Artist Q & A – David Kelley (2 a.m. Orchestra)

TuneTraveller continues a segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with David Kelley, an Auckland, NZ (by way of California)-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s April 19, 2014 post containing details about David and 2 a.m. Orchestra and a review of the song “Man On the Moon.”

TT:  Describe the circumstances surrounding your initial interest in music, i.e., how did you get your start in music?

DK:  When I was 10 or so, my grandmother took notice of the middle-child mopeyness I was exhibiting and decided the two of us should go for weekly guitar lessons.  That lasted a short time -my interest waned.  Then a couple of years later, I heard Nirvana.  From that point, life very quickly became all about playing music.  Around that time my dad had, after many years, picked up the guitar again, so I had additional guidance and instruction when I needed it.

TT:  It seems like every 2 a.m. Orchestra release garners critical acclaim and is well-received by fans. That being said, the band releases new material only about every five years (although the 2013 release of Working to Divide deviated by taking only three years). Is that by design or does it take that long to write and produce music to your satisfaction?

DK:  There exists a good deal of unreleased material, specifically between Impermanence and Working to Divide. For example, there is a group of songs titled The Ashlan Recordings I had fully intended to be the 3rd album to be released in 2007.  But the songs were never mixed properly and eventually put aside as I pursued new ideas.  I have a particular emotional attachment to these songs and the unique time in my life in which they were recorded – I sometimes wonder if I’ve sabotaged the release of this material because of the intensely personal nature of the content.  I don’t know.  To answer your question more generally though, the reality is that I currently make my humble living from teaching private students and mentoring young bands.  2 a.m. Orchestra has yet to be a full-time thing for me.  Even with amazing people doing amazing favors it takes a certain amount of money to record, mix, master and distribute a record.  Then there’s the time it takes to actually do it on top of regular work hours.  I’m sure anyone reading this could relate in some way.  And besides, I like releasing records for free, like the last one [Working To Divide] – but the consequence of doing so means I can never depend on making back what I invest in recording.  Look man, if I were able, I’d release an album every 18 months.

TT:  Most of the press the band has received seems to focus on the present and recent past, but glosses over the details concerning the band’s creation. Perhaps you can provide those details (the whys and wherefores) for those just discovering 2 a.m. Orchestra. Also, people may be interested in why you left the U.S. to pursue the band’s future in New Zealand.

DK:  Around 2000 I was interning at a small recording studio in Fresno, California, trading hours worked for personal hours of recording time.  The first 2 a.m. Orchestra album is a product of this period in my life.  So from the outset, 2 a.m. Orchestra was never a band in the traditional sense, more of a “project name.”  Live band members have always fluctuated.  The changing style and changing membership has become a kind of theme for 2 a.m. Orchestra.  Thus, geographical relocation is possible because I am essentially the only permanent member.  Having said that, I’ve found a couple guys here in Auckland that I wouldn’t mind becoming a more permanent addition, and in ways they already are, specifically Tim and Andy.  Coming to New Zealand in 2009 was in some sense an arbitrary decision.  I was burning-out living in LA and had a friend from Auckland suggest I come hang out in New Zealand for a few months.  I’ve been here five years.

TT:  In a somewhat related question, the 2 a.m. Orchestra “sound” seems to have changed substantially with the release of Impermanence in 2005. Was that a conscious decision on your part? Of course, some of the elements have remained, but there seems to have been a right turn from alterna-pop to indie rock. In fact, the band’s Web site doesn’t include the first release in its discography and we’re left to wonder if that’s an oversight or a deliberate burying of the past. Please elaborate.

DK:  I don’t think I’ve ever deliberately thought “okay now I’m gonna do something different,” at least not for 2 a.m. Orchestra stuff.  I would think whatever changes have occurred are correlates of my own personal growth and change.  As for the first album, it’s still widely available online (iTunes, etc.).

TT:  Of all of the songs you’ve written, which one(s) are you the proudest of and why?

DK:  I’m proud of different songs for different reasons.  So I’ll answer based on the lyrical aspect, ok?  I’m most proud of those songs that deal directly with what are for me, fundamental issues, like identity, belief, and meaning. “Who I Was,” “Life is Easy,” and “Working to Divide” are good examples.

http://davidkelley.net/track/who-i-was

http://2amorchestra.com/track/working-to-divide

TT:  Are there any musicians (past or present) that you admire and, if so, why?

DK:  No specific musicians come to mind.  But, in general, I admire those who are true to themselves, who amplify rather than obfuscate.

TT:  Based on your personal experiences, what advice would you give to musicians just starting out and trying to make it in today’s music business? What do you know now that you wish you had known much sooner?

DK:  Write great songs and make recordings that capture honesty and vulnerability.  And do it now, not “one day when I have money/time.”  For better or for worse, my own journey has been necessary and I don’t wish I had known anything before its time.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing?

DK:  Reading.  Video games.  Podcasts.  Spacing-out.  Running.  And more recently, being a father.

TT:  What five things do you refuse to live without?

DK:  Family and friendship, options, risk, diet soda and Steinbeck.

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Artist Q & A – Blair Gilley

TuneTraveller continues a segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Blair Gilley, a Nashville, TN-based singer-songwriter and guitarist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s September 12, 2013 post containing details about Blair and a review of his song “What You Do to Yourself.”

TT:  How did you get your start in music?

BG:  I honestly knew what I wanted to do since I was about 5 years old.  Cliche answer, but true.  When I would go to the store with my Mom, I would ask for tapes and CDs instead of toys.  My older cousins grew up on a lot of the 80s rock and I just thought that they and the music they listened to were the coolest things ever.  Then my older brother got a guitar and that’s where it all started.  He would lock it in his room when he left and I would pick the lock and go play it.  I just thought it was magical and since I wasn’t supposed to be doing it, it made me want to play it even more.  Ha-ha!!  Then, I finally got my own guitar and within a few years, I had my first band in 8th grade with a bunch of sophomores in high school.  It was really cool hanging out with the older kids and getting the attention from high school girls.  That was great, but it was the music and the hours spent in my room playing it that really mattered to me.  Then I started my own band when I got to high school and made a record and toured a bit.  In college, I joined a fairly popular band at the time in my home town of Baton Rouge, LA.  It was a full-time gig and paid all of my bills and paved the way for me making a living playing music.  I’ve been doing it ever since.  Dax, the singer of that band, and I moved to Atlanta to start what would eventually be Goodnight City.  That was my first real band that had national exposure and a nice-sized fan base.  The saga continues from there.

TT:  What is your approach to songwriting, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?  You typically write from a biographical perspective, but do you find that limiting in any way, like something interesting has to happen in real life before you can write a song?  Maybe you’ve written and discarded lots of fictional songs because they seemed impersonal.  What’s the thinking behind biographical vs fictional song-writing?

BG:  My approach to writing is all over the place.  There’s no set formula with me.  The answer to your question is whatever hits me at that moment.  I usually start with a germ of an idea lyrically or musically in my head and then go from there.  A lot of times it’s in the middle of the night when I’m sleeping and my brain is supposed to be shut off.  The good stuff rarely comes out when I sit down and try to “write a song.”  My brain prefers to work on an idea a little here and a little there while I’m sleeping (as mentioned), driving, running, riding, whatever.  The chorus of “My Communication” was running through my head when I was in the shower one day and I jumped out, grabbed an acoustic and wrote the song right there.  Then there are songs like “Moores Lane” and “Diamond Ring” on the latest EP that I had the basic components of and changed and worked on them slowly over the next few months.  Sitting down to write a song from start to finish is a big challenge for me and probably my least favorite part.  It hits me when I get inspired.  I’m not the Nashville formula guy.  I can’t meet in a room at noon and come out with a full song at three.  Well, on second thought, I could, but it just wouldn’t be very good and it wouldn’t be me.  But my hat’s off to those that can.

