Post by Greg adkins on Dec 7, 2005 1:25:55 GMT -5
So in addition to the review of the record, I also did an interview with the magazine. If you want to read the real thing in English, go here:
www.ccmtexte.de/rezis/sonstiges/features/interview-gregadkins_eng.htm
But, just for fun, I have taken the German version and run it through the translator for you... just because I think it's hilarious. Here it is:
One of the best and pfiffigsten Indie debuts of this year is for me Greg Adkins ' " Lower Than The Angels ". The musician from Knoxville in the US partial state threshing floor lake started 2003 its project "52 songs in 52 weeks", in which he wrote and on the own web page presented each week a song. The large echo encouraged it to bring the best pieces in on its first album. CCM Rezis spoke its album with it about this unusual project, and its various musical influences.
Monica Seidler: Greg Adkins, you began your music project "52 in October 2003 songs in 52 weeks". What brought you on this "ambitious" idea?
Greg Adkins: I had written since approximately 5 or 6 years songs, but my largest problem was the discipline. I needed simply an inspiration, in order to write... I wrote only about 5 or 6 songs in one year, and actually was really good keins of it. Therefore I had an at night the idea to begin a web page where I would write each week a Song during a whole yearly... It would be a possibility of keeping me if one would visit my web page; I would feel a pressure to maintain the speed.
Monica: Tell me please somewhat about the obvious dynamics of this project, about the reactions to it. Were there certain lessons - in music, personally, faith-moderately -, which you learned in this year?
Greg: The echo was genuinly mad. The web page generated this yearly over 100'000 hit in the run. I learned much over me as a composer. I recognized that I am capable to arrange fastidious material. And I learned to near-happen to the song making as to a discipline. To be good, something, that I must work nearly daily, is at least for a while for me. I became much better in music at the guitar in the process of the yearly. I learned also much over taking up and arranging, when I worked at home on all the demos.
Monica: You apparent control all possible category: typically American alto Country, pulsating Folk skirt à la Rich Mullins and Andrew Peterson, playful Singer Songwriter pieces in the follow-up of a Billy Joel, this amazing Talking Blues in the addition, driving Pop skirt with U2-Anklaengen... And often is there a strong Retro Feeling. Are you a nostalgic music lover?
Greg: As I buildup, was my father the director of program of a Rock'n'Roll rock'n'Roll-Radiosenders. My over 20'000 records accommodated at home. In my childhood I heard Dylan , the Beatles, Billy Joel, all that. If one hears as much music as a child as I, that has inevitably a large influence. I was actually always an enormous music fan. I hear a QUANTITY of music (my 60-GB-iPod is crammed), and I think that in my compositions settles. My favourite category are Folk, contemporary Folk, Americana, alto Country and Bluegrass. But I like also good skirt volume. The fact that music addresses me begins with the text. I do not sound myself many volume, which only create "feeling". I would like that a text addresses me, me somewhat told, me truth communicate. If an artist has to say something, what affects, I come normally also with the style into agreement. Therefore I like probably so broad style variety.
Monica: You can tell me more over the opening TRACK "Heavenly the cent", from which the album title comes: " Lower Than The Angels "?
Greg: I had a friend, who was in the municipality service with me together, which was completely beautifully hard fallen from the grace. I had the feeling, I during its difficult time a better friend have been could, and so this song developed as an apology to him. It is meant also as encouragement... Sometimes, if Christians have moral problems, we are inclined to copy it as "lost". We hear expressions like "it off the right [ straight and narrow ] way" got. Therefore the line agitates "straight and narrow" in the Refrain; and it was to me to set to this line against the frequently used formulation "deeply and far". That is the encouragement... The singing voice, which says again and again: "deeply and far... there is a river, that deeply and far flows" [ after a well-known song over God grace ].
Monica: How was it to co-operate with producer Andrew Osenga and all these considerable musicians?
Greg: It was marvelous. Andrew carried great work out on this album and made everything so simple. It sounds, as if we would have put very much time into taking up, worked to reality we however very rapidly. Most of the TRACKS sat in maximally two or three photographs. Andrew is a remarkable guitarist. He really makes music with much creativity and feeling, and he brings in all possible experiences in the Studioarbeit.
Also the remaining musicians were mad. Ben Shive brought in some genuinly beautiful piano places, which would have never occurred to me. Paul Eckberg is simply absolutely reliably at the schlagzeug, like that as Aaron of sand at the bass. These two formed a really solid group of rhythms, and we took up their parts together, which held them together the more strongly. Kenny Hutson came and played pedal Steel and mandoline, which was mad. I am a large fan of him since its time with Vigilantes OF Love. It was also an honour that Andrew Peterson went through and sang in a piece. I am now already for some years a large fan of Andrew's song art. And I admire simply enormously, how he is concerned its career.
Monica: Coffee tube, concert hall or church? - which is your favourite public, and which is it by your music above all experienced?
Greg: That is a difficult question. If I am honest, my preferential public at this point is in my career that one, which came, in order to hear me. Coffee tubes are really therefore generally not a pleasure. Normally you have a group of people, which there straight are, and you must bring them to listen. That does not make fun, if it folds, sometimes klappt's however, and then you have the feeling that you wasted your time. Recently I had to drive three hours in one evening, in order to arise in a coffee house, and not one word heard the quantity there of me on not one note... Everyone attended to its own occupation, which correct is, but making music makes no joy in this environment at all. I believe, I really prefer appearances in churches. I have the feeling that many of my songs of the church have to say much, and so arrive normally also genuinly good it in this surrounding field.
