies station in Chicago. My Dad was/is a big oldies fan and that radio station was all he ever listened to. “Smoke on the Water,” “Wild Thing” or “Iron Man” are the first songs most guitarists learn. Mine was “That’ll Be The Day” and “It’s So Easy”.

What were the first three albums you ever purchased and which of those holds up best today to you? Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Run DMC Raising Hell and Motley Crue’s Dr. Feelgood. Thriller holds up best to me, hands down.

When did you start writing songs and how do they ‘come together’ for you most often? 7th/8th grade with my very first band, Vertigo. Songs come in many ways. Sometimes I’ll be driving a melody with pop in my head, or, I’ll hear a phrase that I like and will write a song around it. Sometimes, I’ll be jamming with other musicians and we write the music and then lyrics will follow.

You’ve managed to carve out a nice niche on the north shore by being a respected ‘jack of all trades’, how has your business model evolved over the past few years ?  My business model hasn’t changed all that much. With the internet and all of the social media resources as my disposal, communicating with fans is much easier on one hand and on the other takes three times as long. I literally work all day to book shows, promote shows, create content to increase my brand awareness, etc..

What advice do you give to young bands trying to build a following and, in turn, get better gigs? A few thing. The BIGGEST thing is to be friendly and outgoing. I try to meet as many people at gigs as possible. Anytime someone gives me a tip, a compliment, a thumbs up, a high five, anything, I make sure to introduce myself and ask them their name. A 30 second engagement can mean a new long term fan. Your fans can be and are your biggest promoters. The more people that come to your shows, the better the bigger the gigs will grow, the more opportunities will open up along with making more money.

Do you have to become Facebook (say hey to Matt) exhibitionists to play the game?  If you are not on social media, you are at a severe disadvantage. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.. Ever walk into a bar to play a gig and everyone is staring at their phones and not you. Chances are they are on one of the previously mentioned sites. Get your “b(r)and” in front of as many eyeballs as possible. A large number of the population spends hours a day staring at their electronic device.

Years ago it seemed as if the Chicago music media shunned artists / bands that came out of the north shore as if they didn’t deserve the coverage; in fact many bands sought to hide the fact so they weren’t labeled as ‘rich brats: does this hold true at all today? Ya know, the scene is so much different these days. Music oriented local Chicago media has shrunk considerably in the last 10 years. Local Anesthetic on WXRT is only 30 minutes on Sunday nights (does anyone listen to terrestrial radio anymore?). Illinois Entertainer only seems to cover the south and western suburbs. Cover bands are a PLENTY these days.

In Chicago, much as in NYC, often musicians get put in one category or another: either your a working musician or an artist…. Is one the dream job and the other vehicle? I’ve been struggling with that for YEARS and I think I’ve finally found a balance. I have two very different song writing styles. One of very acoustic based and the other electric guitar/keys/synth based. I market them differently. I do my acoustic singer/songwriter originals and covers thing in the suburbs where you can make money and use some of that money to pay for my “original artist” project called Monsoons. I keep specific email and facebook lists that are geographically based. I rarely send updates regarding my acoustic covers thing to gatekeepers and decision makers in Chicago and abroad, I send them Monsoons updates. It’s not an easy thing to do and it takes a lot of time, but, it’s doable. My gigs at local restaurants and bars in the burbs has paid for the recording sessions & music video first few Monsoons songs. In fact, producer/mix wizard Sean O’Keefe (Fallout Boy, Plain White T’s) is mixing the first single. – Matt Feddermann

BRAD PETERSON

photo by KIM SOMMERS

How did you come to fix on the Fleur-de-lis as moniker / title for your new release? It seemed to same itself at the last-minute of the last recording, which is atypical from my previous works. Last autumn, I had a couple of songs that I had recently recorded before I came to California for a respite from the Chicago winters: Vale of Tears, and 45.  I played them for an old friend, Peter Bowers, who has been in the music and film world for decades and, in my opinion,  is someone with a unique perspective and proven good taste. After listening to them while we were winding through the serpentine roads near Topanga, he was clearly excited and asked if I had more new songs; I said yes, but they’re in a crude state. He tacitly gave me the go ahead and I proceeded to play for him: Rock Fight, and minor. Being a musician himself, and no stranger to hearing potential in a demo recording, he promptly suggested I finish the work for, at the very least, posterity (and for whatever opportunities that may bring). It was just the encouragement I needed to set up a barebones recording outpost in his garage/office in the beautiful canyons nestled betwixt the Santa Monica mountains, Los Angeles, and the Pacific Ocean. I’m not sure at which point the idea developed to add an additional track, but I half-heartedly presented my least favorite and hardly developed of the bunch: Fluer-de-lis, for which the title lyric had yet to be written. I acquiesced in its procession but as the spirit moved me, and I reconnected to the moments of its inception, those words just came through: “Fluer-de-lis” – like they were always supposed to be. Ureka! The song finished itself. The counterpoint in the last verse was the very last thing recorded and almost has a feel of a reprise-medley trope at the end of an epic film from the late sixties. When I listened back to it, I felt that it was divinely gifted; I had just participated in its revelation as the title of this work.

