Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I grew up in central Pennsylvania in a small town where there weren’t a lot of chill things to do. My older brothers got me interested in pop and rock music. Along the way I devoured music by the great heroes of the 60’s and 70’s, what I generally call soft rock, like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, David Bowie, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Elton John, and prog rockers like Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Genesis.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Friends To The End”?
A: I’ve been promoting Friends To The End primarily on social media with best-in-class music videos on Youtube and the best content I can create for Instagram, and also advertising with Google and Meta. With “Soap Creek Saloon,” I now have a veteran publicist on board, plus this track is a little more mainstream than previous ones as an energetic piece of Austin Americana or Modern soft country rock.
New listeners to Friends To The End will discover my music – which I call Modern soft rock – always includes top-of-the-line ensemble instrumentation blended with song-specific, custom-built vocals. Modern soft rock is a kind of singer-songwriter storyteller fusion with shades of chamber pop, Americana, and art and prog rock – whatever I need to tell an interesting or even provocative story, with compelling Modern soft rock music to lift it up.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: I have 3 exciting new songs that keep me thinking about how to arrange, record and recruit musicians I know to perform with me. I’ve been listening to singer-songwriter Kimmie Rhodes lately, who inspires me because of the depth and width and success of her career, though she’s not really a household name even in country music circles.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Soap Creek Saloon.”?
A: The name “Soap Creek Saloon” pays homage to the infamous Austin venue that was once the stomping ground of music icons like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Featured in the 1977 movie “Outlaw Blues” with Peter Fonda, this venue stood as a significant part of Austin’s music scene. Local Austin heroes like Paul Ray & the Cobras, Doug Sahm and the Uranium Savages often played there.
The Texas capital isn’t merely the setting for “Soap Creek Saloon’s” narrative, but also an integral component of its sound. Local music virtuoso Paul Glasse plays the mandolin. Producing a bright opening lick that was inspired by the intro to Rod Stewart’s classic “Maggie May”, Glasse conveys the sentimentality of the tune. Additionally, percussionist James Fenner with his seasoned Austin musicianship, and Geoff Queen (Reckless Kelly, Kelly Willis) on pedal steel guitar, come together in this track to create a rich, western soundscape. Further enhancing the authenticity of the saloon ambiance is my lead vocal duet with Kimberly Zielnicki, whose seductive voice accentuates the beguiling aura of a late-night bar.
“Soap Creek Saloon” explores themes of innocence, fear, and sex exploration. The song takes listeners on a voyage of excitement as the main character, Jenny navigates the dilemma of finding love at the saloon. With lines such as “Jenny saw plenty of action / A mutual attraction with most of the men she knew,” the song exudes sleaziness in the heyday of the cosmic cowboy.
The lyrics, “The girl inside puts it on your mind / Cause it’s so easy to catch a groove / ‘If I do go, what will I find?’” talks about first-time love. In contrast, “The Soap Saloon was the place to play in those seventh heaven days” suggests changing values and the danger of hookup culture. The refrain, “So close to the Soap Creek Saloon, when everybody’s at the Soap Creek Saloon,” points to the universality of human experience.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A:thoughtful
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Soap Creek Saloon”?
A: The biggest challenge was finding a female singer to sing a lead duet. I think the music style was a little unusual for the first few singers I invited. I have a duet with my daughter in a song called “Top Of The World,” but the message of “Soap Creek Saloon” made it awkward to sing with my own daughter. Fortunately I finally recruited Kimberly Zielnicki who was performing with Everett Wren in Chalkboard Poets at the time. As it turns out, it was great luck the others declined to participate, because Kimberly’s jazzy and sultry voice was a perfect fit.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: Friends To The End is more than a band name for me. It’s the way I try to conduct all my business. It’s also how I feel about the songs I’ve written, many of which I’ve worked on for a long time, because over time, my songs became my friends. My songs are landmarks for my journey. When working and collaborating with other artists, we work together like old friends, even if it only lasts till the end of the project. A few times when I’ve been disappointed with their work, I take the bullets myself to maintain a good relationship, like true “Friends To The End.” I started out with this attitude and it’s served me, and the music and art well.
Moreover, I’m sharing my life’s journey with listeners in ways that are thought-provoking. Each song, from “Chinese Underground” to “ROBOT ODDiTY” to “Where’d You Put The Baby?” is an adventure of thematic and musical versatility, with plenty of intriguing ideas and settings. My motto is “where sound and vision collide,” indicating an aim to capture audiences with engaging music and video.
Beyond promoting the hit single “Soap Creek Saloon,” my main project now is finishing 3 more studio recordings for a Modern soft rock Americana album rooted in my life in Austin for many years: “When The Girls Play Guitar,” “The Time Of The Year,” and “Austin, Texas.” The album title is OLD PECAN STREET.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Dennis Ludiker, fiddler with Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Know what makes you outstanding and build a distinctive music brand
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Find a good balance between pre-written music charts and in-studio spontaneity when recording.
