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| Photo Credit: Bryan Sheffield |
With your tour beginning right around the corner(June 1st), what would you say people can expect when they come to see you live?
The tour that starts June 1st. I will be playing mostly songs off my solo record and two solo EPs (Devils Made a New Friend, Bruises From Your Bad Dreams, Ten Years Older). There will be a couple of headlining shows in between these shows. For different areas of the country, I will have different accompaniment, various female voices, keyboards and violin.
Who are some artists/bands that you have looked up to in the past regarding stage presence and live performance?
When I was in my teens I was all about epic rock/metal presence, overly dramatic and laughable at this point but so entertaining all at once. When I got older I just loved when artists were humorous/real. If a band doesn't have pyrotechnics to match the inflated stage ego it typically isn't sellable. Obviously a singer/songwriter is a completely different world. I love the banter of Tegan and Sara, the emotion of Conor Oberst and the musicianship of Death Cab.
When approaching your latest ep ,Bruises from Your Bad Dreams, did you have a specific type of sound in mind?
The 'Bruises EP' was meant to be more stripped down and time was limited so it turned out to be more of a live performance with a couple of added tracks.
It seems to have an even more "live" feel to it that your previous releases, was that intentional? Or did it just pour out that way?
The writing process for 'Devil's' was basically all in the year leading up to its release. I tend to write songs in bunches. The only song that was pretty old was 'Weight.' I had the chorus for that song for many years.
How did the writing process pan out for the album? Had you been working on any of the songs for a long period of time(pre-Devils Made a New Friend)?
Sometimes I miss having the band, other times I don't. I really do enjoy writing by myself - that's always been the case. I just miss finishing off songs with a ton of musicians and getting their feedback.
Are you someone who writes continuously, or are you more of a periodic writer?
Do you miss having the collaborative effort of a band, versus writing by yourself(with the assistance of a producer of course)?
Sometimes I miss having the band, other times I don't. I really do enjoy writing by myself - that's always been the case. I just miss finishing off songs with a ton of musicians and getting their feedback.
What would you like for people to take away from Bruises from Your Bad Dreams?
I hope that people will truly listen to "Mother/Father" and "Snow Cruncher" off the Bruises EP. Those two songs mean the most to me.
"Miserable Without You" features Nicole Atkins, how did she get involved with the song? (absolutely beautiful song by the way!)
"Miserable Without You" was written with a female singer in mind. I had become friendly with Nicole earlier this year and she lives down the street from me in Brooklyn. Couldn't think of a more appropriate voice to sing the female role.
Could you please explain how the idea/concept for "Snow Cruncher" came about?
"Snow Cruncher" was a song that didn't make it on the 'Devil's....' record. It was recorded for that but didn't seem to fit, the name was conceived by Blake Sennett (the producer) just because we didn't have an actual name for the song, so it was a funny nickname of sorts. I wrote it while trudging through the snow this past winter, but it covers a wide spectrum of memories. The stairwell mentioned is in the Lower East Side, the snow ball fight is in Brooklyn, the choruses are all the annoying aspects of our girlfriends or boyfriends. Whether its tales of exes you don't wanna hear, or endless negativity, or the desire to stop an argument and use affection instead.
I absolutely love the videos that you did with the PS22 chorus for "Ten Years Older" and "I'll Do Better." Can you tell me a little bit about how the idea came about? Were you blown away?
PS22 are an amazing talented group of kids lead by an amazing and inspiring teacher, I reached out to them as a fan and was grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate, of course I was blown away by their soul, talent and enthusiasm.
Being a successful musician, what kind of advice do you have for an artist/band that is just now starting up? Any specific lessons that you have learned over the years?
Advice - always expect the worst then when things truly suck they don't feel that bad.
How important is social networking for an artist like yourself these days?
Social media is of course really important for musicians, unless your fans are all over 60, but nowadays even grandparents are on Facebook, so it's quite relevant. It's a place where many of your fans/potential fans are at, though it's changing so it's important to keep your tabs on what's the next big one.
Any new videos in the works?
Currently working on an animated video for 'Miserable Without You'
Perfect day, driving in your car with the windows down, what are you listening to?
Sunny day, blasting Dusty Springfield, and '80s hits from Billy Joel and Hall & Oates, this week at least.
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