Q: Hey Patrick, how have you been?
A: Not bad at all thanks.
Q: First of all, congratulations on your new album. It’s a great record.
Q: If you had to describe the album in a few words, how would you?
A: To me it’s a pretty hopeful record. Mostly about putting things to bed and getting on with life, and seeing things as they are, not in these conceptual boxes we put everything in.
Q: In 2003, four years ago, you released your first full-length album Loneliness Knows My Name. What are the most important differences between your two albums?
A: This one is brown. Also it’s more stripped down than the last. For the most part it doesn’t have those big sweeping arrangments.
Q: When you are writing songs, do you usually start with the words or with the music?
A: It works all kinds of ways. Sometimes it’s the lyrics first, other times it’s the music. Other times everything happens at the same time.
Q: Should people pay more attentions to lyrics, in general, or do you think people actually do pay a lot of attention to lyrics?
A: I don’t have any idea what people pay attention to. I suppose it depends on what you like in music at the time. Sometimes you just want something on thats loud as shit and has a good beat, or something that you can dance to, and you don’t give a fuck if they are singing about their breakfast or if the lyrics even make sense. Sometimes you want something that’s going to stimulate your mind. It just depends on what you want. Neither is wrong or right, or good or bad.
Q: Who would you consider the biggest influences on your song writing & sound?
A: As far as musical influences go, I would say Dylan, Hank Williams, The Zombies, The Beatles, John Lennon, Mississippi John Hurt, and a ton of other stuff. But people in my life and my interaction with them, as well as current events, and just this crazy human prediciment are just as important if not more so than any music.
Q: A lot of people probably know your music through the TV show The OC on which several of your songs have been played. What are your thoughts on the show itself? Do you watch it?
A: I haven’t had a television in about ten years, and have never seen the show, so I couldn’t really comment on that. Sorry. That show did expose a lot of artists to people that would have otherwise probably never heard them though. My self included.
Q: What moments in your career do you consider the key moments, the times that were/are most crucial to where you are now?
A: That’s an interesting question. I wish I had a good answer for you, but it’s hard to pick out any key moments, and it’s even harder to know where I am now in the arc of things to be honest.
Q: If you would not be a musician, what would you want to be doing for a living?
A: Being a musician and a songwriter is the only thing that I’ve ever really wanted to do for a living. I’ve never seriously entertained doing anything else. I guess if I couldn’t do this, I’d just be fucked. Or a monk.
Q: If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you want to perform, and why?
A: Antarctica. I just want to see it.
Q: You also recorded a live album Mondays in Spaceland. How do you feel about live albums? Can they actually capture the spirit of a real live show?
A: Listen to Johnny Cash live at Folsom Prison. You can’t ever recreate the experience of a live show in the comfort of your own home, but the energy and the gist of what happened can definetly come accross. (click here to listen to a clip of “Folsom Prison Blues”)
Q: Okay, one more question about the lyrics. What lyric that you wrote are you most proud of?
A: The first song I ever wrote was when I was about 4. It was about my family’s dog who’s name was Hopeless. The lyric goes, “some dogs fall in a hole” over and over. That was pretty much the whole song actually. It was a country song obviously. Best one I ever wrote.
Q: What website(s) can people visit to find out more information about you?
A: patrickpark.net & myspace.com/patrickpark.
Q: Okay a few random questions now.
Q: Day or night?
A: Either or.
Q: Club venue or arena venue?
A: Club.
Q: CDs or digital music?
A: Vinyl.
Q: Okay, final question. What are your thoughts on people downloading music, both legally & illegally?
A: Well, I’m fine with it as long as people come out to support the bands when they come through town. I will say though, that all the downloading kind of seems like it makes music more expendable sometimes. Like it’s not worth as much in people’s minds now that it’s so easy to get for free. I know a ton of people who have shit loads of music they’ve downloaded that they’ve never even listened to, or just listened to once. I don’t know, it’s kind of tricky, I feel like idealy music should be free, but at the same time, if it is, where can artists get the money to live and make records.
Thank you Patrick for doing this interview. It’s been a pleasure talking to you!