On biographical vs. fictional songwriting:

It’s funny you mentioned that about something interesting having to happen in real life before being inspired to write.  My life is dramatically different now than it was a few years ago when I wrote most of this material.  Now that my daughter is here and has brought me so much joy, I joked with Robin the other day that something bad needed to happen so I could write more.  BUT………. That was simply a joke.  I’m finding inspiration in many areas these days.

Back in the day I actually wrote more from a fictional viewpoint. I used to think my life was not worthy of a song for some silly reason, then I started looking at it from a different perspective and realized my life had a million stories to tell and songs to write.  Biographical vs. fiction as far as these two EPs go is simple.  Real life is inspiring to me.  I had to write those songs to save and make sense of my life at that time.  In the span of about a year-and-a-half, I experienced the loss of my father, divorce and the demise of my band at the time after signing a promising record deal.  Writing those songs was my way of dealing with all of it and my medicine.  They actually helped heal and help me make sense of all of that craziness in a short span of time.  It was definitely a season of change and I had to document it in song.  It’s kind of dorky, but I can document/catalogue all the major events in my life in my mind by a particular song or which band I was in at the time.  That’s how life works for me.

Although personal, “Hopelessly” was written about three other people I know and not from my perspective.  And surprisingly, “Kid in My House” is actually a fictional story loosely based on someone I know and was written before Olivia was even conceived.  Maybe the title was a bit prophetic, but if you listen to the song, it has nothing to do with her.  It’s about a guy who comes home one day and is freaked out about the life he has and just jets and starts over.  Maybe an early mid-life crisis for the main character if you will.

I think a person’s writing style is ever-changing and ever-evolving and one seeks inspiration from what is simply “inspiring” or driving at the time.  After putting so much of myself out there in these tunes, the idea of more fictional-based songs is actually appealing and refreshing.  I’ve been writing a mixture of both lately.  At the end of the day though, there’s always got to be at least a little bit of me and my perspective in each thing I write and do creatively.

TT:  Recently, you released a video for the song “What You Do to Yourself,” which has been widely praised for its fun and interesting storyline and concept.  What can you tell us about the song, the video and the response to both?

BG:  Ironically, it was actually never meant to be recorded.  It was a song that I demoed at home a few years back simply for my self-gratification.  I’m in love with the late 50s and early 60s and I just thought it was a cool tune but didn’t plan on doing anything with it at all.  I honestly didn’t think anyone would really like it other than me.  But then I showed it to Tommy Dickinson, who I do most of my recording with, and he said that we absolutely had to do it.  I laughed and said “Sure, I’d love to.”  Then…… I never intended it to be a single, but I simply wanted to film a video for it so that I could re-create that time period and live out a fantasy, so to speak.  I threw that shoot together in a week-and-a-half and had some amazing people come in to make it all happen.

That’s the greatest thing about where I am with my music today and why I do it.  I was in a signed band that had a genre specific “sound” with a target demographic and a marketing plan, three managers, lawyers, accountant, roadies, etc., etc., etc. and it all fell apart.  After that experience, and everything else that I experienced around that time, I developed a very bad taste in my mouth for the music business and found myself wanting to have nothing to do with it.  But………. I found myself wanting to make music more than ever.  I started writing for me and not even thinking about the rest of the world or demographics or genre or song formula or anything like that.  I started making music that I loved and didn’t care about any rules or the industry.  It was the most amazing and freeing thing I’ve ever done musically and as I mentioned before, it literally saved me at that time.

So the point of all of this is to say that I’m making music now for myself and the fans and friends that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting along the way in my somewhat lengthy music career.  With that comes freedom and liberation.  I’m just putting material out there that makes me happy and if I want to make a video for my silly little Fifties song, even if I don’t view it as a “single” (whatever that is), then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.  And as you mentioned, the reaction has been way greater than I expected.  I think people young and old feel a connection to what was perceived as a simpler time in life.  It was a blast to film and I’m proud to have it out there.  My silly little piece of pop real-estate.

TT:  You also recently released your second EP, Moores Lane, which reinforces “the Blair Gilley sound” as a follow-up to your first EP, About Home.  How do you feel about the songs that came out of that process and what’s the fan reaction been like?

BG:  I released a 3-song EP because it seems like that’s where we are in music now.  Artists are releasing music as it’s created to keep the fans’ attention and keep things rolling along in this competitive media onslaught that we are in.  I still very much believe in the album concept, but I see where things are headed and I wanted to get that material out to the people that wanted to hear it and were asking for it.  I didn’t want to sit on it until the Fall when I release a full length.  I also released it in honor of the amazing people that contributed to my Kickstarter campaign that I completed and fully funded last April just as my daughter was born.  Kickstarter is a whole other story for another time.  The contributors actually received a digital download of Moores Lane two months before it was released on iTunes.

I’m very happy with how the songs came out and I feel each one has its own unique sound.  They’re all very different, but as you stated, they all have “my sound.”  Melodic, a little quirky and goofy, but hard-hitting and honest.  I’m still building my sound and I have songs in the catalogue that are so different and may be viewed as somewhat of a departure, but they are all part of the wall of sound in my head.  It goes back to what I said earlier about having no bounds or limits and simply just enjoying writing and recording what I hear and feel.  Although I’m an album guy, that’s the cool thing about the EP format.  You can group 3-6 songs together that have a cohesive sound and vision and then move on to the next EP with a different theme.  I’m excited about bringing to life the backlog of yet-to-be-recorded material and new songs that are brewing in my head.  The only problem is what to work on next.  I’ve slowly been building my home studio and I now have most of the gear that was used to record the 2 EPs.  So, the next batch of songs are all gonna be done here at the house by yours truly.  I’ve always been the guy standing behind the board “producing” as the engineers “engineer,” so doing everything on my own is quite the challenge and learning curve.  But, so far so good.  I’ll get them as close as I can to sounding great and then I’ll probably still send them to Tommy for a “final mix.”

The fans’ reaction has been great, but I’m confusing the hell out of them.  I’m doing things in a marketing manner that would have been a cardinal sin in my previous bands.  I released the video for “What You Do to Yourself” (off of the first EP) right around the same time I released the Moores Lane EP to the public.  Who does that?  The way I see it though is that I’m building content and an internet presence little by little for when the album is released.  Then, when people hear the album or discover the band, they can go on line and already see a good bit of media and back story.  As we all know, content is key in the musical landscape of today.  I’d actually love to have the budget to have a video for every song.  I thought about that years ago and know bigger acts on major labels are doing that.

TT:  You’ve been fortunate enough to have spent most of your adult life as a successful, working musician in various bands.  It’s probably no secret that you have aspirations to step out on your own.  What would it take to make that happen and for you to feel equally successful?

BG:  After Flight Case For Sushi broke up, I set out to do my own thing.  While working on the first EP, I started working with a bass player who was also in another band.  He told me his band was having auditions for guitar players and wanted me to try out.  I was in this new phase in life where I was up for pursuing anything that came my way.  I went for the audition with low expectations and ended up getting it.  It was a chance for me to simply show up and play music, which was a feeling I never had experienced before.  I managed all my previous bands up until that point, with the exception of Flight Case for a brief moment in time, and literally did everything that needed to be done, including stepping on stage and playing guitar.  Now I was given an opportunity to be handed a schedule and just go play and enjoy the experience.  It was a very attractive offer to me at that point in my life.  Also, diversifying was very important to me at the time.  I was re-learning and re-discovering my self in my “new life” and wanted to take advantage of everything that came my way to learn and grow from it and gain different perspectives on life and music.  I am still currently with the band and it’s a full time gig.

What I’m most interested in now is writing, recording and building a catalogue of great music to then go play live.  I’m very fortunate and thankful that I’m in a great position where I’m involved in two very different yet satisfying projects, both of which have many good things on the horizon.  I have a few gigs coming up, but will be touring more once the album is released in the Fall.  I’m such a live guy, so I’m super excited when we get to that point.  This thing will breath air for sure.

