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02.14.04
With soft acoustic melodies and lyrics that speak to
the soul, Joe Purdy emerges into the acoustic rock world.
 So
you grew up in the south. What was that like, music
wise - did you always want to play or just enjoy music?
Do you work full time or is music a f/t thing?
At the time I didn't really think of it as growing
up in the south, to me it was just home. I guess I realize
more now that owe a lot of my writing influence to the
experience of being raised in the south. As far as the
music influence, I think owe that more to my Dad than
I do the south. The records that he exposed me to are
really what sparked my interest in playing.
The hope is to play for a living, but unfortunately
Los Angeles has very high rent. I work three jobs besides
music.
Tell us about recording Stompin Grounds. What were
some of your expectations. Were they met?
Recording StompinGrounds was actually
supposed to be my first album with other people playing
on it. You know, more like a band album. But I set the
release date before I started on the album, and had
about a month to make it. So there I was again, like
my first two albums, at 3 in the morning by myself trying
to play instruments I didn't know how to play, and trying
to get a cleaner recording than ever before. My upstairs
neighbors didn't help much. Their creaking on the floor
(my ceiling) is featured throughout much of this album.
But oddly enough I'm really glad that it worked out
the way it did.
 How
has the response been to the album?
I've been very fortunate that this album has found
it's way in to the hands of very genuine music lovers.
The feedback they have given me is enough to get me
through the process of making the next album. It has
also found it's way in to the hands of some really great
people that I am now very thankful to be working with.
What's the biggest challenge that a songwriter
faces?
There are as many different kinds of songwriters as
there are people. I wouldn't dare pretend to know how
they feel. But for me, songwriting isn't the challenge,
it's the easiest part. It's my therapy. The challenge
is getting people to listen without having to become
someone that I am not in the songs. The point of choosing
to write and perform songs as a career is that I actually
get to be myself all the time. I just can't think of
anything better than that.
What is your ultimate goal with your musical career?
I want as many people to hear the music as possible.
That's the ultimate goal. I can't imagine not having
some of the records that I grew up listening to. They
were my music teachers. I guess the selfish hope is
that someday someone feels that way about a record I've
made.
Who are your musical influences? What are you currently
listening to?
My musical influences lay more in bluegrass guitar
playing and old folk songs than anything. Lyrically,
I like songs that paint an atmosphere to go along with
the feelings the writer is singing about. Something
you can picture in your head. I think people like James
Taylor, Paul Simon, and Cat Stevens have really captured
how to paint a picture with words and find the music
that matches. Today I'm listening to Otis Redding. Because
it just doesn't get any better than Otis. That's actually
a fact. You can look it up.
O tis
rocks! So what do you like to do in your spare time?
What spare time?
What's the hardest thing about being in the music
business?
I think you actually have to be making money to technically
be " in the music business". I guess the hardest
part is not being in it yet. Ha.
Amen to that! What is next for you, career wise?
It's time to get the new songs down on record. No matter
what goes on, I always want to take the time to get
the new music out. Other than that, the band and I are
going to SXSW in Austin this March, and we can't wait
to play to a new audience. That's where we have the
best time.
That's awesome, Joe! Best of luck and thanks for
taking time to chat with us! Keep us posted!
For more, visit www.joepurdy.com.
Interviewed by Kristen
Fischer
DiscoveringArtists.com
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