Music is tradition for me. Great-granddad fiddled, Granddad fingerpicked blues, and Dad accompanied his rich baritone with flatpicked country guitar. Mom’s cousin, Monroe Gevedon, was a Kentucky fiddler recorded by the Library of Congress in the 1930’s.
At family gatherings I’d watch my father, grandparents, uncles and aunts laughing, singing and playing guitar. That was the best music I’ve ever heard.
I’ve been writing songs all my life. I want my songs to be like the timeless folk and blues songs. I’ve glanced at the books on how to write hit songs but I don't get it. They tell you to avoid poetry—but the old folk songs I love are full of poetry! They tell you never repeat any section more than twice, and to get to the chorus within a few seconds--but most of the great folk and blues tunes I love may aren’t afraid of repeating simple structures and often don’t even have choruses. Those songs have endured hundreds of years--I don’t think many hit songs will last that long.
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