TT:  A subject near and dear to your heart is your love of the 50s and 60s.  What’s the attraction?  Is it the music, the culture or, maybe, a perceived simpler time?

BG:  All of the above my friend.  You really nailed it with those three.  I have always been a fan of things that came before me.  There’s something about it.  You can go back and view it and reference things through books and TV and especially Youtube, but you can never truly know what it was like to be there and there is something magical and mystical in that to me.  I had a Chuck Berry tape growing up and that thing spoke to my soul in a big way.  I can’t explain it, but it was an instant connection.  I understood his songs and the hidden references wrapped up in pretty little packages.  Let’s be honest, “My Ding-a-ling” is absolute genius as far as pop songwriting goes.  I was also into Elvis and Buddy Holly.  Ritchie Valens reached my core.  Then I found my Dad’s Beatles records and I was like “WHAT!!!?!?!?!?!”

TT:  Based on your personal experiences, what advice would you give to musicians just starting out and trying to make it in today’s music business?

BG:  Do what you believe in and don’t try to chase what other people are doing.  Spend your time learning your craft.  We are told in this day and age that we have to MARKET, MARKET, MARKET.  But the problem is, so many people get caught up in that belief, that they feel that’s what they have to do and the result is they are spending more time promoting sub-par material than they are working on and developing their craft.  Putting the cart before the horse.  I should know, I’ve been a victim of that paradigm.

With that being said, self-promotion is extremely important, but after, and only after, you have created something you believe in whole-heartedly.  Then it’s time to go to work on marketing.  We live in a time where there is so much media out there, to simply put your music on line is not enough.  This is something I struggle with.  I juggle so many things in life that finding time for promotion is tough.  But I clearly see the result and the views and plays spike when I do put the work in.

And also, probably very contradictory to what I have explained with where I am in my career, if you are very serious and trying to break into commercial music, treat it like and understand that it is a business. To be successful and move forward in anything in life, you need to be able to make a living at it.  You need to be smart and put a plan together to make that happen and see it through.  Set goals and put the work in to make a sustainable career out of it.  And, most importantly, pursue music only because you love it and doing anything else would be sub-par.  Making serious money in music is hard to find these days, but it’s out there.  Don’t have unrealistic financial expectations.  Make a choice and find a way to live your dreams and live your life the way you want to.  My Dad always said it’s not work if you love what you do.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing and raising a family?

BG:  The family part is all brand new for this guy, but I’m loving every second of it.  My life is pretty much all about taking care of Olivia and music, but in the little spare time I do have, I enjoy being outdoors.  I like to go biking a lot in the Summertime.  It’s a great workout, and honestly, it’s my favorite time to listen to studio mixes, critique and come up with new ideas.  I’m a big multi-tasker and always seem to fit in work with whatever I’m doing.  So I’ll bike a trail in Nashville and get exercise, tanning and work all in at the same time.  You can’t beat that!  I also do a lot of video editing.  It’s kind of a second passion for me and great supplemental income while I’m home.  It kind of goes along with the territory and hand-in-hand with music and recording.  It’s pretty much the same concept of laying out an idea from beginning to end on a grid.  The only difference is one is audio and the other is visual.  It’s a great outlet for me.  I do all my videos and most of my promotional materials.  Sometimes, I’d love to hand it off, but if I’m coming up with the concept and directing it, why not edit it?  I just know what I want and see it in my head and how to go about getting the results I want.  I do, however, believe in collaboration and much prefer that, but at the end of the day, the old adage comes to play…if you want anything done right, you better do it yourself.  I’m actually working on letting go of control.  I know that only good things can come from it.  Mic Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac had a great quote in the Dave Grohl documentary Sound City.  He said “Just because you can record by yourself doesn’t necessarily make it a great idea.”

TT:  What do you know now that you wish you had known much sooner?

BG:  Again, do what you believe in and don’t try to chase what other people are doing or what you think you are supposed to do to “make it.”  I don’t even really know what that means anymore.  As I stated, my music saved me and kept me in the game on a passion level.  The music I write is for me and those who choose to listen to it and love and/or connect with it.  I have no delusions about what I’m doing.  I know it’s not for everyone.  I know it’s not the next Rihanna hit and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to get me any meetings with Bono and the Pope to change the face of the Earth, but for me, it’s everything.  It’s my legacy.  It’s my stamp and take on this place we call Earth.  These songs are my documentation of life.  My photo books.  My memoirs.

Artist Q & A – Nate Davenport

TuneTraveller continues a segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Nate Davenport, a Nashville, TN-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s October 13, 2013 post containing details about Nate and a review of his song “Lost & Found.”

TT:  How did you get your start in music?

ND: While I learned to play drums and percussion starting at 14, songwriting and other instruments didn’t happen until a year later.  When my room was designated as the storage spot for our family piano, I would spend my nights noodling around on the ivories until a song sprouted.  After writing a second, I moved to borrowing my Dad’s old acoustic guitar for writing.  A woodworking finger injury prevented him from playing it anymore, so I took up the gauntlet of being the family musician.  Continuing to write and perform, it became clear to me that I wanted to brand myself, release music, and tour.

TT:  What is your approach to songwriting, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?

ND: While there are times when lyrics come to mind which are later converted to a song, more often I start with a core idea or goal for the mood of a song, develop a rhythm and melody and then fill in lyrics after.

My least favorite part of the creative process is finishing a song!  My brain starts so many ideas and sometimes I’m unable to finish them out.  Lately, I’ve started working with co-writers to supplement that weakness.  My favorite part, as is probably true for most people, is the production of the tune.  The creative percolation of a good team is intoxicating, and it’s a series of solving problems which fascinates me.

TT:  Although your primary instrument is the guitar, you’ve recently been teaching yourself to play piano.  How is that progressing?  Have you written any songs on the piano and, if so, do you believe that adds a different element or dynamic to the song-writing experience?

ND:  With the acquisition of a Nord Electro 2, I have an opportunity to continue my keys education and trying different ideas.  Piano-written songs have a much different feel than guitar-written songs, so the variety has re-vitalized me and is, hopefully, helping shape my sound.  Currently in pre-production for my next release, I’m excited to see how that influences the songs.

TT:  You’re originally from San Antonio, TX, but relocated to Nashville, TN in 2012.  Now that you’ve had some time to reflect, what have you gained and lost in that decision?

ND:  In San Antonio, I actually made a decent living from music, because I had an established network of venues.  During those gigs, however, I was limited to few or no original tunes and involved 3-4 hours of cover songs in bars or restaurants.  That’s what music is like in San Antonio.  Nashville reveres the song and the songwriter, so while I don’t make nearly as much money, I do get the opportunity to showcase my original material much more.  I am also able to build a quality network of music industry people, which does not exist in the same scale in San Antonio.  I shoot the breeze with Mat Kearney at church for crying out loud!  That’s what Nashville is.

TT:  You’ve spent a lot of time and effort educating and mentoring other indie artists by conducting various workshops and contributing to Web sites aimed at indie musicians.  Can you provide more detail about your efforts and what those experiences have been like?

ND:  I’ve tried to make my blog on NateDavenport.com a place primarily for positive ideas and things I’ve learned from the biz that I can share.  Because of that work, my friend Scott James asked me to contribute to his website, IndependentRockstar.com.  In my life, in general, I love being a resource for young musicians.  Let me tell you, there are a lot of them in Nashville!  I get Facebook messages asking how I’ve done it all, and I do my best to respond to as many as I can.

TT:  In your opinion, what’s the most difficult or challenging aspect of the music business?  Is there an enjoyable part of the music business?

