Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Omaha NE. My family moved around a bit though. We lived in Pittsburgh PA when I actually discovered guitar, but Omaha is where I spent more formative years.
When did you start getting into music?
I was 9 when I saw my first concert in Pittsburgh. It was Kiss in their prime..1978. My folks must've been mad, they let my 17 year old sister take me and my brother, who was 15 at the time. Would you ever trust a 17 year old girl to take your kid to a show? I guess I almost died when the doors opened and I got trapped behind it. This was before the Who trample mind you. Great show though.
What were you listening to?
I was into Kiss cause of my brother, whatever he listened to, Sabbath, Skynyrd, Rush. Fortunately my sister kept a healthy blast of Beatles, CSN, Neil Young and Cat Stevens going. She then tried to ween me off Kiss with a copy of Boz Scaggs "Silk Degrees". Then I went through a massive Rush thing that took me to about 15 years old. But I think it helped me as a guitarist trying to learn all that kooky odd meter stuff. Also teaches you how to get a lot of sound out of a trio. But I always loved Hendrix, and one of the first solo's I ever learned off the record was Keith's "Sympathy For the Devil" lead. That crazy shreiky tone! Keith is a hero of mine.
What other bands/artists/albums have influenced you over the years?
I got way way way into Todd Rundgren at one point off a Utopia album. That was pretty deep, I guess he was like my Dead, cause I never got that stuff. I also dug XTC a lot and the Police and the IRS bands. I later met a friend when I was in Boston at Berklee who turned me on to the right Blues, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howling Wolf, etc. That stuff flipped my lid. I still can't get enough of it and listen to it all the time. I also discovered good song writers like Dylan, Carol King, John Hiatt and Warren Zevon, and I was also checking a lot of jazz, my faves being Miles, of course, and Wayne Shorter is a brilliant composet. There's just way too much to listen to out there, always something you can go back in time and find that blows you away, that's way ahead of its time. And the older I get, the further back I go. I was unfortunately a late bloomer on Hank WIlliams and the Louven Brothers and Cash. At least I got there, I guess. I'm not into one type of genre, I just like the good stuff. And people know when it's good. That's why lots of kids are digging Zepplin and Beatles. They find it and the sense the depth to it, I guess.
Who are some of your current favorites?
Of course Radiohead is a fantastic band. They don't sound like anyone else. Wilco keeps knocking me out. They keep making cooler and cooler records and pushing their boundries, while still wearing their roots on their sleeves. Ron Sexsmith is a great songwriter as well...I guess none of these are really current, but then again, neither am I. I love Elvis Costello, Dusty Springfield, Joni Mitchell, Neil Finn, Aretha, Ray...so much.
 Quincy and Geoff |
Who are some of your favorite local bands?
Locally, I'm lucky to play with a couple of my faves, AM and Quincy. Buck Johnson is another great singer/writer I play with, real Southern soul. I like Dead Rock West a lot!, they should be signed and out touring. Jesca Hoop knocked me out at Molly's the other night. My friends the Neighborhood Bully's rock pretty hard... I like Gabriel Mann, great writer/singer/player.. Jackshit are a bundle of fun too.
Any artists we should know about (but don't)?
Ever listen to the Raspberries? Or Emmitt Rhodes? This is some old power pop stuff. If it weren't for the Easy Beats we'd have no AC/DC and no Jet..so check them out. Thats some late 60's Aussie rock. I guess I just feel for every new band, there's so much other stuff I've yet to find from the past that is really exciting. But there is one current band called Sleepytime Guerilla Musuem out of Oakland that's pretty intense, I try not to miss them when they come to town, which is usually twice a year. Never heard anything quite like them.
Any previous bands, musical experiences you want to talk about?
