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Interview for music magazine

Date: February 24, 2008 @ 4:52 PM

I gave an interview to a Louisville music magazine. The mag is still unnamed, but the first issue is due in May.

1 What type of music do you create?

My music is a blend of different styles: rock, pop and country with a smattering of blues. My lyrics can be personal, drawn from my own life experiences. Recently, I worked with a number of female vocalists in Louisville and Nashville. It was a challenge to write from the female perspective and fun to go into the studio with a bevy of pretty girls. Much of the material came off as “feminist rockabilly.” Veda Radanovich, who performs regularly in Printers Alley in Nashville, recorded 17 songs with me. “All Roads Lead To You” and “The Truth” are doing very well on the web. Veda resembles Shania Twain, and I tried to create Shania-esque girly images for her. Visuals are important in songwriting, and I strove to dress them in upbeat melodies.

2 What made you pursue music?

It was in me from the beginning. It was a need. I felt driven to write and record. It sounds crazy, but it was like I had to pursue music to validate myself, to prove that I could succeed at least to a degree in this field. I wanted to go to Nashville from age 19. It took me a decade to get there because of the Army and college. Once in Nashville, I befriended a musician who had a studio in his back yard. We recorded song after song and produced an album called “Rising From The Ashes.” I was finally able to express what was in me. The result was like a catharsis.

3 Who and what are some of your inspirations?

There have been many inspirations across the years. 1950s rock and roll started everything. Little Richard lit a fire under me. From the moment I heard “Good Golly Miss Molly” on the radio, I knew I had to buy a copy of that 45. A Little Richard influence pervades my catalog, evident in such songs as “Hard Earned Love.” I may have been the first white kid in the east end of Louisville to buy black records. Of course, I was hypnotized by the rock and roll of Elvis Presley and still perform his songs today. I have made two trips to Graceland Mansion in Memphis. In the 1960s and 70s, it was The Beatles and ABBA from Sweden. I traveled to Stockholm and wrote a book about ABBA, parts of which are on my website: JimColyer.com

4 How would you describe your sound?

I place importance on good production. To me, a quality production is one which stresses the vocals. People want to hear the singer. They want to be able to understand the words. They want to sing along. Instrumental tracks need to support and augment the vocals. Lead guitars and keyboards should stay true to the melody while improvising just enough to create some interest. Drums and bass are the foundation. The other tracks sit on their shoulders. In the end, the record is the thing.

5 What do you feel makes you unique to other artists of today?

My uniqueness lies in that I am still doing this when people with far more talent than I have, have given up. I am still moving in the direction of a breakthrough, of giving a classic song to the world. I have 100 original mp3s at my site. People around the world are hearing my songs and giving me positive feedback. My environmental song, “Save The Planet,” is well-received in many countries. That I am not afraid to expose my material in an aggressive manner has allowed me to get independent cuts like “I Looked Twice,” recorded by the Illinois-based band, One Night Stand.

6 What kinds of music do you listen to outside of yourself?

I hear a wide variety of music. I have friends who run karaoke in southern Indiana. I drive across the bridge to sing with them. Through the course of the evening, I hear everything from Frank Sinatra to hip hop.

7 Who are some of your favorite artists outside of yourself?

Burton Cummings from Winnipeg, Canada, has long been a favorite. He and Randy Bachman fronted The Guess Who. Everyone knows “American Woman," the hit recently covered by Lenny Kravitz. I respect The Bee Gees and was saddened by the death of Maurice Gibb. It was good to see The Bee Gees inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I think Big & Rich have opened country music to a segment of society which could not relate to it before.

8 What motivates you to make your music?

A great motivation is just sitting around strumming the guitar. I start putting chords together. A melody line comes, and suddenly I have a hook around which to write a song. Sometimes it comes easy. Sometimes it comes hard. It is stimulating also to watch live bands. The enthusiasm of young musicians and the fans who support them is contagious.

9 How often do you create music?

1997-2004 was a Renaissance for me. I wrote 200 songs and spent lots of time in the studio. I worked with many singers and musicians, both in Louisville and Nashville. Things slowed when my son reached college age. I was helping him more. Now that he is out of college, I mean to gravitate back to the studio, pick up where I left off.

10 What kinds of music did you grow up listening to?

Top 40 was the big thing. As a kid, we listened to Louisville radio stations, WKLO and WAKY. I would get home from school and throw myself on the bed with my radio. It was like Chuck Berry sang in his song “School Days.” I bought a lot of records. 45s and LPs, from local shops. I even took an interest in sound tracks from such musicals as “West Side Story” and "Gypsy.”