ND:  The most difficult aspect of the music business is rejecting the premise that things will happen for you. It takes resolve and action, over and over every day to achieve any level of success. A career in music is not a rocket, it’s a train. Once it has momentum, it can be a powerful force, but getting there takes steady commitment.

The enjoyable part of the business is the chase. For those of us delusional enough to have never grown out of a teenage dream, successes and even failures in music provide fulfillment we can’t get any other way.

TT:  Based on your personal experiences, what advice would you give to musicians just starting out and trying to make it in today’s music business?  What do you know now that you wish you had known much sooner?

ND:  Make very reasonable, very concrete goals which, once realized, will push you further towards your end goal.  Take a look at this year, this month, this week, even today and write down what you will accomplish and do something, however small, each day to make it happen.

Study folks that have done it well and imitate their behaviors.  Build relationships with the music community around you, and help people out of genuine altruism.  Don’t expect any return on favors you do for people, just be generous and you will be rewarded.  However, know what you’re worth and don’t be afraid to ask for it.

TT:  Are you working on any new material?  Can we anticipate a new release from you any time in the near future?

ND:  I’m currently writing and saving money to cut an EP. The stuff I’m writing and co-writing now is the best of my life, and I’m excited to reduce it down to the cream to share with you.  I’m hoping to have something finished by the end of 2014.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing?

ND:  I love playing all kinds of sports, especially volleyball, basketball, billiards, shuffleboard, and rock climbing. Recently got back into climbing after an eight year hiatus, it is very rewarding!  Also just being with friends, game nights and such.  I’m great at charades.

Artist Q & A – Marc Atkinson

TuneTraveller continues a segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Marc Atkinson, a UK-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s August 13, 2013 post containing details about Marc and a review of his song “She Leaves a Light On.”

TT:  How did you get your start in music?

MA:  I began singing in about 1982 when I was 14.  I went to school with two guys called Bryan Josh and Liam Davison (who you might know from MOSTLY AUTUMN).  They were both my friends at school and, because they both played guitar, they sort of kick-started my interest in music.  I was the only one that dared have a go at singing, at the time, so we wrote a few songs together and formed a band.  I learnt to play bass (very ‘basically’) and we were joined by another school friend on drums and another on a little Casio keyboard.  By the time we were sixteen we were gigging in pubs and clubs playing a mixture of our own songs and cover versions.  I’ve pretty much done that as a job ever since.

TT:  What is your approach to song writing, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?

MA:  It depends really.  When I’m writing on my own I usually have a few chord ideas either on the acoustic or, more recently, on piano.  I usually set up my home studio and just record myself ‘jamming’ and singing the first thing that comes into my head etc…  Melodies start forming and certain lyrics happen spontaneously.  I then listen back to the ‘jams’ and pick out (and then work on) the bits that are good.  The lyrical theme almost presents itself as whatever is going around my mind at that moment, really.

When I’m co-writing (like with RIVERSEA) it’s a little different because Brendan and I are not actually in a room together at the same time when we write the tunes.  Basically what happens is Brendan writes and records the music first on his home studio in Hartlepool and when he’s happy with it, through the wonders of the internet, he then sends over a mix of it on a ‘wav’, I put it onto my studio at home and write and record my vocal melodies and lyrics.  It’s my job to change an ‘instrumental’ into a ‘song’ and it’s always a lot of fun.  I find it a great way of working as it frees me up so much as a singer when I don’t have to worry about what I’m playing, if you know what I mean?  Half the work has already been done, and brilliantly too, so all I have to do is concentrate on getting the ‘vibe’ and emotion of the track right with my voice and do Brendan’s music justice.  I focus on the melodies first, so I just sing along with the track on my studio and, again, ‘jam’ vocally and ‘scat’ a lyric until I find something interesting.  Sometimes a lyrical idea will form when I suddenly realise what I’ve actually been subconsciously singing about during the first take!  Other times I might have a few lyrics jotted down or even just a ‘song title’ can set the wheels in motion.  Sometimes (often) it’ll be when something has ‘happened’ in my real life and it triggers a whole lyric off.  But, in RIVERSEA’s case, the ‘tone’ of the whole tune depends on the emotions Brendan’s music stirs in me when I first hear it and start ‘responding’ to it.  I’m very lucky because Brendan creates such beautiful music it’s never a problem to get ‘into it.’

So I then send my recorded vocal ‘wavs’ back to Brendan who puts them in his mix.  We build it all from there really, recording other musicians etc…, sending each other mixes and building the tracks up.  We then all get together at the end in York with Dave Clements  who, as well as been an amazing sound engineer with a lovely little studio, is also a world class bass player and provided bass on the first RIVERSEA album. He’s also been a good friend to both of us.  So the three of us finished the first RIVERSEA album off together mixing and tweaking until we were happy and we’re hoping that all happens again for the second one. We’re so lucky that both Brendan and I know so many great musicians and blessed that we can call them friends too.  I’m excited as anyone about the next RIVERSEA album. I can’t wait to hear what’s in store.

TT:  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?

MA:  I pretty much love ALL of the creative process to be honest.  I love the writing of the songs in the first place and the excitement of hearing an idea come together.  I also love getting other musicians in to add their contributions and hearing the whole song lift to another level.  Mixing and producing is always something I’ve enjoyed doing over the years.  I’ve always had a home studio and/or a place to record so I’m used to (and love) long days in the studio.  I wish I could do it more, to be honest.  I suppose the thing I don’t like is how long these things take to all come together.  On the level we operate on real life/day jobs/family have to come first above creative process, so we just grab hours here and there whenever we can.  It’d be the dream to have a set up like a lot of bands like MARILLION etc.  To be able to get five musicians in a studio together for a few months (or even weeks) to ‘jam’ and write tunes together would be my idea of Heaven.  I’d just love that!  That would be my ‘ideal’ set up.  I tell you, if I won the lottery tomorrow one of the first things I’d do is book a great studio somewhere for a month and pay Brendan, Dave, Alex and all the gang to come to take time off work and just ‘jam’, create and record.  To have that time to be all together been creative with fellow musicians would be just perfect.  We’d probably come out with 3 or 4 albums worth of stuff all at once!  That’d be my idea of heaven!

When you’re in a room with other musicians a magic happens that is very hard to replicate when you’re on your own.  Encouragement for what you are creating together happens instantly when you are together and it spurs you on.  I do miss that side of the creative process that I used to enjoy in my ‘physical band days.’

Often, when it’s just me recording myself, I can’t see the wood for the trees.  I’ll have just written and recorded a lyric for a new track and listen back and just think ‘is it any good?’  I just can’t tell.  Self-doubt is the easiest thing to slip in to.  I did this recently, actually, with the first song we’ve written for RIVERSEA #2.  When I first did it I thought ‘I’m not sure’ and thought I’d maybe ‘messed up’ and done a sub-standard job on it.  So it was only after I’d sent the demo over to Brendan and he gave it the thumbs up that I thought ‘actually, it is pretty good’ and then, when my partner Tam heard it she loved it straight away.  So now I’m loving it too.  I’m easily swayed!

TT:  Do you write from a biographical or fictional perspective…or both?

MA:  Both, really… I suppose the best tracks are always the ones that come from the heart and mean something personal.  But the good thing with lyrics is they can be ambiguous so, even the tunes that might sound almost un-relatable still have personal meanings for me.  A lot of the first RIVERSEA album is like that, really.  I know what they mean and sometimes it’s nice to keep people guessing.

But the majority of my solo album lyrics are inspired by my real life relationships and situations.  I’ve written my partner Tamsin quite a few songs over the years and have continued to do so.  I’m still trying to write the ‘perfect’ one for her though…which is what I’m trying to do in life anyway; improve on what I do.  Not just as a songwriter but as a partner and a Dad, too.  I still think I’ve got better songs inside me, the same way I think I’ve got more life and love to give.  If I thought I’d already ‘reached my peak’ I think I’d have given up by now.  Actually, that’s not true at all.  I CAN’T do anything else!

