In this interview we chat with Unearth Records’ artist John Tabacco to discuss music, the new project, and more.
Full Q&A, links, and streams can be found 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 always liked the immediacy, accessibility and flexibility of pop/r&b/rock music. Within those genres you can incorporate a myriad of styles dressed up in all kinds of harmonic climates, timbres and rhythms. Add a certain amount of repetition (which is truth) and you stand a good chance of grabbing the average listener’s attention (if that’s your goal). These styles also allow for complex lyrical ideas so long as there is a repeated phrase someone can latch onto. Jazz, classical, avant-garde etc are usually expansive, developmental genres to work in that tend to demand a certain amount of attention and time from the listener. The audience for those styles is very specific and perhaps harder to cultivate. Thus, I usually put the pieces written in those genres toward the end of each album I complete. The more accessible tracks are usually placed toward the beginning . Since I grew up listening to Top 40 radio in the mid sixties to mid seventies I guess I got used to being hooked in right away with catchy little melodies. I infuse those kinds of motifs into pretty much everything I do.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
In 1975 I heard a voice in my head while I was listening to Frank Zappa’s 20-minute rock opera ‘Billy The Mountain’. The voice said “John, from this day on you will do music for the rest of your life.”. A little switch was turned on in my head and I suddenly knew my destiny. I had no idea how to compose at the time but the dice was rolled. This was the path I was going to take. Nothing has changed since.
What drives you to push it out to the public?
There is not much driving me to push the music out to the public. It’s just me fulfilling a prophecy. It’s matter of fact. No big deal. Like a script I have to follow. The music is channeled from somewhere and I have the skill to record it in this dimension. It’s put out there to entertain those who need to connect to my music filter. It ends when I end. It’s not a tremendous money-making venture, but the occasional repercussion of releasing music is that someone will hear it and then request I sing on their song or produce or mix it. Then money comes into play and the bills get paid with ease.
Who or what influences your creativity?
I’m influenced by everything I hear. Hence, my musical output is more like a diary of what’s going on in my life at the moment. Since I am a poor-man’s version of so many artists I love, I keep striving to create something I think will be on their level. Maybe I come close once in a blue moon. Who cares? I do know that co-writing with other people can definitely inspire, make you hear things in a different way and broaden your musical palette. I like that.
Have your tastes in music changed over time?
My taste in music hasn’t changed much since I left college in 1983. However, my tolerance and understanding of music I do not like is greater than when I was a kid. In fact, I have forced myself many times to listen to artists I clearly do not get. I figure if I’m not gonna enjoy something, the least I can do is know why I don’t enjoy it.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
For this particular song ‘Safe Conservative Clothesure’, I wanted to work with an experienced producer/engineer. After producing my own tracks for the last 35 years I thought it was time to broaden my recorded output and hear how someone else would interpret my ideas. The experience allowed me to just focus on the vocals without having to sweat over the arrangement and recording. For the most part it was a successful experiment and an expensive one at that.
What was the last song you listened to?
A song I co-wrote and recorded with Susan DeVita from her album ‘Kama Sutra Rodeo’. It’s called ‘Rongorongo’ and it’s about UFOs and Easter Island.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
CDs sound the truest to me. Although our SA3-mp3s are pretty damn close. CDs are also great for skipping from track to track, they allow cleaner segues during my radio show (Clam Radio) http://johntabacco1.wixsite.com/clam-radio and the sound quality doesn’t change after repeated listening. You also have the benefit of seeing the color spectrum if you position the CD just right. That always makes me smile. Vinyl is a whole other animal. It’s an effect. It’s nothing like the final mix. It’s something else. Instead of a clear digital picture, vinyl is like a realist oil painting of the original recording. It does have its warm crackly charm and smell if you’re into that kind of nostalgia, but I only miss the 12-inch album covers and the lyric/credits inserts that I can actually read without the use of a magnifying glass.
Personally, I really love listening to my old 1st and 2nd generation iPods in my car. They are the best sounding ones. The mp3s my friend Bob Ball and I developed some 15 years ago still blow away everyone else’s. I worked on mastering a huge collection of music (through our SA3 process) for years and now they all reside on my iPods. Since I love driving around to the sounds of music they are the perfect listening devices. I’m assured of hearing recordings I totally love every time. Also the so called random segues these portable music players perform border on psychic. I love that.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Bandcamp is great. You can update your albums any time, provide all the lyrics and artwork for download and name your download price. Plus it’s easy to set up new releases and the basics are free. In general you have more control over your catalog on Bandcamp than other services. Apple, Spotify, Youtube etc are great for reaching a random, wide audience, but their sales accounting is dubious and once the music is on their site you can’t make any changes until you take it down through your distributor. That whole process can be rather time consuming and in some cases expensive (you may have to pay again to put the music back up). Also, check out www.IndimusicTV.com. They are a great hub to broadcast your music videos and get fans.
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 is getting people to know your music is available. It’s difficult to mass market email a specific kind of listener who you think will like what you do. How do you make noise above all the other noise? Not sure. It’s a never-ending task notifying listeners through Facebook and other social media outlets to get the word out. That is where a major label could help. They are monster publicity machines who will bring you exposure in all digital magazines, through big-selling venues (gigs) and music placement (TV/Movies). I also find it hard to get listeners to check out a whole album from beginning to end. There is a reason why I start with one song and end with another. A lot of thought goes into the order of the tracks but people just pick what is most accessible and neglect all the deep cuts that are just as important. The concept album is mostly dead I guess. Oh well. The best thing to do is try to play out as much as possible and get a mailing list. Unfortunately this becomes more cumbersome the older you get. You really need a crew of folks to help out.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Of course you already know if you want to pursue music as a career, no one, not even your father can dissuade you. It’s a calling you’ll have no choice but to follow to its logical conclusion. In the meantime try to maintain a healthy lifestyle so you can stay creative. Stay open to new musical ideas. And if you want to move me, throw a D/C chord into one of your tunes.
