Finding A Place to Land With Singer-Songwriter Mark Whitaker

Mark Whitaker

By Daniel Ford

Music is constantly being shared back and forth at Writer’s Bone.

The common themes that tie together all of the artists and genres we listen to are honesty and originality. After recently devouring his album “Nowhere to Land,” I can definitely say that it doesn’t get more honest and original than singer/songwriter Mark Whitaker.

Whitaker, armed with a banjo and a voice as smooth as a single malt, tackles heartbreak and the human experience in his beautiful album, which has been on repeat more often than not in my office.

“Forgive me for trying to love you the best I can,” he sings. “Cuz I’ve been flying around for a lifetime with nowhere to land.”

I think I can speak for most of the Writer’s Bone crew when I say, “Amen!”

Whitaker graciously took some time from planning his upcoming tour to answer a few of my questions about his early influences, the inspiration behind “Nowhere to Land,” and the art of songwriting.

Daniel Ford: When did you realize you wanted to be a musician?

Mark Whitaker: It’s hard to say. There’s no distinct moment in my life where I consciously decided to become a musician. I’ve just always been active with music in one form or another since my early childhood. My current situation feels the same. I’m writing songs and seeking opportunities to perform, but I still tend to think of myself as just a guy who likes playing music, rather than a bonafide musician.

DF: Tell me a little about your love for the banjo. When did you start playing it? Did you have posters of Steve Martin on your walls as a kid?

MW: I started playing banjo around 2002. My friend’s mother gave me an old banjo she never played and I immediately fell in love with the sound. It had a sharp, metallic texture, but also a warmth that seemed to scratch an itch I didn’t realize I had. No Steve Martin posters, but I had plenty of his movies on VHS.

DF: Who are some of the artists that influenced you early on?

MW: My earliest music influences were Michael Jackson, The Beatles, George Winston, Danny Elfman, and Brahms. I also had a good amount of Andrew Lloyd Webber drilled into me because my dad would cue up the “Phantom of the Opera” soundtrack for dinner each night, which contained some oddly frenetic pieces for dinner music.

DF: You lived in a couple parts of the country and now make your home in Boston. Why did you make the decision to move here and how has the city influenced your music?

MW: After I graduated from Earlham College in Indiana, some friends and I took a road trip along the East Coast looking for cities to potentially live in. We were looking for a decent-size city with a rich music scene. We settled on Boston, and it has been home ever since. The Boston music scene has had a huge influence on me. No matter what style of music I’m interested in, there seems to be a surplus of musicians to connect with and learn from. I feel both grateful and spoiled.

DF: You’ve played in a variety of groups, but have focused more of your energy on writing and solo work the past couple of years. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both?

MW: The advantage of being a sideman in someone else’s group is that you get to show up and play music without the burden of writing the songs, booking the gigs, coordinating rehearsals, etc. And if you pick projects with music and people you enjoy then there isn’t much of a downside. Leading your own project is more work, but in return you get to realize your own musical ideas.

DF: You sell your album “Nowhere to Land” directly from your website. Why did you decide to distribute it yourself rather than going through more traditional channels?

MW: You can purchase my album through places like iTunes and Amazon, but I decided to make it available from my website as well and to direct people there first. I figure if people are considering downloading it, then why not cut out the middleman. There’s something simple and sensible about buying music directly from the musician, especially now that technology makes selling directly more convenient. But this is all an experiment for me and may not be the most effective way to share my music.

DF: Speaking of “Nowhere to Land,” I had that song on repeat for most of a recent Friday afternoon. What was the inspiration for the song? 

MW: I’m so glad you like it! “Nowhere to Land” is meant to capture the sense in which life is a constantly changing process. We strive for stability in our careers, our relationships, our identities, etc., and it’s perfectly reasonable to do so. But no matter how stable our lives become, time doesn’t stop for us. We’re still always going somewhere. It’s just a strange feature of our circumstance and “Nowhere to Land” is my way of acknowledging it.

DF: If you had to pick one of your songs that defined you forever, which one would you choose and why?

MW: My first instinct was to pick “Nowhere to Land,” but I think I’ll go with “Nightlight.” I like that it’s simple, straightforward, and perhaps more widely relatable. It’s basically just a song about having a tough time and finding consolation in loved ones.

DF: What advice would you give to up-and-coming writers and singer/songwriters?

MW: I think it’s important to find your own relationship to songwriting. Many people have strong opinions on how to write good songs. Some have strict views on third-person narrative versus first-person songs, whether to show versus tell, coherence of lyrics, etc. Some think you should always be writing songs to keep the writing muscles in shape. These are all ideas worth exploring, but your own creative instincts should be the driving force for your own music. If you like writing intermittently, that’s fine. If a certain tense speaks to you more than others, that’s fine too. Be willing to follow your instincts even if it parts ways with conventional wisdom. You never know what interesting things you might discover.