TT:  Your most recent album, Light and Shade, came out just about a year ago.  Are you working on any new material?

MA:  Yes, I’m always writing.  We bought a piano (a really cheap piano) for our living room about a year ago, so I’ve been writing a lot on that recently.  I wrote about 16 songs during 2013 that I’ve demoed and have got my eye on for the next solo album.  I’ve also written 3 or 4 more so far this year.  I’ll probably start re-recording the best songs ‘properly’ in a few months time and, depending how it all goes, maybe have another solo album ready for the end of the year.

As I’ve mentioned, we’ve also started work on writing and recording for RIVERSEA’s 2nd album.  Brendan Eyre sent me two musical ideas over in the middle of January and I’ve written and recorded melodies and lyrics for both of them.  We’re pretty pleased how they sound, actually.  We have to try and maintain and even better the standard we set ourselves on the first album.  The pressure is on.  But it’s a good sort of pressure.

TT:  Can we anticipate a new release from you any time in the near future…perhaps 2014? 

MA:  Yeah, hopefully I’ll have solo album #5 done by December and have a Christmas release but, because of the nature of the project, the RIVERSEA #2 album could be a long way off yet.  A lot of it depends on Brendan writing the initial music in the first place.  He’s a very busy guy with a full time job and a loving family (not to mention his involvement with his other musical project NORTHLANDS), so his spare time is precious and very limited.  But I’m happy to wait for him to send me the initial ideas over whenever he is ready.  There’s no immediate rush, as far as I’m concerned.  I think we’d both rather take our time to make sure we create the right collection of songs for the follow up album.  I think once the songs are written things will progress nicely and we’ll start recording the other instruments etc…  It’s certainly our intention to have Dave and Alex on bass and drums again with various contributions from our guitarist friends and vocal family.  As I said, I’m excited to see where it’ll all end up.  But I’ve no real idea about a time frame for it. Expect RIVERSEA #2 anytime between 2015 -2020.

TT:  As usual, you spend quite a bit of time on the road, but not so far away that you don’t also get to spend a lot of time at home.  That might change if you’re interested in mounting an extended tour abroad.  Notwithstanding the challenges, do you have any plans to tour the States any time soon?

MA:  You know, I’d totally love to come and play in the States.  It would literally be a dream come true.  A lot of my favourite music came from America.  When I was young bands like Bon Jovi, Foreigner and Survivor were my bands of choice.  You can actually tell as I still sing with a slight ‘American twinge’ sometimes!  So, yeah, I’d love to come and tour over there.  I’ve no idea how it would happen but, if there was a way I could do it, then I would love too.  But I wouldn’t even know where to start to make that happen and, financially, it’s a total impossibility.

TT:  Of all of the songs you’ve written, which one(s) are you the proudest of and why?

MA:  Wow, that’s a hard question.  It’s like trying to pick a favourite child!  I pretty much love ALL of the RIVERSEA album.  I can’t pick one song out.  They all deserved their place on there.  The title track will always have a place in my heart as it’s the first song Brendan and I wrote together but, as I said, I like them all on that album.  I literally CAN’T pick.

From my solo stuff…again, it’s really hard to pick so if I go for one of each solo album I’d say ‘ENYA,’ ‘SHE LEAVES A LIGHT ON,’ ‘MOTHERLOVE’ and ‘WHEN WE WERE FIVE.’  And my favourite ‘new song no one has heard yet’ is called ‘JUST BETWEEN GOD & ME.’

TT:  Based on your personal experiences, what advice would you give to musicians just starting out and trying to make it in today’s music business?

MA:  Don’t do it for the money because, in the vast majority of cases, there isn’t any!  Do what you love and love what you do!  Just put your heart into it.

But I’ve no idea how you ‘make it in the music business’ because I haven’t!  I’m a completely self-financed, manager-less one man industry.  I just gig and drive a lot, write a lot and record when I can in-between enjoying time with my beautiful family and everything else that every day life throws at us.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing? 

MA:   Well, apart from spending time with my partner Tam, daughter Enya and step-son Josshua, I like to listen to music, of course, and I enjoy TV.

TT:  It seems like you’re a huge sci-fi fan.

MA:  Yeah, I am and particularly a show called DOCTOR WHO of which I am a life long fan.  I became an addict from an early age and it’s had me ever since.  I just love it.  But I like a lot of sci-fi/fantasy stuff like GAME OF THRONES, WALKING DEAD and that sort of stuff.  I like anything of quality, really.  I like all that mind expanding stuff.  The mysteries of the Universe have always fascinated me.

This has also merged with my growing spiritual ‘search’ as I got older which lead me to reading a lot and then writing a book.  It’s called ETERNAL and it’s a sort of spiritual/time travel adventure with the good Doctor.  It’s about going back in time and discovering the Truth about God, alien visitations, meeting Jesus and the nature of the soul itself.  It took me six years to write and I finished it last January.  It’s funny really because I had all these ‘big concept’ chapter endings in my head for many years and it really was a journey finally getting it all down.  I’m really pleased with it, actually.  I set out to write a book and I stuck with it and finished it exactly the way I knew I would when I first started writing it.  If anyone wants to read it, please do get in touch.  You can have a download for free.

TT:  What do you know now that you wish you had known much sooner?

MA:  I wish I’d known that STAR WARS episodes 1-3 were going to be so crap!  I was looking forward to those films so much for years!

Artist Q & A – Chris Commisso

TuneTraveller continues a segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Chris Commisso, a Kingman, AZ-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s August 7, 2013 post containing details about Chris and a review of his song “What We Might Have Been.”

TT:  How did you get your start in music?

CC:  My parents were full time musicians when I was born & during my early childhood there were always musical instruments lying around the house that doubled as toys for me.  And since my parents never forced me to take lessons, I developed a natural interest in music on my own.  I’m sure I modeled much of my passion for music from my parents who loved every aspect of it.

TT:  It’s not a stretch to say that you have a unique perspective in your songwriting, both musically and lyrically.  What is your approach to songwriting, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?  Do you write from a biographical or fictional perspective…or both?

CC:  I usually start with a musical passage I’m excited about & build a song around it, or I’ll start with a great song title that lends itself to a concept I could write about for decades.  If the idea is weak, I drop it.  I look to try & say something that’s been said, but in a way no one’s said it.  But the title has to be something that grabs me….”Candice Wore Her Converse” is at the heart of it, a song about simply being yourself.  I could have titled the song “Just Be You.”  Be there’s no emotion behind that, nothing that people can relate to & feel.  So I designed a story around someone we can all relate to…a person who shows up in a room full of her peers & has decided it’s time to be herself no matter what any of them think.  We’ve all experienced that at some point, or we fantasize about doing that someday.  It strikes a chord.

Most of my songs are written from an embarrassingly personal perspective, ha…although I certainly do include fictional moments or references here & there.  My least favorite part of the entire process is writing the lyrics.  I’m not one to just slop something out to say I finished it, I want it to be magical.  So I work tediously to get it right & it’s funny because writing the music comes so easy to me.  But writing lyrics takes for-EVA!

TT:  You regularly post videos, primarily of cover songs and you most recently released an original song in early 2012.  Are you working on any new material?  Can we anticipate a new release from you any time in the near future?

CC:  I’m actually writing originals all the time & have tons of unreleased material that I plan on sharing.  Right now on YouTube I find it important to focus on covers because that’s what will build my online audience.  For example, it can take a full week to record a cover & shoot a music vid for it.  If I do the latest Katy Perry song, it’s safe to say that video will show up in searches & get a few thousand views or more.  But no one’s really watching the originals because they don’t know me yet.  My goal is to really blow up the channel with covers so that someday soon a decent sized audience will be interested in my originals…cause honestly, that’s where my heart’s at.  I want to share the music that I’ve written cause I feel I’ve got something to say that can motivate people, make them laugh, make them cry….celebrate life.  Also I have to add this….I will never do a cover just for views.  I choose covers strategically to build my audience, but if I’m not insanely passionate about covering that song, I refuse to cover it.

