Interview Conducted with Mastermind Brian Gladstone

I was just an ordinary guy till a few years ago. I have played my guitar and written songs since I was a teenager. However it wasn’t until 1998 that I decided to record an album. I had always been a closet musician till then, just playing my tunes around the house. There is not really any history to tell you - I have no previous bands and not much musically history. The band was only formed in the last two years.

As a musician I have not had any formal training. All of my learning came from a few different sources such as books, but mostly watching and listening to other guitar players. I started to play the guitar in 1964 after the Beatles came to North America. Every boy I knew at the time learned to play the guitar - because chicks always liked boys with a guitar. I have studied many of the master finger picking guitar players such as Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Blake and more. I would practice their guitar playing for hours every day. I also learned rock and blues guitar - growing up in the 60s there was certainly no shortage of great guitar players to emulate. And then I started to listen to a lot of folk, ragtime, and bluegrass -- then I guess styles together somewhat combined with my style - and Im sure you can hear all the influences.

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With regard to your 'country' reference in your question - I really didn’t conceive or even vaguely envision abort music being called country. Then I seemed to be getting a great deal of radio play from Country Stations - and I thought to myself. "Am I one of those country dudes now?" And I suppose the answer was 'yes', I was one of those country dudes. So as you can see the desire to 'go country' was more a matter of fate than it was a conscious planned strategic decision.

What is your music all about? Any message you’re trying to convey?

I think they main thing in the music is fun - I like to think my music is happy and uplifting - as that's how I feel most of the time. The music wants to give something to the listener. I write about real things, subjects which are on my mind and offer my perspective on the topics I write about. I get quite a few emails in which people are offering their interpretation about the lyrics.

Describe in words, to the best of your ability, the overall sound of the Brian Gladstone Band.

I like to surround myself with great talent on the stage. We have a four piece band - all have strong music careers on their own. I truly test the band constantly - we seldom rehearse - everybody works on their stuff individually and separately - and when we meet on the stage there is room for much improvisation and spontaneity. And whenever they catch on - I change something without warning and they always seem to follow seamlessly. Im very fortunate to have these great musicians playing with me.

My back up guitar player, Tony Quarrington is not only a renowned jazz guitarist with several successful albums, but also is an award winning producer and writer. I think we play well together - bring out the best in each other - both of us listen and try to feed the other one ideas and leave holes for their notes. Rarely do we play the same thing the same, ever. His guitar playing always has a motive, is tastefully, articulate, and Tony has a genius ability to anticipate where I am headed and find all the notes to take the song to the audience. He is a master of the instrument.

Our percussion player, Maureen Brown, is one of the best blues and jazz drummers in the country. Maureen is an award winning drummer and vocalist. Normally she plays with her own band at clubs and festivals. But she doesn’t use her drum kit with my band - she bangs sticks, brushes, washboards, and shakes eggs - she just senses what we need and fills in the rhythm with natural sounds of mostly wood. We are really luck to have Maureen in the band.

The other vocalist is my younger sister, Bonnie Gladstone. Once she was referred to as Sister Bonnie in a magazine - as if they thought she was a nun. I don’t think that is likely. Bonnie is like the designated driver of the band. She is the most true to the music - and not only brings her beautiful harmonies and perfect sense of relative pitch - but while Im playing and stretching the tunes she is always bringing me back to the musical basics. Bonnie has always believed in my music, and has been singing with me since we were children. I never know what to expect from Bonnie as she is impulsive and intense. Sometimes I think she is the spine of the band.

Everything I have every seen or done.

I think Psychedelic Pholk Psongs is a more mature album. They are both bear my stamp, but Back to the Dirt was a bit of a learning curve, so we used what we learned on Psychedelic Pholk Psongs.

It is hard to ground yourself through concrete. I used to say we are all going 'Back to the Dirt' weather we liked it or not - it is something over which we have no control. It is our past as well as our future. I always recognized the great power of the earth - everything we are comes from the planet - we are a part of it and it is a part of us.

'Back to the Dirt' has significance at many different levels. Our negative energy can be electro-statically discharged through the souls of our feet like a sponge osmosisly into the core. We can become reenergized and refreshed anew. All levels of peace start within, not without. Inner peace can only be found when we put ourselves at the same potential as the planet. It is a prerequisite condition to achieve a true state of equilibrium, provides the core of one's aura, the platform for our inner energy, the catalyst of our energy source - but most important acts as the filter to purify our bodies and maintain our concept of truth. When you feel blue, take a walk in the woods with your shoes off. Let your feet touch the dirt to discharge the negative ions and collect the truth, let your hands feel the texture of the leaves, and let all the cells of your body electrostatically discharge themselves and reach the same potential as the planet. That's 'Back to the Dirt'. We've all been there - it’s a very refreshing, self-propelling, perpetually powering, and a feeling of wholeness and inner contentment. Sometimes we forget that place, so Back to the Dirt can be a reminder.

On another level, I see an incredible power in nature - so strong as mankind cannot fully comprehend the magnitude. There is more power dissipated in a hurricane which is really an insignificant gesture for nature - than man can produce in a hundred years. Nature can stamp us out easily - with a simple blast from her nostril - and let it all start over again. There is incredible balanced self-regulating system on our planet - it will always reach its natural state of equilibrium. Back to the Dirt can be the consequence of disturbing this fine level of balance, and man does every day. But its coming back to hurt us - we are dying of our own pollution and being baked solar rays we invite in.

