Q&A with Austin native, Reed Turner. This is a guest post/interview submitted by Matt Kelley.
1) You’ve been writing a new album, how’s the material coming along?
- It’s mixed, mastered, and in the can. There’s no set release date, but it should be out later this year. I’m excited about it. When you see an individual’s name on the marquee, it’s easy to lazily label them “folk,” or “singer/songwriter,” or any other number of similar things, none of which I ever felt comfortable with. I think this record is a decisive step away from that.
2) have you ever had a song written that didn’t make one album but, onto the other or maybe a song you thought was going on ‘Ghosts in the Attic’ and will be on the upcoming album? Or is it one of those things like ‘okay, it didn’t make the cut, not worth revisiting it’
- Not too often. Studio time is expensive, so I try to have a clear vision of which songs I want to record when we’re putting together an album. That being said, there are two songs that we recorded recently that won’t be on the record. One is going to be released separately, and we’re deciding what to do with the other.
3)What are the upcoming tour plans? Festivals, solo shows, San An date in there?
- We’re headed to the Northeast this week to play a few shows, including the Big Apple BBQ Festival in NYC. After that we’ll head back to Texas, and probably do a West Coast run before the end of the year. San Antonio’s always on our radar! You’re just down the road, we should be back shortly.
4) Best artist you have played with? Favorite artist(s) you’ve opened up for?
- That’s tough, we’ve been fortunate to play with a lot of artists that I really love. I think my favorite memory in that regard was a fluke incident a few years back with Gary Clark Jr. It was at Hotel Cafe in LA, and for some reason that I’ll never understand the venue had me listed as the headliner. I called and begged them to change it, but they held firm that he’d be opening the show, even though I was playing solo and he had his band with him. I saw him in the green room and jokingly asked him to go easy on me, but he predictably went out and blew the roof off the place. He came back in, gave me a wink and said “I warmed them up for you.”
5 What’s that one artist you wish you had been able to see but was before your time or you just never had the opportunity?
- Oh lord, I could never pick just one. In the late 50’s Miles Davis was performing with a band that consisted of John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. That would have to be right at the top of my list.
6) Do you have any sort of pre show rituals? A must do before you get on stage?
- I usually go through a quick 10-minute mediation before we hit the stage. Although there’s not a lot of privacy when you’re traveling with four other folks, so it’s pretty common to just find me sitting in the back of the van with my eyes closed before a show.
7) Singer/Musician you still want to jam with?
- I want to make a record with T-Bone Burnett. For me, that’s the pinnacle.
8) What’s your biggest on stage flub? What did you do?
- When I’m really in the moment I get this stomp going, and I have a habit of coming down on my guitar cable and unplugging it. It’s awful. I just sit there playing my unplugged guitar like a fool until I can stop singing long enough to plug it back in.
9) Song that people would be surprised is in your iPod/music catalogue.
- I probably still know the lyrics to every song on DMX’s first three albums. I guess 13 year-old me just really identified with what he had to say.
10) And the all important, Batman or Superman?
- Batman. Although Superman’s a journalist, which I can respect.