TT:  You’ve recently done some production work for the band Tigirlily and you’ve said how much you enjoyed the experience.  You’ve also produced many interesting and well-received videos for your own songs.  Obviously, you’re immensely interested in videography.  Have you been approached to produce other artists’ videos?  Is that something you actively pursue or would welcome those kinds of opportunities?

CC:  Yeah I love working with the Tigirlily girls cause they let me bring what’s uniquely me to the table.  They also know I’ll stay true to their sound throughout the process.

Filmmaking is my second love & what a lot of people probably don’t know about me is that next to music, I want to direct & act in movies.  I’m writing two screenplays right now that I want to direct.  Also, I’m sure if the right opportunity came along I’d gladly direct someone’s music video.  Shooting my own vids is a challenge because I have no camera man.  It’s a one man shoot so I can’t do a lot of the things I would if I were behind the camera.  So I try to be as creative as possible.

TT:   Your fans are familiar with your well-publicized bouts of social phobia and stage fright but, perhaps for the uninitiated, you can explain what that is, how it affects you and what actions you can take, if any, to lessen its effects.

CC:  People who struggle with social phobia have a severely exaggerated fear of public humiliation which results in a visible fight or flight response.  For me, every time I knew all eyes were on me, whether I was on stage or just talking to one person at the store, my body would begin to violently shake & in particular my face would tremble & I would become unable to smile.  What I learned is that social phobia is a story I had told myself in my head for years.  When I was just a kid, I had a humiliating experience in front of people & in my brain, I linked up that standing in front of people meant fear & humiliation.  After conditioning those thoughts in my head year after year, I became a well-oiled machine & would step into a room & have a full blown panic attack plus without even thinking.  So I learned to tell myself new things in my head & involve my body & nervous system in the process (this is key!).  When we’re anxious & fearful, it’s because we’re saying certain things in our head & we’re holding our bodies in an anxious & fearful way.  Our head is down, we have a scared look, our back is rounded & we make ourselves small all the while fearing what others will think of us.  So now I practice confidence.  I imagine myself unstoppably confident in front of any number of people & I involve my body so it links up with my brain.  I stand strong like a confident person would stand, I put a determined look on my face, I clap my hands together in victory & imagine myself in the very environment that was once fearful to me.  You do this enough times with enough intensity & things start to change.  It’s basically giving your brain a new story, one that includes you being your authentic self regardless of what anyone on this planet should think.  That’s the condensed version of it all anyway.

TT:  Based on your personal experiences, what advice would you give to musicians just starting out and trying to make it in today’s music business?  What do you know now that you wish you had known much sooner?

CC:  I can answer both of those questions with one answer.  Be you.  Don’t try to be this guy or that girl.  Just be your authentic self.  Play the kind of music you love & follow your passion.  If you’re making music just to please the masses, you might get your 15 minutes of fame, but you’ll sell your soul & feel empty at the end of the day.  People respond to passion, so make the kind of music that you’re mad passionate about & your audience will find you.  Success on a massive level comes to those who are truly themselves.  Be original, be you.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing?

CC:  I’m a movie freak & love to watch as many as I can.  I, of course, love spending time with family, working out, juicing, reading….oh man do I read.  Tons of books.  Oh, and I love to laugh.  Love to make people laugh & love to laugh myself.

Artist Q & A – Monica Allison

TuneTraveller continues a segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Monica Allison, a  New York City, NY-based singer-songwriter and keyboardist and artist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s November 24, 2013 post containing details about Monica and a review of her song “Small Town.”

TT:  How did you get your start in music?

MA:  I’d been privately writing songs for a few years before I moved to NYC to pursue musical theater.  I worked at a restaurant in the city and most of the employees were actors, models, musicians or some combination of the three.  A bartender had started a theater group with the staff.  He put a production together of short vignettes and booked a theater for a performance.  Someone found out that I wrote songs and asked me to play before the show.  People were so encouraging after hearing my songs that I ran with it!

TT:  What is your approach to songwriting, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?

MA:  All of the above!  Some days it’s the melody; some days the lyric.  Sometimes, albeit rarely, it’s both.  Lately, I’m really enjoying the process of using a whiteboard to brainstorm anything that comes to mind about a concept or lyric idea.

TT:  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?

MA:  My most favorite part is coming up with something that I’m in love with and so proud of.  My least favorite part is when I realize that the amazing thing I’ve just written is a Justin Timberlake song.

TT:  You recently shot a video for your song “Small Town.”  What can you tell us about the experience and when the video is scheduled for official release?

MA:  I’d been discussing a video for a while with friend and filmmaker Matthew Perkins.  When I stumbled across ACME (this fantastic prop house/studio in Brooklyn) the project really came together.  Matthew, some very kind friends, and my husband and I spent the day tearing the place apart and basically just playing with props.  It was amazingly fun and I think the end product really captures the quirkiness of the song.  It will be released early 2014!

TT:  You wrote a song for the recently-released indie film The Little Tin Man.  What can you tell us about the song and the film?  What were the circumstances in which you were asked to contribute the song?

MA:  Matthew Perkins, the same friend and filmmaker who shot and directed “Small Town,” co-wrote and directed The Little Tin Man.  It’s a funny and poignant story about a guy who fights the status quo.  I’d known Matthew for a few years and he’d always been very supportive and encouraging with regard to my music.  He worked hard for years to get the film made and turned down opportunities that would have turned it into something he didn’t want it to be.  I really respected that so when he asked if I would write a song I was honored to contribute.  A local a cappella group, Made Over, sang the song in the opening credits.

TT:  You’ve been involved with 100Cameras.  What can you tell us about this charitable organization and your motivation for supporting its cause?

MA: 100Cameras has a unique model that I love.  They partner with local organizations in marginalized areas of the world and work directly with children of the community to empower and encourage them through photography lessons.  The children take pictures of their daily life for a week and then 100Cameras develops the pictures and sells them with all proceeds going back to the community.  I really appreciate their passion for kids and their willingness to enter into the lives of the people they serve.

TT:  Are you working on any new material?  Can we anticipate a new release from you any time in the near future?

MA:  Yes!  I will be heading into the studio later this month to begin work on a new project.

TT:  What kind of music do you listen to and who are some of your favorite artists?

MA:  I don’t stick to any one genre or artist.  I gravitate towards pop and singer-songwriter but also have a penchant for classical, show tunes, and 60’s soul music.  A few that I always go back to – Florence and the Machine, Mat Kearney, Anne and Pete Sibley, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes and any recording of Les Miserables.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing?

MA:  I love exercising and being active.  Walking is my oxygen.  Sometimes, my husband and I will hike, though not as much as I’d like to.  Concrete jungle and all.  I am a shameless homebody and my favorite thing is a Saturday with nothing on the calendar.  I can devour a whole book in about 24 hours.  I also really enjoy my other job (when I’m not writing I’m using that creativity as an information systems analyst for a hospital in the city).

Artist Q & A – Matt Simons

TuneTraveller continues a segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Matt Simons, a New York City, NY-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s September 16, 2013 post containing details about Matt and a review of his song “Gone.”

TT:  How did you get your start in music?

MS:  I started playing piano at a very young age, switched to guitar around the age of 12, then settled on saxophone in middle school. I picked the piano back up in high school and continued to play through University, where I studied Jazz Saxophone performance.

TT:  What is your approach to songwriting, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?

MS:  Melodies usually come first. Words shortly after.  They need to mesh well together and sound natural as one whole entity.  My least favorite part of the process is trying to force a song that is never going to sound natural.  No matter how hard you work on it, it just never sounds honest.  Conversely, my favorite part of the process is when a song flows naturally from start to finish, almost like it was already written and just needed to get out.