DF: Name one random fact about yourself.

MW: I have an irrational fear of frogs.

To learn more about Mark Whitaker, visit his official website, like his Facebook page, subscribe to his YouTube Channel, or follow him on Twitter @MarkSWhitaker.

The Writer's Bone Interviews Archive

Just Play: 8 Questions With Singer/Songwriter Frank Turner

Frank Turner

By Daniel Ford

If these aren't the perfect lyrics to sum up a 20-something writer/creative type in New York City, then I don’t know what are:

“Just give me one fine day of plain sailing weather/And I can fuck up anything, anything”

English singer/songwriter Frank Turner’s music is honest and personal—two qualities sorely lacking in today’s music scene.

Turner recently answered some of my questions about life on the road, his early influences, and how he is always striving to get better.

Daniel Ford: When did you first realize you wanted to be a singer/songwriter?

Frank Turner: Interesting question. Being a singer/songwriter, strictly speaking was never really something I thought about growing up. I wanted to be (and was) in a punk band. I guess when the wheels started falling off Million Dead, I had a little time to consider what it was I wanted to do afterwards. At the time, I didn't want to be reliant on other people as I was feeling quite let down by what had happened with the band, so doing things on my own made the most sense to me.

DF: Who were some of your earliest musical influences?

FT: As a kid, I was initially into Iron Maiden, Metallica, AC/DC, and stuff like that. Then, Nirvana hit me like a train, and pushed me toward punk stuff like Descendents, Black Flag, NOFX, and so on.

DF: How would you define your sound? How did you go about developing it?

FT: I don't spend time trying to define my sound, I just play. I don't really think about developing it, other than trying to be better at what I do.

DF: What’s your writing process like? Do you start with the music or lyrics? Do you prefer writing early in the day or late at night? Do you listen to music while you…write songs?

FT: I don't have a set process as such, other than the fact that I write on the road. Sometimes it's words first, sometimes music, and the best is when the two of them arrive at the same time. I don't listen to music as I write (wouldn't work!), but I do listen to a lot of music and I try to figure out songs I like, how they're constructed and so on.

DF: A good friend of mine demanded I listen to “The Way I Tend To Be” and it’s been on my writing playlist ever since. What went into writing and producing the album “Tape Deck Heart” and was the process any different than your previous albums?

FT: “Tape Deck Heart” ended up being an album about a breakup. I don't really sit around and plan what to write before, you know, writing it; I like to let stuff arrive in the manner of its own choosing. But I was going through some shitty stuff in my personal life and it naturally found an outlet in my songwriting. I wanted to write like I was totally unknown and no one would ever hear the songs. I think a lot of writers, at this stage in their career, get into second-guessing themselves, or trying to write to please various audiences, and I think that's kind of bogus, so I was trying to shut all of that out.

DF: What are the best and worst parts about touring? What are some of the more memorable moments you’ve had on tour?

FT: The best part is making the most of life, traveling, and playing music for a living. The worst parts are the toll it takes on your health, sanity, and personal life. It's not an easy way to be, in the long run. I've been touring pretty much full time for almost half my life, so it's hard to pick particular moments out.

DF: If you had to pick one of your songs that defined you forever, which one would you choose and why?

FT: It's not really for me to choose, I'd say; but I guess something like "If Ever I Stray" would be cool.

DF: What’s next for you? What’s on your bucket list for things you want to accomplish as an artist?

FT: Working on a new album, releasing the “Mongol Horde” (side project) album, festival season, stuff like that. There are plenty of things left on my bucket list; mainly songwriting-wise, I want to get better.

To hear more from Frank Turner, visit his official website, like his Facebook page, or follow him on Twitter @frankturner.

The Writer's Bone Interviews Archive

Melody, Rhythm, and Words: Singer-Songwriter Jeff Tuohy On the Importance of Perseverance and Work Ethic

Jeff Tuohy

By Sean Tuohy

The best singer-songwriters are fearless types that wear their hearts on their sleeves and throw the rules out the window to express true emotions. Jeff Tuohy (no relation) is a standout musician that is making a name for himself by adding heartbreaking truth to each song. Tuohy bounces from poppy fun to dark depths with each changing of the track. We’re comfortable saying that Tuohy is one of the best up-and-coming singer-songwriters in North America. I got lucky enough to ask Tuohy a couple questions about songwriting, the creative mind, and how he develops his truthful lyrics.

Sean Tuohy: When did you know you were going to be a musician?

Jeff Tuohy: It was apparent from the start. Allegedly, I would hum and sing gibberish in the crib. Hours were spent dancing and singing along to Creedence Clearwater Revival, Michael Jackson, ABBA, and Neil Diamond in the basement of our first home. At age three, my parents enrolled me in a Dalcroze program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. The following year, I was studying cello via the Suzuki method.

