H i B o b , w e l c o m e t o V E N T S ! H o w h a v e y o u
b e e n ?
Well! Thanks for interviewing me. Things
are pretty exciting!
J a m e s T a y l o r . W h o a r e y o u r i n f l u e n c e s ?
Well, Paul Simon and James Taylor, that’s
quite an honor to be compared to them. I
guess Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Hendrix,
and Michael Hedges, are some of the
C a n y o u t a l k t o u s m o r e a b o u t y o u r l a t e s t artists I look up to.
s i n g l e " A m e r i c a n D r e a m ” ?
American Dream, I guess, was the right T h e s i n g l e c o m e s o f f y o u r l a t e s t a l b u m
song at the right time. It caught fire rather E v e r y m a n - w h a t ' s t h e s t o r y b e h i n d t h e
unexpectedly but I guess the lesson is to t i t l e ?
never give up, work on your craft, think Well, I’m kinda like an everyman. If I can do
outside the box and believe in your dream. it, anyone can. I get up and try to make
something happen. I get knocked down and
D i d a n y e v e n t i n p a r t i c u l a r i n s p i r e y o u t o I get back up. You gotta see the light when
w r i t e t h i s s o n g ?
things are the darkest.
I wrote the song a few years ago. Just
talking to people, so many were struggling H o w w a s t h e r e c o r d i n g a n d w r i t i n g
and not being heard. So much frustration. p r o c e s s ? D o y o u w r i t e t h e l y r i c s f i r s t o r t h e
Just the sense that things had changed and m u s i c ? W h o p r o d u c e d t h e a l b u m ?
maybe not for the better. A general sense of I almost always write the lyrics first. I’m a
unease.
poet at heart, first, and I look forward to
introducing Poetry Rock that I played at my
D i d t h e p o l i t i c a l c l i m a t e i n A m e r i c a Comcast concert in Orange, Virginia. I just
i n f l u e n c e t h e w r i t i n g ?
got inspired at that time and wrote 25
I wrote the song before the political songs in a few days. The recording was
campaign but it’s like the song says there’s super simple, on my mac, in my bedroom.
something happening here.
Again, kind of a miracle. I guess I just felt
comfortable and I have to thank Grammy
T h e v i d e o f o r t h e s o n g i s q u i t e p o w e r f u l . Award Winning Producer, Robb Vallier for
C a n y o u p l e a s e t a l k a b o u t h o w i t c a m e mixing it so well.
t o g e t h e r ?
The video came together very quickly and H o w d i d t h e c o n t a i n e d e n v i r o n m e n t w h e r e
just exploded.
y o u r e c o r d e d t h e a l b u m i n f l u e n c e t h e
a l b u m ?
W i t h p a s s i o n a t e r e a c t i o n s f o c u s e d o n t h e I guess with this record, I was fully at peace
p r o / a n t i T r u m p f o o t a g e , d o y o u f e e l t h a t with myself. I didn’t want to be anything or
y o u r m e s s a g e a b o u t t h e A m e r i c a n D r e a m anyone else. Simple was ok. Just trying to
i s b e i n g h e a r d ?
be honest and reflect a spiritual place
I’m a person who believes in having an inside of me.
open heart and an open mind. You meet so
few people who don’t have preconceived H o w d i d t h e b o m b i n g i n i n N Y C i n 1 9 9 3
notions on everything so I’m not sure the i n f l u e n c e a n d a f f e c t y o u a s b o t h a p e r s o n
message is getting through. We have a lot a n d a m u s i c i a n ?
of challenges and we really need to come The bombing in 1 993 completely changed
together but the animosity on both sides is me. I was all into peace and love, and still
so strong.
am, but if you don’t acknowledge your
enemies and people trying to destroy your
W i t h o v e r 1 3 m i l l i o n v i e w s , t h e v i d e o way of life, you’re in danger. You could feel
h e l p e d y o u r s o n g h i t # 1 o n t h e B i l l b o a r d the hate in the walls. We all need a wakeup
H o t S i n g l e s C h a r t . H o w w i l l t h a t s u c c e s s call and this was mine.
i n f o r m y o u r w r i t i n g , m o v i n g f o r w a r d ? I s
t h e r e a n o t h e r s i n g l e / a l b u m i n t h e w o r k s ?
W h a t e l s e i s h a p p e n i n g n e x t i n B o b
I’m so grateful for the success of the video P r e s s n e r ' s w o r l d ?
and the song being #1 for 5 weeks is just Excited that my national Comcast concert
amazing. The funny thing is I’ve written will be airing soon for 3 months. Excited to
hundreds of songs so I’m always writing see what being #1 on Billboard for 5 weeks
and somehow this song got to #1 . Yes, I shall bring. I’m dreaming of being “New
have several songs and albums in the Artist of the Year,” having “Song of the
works.
Year,” and performing for Billboard and the
Grammys. Hey, it’s my American Dream.
Y o u ’ v e b e e n c o m p a r e d t o P a u l S i m o n a n d