TT:  You’ve been on the road quite a bit this year.  Where have you toured and what have those experiences been like?  It seems like you’re a big deal in The Netherlands.  Do you attribute that to a superior taste in music on the part of the Dutch or something else?

MS:  It’s been quite a year for sure. I spent about 3 months in The Netherlands doing various tours and promo/radio/tv.  I attribute the success in the Netherlands to the Dutch people’s willingness to be open to new things and a radio structure that still allows DJs to play their choice of music.  They really are a delightful, open-minded group of people and it’s been an absolute pleasure playing music for them.

TT:  Have there been any particularly moving or funny experiences from the road that you can share?

MS:  I’ll never forget back in April on my sold-out club tour when for the first time, I was able to cut out singing my own songs and have 300 people in the audience sing them back to me.  It was something I’d dreamed about for a long time.

TT:  You recently signed with Sony BMG Europe and its promotional assistance must be invaluable.  Have you been approached and/or offered a contract in the U.S.?  You seem to be having plenty of success on your own, though, especially on YouTube.

MS:  I’m still completely independent in the US at the moment and haven’t really received any offers.  Of course, I’d love to eventually have representation and help in the US market but right now I’ve got plenty on my plate trying to break into other European markets.

TT: Based on your personal experiences, what advice would you give to musicians just starting out and trying to make it in today’s music business?  What do you know now that you wish you had known much sooner?

MS:  Don’t skip steps.  You might write 100 songs before you should record 1, you might play 100 shows before anyone takes notice or shows up.  Also, practice, practice, practice.  The motivation has to be about music, not about fame.  It’s an incredibly difficult career even when it’s going well so make sure you’re doing it for the right reason.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing?

MS:  I love to travel.  I feel very blessed that part of my job is to discover the most beautiful cities in the world.  Also, I’ve gotten pretty kick-ass at candy crush.

Artist Q & A – Alex Cornish

TuneTraveller continues a new segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Alex Cornish, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s September 6, 2013 post containing details about Alex and a review of his song “Skyline of Paris.”

TT:  How did you get your start in music?

AC:  I started off learning classical violin and piano, from aged 7, then decided I wanted to learn guitar and am self taught on that instrument.  I used to play in lots of orchestras and quartets and so on and continued to do so until I got far too interested in learning Robert Johnson, Cream, Hendrix riffs, then it all went pear shaped…

TT:  What is your approach to songwriting, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?

AC:  Usually I sit at the piano and just play, with melody and structure coming first and lyrics being just a stream of consciousness that I then pick at and work on over a much longer period of time.  Sometimes multiple songs will be cobbled together to make one.  My favourite part of the process is when you get the initial spark and record a demo of the tune right away.  It’s just me on my own and I find it really good fun.  No-one’s judging it, no-one else is involved.  I don’t care what it is or what it might do, for that moment I did it and I like it.  That’s a really good feeling to have.

TT:  You started working on a new album earlier this year.  What can you tell us about the progress you’re making on the new album?  Do you have a title for the album?  Do you have a tentative release date?  Any surprises you care to divulge?

AC:  I am currently setting a final deadline.  I was hoping to get it finished before the year was out, having worked on it for such a long period of time, but I then spent two months on tour.  Right now I am arranging string and brass parts and I am hoping to have it all wrapped up by February next year.  In terms of the title of the album, I was toying with the idea of ‘Work the Fields’, which is the title of one of the songs, but then the other day I thought one of the lyrics from one of the songs on the album might work really well.  Problem is, I couldn’t remember what it was the next day.  That’s why I usually always note down ideas, so if an idea comes to me after too much drink I don’t forget it.  I have done it far too many times in the past.

TT:  You’ve had some success with licensing your music to American television.  Has that placement increased your American audience?

AC:  Definitelty, it’s made a massive difference.  The download figures spike every time the shows are shown on TV.

TT:  Any upcoming placements we should know about?

AC:  Not right now, no.  I need to get the new record out to all the people in the TV industry that have previously enjoyed my music and see what happens…hopefully they will like it.

TT:  Do you have any plans to tour the States in the foreseeable future?

AC:  Obviously, it takes quite a bit of planning to put a tour together.  This is one of the big problems (good problems) that I have had as a result of songs being used in TV shows – there are now people outside of the UK that have been asking me to come and play.  The problem is that all my music I make myself with friends and I release each one pretty much myself.  I have had various deals in place in the past to pay for stuff, but nothing major.  The cost of getting out to the US is pretty high, so I need to ensure I sell tickets, but I won’t know ’til I get there.  That said, and despite all this moaning(!), I really want to come out and play.  To start with it will probably be just me solo, singing my songs on guitar and piano and a bit of violin and if it goes well I can bring the boys in my band over.

TT:  You recently finished up some supporting performances on Alison Moyet’s U.K. tour.  While you’ve sent some tweets and posted stage pictures from various venues on your Facebook page, perhaps you can expound on your experience a bit more.  How did you get the gig?  It must have been gratifying to play to such sizeable audiences.

AC:  I have played in great big places and tiny places.  My first gig in Edinburgh when I started out was just to the sound guy.  The last Alison Moyet gig was to 2,300 people.  The size of the audience or the venue doesn’t make any difference to the performance, it only makes a difference to the amount of petrol we can put in the van.  One of the things I enjoy so much about playing a support slot is the fact the audience isn’t there to see me play.  So, I walk on stage, just me, and a piano, knowing that no-one has paid to see me.  And that’s quite a buzz, to sit down and to sing my songs, that no-one knows, nor cares about – only I care about them – and see what the reaction is, to see who I might be able to win over.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of being a family man and writing/recording/performing?

AC:  Right now, I don’t have any time to do anything other than work, kids and work some more, and that’s kind of how I like it.  I go running, not because I enjoy it, but to ensure I can do my main other hobby, which is sitting in pubs.  I love pubs and I love beer.

Artist Q & A – Nathan Duprey

TuneTraveller continues a new segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Nathan Duprey, a New York City, NY-based singer-songwriter and pianist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s August 16, 2013 post containing details about Nathan and a review of his song “So Close to Heaven.”

TT:  How did you get your start in music?

ND:  I learned to play the piano at about age six. I would figure out the chords to songs I heard on the radio, at the time mostly hair bands and grunge. Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Pearl Jam, that kind of thing.  I was forced to go to church on Sundays, and once they found out I could play they asked me to perform in the middle of the service on occasion.  I laid out an instrumental version of “November Rain” that had all the old ladies who sat up front saying “Amen,” and “Praise the Lord.”  If they had only known.

TT:  What is your approach to songwriting, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?

ND:  A structured approach to songwriting has never worked for me. I’ll usually get a complete musical idea while I’m out in the world away from my studio, and then I take it home and it just sort of grows. I get stuck on second verses a lot.  I’d probably have put out a couple more records by now if I hadn’t trashed the handful of half-songs that refused to fully materialize for one reason or another. The creative process is still a bit mystifying to me. There are days when I feel like I’m breaking apart, and there are days when all the pieces seem to fit.  I write from both places.  Sometimes the songs write themselves, while other times I have to play the part of an alchemist, continuously reworking and rewriting until the words start to really mean themselves.

TT:  You recently put up a new song on SoundCloud called “Prove Me Wrong” (which doesn’t appear to be commercially available for download).  You indicated in a tweet that in the song  you “…play the guitar somewhat remedially, but with feeling.”  Notwithstanding the tongue-in-cheek comment, does “Prove Me Wrong” represent a new direction for you or is that a simple case of experimentation?  Is the guitar a new instrument for you?

