Hey, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?
The last year’s been a bit of a blur, as you can imagine. In the midst of finishing this album, I had to move, tackle some health issues, and even deal with the death of a friend. Needless to say, it feels good to be sitting here talking to you about my music.
I’m very interested in how you started your adventure with music, and did you know from the beginning that this is what you wanted to do?I was thirteen years old when my dad made me the best offer I’ve ever gotten: “This summer you can either get a job or take up an instrument.” Needless to say, I chose the latter and it’s been a love affair with making music ever since. In the ensuing years, I’ve never questioned that this is a calling for me.
Congrats on the release of ‘Sidewalk Hymns’, the album sounds great. What was the inspiration behind it?
My first album, ‘Loose Talk,’ was all about my battle with bipolar disorder. For this record, I knew I wanted the songs to tackle divorce, childhood, and religion. So, I’m just making my way down the list of light, cheery subjects.
What’s your favorite track on the album and why?
I’d have to say the opening cut, “Hold Me Close.” I think it’s really where the production I envisioned for this album comes together, and I’m really pleased with my vocal delivery (I’m not a natural singer). Michael Brauer, who mixed the record (as well as records by Coldplay, John Mayer, and the Rolling Stones—to name just a few), also delivered legendary work on the track.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
I’m always trying to improve as a producer, singer, and—perhaps most importantly—a songwriter. So, I try to push the envelope in all three areas: Where can I get new sounds? How adventurous can I get with my vocals? Can I make this next chorus just a little bit catchier? If you’re not evolving, you’re going backwards.
What should we expect from your next releases in terms of style and sound? How different are they going to be compared to your previous works?
My approach to production and songwriting is this: try and rip off your heroes. So, for album one, I tried to rip off The Stones and Lou Reed. For this current record, I tried to rip off The Who. Album three will be an exploration of Talking Heads and some various 80s artists. If you do this right, you end up sounding not like them but like yourself.
Where are you based? Can you tell us how the music scene there has inspired your sound at all?
I’m currently based in Brooklyn, NYC, but I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. As a kid in Pittsburgh, I was lucky enough to be around a really dynamic scene of high-school-aged bands. We were all competing with each other and it really pushed me as an artist and performer. The music you hear from me today was forged in that experience. But Brooklyn also inspires me. It’s gritty and diverse, both of which I try to channel in my music.
If you could perform at any venue in the world, where would it be and why?
That’s a tough one: a lot of great venues out there—The Anthem in DC; Madison Square Garden here in New York. But if I had to choose, it’d be old Wembley Stadium in London, the site of so many legendary concerts. I’d love to join that lineage. But, sadly, it was torn down twenty years ago, so I guess I’m going to have to find a new dream.
Finally, have you got anything to share regarding upcoming gigs, and what have you got planned for the rest of 2022?I’m weird about playing live: I absolutely love to do it, but I also hate playing to an empty room. So, if ‘Sidewalk Hymns’ takes off, you’ll see me on a bill somewhere soon. If not, I’ll be holed up working on the next album. That’s the plan for the rest of 2022: demo as many songs as I possibly can.
