FFG - INTERVIEW/INFO #1 - TOM LEACH

We here at the FFG were able to wrangle an interview/info session with country singer Tom Leach.
At an interview/Information session we ask questions
and then ask recomendations. ok. cool.



For those who don't know,
we snatched this quick catch-up info off Mr. Leach's internet site:

Atlanta-bred tom leach has written hundreds of songs recorded primarily on 4 track tape. words and melodies praised by publications such as mojo, the village voice, no depression, cmj, and the wall street journal among others. a singer-songwriter embracing old and new styles in the country vein(excepting the mainstream "beer commercial" sound that currently rides the top of the charts), lo-fi honesty prevails. a voice capable of cash lows, tear-inducing hank highs and beyond. occasional pop melodies and acoustic laments. formerly with slow river/rykodisc where he released a self titled debut, a live set and a 7" duet w/vic chesnutt(featuring the starroom boys) on his own "doris days". new self-released cd ep "7 song tape/thank you for the coffee" available now at cdbaby.com.



Here we go:

FFG: What made you want to play music?

TL: Depression.

FFG: What was it like after you had written your 1st song?

TL: I felt self-indulgent.

FFG: are you a fan of monster movies? if so, what are your favorites? If not, what is your favorite documentary movie?



TL: Im a fan of horror movies- Italian/giallo, zombie, Japanese, low budget seventies, found on DVD at the dollar store, Hammer Studios, Romero, Argento: Deep Red, Dont Torture A Duckling, Audition, God Told Me To, Rabid, Zombi 2, Last House On The Left, Schock, Dont Look Now, Texas Chainsaw, Suspiria, The Brood, Suicide Club, Embryo. My favorite monster movie would have to be Larry Cohens Q: winged serpant lives inside the Chrysler Building. Favorite documentary: Dont Look Back.



FFG: What has been the best place to play a show & why was that?



TL: The Plough and Stars, Cambridge, MA is my favorite venue of all time because theres no stage, no worries, and I dont feel used.

FFG: Do you remember the 1st hip hop song you had ever heard? How did you like it? What did it make you think?



TL:Probably something by Kurtis Blow? I dont know from hip hop.


RECOMENDATIONS SECTION...

eight Country CDs Im Listening To Right Now In No Particular Order*



1. Waylon Jennings: Waylon Live The Expanded Edition
Blueprint for knowing what youre doing and what youve done. Waylon at his prime, the Waymors are amazing. Nothing sounds as good as this. The live record for one who dislikes live records. Do not settle for less than the 42 track double cd version. Trust me.



2. Kris Kristofferson: The Silver Tounged Devil and I
Travis Bickel got this as a gift on his date with the campaign worker before they went to the porn movie. Lovin Her Was Easier Than Anything Ill Ever Do Again. Leonard Cohen with jeans on. Youll forget the Blade movies.



3. Johnny Paycheck: The Real Mr. Heartache
George Jones says the guy taught him how to sing. George Jones never sang Pardon Me, Ive Got Someone to Kill. Irony-free.



4. Connie Smith: Connie Smith/Cute and Country
Her first two records from 1965, one cd. The only time I wish you werent gone is once a day, every day, all day long. Sounds from the studio that simply cant be replicated today, great voice and pedal steel. Best of all, shell never reach icon status.



5. .Freddie Hart: Juke Joint Boogie
Dont go for things with juke, joint, or boogie in the title, but. 53-59, sides cut under Ken Nelson (Capitol), and Don Law (Columbia). This guy didnt have a hit till the seventies (Easy Lovin). Drink Up And Go Home, The Keys In The Mailbox, Blue, My Last Dime. A voice to admire.



6. Eddy Arnold: The Early Hits Of The Tennessee Playboy
I Couldnt Believe It Was True and lots of others like it. Not his country-politan shit.



7. Gene Watson: Because You Believed In Me & Beautiful Country
Because You Believed In Me the better of the two albums. Let it play till track 10, then start skipping. Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall, Larry Gatlins finest (only) song. Best on Beautiful Country would be Cowboys Dont Get Lucky All The Time. Her Body Couldnt Keep You Off MY Mind is especially warm.



8. Carl Smith: The Sixties Hits Of Carl Smith
Having memorized The Essential Carl Smith(fifties hits), Ive moved on. Kisses Never Lie, You Better Be Better To Me, Triangle. Solid honky-tonk in stereo with some listenable duds.

*Two More I Never Stop Listening To



Roger Miller: King of the Road: The Genius of Roger Miller
Three discs. Always in rotation. Much more than You Cant Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd. Try Husbands and Wives, Absence, or A World So Full of Love. Skip to end of disc two, to the fadeout of Pardon This Coffin. Let play, unlisted ten minutes of studio outtake fascinates. Also: My Uncle Used To Love Me But She Died.



Don Williams: 12 Greatest Hits
The real deal: Come Early Morning, Amanda, Atta Way To Go, Shes In Love With A Rodeo Man, Down The Road I Go, The Shelter Of Your Eyes, We Should Be Together, I Wouldnt Want To Live If You Didnt Love Me, The Ties That Bind, Ghost Story, Dont You Believe, I Recall A Gypsy Woman. Find all these songs if you cant find this and you will have a satisfied mind.


Check out -> http://www.tomleach.com