We'll the coolest thing I've probably had the pleasure of doing is opening 4 Who shows when I was touring in Linda Perry's band. Had Pete sign my guitar, which I guess he doesnt do anymore, but you wont never see it on ebay, you just have to come by and I'll show it. Maybe slap it on my website one day. Also did a BBC broadcast from the studio where the Beatles and Queen and Zep and Bowie all did it when I was with Shelby Lynne. That was cool. I was in some cool bands when I lived in San Francisco. One was the Billy Nayer Show, who are now based in New York. Brilliant stuff and the main guy, Cory Maccabee, is also a great filmmaker. I also did some military base tours, that was a very interesting experience. Bust out the first few notes of "Sweet Home Alabama" for a bunch of drunk marines, it's like a bullfight or something.
Crazy. But I sold lots of my cd's without really even supporting it in the set.
 Searching for the Muse |
Tell us about the project/album you're working on?
I'm working on my second CD as a songwriter/artist now. It's called "Someplace Like Nowhere". I started out going for a vibe like Neil's "After the Gold Rush" or Beatles "Rubber Soul" as far a simple sonic thing. I felt my last one was a little big, and thats fine. I just really think these new songs are working with a little smaller sound, so the drums are dryer and stuff. I've also been doing it at a studio this time as opposed to different bedrooms and environments, so it adds a consistency to the overall sound. I originally wanted to do a record with bits on synthesizer juxtaposed with lots of acoustic guitar, so there's a bit of that to it. Also a lot of 12 string electric guitar, some autoharp, accordian and my crappy banjo playing on it as well. But it will all remain simple and small as planned (I hope!)
Im going to work on finishing it this month with Jon Evans, the bass player for Tori Amos. He's a dear old friend and has a nice studio up in Oakland.
What's your plan for the near future?
Well, I need toilet paper, so I guess I'll go to Ralphs..but musically? Its all over the place. You never know when the phone will ring and everything will change, someone wants you to tour with them or something. See, I do a lot of guitaring for hire, so it sometimes gets in the way of my artist thing. But I just want to finish this new record and work it a little harder than my last one. I'm playing New York and Boston for the first time, so hopefully more out of town gigs will happen.
What brought you to LA?
I came here in 2000 from SF, almost five years to the day of this interview...weird. I was done with Shelby Lynne, the groovy house I was living in was sort of breaking up cause everyone was getting married and stuff, and my friend who owned needed to make that cash off the silly real estate boom that happened up there then. I knew lots of people here, and I was really ready to redefine myself as a songwriter. I had a rock band I was writing for, but always had this other side to my songwriting that I felt I wasn't being true to. So I came here, figured it was close enough to get back to SF for gigs and what not.
What's your take on the overall music scene here?
When I first came here, I was shocked at how bad some of the music was. But there's so many bands, but the good/bad ratio is bound to be greater I 'spose. Then I saw bird York at the Gig, she was one of the first signs of hope. Lucky me, I ended up playing with her too.
But I'm finding circles of good stuff, PepperAlley has a lot of them on here. I felt like a lack of community was here, but I'm sort of finding one. In SF, the bands hooked up and got all their crowds out..here, club bookers would say the have a good bill for you and you'd be playing with like a 10 piece lame ass RnB-ish band from Alhambra and crappy alterna-metal band from Irvine. I also notice these homogenous crowds that leave the club when their band is done. I mean, you already paid the 10 bucks, why not see if there's something good on next?
That part really pisses me off here, actually. So band scramble to get on and hold the crowd in an effort to make new fans, but it never works.
What things would make the scene better?
I think, like I said a sense of community is good. Let the bands with a draw decide who they want to bring into their fold. All these songs in movies are usually the result of a direct relationship between the artist and the filmmaker. A lot of big artist cover songs by writers they know who get them personally to that artist. The booker is just a middle man and has numbers to fill, and I understand that. But you get one band with a draw, ask them to find and opener, and it's a slow build but eventually a good return. They also have way too many bands on the bill. I think it should never be more than 3, and lets cut this 8pm time slot crap. Name me one person who gets off work at 5:30 or 6, deals with the traffic here, gets home and changes and goes out to see a band? It's hard to draw anyone at 8pm. 9,10 and 11. Seems simple enough to me.
How do you get turned onto new music?
Usually friends suggest stuff or I see an act live or I'm on the bill with them. Thats about it.
