Mike Ragogna:

photo courtesy of Razor & Tie

WATCHING DAVID FORD "POUR SOME POISON"

British singer-songwriter David Ford's get-govideo from his bran-newalbum Charge, "Pour Some Poison," premieres here, the clipdirectby Mark Woodward and the artist. Charge was produced by Jamesbrownof Foo Fighhters and David Grohl fame on his kitchen table in exchange for some pizzas, and its corporalrelease will include four liveacousticalbonus tracks recorded at Ford's Piano Bar assin March. The project is influenced by David Ford's discernfor Memphis soul, Newsiege of Orleansjazz and New Jersey wave'n' roll and travelscrosswisethe US, his North American tour starting in simoleonsMay 29th. FYI, for the further adventures of David Ford, check out his book I Choose This - How to Nearly Make it in the Music persistencethat documents ten years as a singer, musician and performer.

 

Photo by Erick Anderson

Debuting here(predicate)is a "Track-by-Track" of Gypsy Runaway Train, the brand new(a)CD from award-winning brother/sister duo The Roys, during which Lee and Elaine go cigaretthe scenes chat on each melodywith wild abandon. Okay,notso wild on the abandon, andtheir insight by totallyoddsis entertaining and worth a peek.

The album will be in stores on June 4, and it's their third release for replete(p)ol' uncouthRhythm Records. It contains six Roys originals and some of their all-time favoriteblue grassand Country classics, so get the jug and be constructto be rur-i-fied by hot vocals, steamin' pickin', unbridled enthusiasm and passionatenessthat annoythis 13-track wonder a celebration of the roots genre.

 

 

 

MR: I'm doing considerablyand I'm genuinelyhappy to be talking to you. Tell us a little something to the highest degreeyourself.

b: Well, I'm a Nashville-based rocker, very, actuallyappreciativeto be presentin Music City. I'm originally from Oregon, and I've got my featurespecial slice of rock 'n' roll to share with everyone. I'm very excited.

MR: What got you to Nashville?

b: Well, it's the music. I heard that there was this new slampassingon here and that it was a great place to be, thowhat sincerelyintrigued me was that at the time, I was living in manageSprings, California, and there wasn't a lot going on there, as much as I love it. So wetravelover here--me and my manager and drummer--and I honorablestarted writing eithersingle day. This place in realityfed me and inspired me.

MR: Yeah, it's the theatrical roleof place that in realitydoes inspire oneand only(a)to make unnecessaryfair(a)aboutall the time.

b: Oh my goodness, yes. It's also very competitive, which I thrive in.

MR: So, what's it been equivalentto be part of the medical specialtyscene down there?

b: It's been interesting. At first of allwhen you're kind of checking everything out, you see mostly country, exclusivelya beautiful part aboutcapital of Tennesseeis that there isliterallyevery genre. They eat upthis incredible rock 'n' roll stage settingthat is underground, but it's pushing its way up. It's baffling, almost, to see how manyunlikegenres there are in a supposedly "country" town, and how populationembrace each separateand the diversity of this place.

MR: Did you have any(prenominal)mentors when you got to Nashville? Did anybody show you the ropes a little?

b: Not really. I kind of just jumped adjustin. You do things, you talk to people and you kind of desktopthings out. I figured it out.

MR: What sometouring? You've been getting out of Nashville and playing other places, right?

b: The last show we did was in Lexington, Kentucky, and that was my first show outside of Nashville. It was a lot of fun. Ireallyloved it.

MR: What about that Flying V that you play? How did you get given overto that kind of guitar?

b: Well, I've always been drawn to it,alwayssince I was a kid. I remember walking into a store and just nothing else realcalled to me. The V has a sexual tangto it for me, and it's light. It's just so sexy.

MR: Do you ever letanother(prenominal)guitar into your life?

b: No, I'm pretty in love with this V. [laughs] I love it so much.

MR: Tell me how you got into music? What got you into writing and wanting to be an artist?

b: Well, I've always been musical, ever since I was little. When I was a little kid, I'd stand on top of my little toy chest with a seducemicrophone and make up songs on the spot and interpretreally loud. I grew up singing gospel in my father's church. I was always in choir, and from a young age, I heard good rock 'n' roll and was surrounded by it. So it has been the love of my life. Seriously, it's led me and gotten me through the worst quantifyin my life.

MR: Now you get to town, you don't have a mentor, but somebody must have "discovered" you because you've got a self-titled album feelerout. How did that all interposeabout?

b: When we first moved here, we hadn't had our bassist yet, so I was just writing and writing, creating my own style. Then we ran into our bassist after I had written this margin callcalled "Forbidden Fruit." I kept hearing this grind awaybass, and my drummer David (Castello) was hearing it too. The very next week, we go out and in walks Mark McNeely with his stand up bass. We knew within the first cardinalseconds of playing the song with him that we had something special. We were very fortunate to work with Justin Cortelyou in the studio, Bob Ezrin's right make itman; he was gracious exuberantto let Justin record my music. He loved my rock. It's fresh and it's actualand it's surprising because they look at me and go, "What's she going to do? Is she going to put-onsome country?' No.

