Goh was gracious enough to agree to an interview by e-mail this weekend. It's pretty insightful to the background and origin of his sound. Listening to "Ulysses" this Saturday afternoon, the subdued percussion, soothing vocals and laid back guitar strumming/arpeggios remind me of another largely acoustic band, the Kings of Convenience from Norway. So if you find yourself grooving along with Goh's album, be sure to check out the Kings of Convenience too. Both are great accompaniments that suit sunny Saturday afternoons with friends perfectly. Anyway, onto the interview. 1. How are you?
I'm good. I'm happy that Barack Obama is going to be our next president. How are you?
2. Were you always into music from a young age? How did you get your start in music? Did you have formal training? If so, where did you study?
Yes, I always into music as a kid. My mom would often play Chopin on the piano at night, and sometimes would sing and play folk songs from the 60's on the guitar. I always had a turntable, though I was mainly listening to stuff like Batman audio comic books and the Star Wars soundtrack. Around the age of 8 I got my first Beatles album and I got hooked. My first band was in junior high, I played keyboards and sang, but didn't play guitar yet. I didn't really have any ability on the keyboards either to be honest, but I could sort of play by ear.
I started guitar lessons and really got absorbed in the instrument, with the intention of becoming a rock virtuoso. It was the late 80's and that was the thing to do.
My formal training was at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
3. What were the reasons behind naming your new album "Ulysses"?
I have no idea, there was a mysterious voice in my head telling me to name the album "Ulysses." One reason might be because I had an early draft of the song that had the lyrics "you listen..." I guess that phrase turned into "ulysses"
In hindsight, it was quite a long journey to finish the album. I recorded and mixed it across 4 different studios, and it ended up sounding much better than I could have dreamed. There were many fascinating and brilliant people that I met during the process, at the right time and place, so it's journey I will always look back on fondly.
4. Where do you draw inspiration from for your songs?
Dreams, memories, and possibilities.
5. What artists/bands have been influential in the formation of your style?
Lyrically - Elliott Smith, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Aimee Mann, Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith, Elvis Costello are huge influences on me. I'm really loving Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson these days. Melodically and texturally, probably my biggest influences are Bill Frisell, Miles Davis, and The Beatles as mentioned before.
6. Have there been any influences outside music that has had an effect on your songwriting?
Definitely stories and interviews. I love the stories of Raymond Carver and Haruki Murakami, and am constantly blown away by the breadth of their creativity and precision of description. Comics too. Check out Adrian Tomine and Derek Kirk Kim. I like to think that songs are kind of like audio comic books, except you have to translate the action into notes instead of lines and shapes.
7. Do you have any tips for new artists regarding songwriting and self publishing your work on the internet?
I don't really believe in tips, but I like to keep a notebook by my bed and jot things down in a semi-awake state. If anything, it can be pretty comical. The internet thing is always changing so fast, that I can't keep up with all the hip new bands and places to pimp yourself out... I guess the obvious thing would be to say copyright your songs and get them out there.
8. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yes, I'd like to thank you for blogging about my music and taking the time to contact me. The final leg of the "Ulysses Journey" is to sail it (the album) around the world and meet new people and make new friends. I really believe that there is a something for just about everybody on this album, so please put some wind into it's sails and pass it around!
Cheers,
Goh Nakamura
For those who missed the last post about Goh, you can still download the Ulysses album as 128k mp3s for free or purchase it as a nicely packaged CD at Goh's homepage.
Click here to download free/purchase the "Ulysses" album.
Again, another big thanks to Goh for taking the time to answer these questions.
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