What else do you like to do when you're not playing music?
write music...record music...bitch about the industry...I like dogs, I'd like to get me a pup. And cooking is fun, although I dont do it as often as I used to with such a good Mexican restaurant around the corner.
Any other skills or hobbies you'd like to mention?
Girls only like guys with good skills!! But I think the cooking thing is about it.
What's your specialty?
I like to BBQ, the proper way, slow cooking, low temp..hickory. I make a great chili, a nice hearty red sauce (arribiata). I once made a nice potato-leek soup and used to make a bang up tiramisu, but what a pain in the ass that one is.
Is there anything you'd rather not be doing?
This is starting to feel like some self-evaluation. Hmmm...I'd rather not be going to Taco Bell so late at night at my age...but I just can't stop, I tells ya!
What are your favorite clubs/music venues?
Ah, a more comfortable question, thanks...I like the Mint again...it was bad for a while there, but the new crew is making something good out of it again, killer food too. The Hotel is pretty cool, but sure gets cramped, I guess they're gonna open that up a bit in the future.
The sound at the Gig is usually good. Its a good showcase room. Cinema Bar is a down and dirty dive, always fun. Molly Malone's back room is shaping up nicely too, the sound has come a long way and had a great show there recently. And a lot of people think Genghis is weird, but I like it. Its unique. It's one of the few places you can still do a decent solo show in.
Any favorite bars/restaurants?
Cat and Fiddle is a good place to get plowed, but watch your car stereo round there. I like this Japanese joint Mishima on 3rd near the Bev Center, not much a hang, but good chow. I like the various English pubs around town..I live in the Valley, so the Robin Hood on Burbank is my local.
Any other places you like to hang?
Home...I'm kind of a homebody. I can usually be spotted at the Monday Justin Clayton residency at Molly's, though.
Anything else you'd like to add?
I'd like to end with a joke if I may...okay? alright...eh-hem...How do you turn a duck into a soul singer? Put it in the oven until it's bill withers....!!!
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Omaha NE. My family moved around a bit though. We lived in Pittsburgh PA when I actually discovered guitar, but Omaha is where I spent more formative years.
When did you start getting into music?
I was 9 when I saw my first concert in Pittsburgh. It was Kiss in their prime..1978. My folks must've been mad, they let my 17 year old sister take me and my brother, who was 15 at the time. Would you ever trust a 17 year old girl to take your kid to a show? I guess I almost died when the doors opened and I got trapped behind it. This was before the Who trample mind you. Great show though.
What were you listening to?
I was into Kiss cause of my brother, whatever he listened to, Sabbath, Skynyrd, Rush. Fortunately my sister kept a healthy blast of Beatles, CSN, Neil Young and Cat Stevens going. She then tried to ween me off Kiss with a copy of Boz Scaggs "Silk Degrees". Then I went through a massive Rush thing that took me to about 15 years old. But I think it helped me as a guitarist trying to learn all that kooky odd meter stuff. Also teaches you how to get a lot of sound out of a trio. But I always loved Hendrix, and one of the first solo's I ever learned off the record was Keith's "Sympathy For the Devil" lead. That crazy shreiky tone! Keith is a hero of mine.
What other bands/artists/albums have influenced you over the years?
I got way way way into Todd Rundgren at one point off a Utopia album. That was pretty deep, I guess he was like my Dead, cause I never got that stuff. I also dug XTC a lot and the Police and the IRS bands. I later met a friend when I was in Boston at Berklee who turned me on to the right Blues, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howling Wolf, etc. That stuff flipped my lid. I still can't get enough of it and listen to it all the time. I also discovered good song writers like Dylan, Carol King, John Hiatt and Warren Zevon, and I was also checking a lot of jazz, my faves being Miles, of course, and Wayne Shorter is a brilliant composet. There's just way too much to listen to out there, always something you can go back in time and find that blows you away, that's way ahead of its time. And the older I get, the further back I go. I was unfortunately a late bloomer on Hank WIlliams and the Louven Brothers and Cash. At least I got there, I guess. I'm not into one type of genre, I just like the good stuff. And people know when it's good. That's why lots of kids are digging Zepplin and Beatles. They find it and the sense the depth to it, I guess.
