FANZEYEVIEW
Andy Fraser Q&A
1. Which people have had the biggest influence on you, both in your formative years and currently in your personal and musical life?
The list is long. Original musical influences, include, Stevie Wonder, Aretha, Marvin Gaye, Motown, Stax, Beatles, Stones, Who, Hendrix, Otis Redding. Personal I would say Alexis Korner, the other members of FREE, where we all came of age together, and as teenagers developed our sense of ethics, integrity, views on the world at large - Values by which I still live today.
Recently, musically, people like John Mayer, Beyonce, Alecia Keys, Rihanna, The Script, still make me feel music is still alive and well. Personally my daughters, Hannah and Jasmine, have an enormous influence on me, as I have great respect for their taste and style. They open my eyes and ears to new concepts, great new music, and keep me plugged into current and contemporary thinking.
2. Reading through your online biography, it seems to resemble a movie script or a TV mini series with its intrigue and twists in your life. Any plans for all this to be put into book form at any time?
Mark Hughes, who wrote the hit book, "Crashed and Byrned", about an Irish formulae 1 racing car driver, is about 1/2 way thru' a book as you describe.
3. What were the inspirations behind the songs you wrote with Free? And how does the writing differ since those times to the present?
For then and now, current life experiences, hopes, dreams, fears, an expression of life as seen through eyes at the moment, are what goes into song creation. That's why playing old songs, is like being in a cover band. It expresses how one felt back then. It is not in the present moment.
4. I see that you are playing a few State gigs, any chance of a more formalised tour with the new cd in USA and beyond? I'm sure that you have fans here in the UK who would love to see you again.
A video was filmed and recorded, from US concert, that will be released on upcoming new "Mctrax Music Delivery System". A streaming / download service, that will kick off with new full album, "...On assignment", plus the "ALIVE" - Concert / Documentary, as mentioned, a reformatted "Naked... and finally Free", and various bonus videos and tracks, giving the label a considerable kickoff catalogue. Touring will follow, as appropriate.
5. The new track 'This Is The Big One' is a statement about the climatic chaos the whole world has made in the past, obviously due to ignorance and greed. Is this a subject matter close to your heart?
It has become one. Until fairly recently, I was as ill-informed as the next guy about the environment, and our role in it. While acknowledging one can't learn from one's mistakes without making them, it is incumbent upon us to recognize when faced with the consequences of our actions, we not bury our heads in the sand, if it appears not to serve our short term interests. Fortunately, I sense there will be money made from being environmentally conscious, so slowly but surely we will lurch towards doing the right thing. None of us individually can snap our fingers and change the fact our cars run on gasoline. I had to ask myself, what can I, as a little guy do. It came down to doing what I do. I am an artist, songwriter, so I hope to spread awareness of the issue thru' my particular medium, and when enough people think a certain way, it will come into being.
6. What also inspires the songwriting on the new cd?
First, I hereby declare the death of the CD. May it R.I.P. alongside the cassette tape, 8-track, vinyl and all the rest!
The new album will not be released on CD. It will be available for streaming and / or download at the new "Mctrax Music Delivery System", as it's spearheading release come May / June at www.mctrax.com
We will all be getting our info, entertainment, news, music, movies etc. via streaming. An environmental bonus too. No useless plastic to dispose of.
As for inspiration of the songs -
1. Ghetto Bus - the opener uses the symbolism of a bus, "Ride, Ride Ghetto Bus, over these dark empty streets" as a vehicle for my journey thru' life.
2. Time To Face The Music - is a message to the Iranian dictatorship, in the wake of the peoples awaking to the recent fraudulent elections and uprising.
3. Life Is A Carnival - contrasts the difference between how I saw the world, and how I see it now "since you came-a-walking in my life"
4. Totally Yours - expresses that despite life's every day distractions, worthy though they may be, for this moment now - I'm focused entirely on you.
5. This Is The Big One - is about 'catastrophic climate change' and our need to steer away from our contribution to it.
6. Beautiful - is a simple expression of Love, and how beautiful it is to have found somebody.
7. Thank You - is one of the ones I dreamed. It simply Thanks God and all for my many blessings of abundance.
8. Reggae Boy - is basically just about grooving. No heavy lyrics, challenging Religion, Politics, social mores. Just good time summer music.
9. Oh Yeah - is sort of a 'spiritual' lyrically, but dressed up in reggae clothes, but could have been done in a 'church get-down' sort of way too.
10. I Found God - (when I found I was gay) is me attempting to push your buttons I guess. Especially 'cos it's true. I don't recall it being stated before.
