Published: May 11, 2009 1:50 AM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight May 2009 Edition
Alan Dee
Alan Dee
Singer/Songwriter Alan Dee is crafting songs that perfectly capture the artist's strong vocals, witting lyrics, and classic rock sound. A child of the seventies, it is naturally that Alan goes for a classic live-band sound with the release of his new album which is schedule to be released summer 2009. In a recent spotlight with our Webzine, we talk music with the talented Singer/Songwriter.
Isaac: How do you sum up 2008 for Alan Dee?
Alan: The bad weather gave me an excuse to stay in the studio for hours on end. If I was from
California, I'd be writing different music, but here we've got the rain at the window
while you're plucking a guitar.
Isaac: What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment for 2008?
Alan: Since I do most gigs solo, I changed the live show to include piano. I've been going with
acoustic guitar and harmonicas for years but I got my keystrokes together, so now I swap
between the two and it's brought a fresh angle to the gig.
Isaac: Describe the music scene in Ireland.
Alan: You can drive from one end of Ireland to the other in a single day, so if you were to do
a full Irish tour, you'd play a handful of venues within easy reach and plenty of time
left for a few drinks. Any musicians coming here can do the three major cities: Dublin,
Cork and Galway, hitting smaller venues in between. It's a country for all acts, big and
small. We had Tom Waits here last year in the Phoenix park, with his 'Glitter and Doom'
tour inside a huge carnival tent. I made sure I got tickets, and I wasn't disappointed.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry
and why?
Alan: Like any musician, the list is long, but I've returned to the Beatles more than any other
group for inspiration. My parents were both working musicians and they had all the albums
on vinyl. Each one is a gem, pushing the envelope that bit further, and all in one
decade! It'll never happen again. On the business side, they were determined to get
control of their music and how it would sound. Way ahead of their time.
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?
Alan: I'm adamant about keeping copyright away from big labels and controlling my own career.
As more and more artists do this and earn a decent living, it'll become a self-licking
ice cream cone and become the norm. Control over what we do is important. No musician
likes to think of themselves as a pawn, so beware of the dotted line. Home studios have
become the norm. 50 years ago, getting a record deal was the first thing for any act
because recording studios with engineers and producers were expensive. Now any musician
can get their music to a high standard with low cost equipment. Add the Internet, and we
are free to network with anyone across the industry on proper mutual terms. The big
labels never adapted to the Internet, so musicians are bypassing them and figuring it out
for themselves. It's part of an indie's career path. Artistic control is lifeblood and
it shouldn't be given up unless you want to do the whole pop idol thing.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and
why?
Alan: I'd have to say Tom Waits. He keeps changing styles, and his songs are timeless. They
don't belong to any era. I caught an interview where he talked about changing from jazz
to the Rain Dogs album, how his fingers were getting too familiar on the instruments and
he knew it was time for a departure. He pursues his art. It's up to the rest of us to
notice and draw lessons from it.
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
Alan: I like classic rock, and I like to write lyrics with a left-wing bent, so I guess that
puts me in the folk rock business. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel; I want the songs
to be accessible, so I work hard on the structure and arrangements, and go for organic
sound, with minimal post-processing. Low compression, reverb, small EQ and good mastering
are what have always worked down through the years, and I'm happy with the results.
Isaac: What is your definition for Rock Music?
Alan: It's something more than smoke machines and electric guitars balancing on your crotch.
It's about refusing to submit to whatever is coming at you. My uncle puts it dryly: "All
knobs to the right."
Isaac: Where can fans locate you at online?
Alan: The official website is www.alandee.com. If you're online, you can listen to all songs at
your leisure. Once this new album is done and dusted, fans can pay what they want for the
mp3 download so they can take a little part of me wherever they go.
Isaac: What can fans expect from Alan Dee in 2009?
Alan: First thing up is the album I've wanted to make for years. I'm at the tweaking stage, and
I want it done for the summer so I can shift into tour mode. I've been living in the
studio, and I need to get back out on the road again. The plan is to do some dates in the
UK, Holland and Germany, but I'm also aching to get back to New York. I lived in Queens
for a year working as a sound engineer, did some gigs on the side, and fell in love with
Greenwich Village.
Isaac: Final words from Alan Dee…
Alan: We've all come a distance, and we should take things a little further. You never know
what might happen next.
