SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR SONGWRITERS
What makes you write?
well sometimes i just get an idea in my head and if i think its good enough to make a legitamite song then i write it down and start adding little structural pieces until there it is: a new song!
Who is the greatest unknown influence on your music?
well i do more than just bluegrass, i'm in a couple bands, but i'd say for bluegrass probably charlie lily of the lily brothers and for everything else tiny moore (he did a lot of solo stuff that's not very well known but he made it big w/ bob wills & the texas playboys)
What is your most closeted, secret, guilty and humiliating musical pleasure?
well i don't know that its humiliating per say, but i get a real kick out of stealing licks that people do, especially when i'm playing with them at the time haha it makes me feel good knowin i can pick up on something like that that quick but i also like to do it to sort of "challenge" the other player like "is that all you got?" haha in one of my last groups, in fact, i was known as "the lick stealer"
What established artist made you want to write songs, and why?
well ever since i heard of bluegrass i was immediately drawn to bill monroe, i think in part because he was a mandolin player as well.. and i would study his stuff and learn the patterns, etc. and one day i got an idea in my head and kinda used a familiar pattern to write that first song and though i definitely think its a unique song (not trying to rip off the old stuff!) it does hint back to old bill songs.. and i suppose the why is because if you're going to play a particular style of music, why not play like the original artists played?
Advice for just-starting songwriters?
i don't know if i'm enough of an established songwriter to be giving advice, but i guess if i were to i'd say just write what comes naturally to you and have fun doing it.. and if people don't like what you do then screw em, cause there are people out there that will.. "don't get discouraged" is the nicer way of putting that i think haha
Why country?
why not? haha country music (including bluegrass) has that deep rooted old-timey tradition to it that just really speaks to me.. in a lot of ways its very relatable to the listener even stuff written 50 years before you were born (in my case at least).. plus i just thoroughly enjoy it.
Favorite backwoods expression?
well my grandpa myron always would exclaim "great gobs of goose feathers!" in exchange for "hot damn" or the like and i always liked that.. but i'm also very partial to "i'm feelin rougher than a corn cob" to describe bein hungover
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