If you fell in love with “Someday” by Rob Drabkin, you’ll like him even more after this. We caught a few minutes of Rob’s time so we could get to know him and his music a little better.
Let’s get to know you, the artist and your music a little better. What attracted you to the styles you practice?
Take a 10 year old obsessed with Metallica, throw him into Jazz Band, gave him an acoustic guitar with a slew of folk, jam bands and singer/songwriters to obsess over and I think you end up with me. 🙂
How long have you been making music? Have you been performing or sharing it with the public all that time?
10 years! I sang for the first time when I was 23. That same year I wrote my first song and shared it at open mic. I’ve been doing a version of that process ever since!
Who or what influences your writing and performance?
It’s always come down to a love of music for me. Music has been the most powerful art form in my life. One day I decided it was my time to give back and songwriter is how I would do that. Once that switch happened, finding inspiration in just about anything in possible:).
Were you trying to accomplish something different or specific with this project – creatively or otherwise?
Someday is a very different track. All the chords are chords you learn in your first guitar lesson. It’s very simplified and a bit more soulful folk than anything we’ve put out in the past.
What was the last song you listened to?
Nina Simone – The Ballad of Hollis Brown.
Do you prefer a certain medium for listening – vinyl, CDs, mp3, reel-to-reel, Pono,(lol sort of)?
A personally signed album of course :). It doesn’t get much better than that.
If you had to choose one place to host your music, would you prefer Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, or … ?
Spotify.
Are you playing on live stages, clubs, bars, the local town picnic, festivals?
Today I play a music festival in Winter Park, then I shoot over to Vail to play a wedding, then I come back to play a top secret gig for the mafia (literally!), then we travel to Qatar to play a series of private shows, then travel around the US opening Trevor Hall, then we book a few annual hometown headliners. My live music schedule looks a bit like that and then back to touring.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and/or discover more of your music?
In person of course :). If you can’t catch a show, www.robdrabkin.com. Click the Spotify link and add a song to your new music playlist.
Can you share an anecdote or tale of woe or inspiration like a story about an out-of-touch club manager, your favorite fan interaction, broken busses, or you know… just some experience in your musical journey you’ll never forget?
My first gig: I was offered a $100 to sing my song “Little Steps” during a wedding proposal. She straight up said no! [ed: oh, crap! don’t reckon I’d forget that either]
Lightning Round
What’s your favorite ice cream?
Peanut Butter anything
Dream vehicle?
the bat mobile ?
Sailing yacht, catamaran, bass boat, or kayak?
kayak
Place on Earth you must visit some day
Buenos Aires
Batman or Spiderman?
Spiderman
James Bond or Jason Borne?
Jason Borne
Bugs Bunny or Anime?
Favorite beer or beverage of pleasure?
Left with a choice of one instrument, which would you keep?
My first acoustic guitar (Larivee). It was stolen out of my car in the nicest neighborhood in Denver! ughh. [ed: ugh is right :(]