BROKEN RECORDS MAGAZINE
MARTIN
HARLEY
Slides Over What is the name of that style of lap steel guitar & what brand is it? I play a custom made Koa wood Weissenbornstyled guitar built by German luthier Andreas Cuntz.( http://www.cuntz-guitars.info/en/) How did you wind up playing more of a bluesy rock style? I feel the blues is an intrinsic part of my sound. I like to use that influence mixed with many genres of music.Although I’m a blues influenced artist I use a combination of a lot of styles to end up with a fairly eclectic sound. I’ve always found it hard to stick to just one style. I feel my style is as influenced by gypsy jazz and folk as it is by blues. But sometimes, you just gotta rock out! Who are some of your biggest influences? Tom Waites, Django Reinhardt, JJ Cale, Ry Cooder, Nina Simone, Shovels & Rope, Gomez – to name a few! Lyrically, where do you draw inspiration? Combination of personal experience and overheard conversations - bars, airports, bus stops. Usually I pick up on a phrase or a combination of words that basically stick in my mind and I can’t get rid of. That’s usually a good lyrical filter for me. I get a phrase or saying stuck in my mind and the one that lasts the longest is the one that produces the most ideas. Like a spider diagram :).
8
Interview By ARIN SEGAL
Which song is the closest to you lyrically and why? There’s a song called Some Fires on my first record that captures a certain time in my life and it’s the one that takes me back there most accurately. I think that song lyrics as a form, like poetry, are many ways - abstract - the relevance to the writer and the listener are rarely the same thing. Do you have a favorite song to play live? I enjoy covering Chocolate Jesus. Great excuse to come up with some Tom Waites and to beat my Weissenborn to death! When it comes to a live show, what is your favorite moment? Getting paid (laughs). No, shows can be different for so many reasons, I enjoy the intimate nature of solo shows and being able to involve people in the storytelling aspect. How the songs came to be..... I really enjoy improvising on electric Weissenborn just to see how many different sounds I can get out of it. I’ve been experimenting with a poly-octave generator which is pretty “out there”. It’s a fairly simple but privileged pleasure to play music for people that want to listen and it never escapes my attention. I realize that I’m very lucky to do something creative and something that I love as a profession.
What can people expect to see from you in the next year? Quite likely I’m going to try to incorporate some kind of two-wheeled adventure into the next 12 months of my life. I’m feeling the need to do something more organic. Other than that - I really don’t know myself! What has been the craziest song inspiration?
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