INTERVIEW

Intervista Half Seas Over

di Ernesto De Pascale

Can you please tell something more about the project?

Adam McBride-Smith: Half Seas Over is a collaboration between myself and Elan Mehler. We met in Brooklyn several years ago, became friends, and enjoyed eachother's music. Elan is a jazz pianist and I'm a singer-songwriter, so we don't come from the same world musically, but I think we're both open to new ideas, and this album is a record of us working through the process of us finding ways to write together and play music together. We wanted a unique sound for the record and the combination of piano and accordion, together with bass, drums and vocals seemed to work well and to suit the material we were writing.

How would you describe the project?

Adam McBride-Smith: Harmonically-adventurous folk music?I think one thing you can say about us is that we are very song-oriented. We spent a long time working on the material for this record. But there is also a strong improvisational element to what we do. You really should see us live; then it will all be clear...

Is it a proper band?

Adam McBride-Smith: Very proper. This project started as a duo, but we play as a five-piece now. We have several shows coming up in England, France and Switzerland and will hopefully be touring thoughout Europe in the near future.

I can distinctively hear many influences but well mixed together. Traces of Tim Hardin( as an example ), or more contemporary artists from the Brooklyn 's scene. Can You describe the scene you live in ?

Adam McBride-Smith: I feel guilty in saying it, but I don't know Tim Hardin's music that well. I'm not sure what scene our music belongs to. I also think there are many scenes in Brooklyn, so its hard to talk about one Brooklyn scene. Speaking for myself, I'm good friends with the guys in Langhorne Slim and have always been a big fan of their music.  Strangely enough, we also both knew some of the guys from Grizzly Bear before we ever knew eachother. In fact, Chris Taylor worked on both of our first solo records. They don't really need props from us at this point in their career, but just for the record, I did like their last album a lot.

Can you write about any influences, if any?

Adam McBride-Smith: For me, actually, the singer Lhasa was a big influence. Her death this year was a huge loss. It's been a terrible year for musician deaths, come to think of it. Also, I think Sheila Kay Adams, who is a ballad-singer from North Carolina, had a big influence on me. She was in that movie "Song Catcher" that came out some years ago. I grew up listening to her and got to interview her once about 10 years ago.

Elan Mehler : Sure as a jazz musician I was influenced by all the greats, Duke Ellington and Bill Evans probably primary among them and then getting deep into Paul Bley, Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, Bill Frisell, Kenny
Wheeler…. Since then I’ve been into all kinds of music, Ali Farke Toure, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Tom Waits, Joanna Newsome, Paul Simon, Dylan, Bill Withers, Howlin Wolf, Osvaldo Golijov, Gillian
Welch… 

I see from your brief note on myspace you first play as duo in France. Has Europe a particular appeal to you?

Adam McBride-Smith: Yes, I live in France now, so I guess it must have an appeal of some kind. Europe is great--good food, good people, good health care. Though I do miss some things about the US.

Can you speak briefly of your solo career ? how much of your single experience have been thrown in this cd ? 

Adam McBride-Smith:I played in a country-folk duo after I moved to New York called "Tenkiller Twins." We recorded a record called "All But One." Then I recorded my solo record, "Good and Gone" in 2007. The songs "Into the Night" and "Sad Mona" were originally on that record and later ended up on the Half Seas Over record sounding a little bit different.

Elan Mehler :  I have two of my own records out on Brownswood Recordings. “Scheme For Thought” and “The After Suite.” Of course one always brings Word musical (and otherwise) history to anything you create, but I think we tried to come out with something that was very new to both of us.

What are you currently listening to ?
Adam McBride-Smith: There's a new record by the Portuguese guitarist Norberto Lobo called "Pata Lenta" which is absolutely incredible. I saw him play last week and it blew my mind how good he was. Also Joanna Newsom's new record--I'm going to see her play next week. I also have this CD by a blues artist named Robert "Bilbo" Walker that I listen to a lot. I saw him perform in Mississippi last summer, but I think he comes to Europe sometimes, so check him out if you get the chance.

Elan Mehler : I just got into Antony and the Johnsons. I’m loving the new Joanna Newsome record and digging into the back catalogue of Townes Van Zandt 

(Foto di Chloe Devis, da www.myspace.com/hsover)