Published: June 11, 2010 12:38 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight June 2010 Edition
Greg Smith and The Broken English
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Greg Smith and The Broken English "Times Like These," the debut album - now available on iTunes and Amazon!!
Our Webzine recently spoke to Greg Smith of Greg Smith and The Broken English about Smith's music and his wonderful sound that captures the essence of who Greg Smith is and what he represents musically. Greg spoke openly about why he enjoys making music, who are some of his musical influences, and what drives him and his backing band to push on to make the cool music that they do. Here is what came from that online conversation.
Isaac: Let’s get started with this interview. When and how did you first become interested in music? How long have you been playing music?
Greg: I think it was when I learned my first song on the piano. Actually, it was an organ my late grandmother had and I figured out “Row Row Row your Boat.” I was about eight years old and later that year my parents got me a little Yamaha keyboard for my birthday. I didn’t take lessons but was pretty proficient with sounding out notes and gained the ability to play by ear somewhat. Later I started playing saxophone and drums in the school band. Looking back, for growing up in such a small town, I was fortunate to have such a devoted and inspiring music teacher, Beth Bryant.
From fourth to sixth grade we had a concert band as well as a jazz band where I became a switch hitter playing sax on some tunes and drums on others. I continued playing right through the eighth grade in the school bands till I got my hands on a guitar. The next year I put down the horn and the sticks and joined a rock band. I’ve never turned back.
Isaac: Who would you say are your biggest musical influences and why?
Greg: So, so many, but to focus on the ones that really had the greatest impact, I would say Nirvana, The Beatles and a singer/songwriter named Dave Carter. I got into Nirvana because they were big right at the time I started playing guitar and the songs were really easy to play. I even saw them live, a few months before Cobain died. It was my first concert. It was fucking awesome. I got into The Beatles a couple years later as my ability to play guitar improved. Experiencing each one of their albums was like reading one great novel after another; I couldn’t stop turning the pages or put it down. I totally developed my sense of harmony from listening to those records and also learned like a hundred new guitar chords.
Sometime around the age of 23 I fell in love with the music of Dave Carter. Shockingly he died unexpectedly a couple months after I met and saw him perform. I would describe him as a mystical cowboy. He’s best known for his work as a duet with Tracy Grammer (www.daveandtracy.com). His songs, musically and lyrically, are so deep but so simplistic. He always said that he wrote his songs from dreams he’d had, which is probably why they are so mystifying. If not for him I probably wouldn’t have found a love for good country music, and probably would not have written half the songs on “Times Like These”.
Isaac: What has been the greatest highpoint in your career so far?
Greg: I’d really have to say two things.
1. Finishing “Times Like These.” It’s my first solo album. I’ve recorded a few EP’s and two full-length albums with some earlier bands I was in but I was always one half or one third of the writing force. This one is all me as far as the writing is concerned. My backing band “The Broken English” are fantastic skilled musicians who give me the ability to structure and build songs almost anyway I like. I think we did a great job with what we had, to come out with a record that represents me and won’t be subject to passing stylistic fads. Its kinda folk, kinda rock, and a little bit country.
2. I played a show last summer where after the event was over myself, the band, and many others were camping nearby. I was having a conversation with someone when I noticed a group of people gathered around the campfire were singing one of my songs at the top of their lungs. It was the first time I’d heard people singing my words and melodies, without me being a direct part of it, and it was one of the warmest, most gratifying moments a songwriter could ask for.
Isaac: What has been the greatest disappointment in your career so far? What did you learn from that experience?
Greg: It was probably when we drove seven hours to Virginia to play at this house party that was supposed to have like five hundred people attending and before the party even got started the cops shut it down because the guy collecting money for parking told the police that the money he was collecting was to help pay for all the beer. Needless to say they didn’t have a license to sell beer so the police were not very enthused.
I guess the only thing I learned from this experience was don’t let an idiot collect parking money. And if you do, make sure he knows NOT to tell the police that the money is for beer when you’re throwing a huge party and have no liquor license.
Isaac: What draws you to want to play the type of music that you do?
Greg: I’m pretty much drawn to playing anything that elicits my emotion and/or tells a good story, as long as it feels authentic.
Isaac: What do you feel it takes to play this type of music that you play?
Greg: heart and lungs.
Isaac: What do you think you will create that will make your performances and who you are stand out in the music industry?
Greg: Other than vibrant energy and emotional delivery of songs that reflect the common struggles of everyday people, I guess a little diversity. I don’t see a lot of solo, singer songwriter style artists that emphasize creating a catalogue of work that is diverse and dynamic. It seems to me that many just have one sound and can’t or don’t deviate much from that sound.
Since my background is in performing many styles of popular music, I strive to make that apparent in my live performances and my writing. Though “Times Like These” is a very acoustic album the next one we’re working on now will show a more up-tempo and diverse side of Greg Smith and The Broken English. I don’t really want to stand out in the industry as anything other than a great songwriter and performer whose songs people love to listen to and sing along with.
Isaac: If you had the opportunity to do one cover, what cover would you do and why? How would you put your own spin on this cover?
Greg: I’ve had opportunities to cover many songs throughout the years. I usually choose songs that I really love. And because I really love them, arrangement and all, I really don’t feel it necessary to put much of a personal spin on them. If I couldn’t sing a song convincingly, I probably wouldn’t do it at all. Right now we’re working on a Patty Griffin tune I love called Flaming Red.
Isaac: What does it take to be a good songwriter?
Greg: Balls. You gotta have really big bouncy balls that you can bounce around the room like ideas in your head. Each ball has a word or concept on it and as you toss them back and forth you formulate song ideas based on which balls land on the left and which ones land...… just kidding.
I believe good songs need to be engaging, like good literature that makes you want to keep reading. Though even when they don’t catch you right from the start, providing they build to something worthwhile, that does the job too I’d say. I feel like that’s the case with one of my favorite pieces on “Times…” Another Day Young.
It’s very dark and somber but builds to great intensity and emotion. To write a great song the message or story as well as the person singing it needs to be relatable. If you can’t identify with the emotion or character of the song, whether it’s upbeat feel good music, sad story telling or politically charged revolution songs, you’re not going to have much of a connection to the music. I’ve heard plenty of good songs sung badly and bad ones sung well. I think good songwriting is often only as good as the person performing the material. (Sorry my answer only pertains to songs with lyrics, there are many amazing instrumental songs).
Isaac: How difficult is it to juggle music, family and work obligation, and life in general? Explain.
Greg: My day job as a gardener can be pretty demanding, especially at this time of the year, making it difficult to find the time or the energy to work on my music as much as I’d like. This can be extremely frustrating considering how much time and effort is required, as an independent artist, to promote yourself and get your music out there.
Isaac: What is your definition of being an Indie artist/band?
Greg: I guess anybody who’s an independent artist could consider themselves indie, isn’t that where the term comes from? But where I currently live I’m probably the farthest thing from what most people consider to be “indie.” Here in Brooklyn, there are a lot of people making “indie” music that’s a lot more quirky and ironic than the music I see myself doing.
Greg: I hope to have at least two more albums completed and to really still be making a go of it as a performer. I’ve got a lot of good music in me and I need to get it out. I hope I have a chance to do that in my lifetime.
Greg Smith and The Broken English's Official Website