There's much more to 'Back to the Dirt'. We all know the answer if we look inside. I really believe that .

From the viewpoint of a basement recorded debut album from a virtual unknown singer songwriter - 'Back to the Dirt' has done tremendously well. It has gone to two pressings, and they are almost sold out again. Im not really sure about the future of 'Back to the Dirt' at this point in time. It's almost become an underground cult kind of album in some places - and its becoming more rare and harder to find. (although we have a few hundred copies available). I would suppose if there is a demand, we may send them for a third pressing. Its just something we will have to watch as it unfolds - and wait for a signal to react and make a decision about something.

Yes you are truly well informed, both records were self-released. 'Back to the Dirt' was eventually signed with Comstock Records in Arizona - and they were great at getting lots of European airplay and putting me in contact with high profile DJs and lots of people I need to know. It was a short-term arrangement, which has now lapsed, but Frank Fara at Comstock did a great job.

'Psychedelic Pholk Psongs' was released in September 2001 - and you know what happened that month! It was a real challenge to get some promo happening, but we did our best. After getting reasonable airplay and some publicity, we starting talking to labels in January 2002. We were intrigued by the offer from Murray Krugman at 'Silverwolf Records.' Silverwolf is a folk and roots label whose artists included giants as Odetta, Kingston Trio, Josh White Jr, and the Kerville Folk Festival - so we very impressed with their mix and thought our mission for roots and purity was a perfect fit for the Silverwolf concept. We signed 'Psychedelic Pholk Psongs' with Silverwolf in April 2002. Much of the CD has been re recorded - its all been re mastered- and the new pressing will be on the street in August 2002. Watch for it.

I like playing festivals the best - I have always enjoyed live music in the outdoors, and it's a very rewarding experience to play live for an enthusiastic sitting on the grass Sunday afternoon wine filled crowd. This year I was fortunate to do a few outdoor shows. I especially enjoyed the Summer Solstice Festival in Fergus - put on by Canadian super folkie and friend Nonie Crete. Also, I was really thrilled when Bob Stevens asked me to participate in a guitar workshop for the Mariposa in the City Festival with some of my favorite guitar players like Rick Fines, Grit Laskin, and Eddie Baltimore. It was great to share the stage with these boys.

Music is pretty happening on this end of the planet. Canada is a great creative talent resource - our artists are know worldwide. Im am constantly impressed with the young generation of musicians I am seeing. I suppose that was us, thirty years ago. I think our musical future is in good hands.

I like your expression 'relaxed spaced out acoustic country music with a psychedelic touch.' You must understand that when the album is being written, recorded, and mixed - we didn’t really have a pre conceived plan (at least I didn’t have a plan!) about how it should sound. There was no strategy in place. Our process was to write and record a track or two, then listen to it, and see if anything jumped out as to offer an idea of what it needed. Often I would suggest to put a banjo here, or some woodsticks here, and a harmonica at this spot. The entire album basically evolved on its own - we were just following where it was taking us - and the sound you hear is the result. We only knew it was finished when it stopped changing. Once it had stabilized, and we thought it was complete - only then were genres assigned. I always thought it was folk music - but I guess its many kinds of music. So the fact that you say 'relaxed spaced out acoustic country music with a psychedelic touch' is just the vector sum of a bunch of natural forces.

Actually there were a few things that I wanted to change. It's not often we get a second chance. Fortunately when I signed Psychedelic Pholk Psongs with Silverwolf Records, we had an opportunity to make some changes. It’s a bit risky from an artistic standpoint, but we decided to go back into the studio and add a few new guitar tracks, do some re mixing, and try to address the areas which we wanted to change. Silverwolf offered full artistic licensee, and encouraged us to work independently and freely. The new Silverwolf version of 'Psychedelic Pholk Psongs' is a little different that the initial released version. (which is staring to become collectable, I am told)

Thought you would never ask - I was raised on Rock and Roll. Im a survivor of Woodstock '69. I saw the Grateful Dead on a small stage for 200 people watching form the grass. I saw Hendrix in concert before he was famous, playing in a half filled 5000-seat horse palace. Ive seen the Cream with Eric Clapton directly after their first release 'Fresh Cream' in a 1500 seat auditorium. I have seen all the great rock bands from the 60s and 70s, including live concerts of Beatles, Bob Dylan (15 times), Byrds, Yardbirds, Animals, Jeff Beck Band, Mountain, Santana, John Sebastian, Janis Joplin, Procul Harum, Melanie, Rolling Stones, Hollies, Cream, the Band, Joan Baez, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkle, Joni Mitchell, Jim Kweskin, Maria Maldaur, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Jerry Jeff Walker, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Joel, Gordon Lightfoot, Jefferson Airplane, Doc Watson, Arlo Guthrie, Roger McGuinn, Leo Kottke, Andrew Cash, Tom Chapin, Jesse Winchester, Crosby Stills and Nash, Jonathan Edwards.

I come by the psychedelia honesty. I grew up in it. I cannot pick a favorite - it's like selecting your favorite flower in the garden. It is their combined beauty which is important.

What do you have for sale and how can people get in touch with you? Please list both contact addresses.

Im not too big on planning in advance - so its difficult predict about things from now on. I just indent to keep on doing whatever it is I do - and deal with issues as they arise.

As for some closing comments - I want to thank you for the opportunity to talk to you, and share our thoughts with your readers. I enjoyed reading your magazine and it is an honor for me to included. I wish all people inner peace and sunshine.