Published: March 19, 2010 6:34 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight March 2010 Edition
Bud Summers
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Bud Summers
Instantly, when one hears the music of Bud Summers, music lovers will fall in love with what they hear. Summers has created something special that sets him apart from the average joes out there in the music industry. His greatest gift is his command of the guitar and other instruments that are wonderfully integrated throughout his music. In this recent spotlight with the artist, Summers shares with our online readers why music is his passion. Enjoy!
Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs off your new EP/CD. What was the inspiration for making your new album?
Bud: My last record jumped around a lot with different styles and instrumentation. I wanted to do a record that sounded a little more like my live shows.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Bud: The Allman Brothers, Steely Dan, Jim Groce, and Herman Melville.
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Bud: The highpoint so far was a 2nd place finish in the Clinton County Songwriter Contest- I was a solo act competing with bands that had four to six pieces.
The lowpoint was when I took a year off from performing to decide where I was going in life.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Bud: My mom and dad were both into music- dad was a jazz bassist and mom taught music history and appreciation. They had me try violin and piano before I got into guitar. My style is a conglomeration- I earned a B.A. in classical guitar but played in the jazz band in college and played for school by playing in a country band and in a blues band. The music I write can shoot off in any direction but is mostly classified as adult contemporary.
Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Bud: It's not easy to get gigs in the St Louis, MO area. You have to work at it like anything else. I spend time contacting clubs, reading local entertainment guides and keeping good notes about who I've spoken to and when. I don't limit myself as to how far I'll travel. I play some out of town shows knowing that my expenses will exceed my pay but I feel that every time I'm out there playing a show somewhere I have a chance to win some fans and sell some CDs. If you go outside the box you can become bigger than the box.
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Bud: I still listen to the radio some in my car. It's not just the Internet, but technology in general that has changed things since I first started playing. Overall, I'd say there's been tremendous growth in opportunities for independent musicians.
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
Bud: On drums Frank Beard and Richie Hayward- Guitars Eric Clapton, Django Reinhardt, Elliot Randall and Carlos Santana, Bass- Will Lee.
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Bud: I currently have two CDs available "Golden" released in May 2008 and "Eons" released in March 2010. They are both available at my website- www.budsummers.com or on www.cdbaby.com/budsummers and as downloads on iTunes.
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
Bud: The best place to find info about me is www.budsummers.com. It includes links to MySpace, Facebook and videos, pics, etc.