What was the most difficult thing about making Fleur? The most difficult thing in anything, is the discipline or faith to work in the face of doubt and negativity that plague me every day. The ultimate goal is for me to share what I do and connect with other souls. The periods between such moments are long and dark in which I often wonder if what I do is folly and meaningless.

 

Do you see it as a continuation of your other releases, an update, or something unto itself? Depending on context, it could be any of those; it could even be a prequel, chapter, or a supplemental. In literary terms, I think of singles as anecdotes, albums as books, and EPs as short stories. But I think in most cases, to say: “the Fluer-de-lis EP” would refer to something unto itself.

Why did you decide to do a EP this time versus a full album? Albums take a while and I didn’t want to wait. Full disclosure, there’s a part of me that would be happy to just release singles from here out. If I had the resources, I think that’s the direction I’m heading.

How does the song writing process work for you? The evolution of every song is different but the most rewarding songs come in the form of everything-at-once. Melody, lyrics, chords, feel, and arrangement pour over me in a torrent of inspiration. Those are also the songs that tend to get finished.

Describe your head space when playing live in front of an audience?

How the hell am I supposed to pull this off? Because I thrive off of the symbiosis of all who participate in a live performance, it’s quite vitalizing and I experience the joy of communion. However, there is always a delta between what I want it to sound like and what I’m able to produce. I’m figuring out that “not to try” is the trick for all involved.

Did you like to sing as a kid or did you begin playing guitar and start singing later on? I always sang for as long as I can remember; maybe before I could talk.  But, it was when my aspirations for being a drummer were squelched by mom (who didn’t want that sort of racket going on in the house) bought me my first acoustic guitar, that I became the defacto singer/rhythm guitarist at about age fifteen.

Many artists talk about ‘the album’ that changed their life, is there one for you? Yes. From all accounts, in the spring of 1971, my older brother and father were listening to music in the living room of our old farmhouse in Baltimore, Maryland. Mark was around thirteen and my father was a bit of an audiophile with an impressive sound system composed of mammoth Bozak speakers, Scott amplification, and Ampex reel-to-reels. They put on a store-bought reel of the Beatles’ Revolver and it boomed throughout the house. That was the moment I became sentient and aware. To describe the experience using my abilities in the English language that I have since learned, I’d say I was in awe and asked: “what is this wonderful thing?” as I crawled on the carpet. I don’t know what it was or who it was but I’m certain that it was a pivotal moment in my relationship with music and my development as a human being. A few years ago I wrote about this earliest memory of my life called “Crack and Boom”:

What was the first concert you ever attended and what strikes you about it today?  For my first large rock concert, it was either Billy Joel or Roger Waters with Eric Clapton. Both of them were at the Rosemont Horizon when I was around thirteen years old. My opinion then, is as it is now: that is sounded horrible and I would have maybe preferred to stay home and listen to the recordings. The highlights of each were the improvisational element where I gleaned variations of expression in the arrangements of the musicians. I do enjoy live music but I gravitate to smaller venues or living rooms.

If you could take a time machine to any one moment in history (rock or otherwise) what would it be and what would you do once you got there?  It would probably be to a moment that I’ve already experienced, perhaps one from my childhood when I was near my family who I love very much. And, it would be simply to live it again with greater appreciation and notice every little detail. – BradPeterson.com

LISA HELLER

How did you choose “Life On The Run” to be your first iTunes single?  I chose to release “Life on the Run” as my first iTunes single because I think it is a good representation of who I really am as an artist. As the first thing I’m really putting out into the world, “Life on the Run” is kind of saying I’m going to be myself, and march to my “own beat of the drum.”  I think it is an inspiring song to people who want to strive for a dream and don’t know if they can do it.  I think you can do anything you want to do if you work hard enough.

