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Interview with Dean Friedman
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
My mom was a singer and performer on Broadway and in film, so I grew up in a house filled with music. There was always some Broadway show tune on the piano or aria playing on the record player, so it was inevitable that music was going to be a big part of my life.
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
My dad was an illustrator and animator, and I’ve always loved animation and games – I’ve designed VR (virtual reality) video games for Nickelodeon TV and museums around the world – so, when I’m not making music, I really enjoy playing around with graphics. To me they’re just an assortment of different colours and shapes in a visual pallet, in much the same way that I hear music and sound as different colours in a musical pallet. It all comes down to play.
How long have you been making music?
Took my first piano lessons when I was 5, and bought my first guitar age 9, with a bag full of quarters I earned delivering newspapers in the neighbourhood.
Where are you based and how did that influence your music?
I’m based in New York’s Hudson Valley, which is at the foothills of the Catskill Mountain range, near the Hudson River – a place rich in early American history. It’s impossible to live here and not be aware of – and inspired by - the mix of all the great crimes and great accomplishments that brought us to where we are today and yielded all the amazing gifts we enjoy. It’s also one of the most beautiful places on Earth, so that doesn’t hurt.
Tell me about your most memorable shows, if you haven’t played live what is your vision for a live show?
It’s always exciting playing to a large audience of thousands but, by far, the smaller, more intimate gigs, where you can see the expressions on people’s faces, are my favourite. It’s the instantaneous feedback and sharing a special moment in time and in that space, that makes it so satisfying.
What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
The further north I travel in the UK, the more boisterous and enthusiastic the audiences are, and that’s always exciting. But I suppose my favourite gigs are the cozy, music pubs in the middle of nowhere that serve amazing local-sourced food. The Crooked Billet in Henley-on-Thames comes to mind. I’d play there for free just to enjoy the food, but don’t tell the owner/chef Paul Clerehugh I said that!
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
It’d be a trip to perform with folks like Ian Shaw, Tracey Curtis, Boothby Graffoe, Rainbow Frog Biscuits, Vance Gilbert and Charlotte Campbell. But wait… I actually will be performing with them and some of the finest singer-songwriters around at my micro-music festival SongFest this August in Rugby! It’s gonna be awesome! www.SongFest.live
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into making music and some advice that you would give to your younger self?
Be true to the music. Find your own voice. Do the hard work but spend an equal amount of time at play. And always have another way to pay your rent because making a living just as a musician is an ongoing challenge – even for popstars with multiple chart records around the world!
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
Songs are like little kids – you love them all but some are better behaved than others. I’m grateful for the commercial hits, but I always have a special fondness for those obscure tracks – deep cuts - that might not be as well-known as the hits, but in which I somehow managed to achieve a particular creative goal in writing or producing; those songs and recordings always make me smile.
What is your creative process, and what inspires you to write your music?
These days I need to schedule time – and a quite place - for the sole purpose of writing. It starts with improvising – really just playing around with words and music – until I stumble upon a line or phrase that seems worth pursuing. Then, it’s sort of like completing a crossword puzzle where you know what one corner of the puzzle is meant to be and you have to figure out how to make the rest of the puzzle fit and make some kind of sense.
Do you have messages that you like to get across in your music? if so please tell me about them.
Some of my historical or political songs might have an implicit message such as ‘this is how we got into this mess’ or ‘WTF is going on?’, but most of my songs are relaying familiar stories about everyday life and love, and are basically saying, ‘Gee, this is kinda strange, or wonderful – has something like that ever happened to you?’
Do you have any new singles, videos, or albums out that you would like to tell me and your fans about?
I’ve just put the finishing touches on a new double-CD release entitled, ‘More Words & Music’. It’s a compilation album (my second) which is comprised of thirty hand-picked tracks drawn from four decades worth of my recorded music. It’s an eclectic collection of songs representing various musical idioms which, despite their differences in style and genre, all share my very uniquely personal and idiosyncratic perspective on life and music.
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
I definitely have a lot more songs in me and I’m far from being ready to retire. So, stay in touch and stay tuned!
How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?
Best way to keep in touch is to join my email list for my monthly newsletters; just email me at: [email protected] or find an email link at www.DeanFriedman.com And folks are always encouraged to join up on all the regular social media including:
spotify
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