Lately on my travels as I interview artists in a variety of genres, I run across a few people in the general public who ask me "who has been my favorite interview to date?" my response is always Taylor Hicks. From his down home southern charm, to his shy, reserve personality with wit to match.
I got to interview Mr. Hicks again by phone recently as we discussed him launching his own label, his upcoming album, and the national Grease Tour where he will be reprising his role as "Teen Angel" from his stint on Broadway this past Summer.
TWT: So Taylor you have joined the ranks of Evanescence, Josh Kelly and many others and launched your own record label, how did that come about and what is you vision for your label itself?
TH: Yes, this past summer I launched Modern Whomp Records and it has been interesting because it is one thing to approach a project from an artistic perspective, but to also approach things from a business aspect is something different in and of itself. It has been an exciting opportunity for me to envelope the process of running your own label and the procedures and business aspects that go with it. Having your own label and having the control and freedom from an artistic stand point truly makes you think on how you want to present and formulate your work so it best represents you. The business aspect of the music industry is constantly a learning process from technology to marketing, so I can just take everything in and hopefully we will be able to sign on other artists in the future.
TWT: Early this fall you released the first album off your Modern Whomp Records label entitled "Early Works" which is a compilation CD of your first two independent albums that you produced before your win on American Idol. Can you compare and contrast Early Works to your major label release Taylor Hicks?
TH: "Early Works" is a testament to my early stages as a songwriter "In Your Time" includes tracks that I wrote at eighteen and nineteen and it reflects me as an artist at the time. As I grew as an individual and as a songwriter through those two albums I became more sound and experienced as an artist where with Taylor Hicks it was produced on a larger scale and there were more variables involved in the process as a whole. Being a "Live" artist it was interesting to have that major studio recording experience. Which was a totally different experience then it was with "In Your Time" and "Under the Radar."
TWT: You did pre-production in Nice, France, how was that experience and did you learn any French while on the other side of the pond?
TH: France was great, and Nice is a beautiful city and the people were pretty cool. Of course I learned general stuff like hello, goodbye, how are you?--you know conversational French phrases which get you around town. It was nice to go there and work with a great producer like Simon Climie on the pre-production it was wonderful to be able to take that time, it gave me an opportunity to put all of myself into these songs, sit with them a while and be able to create and stlylize each song that truly reflects who I am as an artist.
TWT: Can you describe the new album?
TH: Once again it was really great to take the time with the pre-production and collaborate with Simon. Taking that time really helped us move into the studio recording process with ease. The experience I had on Idol and the instincts making song selections for the show really resurfaced with choosing songs for this album. With the album ninety percent complete, I have to say that for me this is some of the best writing I have done to date, working with a great talented team from producers, to songwriters, to really great musicians which are all good components to have for a great album. I think that the various styles within this album truly represent me and where I am as an artist. It is a testament of my journey starting with my first two albums through Taylor Hicks to this album that reflect my growth as an artist and as a songwriter.
TWT: So you are gearing up for the Grease National Tour that kicks off Dec 2nd, so will there be rehearsals in New York before, or is it the same cast that was there during your stint on Broadway over the Summer?
TH: There will be some of the same people within the touring company. Many of the main characters will have a few new faces. There will be rehearsals before and during the day at the various tour locations. After the first couple weeks we will all become acclimated to a regular schedule and you usually fall into a daily show routine. Being able to branch out and do a bit of acting has been a great experience, and has really broadened my skills as an entertainer.
TWT: So you will be performing on the Grease Tour and promoting your album concurrently, how will you segue between the two?
TH: There will be various media promotion in between show dates, and I will also be able to hit the radio markets in and around the Grease Tour locations to promote the album. We will be incorporating the first single into the Grease shows. Along with that we will hopefully be having a show at a small venue in each city to feel out the new music.
TWT: So it will be like the Taylor Hicks tour shadowing the Grease Tour.
TH: Exactly, it is a great way to get the new music out there and work through the material from a live perspective before we tour the new album.
TWT: Will any of your band mates from your first solo tour be joining you on the Shadow Tour?
TH: Could be....you never know.
Interview by: TWT creator Claudia Oakenfull Photo obtained from: http://www.righthickssave.wordpress.com/