You are in a unique position releasing material at such a young age: do you ever worry that you may look back later in your career and go ‘OH NO!!”?  I don’t think that releasing material at such a young age (my 19th birthday to be exact) would make me look back and worry. It’s all a learning process and you have to learn who your audience is and feel for what they like and don’t like and work from there. If I never put my songs out into the world, how would I know if people would fall for them? I also think an audience likes to see an artist evolve over time and I plan to continue to grow.

How do songs take shape for you typically ? For me, my songwriting varies from song to song- sometimes I am driving on the highway and have to pull over because I get this one phrase stuck in my head and I have to scribble it on my coffee cup before it goes away. Other times I sit down and start playing different chord progressions on my piano and guitar with varying rhythm, and once it sounds right to me I start humming along until I find a suiting melody, and the words just kind of flow from there. Each song is such a different experience- with some it takes an hour to write the root of the song while with others I could spend 6 months on it just to find the right words.

What’s the bigger high for you: writing, recording or playing live?   Wow that’s such a hard choice! Can I say all three? They are all so different it’s difficult to compare. Writing is something that has been a huge part of growing up for me. I write down the experiences that I’ve had or are new to me, then I compare them to ones I haven’t yet had a chance to experience. But recording is also amazing because it’s like I’m taking all of these ideas that are kind of jumbled up in my head, and they’re put into real solid music. I really get in such a deep zone when I’m recording that I can’t explain. Sometimes I forget what I’m doing and that other people are there listening while I sing into the mic. And lastly, performing is such an amazing experience. The second I step on stage it’s like I feel this connection with the audience that they understand me. It’s like we’re all one, and as I sing about the adversity I’ve faced, as many others have, I’m singing for them, not me. I want to tell them it will all be ok, empowering my audience as well as myself.

What do you want your audience to see or feel when you are in front of them?  When I’m in front of my audience, I want them to feel welcome. There are so many opportunities for people to feel excluded or doubt themselves. But when I’m in front of people I want them to feel like it’s ok to be themselves, and feel empowered.

If you could open for any artist or band on a spill of east coast dates this summer, who would it be?  There are so many artists that I aspire to open for.  Of course Taylor Swift comes to mind, as such a dynamic player in the music industry.  She flawlessly switched from Country to Pop, a task no artist has surmounted with such supportive fans. I also would love to open for Christina Perri – her song “Jar of Hearts” was one of the first songs that I ever performed live and it really inspired me to write down-to-earth, relatable music. Sara Bareilles is also an amazing headliner – she is an artist I emulate and aspire to be like with her words of empowerment without a hint of cliche. Of course I would also be thrilled to open for bands with whom I am connected, such as Waiting for Henry, a group of great guys who have been supporting my hard work from the beginning.

How did you pick up guitar and what advice do you give to others who want to learn how to play?  I taught myself to play some simple chords on the piano which is how I started songwriting. After a while I really wanted to play guitar too so I started looking up how to play chords on google images! This really jump-started my ability to write songs, before I started taking lessons. My advice for someone learning to play guitar is to look up chords if you don’t want to pay for lessons, and keep repeating them until your fingers bleed. After a week or so you will stop hurting and your fingers will just remember where to be placed. From there, you can start writing songs! And for piano, you just need to learn the basic triad structure and go from there!

What were the first few albums you ever bought and what do you think of them today?  The first few albums I ever bought were from my parents, which definitely had a huge impact on my choice of music. As a young child I would listen to Dave Matthews and Coldplay in the car, so it really made me appreciate the deep music where the words had so much meaning and the instrumentation that was so captivating and complex. The upbeat party music was always fun too but that never really affected me the way that songs like “Yellow” by Coldplay did.  U2’s “Beautiful Day” was a perfect song when I needed to appreciate the little things in life or get motivated.

What’s your favorite song of all-time?  I would probably say “Fix You” by Coldplay – It was the song I resorted to throughout high school and it brought so many different emotions each time I listened to it. “Fix You” has this certain indescribable power to heal and unite people.

If you could have an alter ego performing in an alternate universe, what might she sound and look like?  If I were given the chance to be someone else, I would still choose to be me. There are billions of other people in the world but only one me, so if I’m not me then who am I? ~ LisaHeller.com

NICHOLAS BARRON

You started as a youngster busking on the streets of Chicago: is there a telling memory that still informs you today?  I just wrote a song that’s on my new CD called “When The Fat Lady Sings” about following ones heart and dream. There is this line:  “dudes in 3 piece suits telling me they wished they was me cause I was following my heart and living my dream”. That’s a true story. That and playing the mostly southbound Black el stops and having it feel like Baptist church. I learned to sing  Black music from Black Folks singing with me and playing Electric Blues every weekend in the summer with my band on State street in downtown chicago and the huge crowds! That spark and immediacy are rare and profound!!!

