Getting to know
Who: J.R. Richards
CD: “A Beautiful End,” available on Rhapsody, iTunes and Amazon
Info: www.myspace.com/vocaltrix or www.jrrichardsmusic.com
J.R. Richards, the multi-platinum recording artist known as the frontman for the band Dishwalla, has released his first full-length solo CD, “A Beautiful End.” While Dishwalla fans will appreciate the gradual maturation of this talented vocalist, new fans will respect the relevant lyrics, soaring music and piercing melodies of the CD, which debuted at No. 66 on the top 100 download charts.
Richards, who called Brevard County home for most of the past three years, is living in Santa Barbara, where he maintains an exhausting schedule of recording, touring and, most recently, acting. A veteran of the stage, and now the big screen, it’s anyone’s guess where Richards will end up next. I spoke with Richards about his new CD, Dishwalla and ties to Brevard County. So let’s Shake, Rattle & Know: J.R. Richards.
SRK: It’s been a while since you last released a CD. Why do you think this record took so long to bring together?
Richards: A lot of it was the fact I did it all myself. Before, with Dishwalla, I had four other guys giving input and helping to steer the ship. This time around, I finished a lot of the songs that I never would have done with Dishwalla. I always felt like I had to write songs the other guys in the band were going to like too. But this time, I was able to finish a lot of music I had wanted to do for a while.
SRK: You are known for your remarkable vocal clarity. What vocal training did you have before getting into music?
Richards: I studied Bel Canto Opera for nine years. It’s a very old style of opera where the vocalists had to sing night after night and be able to project their voice across arenas without a sound system. It made a huge difference for me and taught me how not to wear out my voice. I learned under Ron Anderson, who is one of the best living vocal coaches in the world. You see him from time to time working with folks on “American Idol.” He’s the best there is.
SRK: Speaking of “American Idol,” you co-wrote the song “Never Forgotten” with Brevard’s own Robbie Carrico. How did the two of your join forces to collaborate on the song?
Richards: I started working with Robbie on a demo to shop to industry people, and I asked him to help me with a song I had been kicking around in my head. He gave terrific input and it turned out to be an incredible song.
SRK: Robbie isn’t your only connection to Brevard; what are your ties to the community?
Richards: I lived there for the better part of three years. My wife is from there, and I used to teach vocal lessons at Marion Music in Brevard. A lot of the writing for this record, in fact most of it, was done in Brevard. I recorded a lot of the record there at The Zone with Mark Brazel and Todd Charron, my brother-in-law. I also recorded at The Garudio in Palm Bay, and a few were even recorded in my garage studio back in Brevard. A funny story about that — if you listen close, you can hear airboats on one of the vocal tracks in the background. The vocal track came out so good, I didn’t want to go back and re-record it.
SRK: Whenever lead singers like you do their own solo project, people question the band’s future. Has Dishwalla broken up?
Richards: I wouldn’t say we broke up, but we are at a point that we need a break.
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