3 questions on the subject “Discovering the Unheard”

How did you become a musician, and how did you discover your own genre?

I had some piano lessons when I was around ten years old but I didn’t enjoy it much. After seeing Nirvana Unplugged in New York I started messing around with my mothers guitar, picking up a few songs and things went from there.
Later on, when I was around sixteen, going to family get-togethers I became interested in the songs my aunts and uncles were singing. They were fans of Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and so on, thus I ended up with a folky style from then on.

Which artist do you see as an insider tip?

Lisa O’Neill from Cavan, here in Ireland is someone I consider a very strong songwriter. I think her next album will be great.

What was the last album where you thought to yourself, “This is unbelievable, I’ve never heard anything like it”?

I think when I got Bob Dylan’s ‘Street Legal’ was the last time I felt that. I love the structure of the songs and the seemingly loose production married with big arrangements.

3 questions about “Record Stores”

Which meaning do record stores have for music culture in general and your music in particular?

I’ve always enjoyed browsing through record stores. They’re a great place to hear new music and to be advised on what new albums you might be into. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of record stores closing down due to the digital era. As my music may appeal to an age-group more comfortable buying physical copies of music I think record stores play a vital role in my career.

How important are record stores for you as a musician and also as a customer and music fan?

I’m still a fan myself of buying the actual cd or lp and reading the booklet and so on, so record stores are very important to me. As a musician, the smaller, more independent record stores can be very helpful and supportive of a new artist trying to sell his/her first demo or trying to promote gigs.

What are your current CD recommendations, and what musicians and albums should be in every home CD collection?

Currently I’m listening to The Felice Brothers eponymous album. Also Tom Waits ‘Bad As Me’. I think every cd collection should contain some Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

“I support Plattenladenwoche because…”

I’m a fan of the old school way of seeking out music that you like, getting the physical copy of the album, and having to wait till you get home before you can hear it. The more immediately available music becomes the shorter peoples attention span becomes and the narrower their appreciation for good music.