What is your favorite new Nicholas Baron song and why? “When the fat lady sings” is my new “I’m not superman” which is the song I’m known for. It’s a true story. I found a way to be honest and poetic at the same time. It’s got a direct feel from Van Morrisons “Domino” and Rickie Lee jones “Chuck E’s in love”. It finally expresses my truth and is like a quick bio. I love language and beat poetry and this has that feel.

How do songs manifest themselves to you? They happen either effortlessly like  they were waiting for me to catch them like butterflies or intellectual endeavors where the words are like math and science. It happens all possible ways. Words or chorus first or music first or just chords.

Do you have a philosophy when it comes to the recording?  All my records have been somewhat different.  I like it to be organic and sound and feel live but have a sheen to it as well. I have to have a relaxed and honest environment.

What was the first real concert you ever attended and what impression did it have on you? I heard Jimmy cliff when I was 10 with my hippie parents at an outdoor concert. I remember the sky and the feel of it being live and soulful and folks dancing up a storm.

What is your approach to playing live and what is your vibe pre-show? It has recently changed and evolved . I am working on total relaxation and letting the audience come to me. I’ve been trying not to be big the whole time or loud. I’m going for a range of emotions and dynamics even in one song. I have the ability to be mellow and soft and then rise up like Otis Redding or James Brown. I warm up a bit vocally but mostly everything’s changed because I’m relaxing my mind and body when I play. It’s magic!

What are your favorite 3 albums of all-time?  Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks , John Martyn’s Solid Air, Joni Mitchell’s Blue

What’s the best live performance you have seen by a Chicago artist? My dear friend Wes John is insanely great and has great songs and his band destroys!

Out of nowhere the Empress of the Universe beams you on board her ship and demands you write a song for her on the spot — any ideas?  All my songs are about the same things disguised as different characters. Love in all its forms, integration, and working through suffering to find resolution. World peace through the microcosm which is self love. Relax yourself before you tax yourself. – Nicholas Barron

DAVE SLOMIN w/ WAITING FOR HENRY

What earlier Mr. Henry record has the most in common with your new project Waiting For Henry, Ghosts & Compromise?

Man, I hope it’s not a cop out to pick two… but I think Ghosts falls somewhere between the first couple of Mr. Henry albums.  It has the grit and new-band-energy of As Good as the Ground, but I feel like it also has the song strength of Jackhammer.

You took a brief-to-longer-than-expected hiatus from playing live, recording and touring until now: does the material and lyrics on the disc tell any part of that story?

Yeah I did and yeah it does.  Story’s in the title song…  “Let’s raise a toast, to everybody’s ghost.”  For me, so much of this album is about coming to terms with the reality that a lot my life is now to be looked back on.  But it’s also about not being scared of the related ghosts – in my case, musical – that won’t disappear.  Doing the ‘band-thing’ once more is really like a born-again experience.  Like I had this phantom muse, packed into the closet with all the backup guitars and broken amps… and somehow it came back to life.  Musicians are like wolfmen… once you’re bitten it’s in you.

Elevator pitch, in one sentence: what’s your favorite thing about how the disc it turned out?

I always feel like a it’s a success if I come up with a recording that sounds like something I would buy myself… and I think I’d buy this one.  Or at least bootleg it.

Why did you record down in Freehold, NJ when you live so close to so many great studio’s in New York? 

Definitely the food.  They have awesome take-out Chinese in Freehold.  No, actually it’s kind of a cool story… for me at least.  We set out trying to work with Josh Jakubowski, who recorded the first Gaslight Anthem album “Sink or Swim”.  It’s the best and best sounding punk album of the past decade.  The tracks are beautiful, but bombastic.  Kinda like The Replacements’ “Tim.”  Anyway, our schedules couldn’t connect, but through the Josh search, we connected with one of his old partners in crime, Joe Dell’Aquila at Exeter Recording in Freehold.  First off, we were blown away by Joe’s sounds and mixes on his website samples.  We knew, even before seeing the studio that he was the guy.  Went in sight unseen and Joe rocked it.  Then, to ice the cake, we thought the whole ‘ghost’ thing of recording in the same town where Springsteen grew up, couldn’t hurt the vibe.  And it didn’t.  Was great.