ST: At what age did you start writing your own music?

JT: My mother recalls a particular instance when I was a toddler: I was in the back of our 1984 Toyota Camry Wagon improvising a song about her attending craft fairs.

In middle school, I recorded melodies with lyrics onto cassette with a player I received for my First Communion. The songs I remember were called "Shedding a Tear For You" and "It Is The Thought That Counts."

By high school, my friend Colin and I started dabbling with 8-track recorders. My first "real band," Little Rich Boys, recorded a six-song, studio album called “The Man Responsible” sophomore year.

ST: You have wonderful lyrical expression. Was this something that came naturally to you or developed over many years?

JT: Thank you. Looking back, my early, lyrical work was pretty general. Its greatest attribute was honesty. I've dived into specifics as I’ve matured: imagery, synonyms, alliteration, playing with verse, not rhyming, etc. I'm not above using a thesaurus or rhyming dictionary.

Natural talent only takes you so far. You need to take the gifts with which you are born and refine them. Inspiration is a gift. Manifesting and making it accessible is a cultivated craft. It's a constant work in process.

ST: “Bourbon Street” is such a rewarding song. What is the back-story behind it?

JT: There is a question often asked of composers as to whether they believe songs come from themselves or somewhere else. “Bourbon Street” felt like the latter. It had an immediate, blatant attitude and was the boldest move I had made following my instincts.

I debated releasing it because its style was such a contrast from the rest of my catalogue. Oddly enough, it’s the direction in which my new music is going. It complements my theater background, influences, and overall demeanor as a performer.

ST: What is your writing process for a song? Do you start with a beat or the lyrics?

JT: The concept typically comes as a package—melody, rhythm, and words.

The initial lyrics provide a way to retain the idea, but frequently indicate the direction of the composition's story. Then the distillation begins. Melody is of the upmost importance to me. There’s an epidemic of its non-existence in mainstream music.

After that, it's free play. Discipline has been a weakness. I've read stories about songsmiths like Leonard Cohen waking-up at 6:00 a.m., showering, dressing in a suit, brewing a cup of coffee, and going to it as a day job. That would send me off my rocker. I'm a token extrovert. Solitude sends me climbing the walls. However, it is such an integral part of the creative process. I have to work myself up to sitting down and “diving in,” which is strange because as soon as I do, it’s fruitful.

ST: What are the most difficult moments of being an artist? At the same time, what are the most rewarding moments?

JT: The business aspect used to be the hardest part. Creators have a burning desire to share their talent and there are people who take advantage of that. They will offer "exposure" or let you know how many people are out there doing the same thing. Don't put up with that bullshit. Educate yourself about the business. Don't assist in perpetuating opportunists—if it’s not a mutually beneficial relationship and sharing in the risk-reward cycle, then it’s not worth it.

The best part is connection: relating to others and providing a fulfilling experience. True communication.

ST: As an artist what changes have you gone through since your first album, “Breaking Down The Silence,” and do you think they reflect on your second album “Cocoon?”

JT: I just finished Iron John by Robert Bly. It’s a brilliant book. There’s an excerpt discussing how young artists have a habit of “showing their gold too early.” “Breaking Down The Silence” had some of that going on—the notion that everything I produced was worth sharing. Some things are best kept under wraps.

With “Cocoon,” I held myself to a higher standard: considering if what I was “saying” was worth audiences hearing. Inherently, new experiences begin to stimulate your work and psyche, which hopefully makes for more interesting content. I think that happened on “Cocoon.”

These days, I’m striving to go a step further: developing a distinctive sound. Miles Davis said, “Man, sometimes it takes a long time to sound like yourself.” For me, this is true. It’s tempting to emulate composers and performers whom you admire. Finding your own voice takes diligence and courage.

I plan to continue writing in various genres. I don’t like discarding ideas that have potential. That having been said, I’m aspiring to be more selective with what I present in performance.

ST: Given the chance, which singer-songwriter would you love to work with?

JT: Danny Elfman would be a solid choice given my current direction. Tom Petty is someone for whom I have a tremendous amount of respect. I could learn a lot from him.

Producer-wise: Questlove or Mark Ronson. Their beats and organic production technique put modern spins on classic, vintage vibes.

ST: What advice would you give to up and coming singer/songwriters?

JT: Talent is half the battle. Perseverance and work ethic are equally important artistically and economically. If you’re in it for accolades and money, pick something else. Do it because you love it and are moved to create. Then, go out and share it with the world.

ST: Can you tell us one random fact about yourself?

JT: I’m a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, member of Actors’ Equity, and have loved the distant smell of gasoline since childhood.

To check out more of Jeff Tuohy’s music, visit his official website or follow him on Twitter @J2EMusic.

The Writer's Bone Interviews Archive