ND:  The guitar is a new instrument for me.  I’ve been playing for less than a year.  When I sit down at the piano, I feel like that’s the place where I can go to tell my secrets; it’s comfortable and feels like home. When I’m playing the guitar, it’s like I’m on a first date with someone new and hot, and we’re both a little drunk and my hands start to wander. The songs I’m getting out of the guitar are a little more reckless, and not quite as heady as some of my piano-based songs. I feel kind of like a cheating bastard when I sit back down at the piano after a few days of playing the guitar, but I think we’re coming to an understanding.

TT:  Are you working on any new material?  Can we anticipate a new release from you any time in the near future? 

ND:  It’s been a number of years since I’ve released new music.  My apartment was broken into in early 2009, and all my equipment was stolen. It was a big setback for me, but I’ve put together a new studio since then. It’s been a slow crawl to get back to where I was creatively.  I have close to a full album’s worth of songs written now.  I’m working towards putting something out next year with some tour dates in support of the release.

TT:  What kind of music do you listen to and who are some of your favorite artists?

ND:  My music collection is kind of like a party full of sad, shy kids who secretly love to dance.  New wave bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Smiths.  A host of independent songwriters like Chris Pureka, Emm Gryner, and Namoli Brennet, and more well-known writers like Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. I love the Dresden Dolls, the way Amanda Palmer attacks the piano.  The Magnetic Fields are usually on heavy rotation. 69 Love Songs is one of my favorite records. I love everything Chopin ever wrote, and probably survived high school thanks to a combination of his Nocturnes as well as Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos.  I’m still a fan of her early work.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing?

ND:  Well, let’s see.  I live in Brooklyn, so I spend most of my time in the city.   I try to see as many shows as possible.  I like to get lost in different neighborhoods in New York, and I like to find my way out of the city on long drives into the Catskills or Adirondacks.  I take lots of pictures. I’m a runner, and live inside a pair of headphones most of the time. I read as much as possible, currently reading Underworld by Don Delillo and A Prayer For Owen Meany. I’m also a shameless cat person, and have two cats named Pluto and Luna who compete endlessly for my affection while I play scales.

Artist Q & A – Sean O’reilly

TuneTraveller introduces a new segment where featured artists answer some questions that provide insight into their creative process, their recent activities and life outside of music.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how artists come up with ideas for songs, what they may be hard at work on or whether there’s any chance you’ll run across them while mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving, then this segment attempts to keep you informed.  Hope you enjoy it!

This Artist Q & A segment is with Sean O’reilly, a New Haven, CT-based singer-songwriter and pianist.  Be sure to check out TuneTraveller’s November 1, 2013 post containing details about Sean and a review of his song “Destination Home.”

TT:  What is your approach to songwriting, e.g., lyrics or melody first or just the germ of an idea?  What are your most and least favorite parts of the creative process?

SO:  I’ve written songs all kinds of ways, lyrics first, music first, backwards, forwards, in fragments I piece together over the course of three years or in 5 minutes on the back of a napkin.

For Volume 1, and hopefully all my future work, I want every moment of my songs to be written purely on the adrenaline of inspiration.  Sometimes, you could be doing anything, eating lunch, running on a treadmill, or in the shower, and this idea just comes to you, like a gift.  Usually whole phrases with melodies and the idea works like one of those handkerchiefs that a clown has, where if you keep tugging there’s another handkerchief tied to it and another and another.  I’d say it’s my favorite part of the creative process as well, when you are writing a song, but it feels more like you are a conduit channeling something outside yourself.  I’m pretty proud of the fact that almost all of Volume 1 was written without pen or paper.  Every line was either written by inspiration and stayed in my memory or it didn’t make the song and didn’t make the album.

My least favorite part is the editing, moreso on the engineering/production side of things.  Recordings today have certain standards that were impossible to meet 15 or twenty years ago, and in order to achieve those standards, a lot of time is spent in front of a computer staring at grids making sure everything lines up.  Since I produced every moment of Volume 1, that was me sitting at the computer staring at the grids… not exactly a rock star image, but it’s the truth of the situation.

TT:  Your fans may be clamoring for new music since it’s coming up on a year-and-a-half since the release of Volume 1.  Are you working on any new material or have any definitive plans to release a new album?

SO:  A year and a half?  It’s been that long?!?  Oh dear.  I suppose I’ll have to pick up the pace a bit.  As I am writing this now, I am already tinkering with a new device that I want to make central to the sound of the next album.  I can’t give any dates yet, but I have plenty of material left over from Volume 1 and I’ve been writing consistently as well.  I am upgrading parts of my studio as I work on the next album.  I guess what I can say right now is that it will be a sort of deconstruction of the sound and character of Volume 1.  Meaning, where most of the songs I was sonically trying to bring every piece of myself musically into every single composition, for the next album, I will be trying to have each composition be more focused production-wise, and perhaps end of quite a bit different of each other song on the album.  That’s the general idea for the project — we will see how disciplined I can be with the guidelines.

TT:  For most of 2013, you’ve been performing weekly shows on stageit.com.  What’s that experience been like?  [Stageit.com is an online venue where artists perform live, interactive, monetized shows for their fans directly from a laptop, offering fans unique experiences that are never archived.]

SO:  I really like stageit for two reasons: 1) I get to play my piano, on my terms.  I set the time, and the sound quality is up to my standards.  I can’t really express how much different it is to play a real piano as opposed to a keyboard; it’s almost like having a second musician on stage playing with you. 2)  I really don’t have the means to travel far for shows, so I really enjoy the idea of anyone in the world being able to see a live set. Having said that, while I do love playing the shows and will continue to do so whenever possible, there is a certain energy that can only be harnessed when playing in front of a live crowd, and I really do hope to be touring on a larger scale one day!

TT:  In your opinion, what’s the most difficult or challenging aspect of the music business?  Is there an enjoyable part of the music business?

SO:   Hmmm… Well since I’m more of an outsider looking in on “the biz” (since I do everything on my own), I think that the hardest part about the business is the sort of “high school” nature of it.  By that, I mean it really has become trendy to a fault.  I can’t say I’m the most experienced guy with A&R and Label Executives, but I have had dealings with people who basically have said I would be much better off financially and seen more as a viable commodity in the business if I just blatantly plagiarized other artists that are currently in the popular consciousness, as opposed to trying to bring something new musically to the scene.

Again, I’m not a corporate guy by any means, but in the context of trying to make a business of my music, definitely the most enjoyable part is connecting with listeners.  In truth, I believe that that is perhaps the most central thing to being a musician: connecting with an audience.  And that connection is not a one way thing either, that’s what is so exciting about it… it’s more elliptical.

TT:  Recently, you’ve become involved with Keep a Child Alive.  What can you tell us about this charitable organization and your motivation for supporting its cause?

SO:   Reverbnation approached me about selling my music on their site, and gave the option to donate some of the proceeds to a foundation of my choice.  I chose the Keep a Child Alive foundation, which is dedicated to getting health aid to those children affected by HIV/AIDS in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and India.  They focus on providing Treatment, Food, Orphan Care and a Future.  I think in America, it is hard for us to grasp the magnitude of the disparity those people, those children, are facing. I also don’t think people in America, where money comes and goes so quickly, realize how little it takes financially to help these people out.

TT:  What do you enjoy doing outside of writing/recording/performing?

SO:  Hmmm… well I have an interest in the martial arts, I take classes off and on.  I’ve recently become something of a gym nut, simply because it gives me the opportunity to put some headphones on and listen to music for a solid hour-hour and a half.  I’m quite certain most of the other gym goers probably think of me as the crazy guy since I’m sure I’m rather visibly affected by whatever I’m listening to at the moment, and I listen to a lot of music that most people would not think is conducive to “working out” (yes, I have been know to listen to Joni Mitchell’s Blue among other pondering works of darkness).  I actually used gym time as a way to check mixes for Volume 1.  Also, I find that vigorous exercise really helps me maintain focus and energy for the rest of the day (much more than a cup of coffee ever did for me).