Man, Hurricane Sandy …..what a nightmare.  Jersey’s known for bad hair and really bad McMansions, but not  hurricanes.  And it wasn’t just Sandy, in the 18 months we were recording down by the Shore we also got hit with Irene.  Thankfully, the studio – and our tracks – survived.  My house just lost some roof, although I have friend whose roof lost its house!

Anyway, a coupla weeks ago, I was with a group doing volunteer clean up work in Lavallette, a town that got mauled, and came up with the idea of turning “Here Comes the Rain” into a video fundraiser.  Working on that now.  We’re gonna donate all the proceeds from related downloads of “Here Comes the Rain” to Restore the Shore related charities.  Hope to have it up on the website this summer.  There’s a lot of folks who still need help and will for a long time.

You have amassed a nice guitar and amp collection over the years, what did you play on the new record?

Yeah, a nice collection of beaters from the guitar shop on the Island of the Misfit Toys.  Main electrics were a ’67 Epiphone Riviera 12-string, run as a six and an old Gibson SG Junior.  They’re always my go-tos, gritty but super warm.  Acoustic was a rebuilt Gibson dinosaur from the 50’s that I adopted from Texas.  Sounds amazing.  Ampwise, the main criminals were an ’82 JCM800, ’65 Fender Vibrolux, a Goodsell and a Samamp.  The Marshall saw the most action, since we were trying to put a big Buffalo Tom guitar sound into an Americana setting.  I think it worked.

Any rules you try to follow when writing a song or are they all ‘works in progress’?

Main rule is, when it comes grab it.  Otherwise you’ll be haunted for years.  Most of the songs on the album were one-shot deals.  Something sparks at 11pm and by 3am there’s a song.  Then there was Here Comes the Rain, which I started 15 years ago and never grabbed it.  Took a recession and Hurricane Irene to reignite the muse and find the lyric on that one.

Is a return to the road or the drive to play events like SXSW again on your radar or ‘in the rear view’? 

Would love to, but you’ll have to talk to my wife about that.

What is your fondest single memory from touring with Mr. Henry?

Too many to pick one.  But up there would be opening for Iggy Pop at Birmingham, AL’s City Stages, playing with Counting Crows at the Beacon in NYC, our first SXSW and of course all those nights humping gear into a motel room at 4am.  Then there was the day we couldn’t get out of the motel parking lot in Jackson, MS, cuz the innkeepers were cooking nan bread on the hot asphalt.

What’s the first record you ever bought and what’s the best cut on it? 

Elton John’s Greatest Hits.  Best cut, definitely “Border Song.”  “Holy Moses, I have been removed.”  It’s the song no one knows.  Have no idea how it made it to his Greatest Hits album, but thank God it did.

What’s the best concert you ever attended and what strikes you most about it now? 

There’s two.  As a kid I got into see The Clash at one of the famous Bond’s Casino shows in NYC.  One of the dates was an all-ages matinée.  Me and my friend Dan pushed our way to the front and were getting crushed against the stage.  The roadies pulled us up before we got killed, and rather than throwing us out, they left us onstage and we got to sing into the mic with Joe Strummer.  Even have one of Joe’s broken guitar strings from that gig.  Was magic.  The other was The Replacements at the old Ritz in NYC in ’85.  Was one of Bob Stinson’s last shows.  I never heard them before that show, but my buddy got tix.  Was totally awestruck.  Left knowing I had just seen the greatest rock band ever.

NATALIE GELMAN

1.0 – Are you happy with how the new EP, Streetlamp Musician, has turned out?

I am! The songs are great to start with and the production and players performing on it are top notch. It has a diverse range of songs and I think I’ll be performing all of them for a long, long time.

2.0 – What are your plans if any for the release?

I’m taking it slow to make sure I’m doing everything right. It will be a soft release  and I’m going to start touring it towards the end of this year and more next year. I am hoping my friends and fans love it enough to share with their circles of friends so it finds a home in a lot of peoples music collection.

 3.0 – Which song on it do you have the strongest emotional relationship with, or are they all dear?

It changes over time. They all have been close to me at one point or another. The most emotional song for me is “One More Thing” but the one I have strong love and respect for is “Most The While”.

 4.0 – Do you have a formula when it comes to writing or is it more free-form? 