A: Not bad at all thanks.
Q: First of all, congratulations on your new album. It’s a great record.
Q: If you had to describe the album in a few words, how would you?
A: To me it’s a pretty hopeful record. Mostly about putting things to bed and getting on with life, and seeing things as they are, not in these conceptual boxes we put everything in.
Q: In 2003, four years ago, you released your first full-length album Loneliness Knows My Name. What are the most important differences between your two albums?
A: This one is brown. Also it’s more stripped down than the last. For the most part it doesn’t have those big sweeping arrangments.
Q: When you are writing songs, do you usually start with the words or with the music?
A: It works all kinds of ways. Sometimes it’s the lyrics first, other times it’s the music. Other times everything happens at the same time.
Q: Should people pay more attentions to lyrics, in general, or do you think people actually do pay a lot of attention to lyrics?
A: I don’t have any idea what people pay attention to. I suppose it depends on what you like in music at the time. Sometimes you just want something on thats loud as shit and has a good beat, or something that you can dance to, and you don’t give a fuck if they are singing about their breakfast or if the lyrics even make sense. Sometimes you want something that’s going to stimulate your mind. It just depends on what you want. Neither is wrong or right, or good or bad.
Q: Who would you consider the biggest influences on your song writing & sound?
A: As far as musical influences go, I would say Dylan, Hank Williams, The Zombies, The Beatles, John Lennon, Mississippi John Hurt, and a ton of other stuff. But people in my life and my interaction with them, as well as current events, and just this crazy human prediciment are just as important if not more so than any music.
Q: A lot of people probably know your music through the TV show The OC on which several of your songs have been played. What are your thoughts on the show itself? Do you watch it?
A: I haven’t had a television in about ten years, and have never seen the show, so I couldn’t really comment on that. Sorry. That show did expose a lot of artists to people that would have otherwise probably never heard them though. My self included.
Q: What moments in your career do you consider the key moments, the times that were/are most crucial to where you are now?
A: That’s an interesting question. I wish I had a good answer for you, but it’s hard to pick out any key moments, and it’s even harder to know where I am now in the arc of things to be honest.
Q: If you would not be a musician, what would you want to be doing for a living?
A: Being a musician and a songwriter is the only thing that I’ve ever really wanted to do for a living. I’ve never seriously entertained doing anything else. I guess if I couldn’t do this, I’d just be fucked. Or a monk.
Q: If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you want to perform, and why?
A: Antarctica. I just want to see it.
Q: You also recorded a live album Mondays in Spaceland. How do you feel about live albums? Can they actually capture the spirit of a real live show?
A: Listen to Johnny Cash live at Folsom Prison. You can’t ever recreate the experience of a live show in the comfort of your own home, but the energy and the gist of what happened can definetly come accross. (click here to listen to a clip of “Folsom Prison Blues”)
Q: Okay, one more question about the lyrics. What lyric that you wrote are you most proud of?
A: The first song I ever wrote was when I was about 4. It was about my family’s dog who’s name was Hopeless. The lyric goes, “some dogs fall in a hole” over and over. That was pretty much the whole song actually. It was a country song obviously. Best one I ever wrote.
Q: What website(s) can people visit to find out more information about you?
A: patrickpark.net & myspace.com/patrickpark.
Q: Okay a few random questions now.
Q: Day or night?
A: Either or.
Q: Club venue or arena venue?
A: Club.
Q: CDs or digital music?
A: Vinyl.
Q: Okay, final question. What are your thoughts on people downloading music, both legally & illegally?
A: Well, I’m fine with it as long as people come out to support the bands when they come through town. I will say though, that all the downloading kind of seems like it makes music more expendable sometimes. Like it’s not worth as much in people’s minds now that it’s so easy to get for free. I know a ton of people who have shit loads of music they’ve downloaded that they’ve never even listened to, or just listened to once. I don’t know, it’s kind of tricky, I feel like idealy music should be free, but at the same time, if it is, where can artists get the money to live and make records.
Thank you Patrick for doing this interview. It’s been a pleasure talking to you!