The details
Who: Rob Thomas
When: Friday Sept. 25
Where: Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., Orlando
Admission: $40 to $110
Info: 407-351-LIVE (5483)
On the Web: www.robthomasmusic.com
When I last interviewed Rob Thomas in 2005, following the release of his debut solo CD "Something to Be," I compared his songwriting to such legends as John Lennon, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. Now, with his new CD "Cradlesong" currently available, he's done nothing to diminish such worthy praise. A brilliant songwriter with lyrics that are not only relevant and meaningful, but perfectly crafted with music that plays like a soundtrack to life.
Having followed Rob since his early days with Orlando-based band Tabitha's Secret in the mid 1990s, I've personally witnessed his maturity from a young singer-songwriter playing the local music beat (including occasional stops in Brevard County) to the international superstar that he is today. One of the things that makes Rob great is not only the music that is omnipresent, but his infectious personality that makes him one of the most respected musicians both on- and off stage.
I spoke with Rob about songwriting, his music and his influences. So let’s “Shake, Rattle & Know”: Rob Thomas
SRK : A lot of your songs are about despair and heartache, but for people that know you, you are usually a very happy, friendly guy. Where does this darker side come from?
Thomas: I think by just being a songwriter it affords me the opportunity to have a place for that. I believe everyone has dueling sides; people get happy, they get sad, they get angry, so I write from emotions. By having an outlet in my songs for those darker emotions, it allows me to release that and not carry that around with me all the time. I can be that (sad/despair, etc.) there and free to be who I am. Some people go to therapy for that; this (music) is my way of dealing with it.
SRK: You have said that you were a child of the '80s and that it's reflected in this album. How so?
Thomas: I would say in the production style. I think when we were making the record we didn't even realize the '80s influence until later. Growing up I listened to Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Duran Duran, Kraftwerk and bands like that, so they naturally influenced me as an artist. We really decided to just let ourselves go on this record and not go into it with any pre-conceived notion of what it should be. We went into this CD not wanting to sound too current, but still wanted to fit in. We wanted to make sure we didn't sound just like everything else out on the radio today. When we finished we saw the similarities and the production value that reminded us of INXS and bands of the 80s.
SRK: I am sure you knew this question was coming, and probably will every time you make a new solo record, but what is the future of Matchbox Twenty?
Thomas: Matchbox is my home, it always will be. We are all playing music and by taking time away it allows all of us to do our own thing. Kyle is writing and producing in Nashville, Paul is doing his own solo thing and we have a place for that. Without the solo stuff, we wouldn't have that break for each band member to explore their own individual thing and have that additional creative outlet. At some point, the guys will join me on the road, and we will start writing for a new record. That seems to be the cycle; I do a solo record, then we put out a Matchbox record, and I'm happy with that. It's worked for us, so there's no reason to change that now.
SRK: "Her Diamonds" is about your wife's (Mirasol) battle with Autoimmune Disease. How is she doing now?
Thomas: She is OK. You know the thing is, Autoimmune Disease isn't something you can get rid of, so you just have to hope to control it. We have good days, and we have bad days. It gets to a point where you just have to learn how to manage the bad days and appreciate the good days. It has a way of putting life into perspective.
SRK: You incorporated some country into this album. What was your inspiration for that?
Thomas: I grew up on Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and all the old country legends. In fact, all the B-sides that didn't make the record all sound like old '70s country. I was writing all these songs and at some point it's like, "OK, this is a pop record," and those songs fall by the wayside. I left the song "Getting Late" on there because I liked it too much, and I just had to leave it on the CD.
SRK: What music do you listen to that might surprise people?
Thomas: I listen to everything, but I really like '40s jazz music. People like John Coltrane and Miles Davis were great and some of the '70s jazz like Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
SRK: As a songwriter, have you ever been totally stumped by a song that went on to be a hit?
Thomas: Yeah, kind of. "Mad Season" was like that for me. When I wrote it I just got stuck and then later the whole band wished we could have re-written it. I have a song that will make the B-side someday that I began writing like 12 years ago; how's that for being stumped? In fact, I have about 10-11 songs that will eventually make it out on Rhapsody or iTunes or something.
SRK: On the flipside, what's the easiest song you ever wrote?
Thomas: "Her Diamonds" just sort of flowed and so did "If You're Gone." Those songs came easy, because they were based so much on raw emotion. A lot of the creative songs take about as long to write as they do to listen to. I really think the easiest song for me was "Getting Late" from the new CD. I wrote the whole thing in about 15 minutes while Matt (Serletic) was checking his e-mails during a recording session. It just came to me, and we liked it and went straight to the studio to lay it down. Sometimes they come that easy, but not too often.
SRK: When you first started out, you were being compared to a lot of great songwriters that came before you. How does it feel knowing that 20 years from now, new songwriters will be compared to you?
Thomas: Well hopefully they will be good (laughing). The funny thing about reviews is sometimes you will read great stuff about you and you think, "hey, this is cool," and then you will pick up another paper and someone will say some real nasty "stuff" about you. The best thing you can do for yourself in times like that is just believe that somewhere in the middle is the truth.
If you have an artist/band you’d like to recommend for review, contact Nunez at www.myspace.com/shakerattleandknow or fantasyforecaster2005@yahoo.com.