A melody and some lyrics will come to me at first and then its my job to uncover what the song is about and focus it moving forward. I also try not to give up on the song or judge it prematurely. I don’t have a formula exactly but I do try to capture everything I think is interesting and inspiring in notebooks and in files on my iPhone. I’ll refer back to those often when I’m looking to write and when I’m looking for a spin on a song I’m already writing. I work really hard on my lyrics to try to be as clear as I can in saying exactly what I mean to and honoring the message of the song. That process is tedious and involves a lot of revision most of the time.

 5.0 – What were the songs that you recall impacting you as a kid? 

I don’t have too many songs that impacted me as a kid because I grew up studying classical violin and piano and my mom played classical music at home. I did eventually get a Lisa Minnelli CD and Madonnas Like a Virgin album and listen to those repeatedly. I also started listening to the hit radio station in NYC and liked musical theater like Gilbert and Sullivan and Disney songs that I was studying musically when I started singing.

 6.0 – What was the first song you learned to sing and play on guitar at the same time, by who?

I was already writing songs when I decided to learn Jewel’s “You Were Meant For Me”. I had only been playing for a few months at that time and I learned the plucking, the harmonics and everything. I still cover that song at shows.

 7.0 – Is there an influencing artist that you consider your ultimate muse?

For a long time early Jewel was my primary muse. I’m now really inspired by Patty Griffin. I think she writes stunningly beautiful songs and stories and sings them amazingly. She’s an underappreciated gift.

 8.0 – Why led to your leaving NYC for California? 

I left for a variety of reasons, a lot of them too personal to mention in this interview but definitely available in the songs on my record. NYC, and the people surrounding me there kind-of broke my heart. I also had an opportunity to record out here with a great team and it just made sense to get out to Los Angeles and dive into it. I came out thinking I might be back by the Fall but the record took longer then expected and then one thing lead to another and now I live here and love it. I still get back to NYC a lot and miss it so much sometimes. It will always be my home and I love the energy of the city. I’m so proud to have grown up there.

 9.0 – You recently performed in the subway in New York; has that experience changed at all from when you started out busking in the West Village or is that what Streetlamp Musician is all about anyway? 

I didn’t start busking in the West Village. I actually started in Times Square and tried to avoid ever playing too close to home. I didn’t really want to run into people I knew though I always do when I play – usually quite a few folks actually.

Anyways, it has changed because it’s become more crowded. And, as I get older and as the economy has changed people are less likely to tip artists down there now. I still think it’s the best way to hone your chops and start to build your fan base as a young artist. I’m lucky to have made it into the MUNY program that’s run by a part of the MTA who manages the subways. They give you permits for bet spots and times as well as the right to amplify your music. It’s a great community to be a part of and it feels more like a legitimate thing that we’re doing together to make the subways more interesting and special. The buskers and street artists are so vital to the city and it’s spirit.

Streetlamp Musician is about the West Village changing in the past few years as much as it’s about me wishing more people would listen to me when I’m laying my heart out on the line. The city has to change but I wish the West Village was more of the neighborhood I grew up in with artists and bohemians. It’s way too expensive for interesting characters to live there anymore and all the mom and pop shops that had been there for generations were pushed out because rent got too high. My godmother blames the Village getting too popular on Sex and the City and I think she’s right.

10.0 – What’s the worst gig situation you have ever found yourself in? 

The worse ever was at a place called The Guitar Bar in Savannah, GA. I set up a show there for their opening night while on my first tour. Everything sounded good from the owner in follow up and checking in a week before the show right up until I got to the venue the night of the show and the owner told me that they weren’t going to be opening that night. My drummer was from Savannah and we were expecting a lot of people so we rescheduled for the next night and now were co-billing the show. We called 30 people to tell them about the switch and ended up playing a house concert that night instead.

The next day we went to the venue and they were complaining that they still didn’t have their liquor license and hustling to finish painting, put things away etc. I saw painters tape all over the floor moldings that needed to be removed so I started helping with that and got to the moldings in the bathroom when I realized they had no toilet paper. I asked the owner if they did and he was overwhelmed and said no so I offered to get some thinking he would pay me back. I went across the street (aka highway) in the dark to get some at a deli and loaded it into the bathroom.

The place opened that night and a ton of our friends came out. The show was amazing right up until I went to go take care of being paid before leaving. We had worked out a 50/50 split of the door deal and I had brought out 30 people at $10 a person. So the band should have made $150.

