1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?
Man I wish I could say it was as cool as the Beatles on Ed Sullivan! I always loved singing but I didn't really fall in love with it until I started writing songs; because I knew that working on my singing was going to have a big impact on getting my songs across.. I started writing songs at around nineteen years old and I started learning everything I had grown up listening to. I learned every Beatles song and every James Taylor song. I think learning all of those songs and emulating all of those great artists made me a better singer and songwriter hopefully I soaked up just a tiny bit of that genius.
2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?
Oh so much music.. Always listening to the classics, from Frank Sinatra and Buck Owens to Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne. I just love great music. I listen to a lot of my peers too.. lots of indie artists that aren't household names (that really should be!). I just played some shows with Beth Wood and James Casto that were so inspiring.. I have some shows coming up with Michael Logen, Lizanne Knott, Liz Longley, Tony Arata and Angela Kaset that I'm so stoked about. As far as household names I'm really digging on Grace Potter, Brett Dennen, Kimbra, Brooke Fraser and Ryan Adams right now.
3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?
Both of my CD release shows have been EPIC!! Great moments... The kind of moments you work for, sacrifice for, save for... I love being in the studio and making records... love being around the players, engineers, producers etc and witnessing a recording's birth... beautiful accidents happen and you can never predict exactly how it will sound. I wish I could make a couple records a year. It's such a great hang with my bunch of guys and gals.
4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?
Absolutely. But I think it's important not to take it too seriously either. It's our heart and soul.. It's our fears, our hopes, our desires, our losses, our love, our failures on display... But, it's also supposed to be fun! I always try and remember that before a big show or showcase. HAVE FUN!! But yeah, music can change the world. I know because it changed mine. It literally turned me away from drugs and negativity and gave me an incredibly positive outlet. Music in public schools reduces crime, increases intelligence, reduces drug use, reduces violence... That's been proven in various studies. So I think that's world changing stuff. The higher my star rises the more I can help causes. It's part of what drives me to be a household name. I think music can influence current events too. We're not really in an age of protest music but music is powerful and we know how it can influence people. That's why they get folks Jackson Browne, Stevie Wonder and James Taylor to perform at political events.
5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?
HUGE question!! It's completely affected the music industry. It's made some things much better, like the ability for folks like me to make a world class record and spread the word about my music. It's leveled the playing field in some ways and eliminated the record label gatekeepers. But it's also made things really hard for some folks, mainly the songwriters who don't perform live and never intended to.. the majority of their royalties are being stolen by piracy and that's how they used to feed their families. Is that right? Isn't there ample advertising money that can be distributed to these folks, just like radio distributes money to songwriters? I don't know the answer now but I know a lot of these songwriters and I feel for them. It's a changing industry and generally I embrace what's going on and find out how to adapt to it. As a performing artist I can always make money by performing live. Folks still value that and will pay for it. I'm so grateful for that! I do think that music has been de-valued a bit and I do believe that art still has value. I think a record costs about as much as it did twenty years ago, right? I choose to give away a lot of my music away for free, in exchange for email addresses... but that's MY choice. As a touring artist, an email address can be more valuable than an iTunes download. I love my fans and want to connect with more folks out there. Technology helps me there.
6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?
I'm a flip-flops guy in summer, chuck taylor guy in winter.. I like to keep it casual and chill. I'm a musician and even though I work my ass off I don't want this to ever feel like a real job! Cheers and keep in touch.. Thanks for the interview, Jesse www.noisetrade.com/jesseterry
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