 East Nashville by way of Baltimore, songwriter Benjamin Jason Douglas weaves classic American folk tales, not unlike those of John Prine and Guy Clark, that are sprinkled with the sarcasm of Randy Newman and the voodoo blues of Dr. John. Douglas's debut record, First World Blues, was "slow cooked" from 2014-2017 at Greenland studios in Nashville and mixes everything from upbeat revival worthy gospel to darker sounding tales of desperation and more, producing a vast sonic landscape amid well crafted narratives. Here, the songwriter briefly answers his Essential 8 where he talks musical mentors, inspiration, Elvis Costello, and more. Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? Yes I did...I've had a couple, in fact. My brother Chris introduced me to music as well the idea of playing and writing. Also Brian Whaley, a friend and musician I worked with that pushed me and taught me to pro-nunc-iate. Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? I let the band pick the songs..I don't trust me. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Everywhere really… craigslist, family history, work, television, NPR, friends, and whatever else finds its way in my ear. When/where do you do your best writing? I write best at home pacing around in my underwear when the roommates are out.  Courtesy of the Artist Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
All of the above. Who would you love to collaborate with? Elvis Costello Which song of yours gets the best crowd response? Diggin a Stigmata Favorite (or first) concert you have ever attended? My first concert was Red Hot Chili Peppers, Silverchair, and Friends of P Favorite thing to do on a day off? Being a two job Judy I don't have a lot of days off… but at the moment its Unsolved Mysterys and tuna in a pita pocket. www.BenjaminJDouglas.com Facebook
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |