Ruta 66

Interview, February 9, 2003, via email, for Spanish magazine Ruta 66.

1.- First of all, I want to know what are your impressions about the new record. Are you satisfied with the results? Which are your ideas about it before going to the studio?

The Wild Horse, like half of my records, was not a conscious effort in album form. It came about from just recording songs with the drummer, two or three in a day. Some things were never finished, but many were, and I ended up with about 20 songs. Some came out on compilations, tributes, and the rest went on The Wild Horse.

My girlfriend at the time of making the record called me “wild horse” in my attitude toward life, and how I worked. She was into horses; I wasn’t really. However, my last Spanish release was called The knight of lines and proses, so I guess the equine theme follows me around! I’d rather be a horse than a bull…

I spend all of my creative time in the studio. Everything I write, and every change along the way gets recorded. So, that makes for a large body of recorded work. I found the process in need of a change. I would spend 70 hours a week in the studio! So, I finished work on The Wild Horse, gave up the recording studio in San Francisco, and moved to Seattle. I write even more songs now, I think, because I just sit around the house with a guitar and the notebook, rather than spend time with the studio gear. However, I brought the recording equipment with me to Seattle, so the temptation to record at any time is still there. As a result, I’ve nearly completed recording another 20 songs, but I am hoping to be very choosy about the songs that make it onto the CD.

2.- Please tell me something about the sessions. Which musicians played with you and how was the process.

The credits page has a lot of useful info for you to reference, as far as the recording of the album. I can answer more specific questions if you have them.

3.- The new songs, in my opinion are more in a mid tempo way, more adult oriented –without the negative connotations that this expression could imply-. Less immediate but more sensible. What do you think could your old time followers think about?

Well, for sure, the songwriting on this album is less of the sugar, more of the pensive, plaintive style. The sensibility hasn’t changed; my light-hearted productions have always strived to have a meaningful lyric underlying. There wasn’t a conscious effort to make “catchy songs” as much as me just trying to write what I was feeling. Looking back, I might have tried to balance out the sugar and the salt, but I never like that type of candy anyway.

As far as second-guessing what my supporters might think, I found myself in big trouble when I started thinking about anything like that. When I considered myself an “artist,” with “fans,” I lost focus on what I do. As a result, I make music that usually fits in the genre I’m recognized for- pure pop music, power pop, etc. but of course every record I’ve made also has elements that stray from, or even defy that description. Not being a superstar allows me that indulgence.

4.- I am surprised of the fact that you choose a classic of the British pop (Downtown) to make a cover. Why this song? Are you a fan of the Tony Hatch stuff or Petula Clark?

Tom Verlaine (Television) once said in an interview that Tony Hatch, as a producer and songwriter, was much better than The Beatles. I’m not sure if that’s true, but the Pet Clark singles are definitely favorites of mine. She’s not really that cool, either, in comparison to the rock groups of that time. The music and her voice are good, though.

I recorded the song for fun, but it seemed to fit in with the rest of the CD, so I included it. I was tracked along with other songs from the album. The segue from “Downtown” into “Great American Dream” crossfades so that it seems less of a playful whim, and more serious.

5.- In the past you have decided to use the internet thing to sell your material, through your web page. What about the results? Do you think that could be a good way to avoid the influence of the records companies and different business men than regularly makes money on the music industry?

I can’t help avoiding the influence of record companies, it seems: I have never had a big record deal! The Internet is just too easy a thing to ignore. It’s been a simple task of putting up a web page, offering discs for sale to those people who seek it out. It’s not a replacement for having proper promotion, but it’s worthwhile, especially in reaching people who can’t find my CDs in stores where they live.