11 What in life first inspired you to first pursue music?

I always enjoyed singing along with the radio. As far as pursuing music myself, it may have been the way girls were reacting to singers, the screaming and swooning and all that stuff. I saw their reaction to guys like Elvis and The Beatles. I hate to admit it because it seems shallow, but on the subconscious level, I may have gotten into music to impress girls and to get girl friends.

12 What if any rituals do you perform before you go into the studio?

Veda and I prayed before going into the studio. We sat in the car in the parking lot and offered a prayer. It had a calming effect. After a few moments of silence, I would say “Let’s go!” I felt that God gave us the power surge we needed.

13 What is it about particular songs you’ve come up with that makes you feel like you’re in the right place?

“How Did You Do That?” is a song with a magician theme. My friend Pam and I went to her cousin’s house in E-Town to show songs. Her cousin’s 13-year-old son came into the room doing magic tricks. Pam asked, “How did you do that?” Instantly, I had my title. Over the next couple of days, images and fragments came to me. I had lines like “You must have had an ace up your sleeve” and “Pulled a rabbit from your hat.” I was sitting in the parking lot of a Walmart. I heard three songs in a row by Terri Clark on the radio. That did it. Tears streamed down my face as my melody came and my words coalesced to form the finished piece.

14 Do you make music for enjoyment, to get emotions off your chest, for others, for yourself, or for any other specific reasons at all?

Honestly, I write and record the songs I want to hear. If other people like them, that is the perfect situation. I do it because it is fun and also to give vent to my emotions. Sometimes it starts with an idea. Sometimes it starts with a kind of pidgeon English. There have been times when I was challenged to write a song about a particular topic. A friend wanted me to write one about Pauline Tabor, a lady who ran a house of ill-repute in Bowling Green. I rose to the occasion and even demoed the song with some people in Florida.

15 Where do you see yourself in music in 5 and 10 years?

I see myself having major label cuts. I am a member of ASCAP and currently do my own publishing. I can see signing with a major publisher, Sony or Warner. I would relocate to Los Angeles to work with good people. It is important to me to pass along my best songs to the next generation, those which inspire positive and constructive behavior. I am thinking of my gospel song, “Jesus Paid My Debt," and my wedding song, “I Promise.” "I Promise" has been performed at weddings. One bride-to-be said she selected it from 400 wedding songs.

16 Do you perform any shows?

I have played the Bluebird Café in Nashville, also the Broken Spoke and Douglas Corner as well as lesser known venues.

17 If you do, when and where is your next one?

I mean to resume writers nights this year.

18 What are some of your fondest memories of your past performances?

One of my fondest and funniest moments came while playing the Bluebird in Nashville. My guitar was grossly out of tune. I just kept playing. At the end of the set, the lady who hosted the show came to me and suggested that I purchase an electronic tuner. The very next day, I took her advice.

19 What are shooting to achieve this year?

2008 is a comeback year. I have a duet which I am going to produce. The song is called “If It Wasn’t Love (It Was Something Like It)". It is about my divorce. Pam Ingold and Rodger Smith have agreed to do the vocals. We will record at Jeff Baxter’s studio in Valley Station in Louisville. Done correctly, this song can be powerful. I envision pitching it to Garth and Trisha.

20 Do you target your music to a specific audience?

No specific audience. I do what is in me. The chips land where they will. If people like what I do, they let me know. I am the target.

21 If so, who is that audience?

My only audience is people who like honest songs and the hard work which goes into them.

22 How did your family and friends perceive your ambition to make music when you first started?

My earliest songs were probably about breaking up with my first girl friend. They reeked of self-pity and “stream-of-conscousness.” My mother picked up on this and was horrified that my lyrics were so personal. My parents could not accept my long hair, and my father and I clashed regularly. My mother wanted me to be a chemist. I wanted to rock!

23 Where are some of your favorite music venues to visit?

In Louisville, I like Coyote’s and have been inspired by what I heard there. In Nashville, it is Exit/In and the Wildhorse on Second Avenue. I managed to pitch a song to Sara Evans at the Wildhorse.

24 What are some of your favorite music venues to perform at?

Dutch’s Tavern in Louisville has always been a favorite of mine. In Nashville, the Bluebird Café is intimate and cozy. The audience is right in your face. The Broken Spoke is a great place for songwriters and performers alike. The Spoke also serves great food.

25 What are some things you find yourself doing in your spare time outside of music?

I travel. In this decade, I have made trips to Australia, Hawaii, Alaska and Iceland. In Australia, I attended a star party with 300 astronomers. In Hawaii, I spent time on Waikiki Beach. In Alaska, I rode the Alaska railroad to Denali National Park. In Iceland, I saw the northern lights.

Jim Colyer http://www.jimcolyer.com
Contact: jim@jimcolyer.com

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