Who are some of your current favorites?
Of course Radiohead is a fantastic band. They don't sound like anyone else. Wilco keeps knocking me out. They keep making cooler and cooler records and pushing their boundries, while still wearing their roots on their sleeves. Ron Sexsmith is a great songwriter as well...I guess none of these are really current, but then again, neither am I. I love Elvis Costello, Dusty Springfield, Joni Mitchell, Neil Finn, Aretha, Ray...so much.
Quincy and Geoff |
Who are some of your favorite local bands?
Locally, I'm lucky to play with a couple of my faves, AM and Quincy. Buck Johnson is another great singer/writer I play with, real Southern soul. I like Dead Rock West a lot!, they should be signed and out touring. Jesca Hoop knocked me out at Molly's the other night. My friends the Neighborhood Bully's rock pretty hard... I like Gabriel Mann, great writer/singer/player.. Jackshit are a bundle of fun too.
Any artists we should know about (but don't)?
Ever listen to the Raspberries? Or Emmitt Rhodes? This is some old power pop stuff. If it weren't for the Easy Beats we'd have no AC/DC and no Jet..so check them out. Thats some late 60's Aussie rock. I guess I just feel for every new band, there's so much other stuff I've yet to find from the past that is really exciting. But there is one current band called Sleepytime Guerilla Musuem out of Oakland that's pretty intense, I try not to miss them when they come to town, which is usually twice a year. Never heard anything quite like them.
Any previous bands, musical experiences you want to talk about?
We'll the coolest thing I've probably had the pleasure of doing is opening 4 Who shows when I was touring in Linda Perry's band. Had Pete sign my guitar, which I guess he doesnt do anymore, but you wont never see it on ebay, you just have to come by and I'll show it. Maybe slap it on my website one day. Also did a BBC broadcast from the studio where the Beatles and Queen and Zep and Bowie all did it when I was with Shelby Lynne. That was cool. I was in some cool bands when I lived in San Francisco. One was the Billy Nayer Show, who are now based in New York. Brilliant stuff and the main guy, Cory Maccabee, is also a great filmmaker. I also did some military base tours, that was a very interesting experience. Bust out the first few notes of "Sweet Home Alabama" for a bunch of drunk marines, it's like a bullfight or something.
Crazy. But I sold lots of my cd's without really even supporting it in the set.
Searching for the Muse |
Tell us about the project/album you're working on?
I'm working on my second CD as a songwriter/artist now. It's called "Someplace Like Nowhere". I started out going for a vibe like Neil's "After the Gold Rush" or Beatles "Rubber Soul" as far a simple sonic thing. I felt my last one was a little big, and thats fine. I just really think these new songs are working with a little smaller sound, so the drums are dryer and stuff. I've also been doing it at a studio this time as opposed to different bedrooms and environments, so it adds a consistency to the overall sound. I originally wanted to do a record with bits on synthesizer juxtaposed with lots of acoustic guitar, so there's a bit of that to it. Also a lot of 12 string electric guitar, some autoharp, accordian and my crappy banjo playing on it as well. But it will all remain simple and small as planned (I hope!)
Im going to work on finishing it this month with Jon Evans, the bass player for Tori Amos. He's a dear old friend and has a nice studio up in Oakland.
What's your plan for the near future?
Well, I need toilet paper, so I guess I'll go to Ralphs..but musically? Its all over the place. You never know when the phone will ring and everything will change, someone wants you to tour with them or something. See, I do a lot of guitaring for hire, so it sometimes gets in the way of my artist thing. But I just want to finish this new record and work it a little harder than my last one. I'm playing New York and Boston for the first time, so hopefully more out of town gigs will happen.
What brought you to LA?