He handed me maybe $20 or $40 and said he was sorry, they didn’t have their liquor license blah, blah, blah. I quickly found out that he needed all the money from the people I brought in to pay the other act who was a friend of his who has flown in from CA when he paid the other guy $250 right in front of me. The other act hadn’t brought out anyone. I told him that wasn’t okay, we had still driven for hours to be there, had helped them out so much and brought in a lot of people and had a fair contract, yes, the payment details were in writing and it was signed. After a ton of arguing I ended up just leaving and just was so mad that he was making this my issue and just left.

I just looked them up and that place is finally closed. I can’t believe they actually stayed open for 4 years or so. What a nightmare.

TERRY RADIGAN

1.0 What’s your favorite moment on your new record, The Breakdown of a Breakup?  If I had to pick one I’d say the trombone solo on “Mistake” played by J. Walter Hawkes.

2.0 – How did you track the record and who was involved? I tracked the record at my studio Catherine The Great in Brooklyn. I pretty much record / mixed and did basic mastering myself. David Barratt was the executive producer on The Breakdown of a Breakup and I can say without a doubt that had he not come on board and lent his brilliant fresh ears I’d be working on the record for the next ten years.

3.0 – Do you allow yourself to compare your own records and if so, where does this one rank for you now, the week after its Valentine’s Day release?  I don’t really compare them as they’re a snapshot in time but this record was a real departure musically and lyrically.

4.0 – How did the concept for the album come about?  When my marriage of twenty years ended I wrote a bunch of songs to help me process it all. I didn’t think of putting it all together as a collection until David Barratt stepped in and helped to make sense out of all the tunes. Once we listened to them, it was pretty clear that they were all of a piece.

5.0 – What’s your best advice for getting through the pain and doubt of a failed relationship?  I know for me writing the tunes was a way of communicating to myself how I was really feeling & I’d imagine anyone going through it songwriter or not would get some clarity but writing it all down. It helps to keep it from just playing in the background of your mind.

6.0 – On your website, folks are encouraged to share their love stories; how’s that going?  It proved to be a great forum for people to share their stories, and to let others know that they aren’t alone in their heartbreak.

7.0 – Which is your first love: playing guitar, singing or writing music? I’d have to say playing that guitar, as that’s where it all started, but the three together are the holy trinity for me.

8.0 – How do you know when you have a good idea for song, or are you never quite sure?  Some songs just feel like gifts that you’re being given & your only job as a songwriter is not to get in the way! Then there are the tunes that you go 12 rounds before they show themselves.

9.0 – Was there an artist or a record that propelled you as a kid? “Ode to Billy Jo” by Bobbie Gentry. That song & Ms. Gentry’s singing blew me away. The cover for the sheet music was a picture of her holding a cool parlor guitar. I’d have to say that was it for me. I’m always trying to write that song !

10.0 – What’s the finest compliment you have ever been paid walking off a stage?  Hmm … I honestly don’t know that I can pick one. It’s always so moving and incredibly generous to have people come up & thank you for giving voice to something they were feeling. I am in a constant state of gratitude for that.

JOY ASKEW

The title track from your new release, Drunk On You, seems to chronicle a coming to terms with the perils of romantic entanglement, is it a theme on the record?

It could be taken as romantic entanglement but that’s not what the song is about for me! I deliberately wrote it with a double intent. Actually, I am writing about my coming to terms with being lured by empty promises over and over because I’m attracted to the brightest star, the glittering objects  I don’t have to! …to keep pursuing such intangibility is to be drunk! 
Most of the time those roads lead nowhere….just go round and round and my first words in the song ” Going round and round ’til I get to the bridge” describe the feeling of being so inebriated that you can’t actually get anywhere! 
However I have known a few people and still do who would fit the bill of the ‘you’ in Drunk On You!

How would you compare the newbie to your last, The Pirate of Eel Pie?


I approached this album differently, even though it is similar in that it is a collection of songs mainly relating to my life. Many of the songs on Drunk On You were written more to the sound rather than waiting to arrange it after the song was written. For instance – I always heard a bit of chaos happening in the middle of “I Broke The law” as if a band was playing on a ship out at sea that was getting shipwrecked. When I met Jason Candler from The Hungry March Band it seemed like the perfect opportunity to have them play in the middle as if rolling in and out of the song.
I had also formed a band in 2009 and that year we did a series of gigs that started to gel the sound. I loved the energy and vibe and wanted to capture that live feel as the basic and make it be as complete as possible without adding too many extra overdubs. I searched for a studio where I could get complete separation between piano and drums so that we could get the best sound playing live. I found One East Studios in NYC with a great Yamaha upright rock and roll piano!
I also feel my songwriting has developed. Prior to The Pirate of Eel Pie I had been involved in downtempo jazz electronica and had embraced  Eel Pie  as a “back to songs” album. I took my time. I recorded basic tracks – drums and bass at Ricky Fataar’s studio in San Francisco and went back and forth between NYC and there about 4 or 5 times. The tracks for Drunk on You were recorded in 3 shortish days and it had been a relatively quick writing process….especially the song “All Be Saints” which got added at the very last minute!
Finally- findng Brian McTear to mix was the best part.

