Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I live in Winter Park, Florida and started playing music as a teen from my love of listening to records and seeing live bands as a kid.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: I have no formal music training whatsoever. I don’t practice or learn any songs. I only pick up the guitar to write my own original music.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Lou’s Rendezvous’?
A: My biggest influences are anything by Phil Spector, Syd Barrett, The Beach Boys and all the great 50s/60s American Rock n Roll music. Lou’s Rendezvous was the title of an old tune I wrote and decided to use it as my band name.
Q: You have just released your new EP, ‘The Righteous Sounds of…’. Is there a story behind it?
A: After releasing my debut ep, “Hard Stares” i wrote 6 or 7 new tunes and these were my favorite 3. I don’t like putting too many tunes on releases. We went for more of a wall of sound on these and I think they came out fine.
Q: Can we expect an album from you in the near future?
A: Actually yes, just not soon. I’m going to take a long break but I will release a 10 song album within the next 2 years.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: I’m not trying to give the listener what they want but rather what I want. My hope is they respect the simplicity of my music and take it in with an open mind, that’s all. My sound is what it is. I have 1 guitar and 1 amp. Whatever comes out is the sound. I also sing directly out of my amp and record in my garage live. A no frills set up. All the other sounds come from my producer Phil Bianco out of NYC. When I perform live I will have upwards of 10 musicians on stage.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: I expect nothing from anyone other then myself. I make music because I enjoy it and I put a-lot of hard work into making it happen. One day I won’t enjoy it anymore and I’ll hang it up and move on to something else.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: Writing can get tedious and redundant to me at times. For that I try to make things more difficult for myself when writing/performing. For this particular release, all 3 tunes were written very quickly and recorded in one take. The only tune I rerecorded was “92 in the Shade”. The other 2 were first takes and I wrote the lyrics to “Sleeping in the Foyer” as I was recording them. Also in 1 take.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: I don’t find anything to be difficult per se. Maybe being a harsh critic at times. I’ve written and recorded many tunes and then deleted all of it cause they didn’t cut it. I’m happy doing what I’m doing. I don’t ask anyone to pay my bills. I’m making the music I want to make. If something isn’t working I go in a different direction and move on. I don’t complain and dwell on anything.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: That I still enjoy to make music with friends to this day and passing my music on to my children in the future. That’s what it’s all for in the end.