I came here in 2000 from SF, almost five years to the day of this interview...weird. I was done with Shelby Lynne, the groovy house I was living in was sort of breaking up cause everyone was getting married and stuff, and my friend who owned needed to make that cash off the silly real estate boom that happened up there then. I knew lots of people here, and I was really ready to redefine myself as a songwriter. I had a rock band I was writing for, but always had this other side to my songwriting that I felt I wasn't being true to. So I came here, figured it was close enough to get back to SF for gigs and what not.
What's your take on the overall music scene here?
When I first came here, I was shocked at how bad some of the music was. But there's so many bands, but the good/bad ratio is bound to be greater I 'spose. Then I saw bird York at the Gig, she was one of the first signs of hope. Lucky me, I ended up playing with her too.
But I'm finding circles of good stuff, PepperAlley has a lot of them on here. I felt like a lack of community was here, but I'm sort of finding one. In SF, the bands hooked up and got all their crowds out..here, club bookers would say the have a good bill for you and you'd be playing with like a 10 piece lame ass RnB-ish band from Alhambra and crappy alterna-metal band from Irvine. I also notice these homogenous crowds that leave the club when their band is done. I mean, you already paid the 10 bucks, why not see if there's something good on next?
That part really pisses me off here, actually. So band scramble to get on and hold the crowd in an effort to make new fans, but it never works.
What things would make the scene better?
I think, like I said a sense of community is good. Let the bands with a draw decide who they want to bring into their fold. All these songs in movies are usually the result of a direct relationship between the artist and the filmmaker. A lot of big artist cover songs by writers they know who get them personally to that artist. The booker is just a middle man and has numbers to fill, and I understand that. But you get one band with a draw, ask them to find and opener, and it's a slow build but eventually a good return. They also have way too many bands on the bill. I think it should never be more than 3, and lets cut this 8pm time slot crap. Name me one person who gets off work at 5:30 or 6, deals with the traffic here, gets home and changes and goes out to see a band? It's hard to draw anyone at 8pm. 9,10 and 11. Seems simple enough to me.
How do you get turned onto new music?
Usually friends suggest stuff or I see an act live or I'm on the bill with them. Thats about it.
What else do you like to do when you're not playing music?
write music...record music...bitch about the industry...I like dogs, I'd like to get me a pup. And cooking is fun, although I dont do it as often as I used to with such a good Mexican restaurant around the corner.
Any other skills or hobbies you'd like to mention?
Girls only like guys with good skills!! But I think the cooking thing is about it.
What's your specialty?
I like to BBQ, the proper way, slow cooking, low temp..hickory. I make a great chili, a nice hearty red sauce (arribiata). I once made a nice potato-leek soup and used to make a bang up tiramisu, but what a pain in the ass that one is.
Is there anything you'd rather not be doing?
This is starting to feel like some self-evaluation. Hmmm...I'd rather not be going to Taco Bell so late at night at my age...but I just can't stop, I tells ya!
What are your favorite clubs/music venues?
Ah, a more comfortable question, thanks...I like the Mint again...it was bad for a while there, but the new crew is making something good out of it again, killer food too. The Hotel is pretty cool, but sure gets cramped, I guess they're gonna open that up a bit in the future.
The sound at the Gig is usually good. Its a good showcase room. Cinema Bar is a down and dirty dive, always fun. Molly Malone's back room is shaping up nicely too, the sound has come a long way and had a great show there recently. And a lot of people think Genghis is weird, but I like it. Its unique. It's one of the few places you can still do a decent solo show in.
Any favorite bars/restaurants?
Cat and Fiddle is a good place to get plowed, but watch your car stereo round there. I like this Japanese joint Mishima on 3rd near the Bev Center, not much a hang, but good chow. I like the various English pubs around town..I live in the Valley, so the Robin Hood on Burbank is my local.
Any other places you like to hang?
Home...I'm kind of a homebody. I can usually be spotted at the Monday Justin Clayton residency at Molly's, though.
Anything else you'd like to add?
I'd like to end with a joke if I may...okay? alright...eh-hem...How do you turn a duck into a soul singer? Put it in the oven until it's bill withers....!!!