Is it an over riding feeling that propels a new project into being for you or simply an artist’s desire to keep creating? 

I’m f**!ed if I know! 
I made a pact with myself a long time ago to always show up and be there if inspiration hit. Quite a few times I’ve been running up the road to get home so that I can put an idea down and work on it! Propulsion (is that a word?) is a good way to put it actually. In “Walk Under Waterfalls” when I say ” Shot off like a rocket, never wanting to wait for anyone…” I’m describing the enormous amount of inspiration music gave to my life originally. Every time I get an idea and sound in my head it is almost the same thing.

How did retracing your post collegiate steps near Hampstead Heath while writing for the album impact your mindset or the music? 

I felt so comfortable there and happy! The familiarity of the area felt so similar to when I’d been in my early 20’s that I think I was absorbing a lot of my youthful innocence and excitement! The fact that the weather (for London) was great and so was the Steinway piano, helped!
An aged bunny rabbit named Tom who I was taking care of, sparked the idea for “I Broke The Law” – loosely based on Animal Liberators rescuing rabbits from animal testing labs. This song could be about any part of cruelty and inhumanity that you can’t turn your head away from.

With this being your fourth solo record, what’s the feeling when it’s done – catharsis, relief, pressure, celebration?
 Definitely celebration and relief but also hope and fear! 
I hope to reach a wide audience who love the music and get the message! But I fear that it may wither and die on the vine!

How do you think being a support musician for so many wonderful artists over the years helped prepare you for the ‘music business’ as a solo artist?

In many ways it didn’t!
I did get very used to being on large stages and keeping a frantic schedule sometimes. I also saw how hard all the artists I’ve played with worked, especially Laurie Anderson.
Playing with Rodney Crowell really helped me as a songwriter and being around Peter Gabriel was amazing to see how much stamina he puts into everything he’s doing, but the music business is a bit of a mystery ….still! More often than not I’ve seen the industry let artists down. In the early 80’s with Joe Jackson, he was riding a huge wave of popularity, we were getting flown round the world, the music industry was doting and excited….made us feel glorious! Times were different back then.

Early on in life, was there an artist you believed may be the embodiment of who you would someday become?

Miles Davis…..or George Harrison!

Life informs your music in the sense that you aren’t afraid to share a message or trumpet a cause, is it easier to write those kinds of numbers versus the very personal ones? 

Well since 2004 I’ve been dedicated to animal rights and being a vegan. So that is very personal for me. You can hear that in the song  My Life where I write about a great trip to Buenos Aires (my first to South America) and it describes simply what I saw in the verses but in the chorus  I sing: “I feel we can feed the world, but we never do the right thing, I feel what we already know could be the first helping.”
I’m saying: wherever I am, I carry myself there – and this is what I believe!

As a long-time animal rights activist, has the occupy movement had any resonance with you?

Yes! The reason why factory farming exists is because of big corporate business that has deep ties to government. Factory farming and the agribusiness is responsible for a large percentage of global warming….but not just that- massive pollution of rivers and waterways, devastation to the planet not to mention the misery and suffering to other species who exist on this planet. Also the damage to our health and the violation of human rights (slaughterhouse workers are often illegal immigrants or poverty stricken Americans who have no health coverage and earn less than minimum wages with illegal hours). The agribusiness underpins government and when Occupy started it was exactly the same feeling-it is linked!
We cannot sacrifice the planet and it’s inhabitants for the greed and madness of the 1%! The 2nd bridge of AOAO lets you know exactly how I feel about this!

Shipwrecked on an uncharted island, you stumble across an old tape cassette player with working batteries. There’s a faded tape in the machine!! You press play and, to your delightful surprise, what song begins to play? 

Agh!!!) That is very hard…….after going through Strawberry Fields, While my Guitar Gently Weeps, Hey Joe, most of Sticky Fingers and Peter Gabriel’s Mercy Street, I have settled on Rightoff  from Miles Davis’ Jack Johnson album – it is about 23 minutes long….hope those batteries last!!