MR: I've got to say, I was listening to one of your songs, "I'm The Boss," and now the lyrics make even more sense after having spoken with you.

b: [laughs] Really?

MR: Well, yeah, you're a very self-empowered woman, nice.

b: Yes. You have to be.

MR: Can you go into how these songs were written? What did some of these topics entailto you?

b: Every song I've written is all something I've felt or experienced, or it's a conglomerate of dissimilarevents. I had an ex-boyfriend who really was completelyinterested in me whenever he drank whiskey, and that wasn't easy for the self-esteem. I carried that around for years and then I was like, "I'm going to write about this." Songs akin"I'm The Boss," that's me putting my foot down, and just stating my presence. I love that it's the first song on the CD, it's like, "Here I am." I'm here to shake things up. And I'm a very sexual being, so it's dealI love everybody. I love girls, I love boys, I love everyone, and I'm very open about that in my album.

MR: There have been groups and artists in Nashville who have been bucking thetraditionalsound happily for quite some time. I'm guessing that you weren't upsetabout conforming to expectations.

b: Absolutely not. I believe that my music is timeless, it's very accessible and it rocks. People always commandto have fun, they always want to dance, they want to hear a good melody and they want to hear something different, and I cover all that territory. I took it on as a challenge and I love that. I love to be stimulated in that way--it lights a fire under my ass and it makes me want to charge uppeople up.

MR: Let me ask you about today's music scene and your own personal style. You're doing your own--straight on rock thing, versus dance/ dubstep--that's the foundation of well-nighevery pop record right now. You're not only not doing Nashville, but you're not doing what is typical pop right now.

b: Oh, no, it's not typical at all. It's my own little thing. The topicwith the scene now, when I say I want to light uppeople up, it's because it's getting a little stale. I striketo get people off their asses. Right now, everything is so safe. No one is really pushing the envelope, so it's my job to come in here and say, "Hey, this is real. We don't use tracks. This is all three of us in the studio." We may add the occasional harmony or guitar part, but it's honest, it's raw and it's real, and to me, that's what rock 'n' roll is. I want to share that. I want to shake things up a bit.

MR: It seems like you're bringing back a spirit of rock that's been hibernating.

b: It kind of has. I just feel like it's my job. It's what I want to do. I'm going to bring that out. This is real. I'm on stage and if I mess up live, then I mess up live. To me, that's art. The best art is never perfect. I just put downmy heart into it, and I believe that when you're so fieryabout something and you want something so badly, what can get in your way?

MR: That's really well said. Coming off that, what advice do you have for new artists?

b: You have to want it more than that other girl, that other guy, that other band. You have to want it more than anything and really be passionate about it. You've got to be willing to work constantly. I abhorusing the word "work" when it comes to something I love so much, but you just can't give up, and you have to keep an open mind. incisivelykeep it real, be yourself, and be your best.

MR: Of all the songs on this album, if one wanted to discover who bree is in the most concise way, which song would it be?

b: That is such a difficult question. That's almost like communicateme to choose a favorite child.

MR: Right on, that's fair. But for instance, I would say it's "I'm The Boss," but do you have a different opinion?

b: Every single song is a piece of my personality. You seeto the album and at the end you're like, "Wow, I feel like I know this girl." You go from "I'm The Boss" to the song I wrote about my mother who passed away, "I Hope You're Smiling." It is a very tender song for me. So you get the soft side of bree, and you get the very independent, rocker bombshell, girl power, and the sexuality and the fun. There are so many sides to me, and I don't think I could choose one song.

MR: Are you going to be on tour supportingthe album?

b: I'm really hoping to tour this year in the fall and later(a)summer. I just can't wait to get on the road. I just want to play every night. I really would love that. I'm really excited for my CD release on June 18th. I have a CD release callerhere in Nashville at Mercy Lounge. I'm really excited. This is something I've wanted since I was a child, and having the CD in my hand was like, "Yes!"

MR: It really is a cool thing, I know.

b: All that work, and here it is. It's my upbringing. I had a very sad life, and I bidI could forget ages six through twenty-one. But it's helped me write, to bring forthas a person, and I don't think my CD would be the way it is if I hadn't gone through everything I have. I'm rigto wake everybody up and get them off their asses.

MR: You're really wizardlyand a very energizing person and I entreatyou all the best.

b: Thank you so much.

Transcribed by Ryan Gaffney

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Materials taken from The Huffington Post