11. Witness - was written for Hannah's commitment ceremony to Dave in Bali. Would be suitable for any marriage, including gay unions.
12. Rain or Shine - simply states my intention to be there for you, thru' all seasons.
7.Do you sometimes sit back and wonder just how big an impact and influence Free are/were in the blues/rock genre worldwide?
Not really. Sometimes I get a sense of it in the abstract, intellectually. We stood on the shoulders of many before us, were influenced by, and sometimes blatantly copied others in tribute, and to be a link in the chain is the best one can hope for.
8. Co-writing 'All Right Now' must have made you very comfortable financially with the royalties from music sales and radioplays, is this song regarded as a pension plan?
Funny! The words 'pension plan' have never entered my consciousness. The concept of retiring is something I don't embrace. Usually implies relief from a lifelong grind. I love what I do. The thought of ceasing to do it, would seem like death. I have always felt, if I work hard, try to do the 'right thing' all will be taken care of, as though, "Someone is watching over me". I guess 'All Right Now' has contributed greatly in that respect, and I am grateful for my many blessings.
9. What instrument do you find easiest to write songs with?
Bass and piano. Fortunately, quite a few songs I dream. Just as I am coming into consciousness from sleep, maybe when I am most open, or there is less ego involved, I have imagined myself, say, in a studio control room, surrounded by familiar people who I can't quite put a name or face to, but they feel familiar... I am hearing this track played through the monitors, crystal clear, lyrics, arrangement, the whole thing, and for a while thinking this is a song already written, probably by someone else, and I am just very familiar with it, and enjoying hearing it again, then it suddenly dawns on me... hang on I was dreaming, and the song may not exist yet, so I have to run to the recorder and quickly put it down, as it can disappear just as suddenly.
I get the feeling all things are already written, and these snippets just come through me, perhaps colored by my particular personality imperfections, giving it a stamp of originality, but could just as easily come through someone else, colored by their personality imperfections. In fact, starting to see value in all of our 'imperfections' and that differences are to be treasured, not buried orhomogenized.
10. In the writing process, is it the melody or the words that come first?
These days, it is the central concept, embodied in the main lyric. For example, if I think, "Time to face the music" a song on upcoming album, there is a melody encompassed just when one speaks the words. I enlarge on that, it has a natural rhythm, sing it, again and again, and let other lyrics flow. This title could have gone many ways, but I directed it at the Iranian authoritative state in support of it's citizens who not only contend fraudulent elections, but are now crying "Down with the dictator".
11. Any current musicians or songs that take your interest these days?
John Mayer is a standout. His guitar rivals Hendrix, Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughn, he sings great, has a freedom in his writing which is really rare, plus he looks great. That's a winning combination. But there are so many great people around. I don't subscribe to it all 'being better in the 70's' as some do (Conveniently forgetting that Tiny Tim and Andy Williams were in the 70's also). There is good and bad at all times, and I really enjoy, say, Mary J. Blidge, and many other contemporaries.
12.You played the 25th Woodstock anniversary gig how was that?
Strange!
13. Do you look back on the Free songs with a sense of pride?
'Pride' I try to beware of, although I confess I feel that way about my daughters. As for the FREE songs, I look back at with a deep sense of affection. I love most of them. They reflect a great time in my life, of growth and adventure. As a body of work, without nit-picking some stronger or weaker, together they have stood the test of time, and have shown FREE to be a truly unique band, and nothing I would disown. One of the bands strengths was expressing exactly how we felt then, at the moment, and respect for each other.
14 Living in sunny California now, do you miss the greyness of the UK? and do you come back at times?
I do not miss the grey-ness, or the taxes. I go back when I need to, but there has to be a good and urgent reason.
15. This Is The Big One, seems to be a family affair, is this a formula you are more comfortable with in thework area or just something that happened?
I love working with Hannah and Jasmine my daughters. They are so bright, so hip, so artistic, so helpful, so attuned to putting me in the best light possible.
Jasmine built the andyfraser.com website, Hannah is still my only photographer, designer. Both of them conceived and directed the 'Healing Hands' video, and have major input on all things visual for me. They inherited their 'artists' eye from Ri their mother, who I would put on a par with Michelangelo creatively. I hate shopping, especially for clothes, except for or with them, who make it fun, and pick decent stuff. So we make it a point whenever we are in the same city. We have a great working relationship.
On the new "Mctrax Music Delivery System, it is all Hannah's artwork and photography, and in our upcoming commercials, it will be Hannah in her mermaidpersonaas spokesperson for the label. So look for that, coming May / June at Mctrax.com.
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