In this interview spotlight, we chat with Fritz Doddy about the newest release, influences, being a musician in the digitized world and more.
Full Q&A along with links and streams below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
I’m a huge fan of adventurous pop/rock bands as well as progressive pop bands. E.g: Beatles, Beach Boys, Yes, Genesis, Imogen Heap and High Llamas are a few that come to mind. I’m also a huge fan of Late 19th century classical music. It was so expansive and harmonically rich. I’ve always wanted to be more expansive and experimental with pop music without losing the soul.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
I grew up in a very musical family. My father is a brilliant accordionist and is a great mixture of instinctive and schooled musicianship. I try to take after him. Music came naturally to me as a result. I’ve always enjoyed being in the moment while playing live as well as the discipline of working in the studio.
I write music because I have no choice. It’s like breathing, almost autonomic and necessary for survival. I can’t imagine not writing or creating music. Sharing it is a natural outgrowth of that. Who doesn’t enjoy the occasional pat on the back?
I also appreciate the support I get from my fans. They have no vested interest in being other than completely honest with me, and I appreciate that immensely!
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
Life influences my creativity. A good day, a shitty day, the weather, events, all seem to be an influence more so than any particular artist.
My tastes haven’t really changed, rather, they’ve broadened. I am a commercial composer by day and so I’ve had the good fortune to learn and practice many different styles. Doing so really broadened my appreciation and love for styles outside the mainstream.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
‘Cynical Eye’, the Unearth single is from my album The Feeling Of Far. The purpose of the album was to create a song cycle that is nearly uninterrupted. There is only one space between songs on the record. My goal was to create an album that is rhapsodic in nature, a real journey. There are many repeated melodies and lyric themes throughout the album. Plenty of surprises too!
What was the last song you listened to?
1812 Overture by Peter Tchaikovsky
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I prefer CDs. I can’t take the distortion on the inner grooves of an LP as it gets nearer to the center and MP3s are almost unlistenable to me for a length of time.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I don’t have a preference as a listener, but I do prefer the sites, like Bandcamp, that afford the artist an opportunity to make a fair earning off their product. I use Soundcloud as a playground of sorts for my commercial work as well as personal projects.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
The biggest challenge I face is my own fear and reluctance towards self promotion. Self promotion requires a certain degree of chest-thumping and bravado that doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m primarily a bass player i.e. team player, so being a solo artist is uncomfortable at times. Time to change, I guess.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
I can be found on:
- Unearth Records https://unearthmusicblog.wordpress.com/fritz-doddy/
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fritzdoddy
- Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fritz-doddy
- Spotify https://play.spotify.com/album/0PPQjEgOwPeRfIeJRAkRoU
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
I appreciate the opportunity to share a little about my work and thank Peter Kearns and Unearth Records for their camaraderie.
