Smitty: Cool. Please allow me to extend a belated, but welcome to the U.S. Let’s talk about your new record deal. Wow, you’ve signed a record deal ARTizen Music. How’s that going?
S: I couldn’t be happier. With ARTizen, it came exactly the right time and I think with the best record label for me out there. I wasn’t really shopping for a deal inasmuch as I wasn’t sending out tapes and CD’s to people, that kind of thing. I’ve been writing material for years and just putting a catalog together and just waiting for the right time, but I was very fortunate in that ARTizen approached me and just said “We’ve had a meeting and we’re ready to sign our first artist to the label and your name’s at the top of the list,” so I was very surprised but I was very grateful and I think it’s worked out great. Rick (Braun) has been fantastic to work with. Rick produced the album and we’ve worked together so well. I’ve known Rick for eight years professionally, but we’ve never really worked together and we’ve hit it off and he really knows his stuff. He’s got great ears, great ideas, and he’s really brought life into my music, my demos. He’s really took them to a place where possibly on my own I wouldn’t have done, but with his experience he’s just done a fantastic job, and Richard’s [Elliot] in there, and Richard’s a saxophone player, so to have Richard’s endorsement to want to sign me, that’s a great honor. And Steve (Chapman), I really, really admire Steve, really, I trust him and he’s a good friend and I’ve been working with him through the Down To The Bone connection for four or five years now and just found him to be a great guy. And then Al (Evers), he’s a veteran of the industry, so I just think it’s a nice package and they haven’t tried to change my sound or my style. They’ve just gone with it and they’re just trying to nurture it and just give it more exposure.
Smitty: Absolutely, man, and that’s a great thing. You’re with some great guys, so it sounds like a great marriage, great mix to be hooked up with ARTizen and those great musicians over there as well.
S: I’m really looking forward to a working relationship with them.
Smitty: Yes indeed. So the gamble has really paid off.
S: So far, but nothing’s set in stone but I’m here, I’m ready to work hard and do whatever it takes to make it.
Smitty: Yes. Talk about how different it is as a solo artist opposed to doing your thing with Down To The Bone because you cats are just incredible together with the music that you’ve produced over the years, and then when you jump out on your own….it’s sort of like leaving the pack.
S: Yes, the thing about the Down To The Bone thing is it is a production package whereas you’ve got Stuart Wade, who’s back in England, who does the recording and the production side, and then you’ve got me here and I basically look after the live side of it. I’ve gained a lot of experience from fronting the band. I’ve never done anything like that before, and I enjoy it. I enjoy talking to the audience on the microphone and being more involved in fronting it. But I think from Down To The Bone’s point of view, the energy is why I still enjoyed that as much as just playing the music. I just enjoy the party atmosphere and the energy that that sort of music creates, and that’s the sort of stuff I want to do myself as well, but I want to take it a little bit away from Down To The Bone. I really want to establish my own identity away from Down To The Bone.
Smitty: Yeah, and that’s important, I think when you’re creating music as a solo artist that will certainly do just that.
S: I don’t want to produce stuff and have people say “Well, it’s exactly the same as Down To The Bone.” I want them to go “Wow, this is great. It stands out on its own. The Down To The Bone stuff’s really cool, but this is really cool too, and the two work together although they’re still quite different.”
Smitty: Absolutely. You mentioned once that you like the energy of the band’s really getting into the music, you like to see the heads boppin’, thus the title.
S: Oh, absolutely. From a performance point of view, when you’re looking out in the audience and everyone’s standing up and dancing and they’re just letting themselves go, for me that’s what it’s all about. It’s just, I’ve gone to concerts myself and I’m sure you have, and if you go to concerts and the music really moves you, to sit there like you’ve been strapped to the chair is very difficult, (both laughing) and I’ve been to see some of some of my heroes, Stevie Wonder and all these people, and I’m up. I’m the first up. I want to make the most of it. Let’s get our money’s worth.
Smitty: (Both laughing.) Exactly, absolutely, man. You’re there for that reason, to have a great time.
S: Exactly, if you like the music, express it, let yourself go.
Smitty: Yes, because, really, when you think about it, it’s a communication of the artist with the fans.
S: Absolutely.
Smitty: Because you’re expressing on stage and you want the feedback.
S: Yes!
Smitty: And the feedback is when you’re up, your head boppin’, your hips are moving, and everybody’s having a great time.
S: There you go. The more feedback you get, the more energy, it just inspires you to give even more and before you know it you’re flying at like rocket speed. Sometimes we don’t get to play as long as I would like. You get an hour at one of the festivals and sometimes I could play for two or three hours just on the strength of the feedback from the audience. It’s amazing.