Monica: Greg Adkins, I thanks you for your answers and but that you took yourself the time to note her for us!
www.ccmtexte.de/rezis/sonstiges/features/interview-gregadkins_eng.htm
But, just for fun, I have taken the German version and run it through the translator for you... just because I think it's hilarious. Here it is:
One of the best and pfiffigsten Indie debuts of this year is for me Greg Adkins ' " Lower Than The Angels ". The musician from Knoxville in the US partial state threshing floor lake started 2003 its project "52 songs in 52 weeks", in which he wrote and on the own web page presented each week a song. The large echo encouraged it to bring the best pieces in on its first album. CCM Rezis spoke its album with it about this unusual project, and its various musical influences.
Monica Seidler: Greg Adkins, you began your music project "52 in October 2003 songs in 52 weeks". What brought you on this "ambitious" idea?
Greg Adkins: I had written since approximately 5 or 6 years songs, but my largest problem was the discipline. I needed simply an inspiration, in order to write... I wrote only about 5 or 6 songs in one year, and actually was really good keins of it. Therefore I had an at night the idea to begin a web page where I would write each week a Song during a whole yearly... It would be a possibility of keeping me if one would visit my web page; I would feel a pressure to maintain the speed.
Monica: Tell me please somewhat about the obvious dynamics of this project, about the reactions to it. Were there certain lessons - in music, personally, faith-moderately -, which you learned in this year?
Greg: The echo was genuinly mad. The web page generated this yearly over 100'000 hit in the run. I learned much over me as a composer. I recognized that I am capable to arrange fastidious material. And I learned to near-happen to the song making as to a discipline. To be good, something, that I must work nearly daily, is at least for a while for me. I became much better in music at the guitar in the process of the yearly. I learned also much over taking up and arranging, when I worked at home on all the demos.
Monica: You apparent control all possible category: typically American alto Country, pulsating Folk skirt à la Rich Mullins and Andrew Peterson, playful Singer Songwriter pieces in the follow-up of a Billy Joel, this amazing Talking Blues in the addition, driving Pop skirt with U2-Anklaengen... And often is there a strong Retro Feeling. Are you a nostalgic music lover?
Greg: As I buildup, was my father the director of program of a Rock'n'Roll rock'n'Roll-Radiosenders. My over 20'000 records accommodated at home. In my childhood I heard Dylan , the Beatles, Billy Joel, all that. If one hears as much music as a child as I, that has inevitably a large influence. I was actually always an enormous music fan. I hear a QUANTITY of music (my 60-GB-iPod is crammed), and I think that in my compositions settles. My favourite category are Folk, contemporary Folk, Americana, alto Country and Bluegrass. But I like also good skirt volume. The fact that music addresses me begins with the text. I do not sound myself many volume, which only create "feeling". I would like that a text addresses me, me somewhat told, me truth communicate. If an artist has to say something, what affects, I come normally also with the style into agreement. Therefore I like probably so broad style variety.
Monica: You can tell me more over the opening TRACK "Heavenly the cent", from which the album title comes: " Lower Than The Angels "?
Greg: I had a friend, who was in the municipality service with me together, which was completely beautifully hard fallen from the grace. I had the feeling, I during its difficult time a better friend have been could, and so this song developed as an apology to him. It is meant also as encouragement... Sometimes, if Christians have moral problems, we are inclined to copy it as "lost". We hear expressions like "it off the right [ straight and narrow ] way" got. Therefore the line agitates "straight and narrow" in the Refrain; and it was to me to set to this line against the frequently used formulation "deeply and far". That is the encouragement... The singing voice, which says again and again: "deeply and far... there is a river, that deeply and far flows" [ after a well-known song over God grace ].
Monica: How was it to co-operate with producer Andrew Osenga and all these considerable musicians?
Greg: It was marvelous. Andrew carried great work out on this album and made everything so simple. It sounds, as if we would have put very much time into taking up, worked to reality we however very rapidly. Most of the TRACKS sat in maximally two or three photographs. Andrew is a remarkable guitarist. He really makes music with much creativity and feeling, and he brings in all possible experiences in the Studioarbeit.
Also the remaining musicians were mad. Ben Shive brought in some genuinly beautiful piano places, which would have never occurred to me. Paul Eckberg is simply absolutely reliably at the schlagzeug, like that as Aaron of sand at the bass. These two formed a really solid group of rhythms, and we took up their parts together, which held them together the more strongly. Kenny Hutson came and played pedal Steel and mandoline, which was mad. I am a large fan of him since its time with Vigilantes OF Love. It was also an honour that Andrew Peterson went through and sang in a piece. I am now already for some years a large fan of Andrew's song art. And I admire simply enormously, how he is concerned its career.
Monica: Coffee tube, concert hall or church? - which is your favourite public, and which is it by your music above all experienced?
Greg: That is a difficult question. If I am honest, my preferential public at this point is in my career that one, which came, in order to hear me. Coffee tubes are really therefore generally not a pleasure. Normally you have a group of people, which there straight are, and you must bring them to listen. That does not make fun, if it folds, sometimes klappt's however, and then you have the feeling that you wasted your time. Recently I had to drive three hours in one evening, in order to arise in a coffee house, and not one word heard the quantity there of me on not one note... Everyone attended to its own occupation, which correct is, but making music makes no joy in this environment at all. I believe, I really prefer appearances in churches. I have the feeling that many of my songs of the church have to say much, and so arrive normally also genuinly good it in this surrounding field.
Monica: Greg Adkins, I thanks you for your answers and but that you took yourself the time to note her for us!
