John Popper might not be a household name, especially north of the border, but mention Blues Traveler or hear one of their songs on the radio, complete with one of those killer harmonica solos, and you’ll be going, “ah-ha, yes I know John.”
As well as recording, touring and performing with Blues Traveler, John has recently embarked upon a solo path complete with new album, new band and new dates. I had a chance to sit down and speak with John via telephone, about his current band and his new project/band.
nightMair Creative: Hi John, how’s your health been lately? You had some vocal issues last year that you posted about on Twitter.
John Popper: Pretty good… I had laser surgery last December and it’s a lot better now. I now don’t smoke cigarettes while I’m singing; I figure that’s a reasonable request. My doctor finally got his way on that one, the bastard telling me what to do (laughs).
nMC: So how did you end up deciding to do a solo album apart from Blues Traveler?
JP: Well I’ve done Blues Traveler for so long that I just needed some sort of contrast. Around our 20th anniversary I started sensing that I wanted to do something other than just this. I love Blues Traveler but to do anything only –is like eating vanilla ice cream your whole life. It’s a great flavour but you want more flavours. Even if it was Chocolate, you would still like to try Cookies and Cream. You just want to mix it up. I think that for me, it’s a side of me that I wanted to play with.
nMC: Tell me more.
JP: It was me partnering up with John Manson who’s been like a mentor to me for years and years since Blues Traveler started. He’s been like a big brother. It was and has been a really fun thing to do. The band is a collaboration of Jono Manson, Aaron Beavers, Steve Lindsay, and Mark Clark. Also various song writing friends were involved; Chris Barron (Spin Doctors), Kevin Trainer (The Surreal McCoys), Terry Dears and George Breakfast. I think that is what helped me have this breakthrough in song writing; these are all guys I can count on what they wrote. It’s also helped Blues Traveler work with songwriters we’ve never worked with before, including Ron Sexsmith and Carey Rodriguez. I took this experience to Blues Traveler for our latest song writing session. I think that when you do something creative in one part of your life, it ripples and affects something else. I think it’s rejuvenated a lot for me. And I think Blues’ Traveler’s noticed it and hopefully it will reflect on the Blues Traveler album that’s coming in 2012.
nMC: There’s a new Blues Traveler album coming out in 2012? Cool!
JP: Yes, it’s our 25th anniversary so we had to do something special for that. Brendan, Chan and even Tad and I have known each other since high school.
nMC: At present you’re touring on your new solo album, but also with Blues Traveler? How’s that working?
JP: Yes. I’m focusing mostly on the Duskray Troubabours this year with Blues Traveler gigs peppered throughout. Blues Traveler is going to do Red Rocks for instance. That’s a tradition we don’t want to break – we’ve been doing that for … this will be our 21st year I think. We’ll keep doing that (Red Rocks) as long as we’re able.
Duskray Troubadours will be touring a lot in the fall and that’s largely the focus -it’s good to be busy and you gotta make sure you juggle as best as you can.
nMC: So you and the new band are basically sticking to the USA for this tour?
JP: Unless you Canadians will give me a gazillion dollars then I’ll show up (laughs)
nMC: If I had a gazillion dollars I’d give it to you to have you do a show in my back yard!
JP: Yeah but that’d only be a gazillion Canadian which would be about $16.50! We’d love to come to Canada! It’s the border crossing that kills us trying to get into Canada (reference to a show last year that Blues Traveler did in Ontario, where nearly half their road crew were denied entry at customs).
nMC: How did you come up with the name for your new band?
JP: I’ve always thought Duskray was a good color for the Crayola crayon box… like a ray of dusk, because dusk can be colorful. I once worked in a studio just outside of Santa Fe. The sunset in Santa Fe is this really gorgeous color, the color of what Duskray could be. I love the idea of us being Troubadours too. Really it’s kind of like Blues Traveler – it’s a color and a name of a vagabond musician. I’m very imaginative when it comes to naming things.
nMC: I love it! Too many bands now days seem to pull a name out of a hat or use a random name generator and their name seems to not embody anything about what their music is about.
JP: Yeah that’s unfortunate – you do want something that grabs people right off… like ‘Panic at the Disco’ – you’re setting up a scene really quickly. I love that, you’re like “what’s going on there?”
nMC: You and the Duskray Troubadours were on the George Lopez show a short time ago – how did that go?
JP: That went over great! Less than a week of being a band and we’re on National TV!
nMC: Congrats on that accomplishment! How did it come about?
JP: They asked us! They heard our stuff and liked it so asked us to be on the show.
nMC: So we follow what you do on Twitter – do you Tweet to the fans for fun, as a release mechanism to blow off steam after a gig, or inspiration from other people?
JP: Truthfully I like to know what you guys (the fans) are thinking. It’s good to talk to you; it helps me bone up on my one-liners (laughs). To me it’s another great way to stay in contact; better than Facebook for that. When you’re talking ‘social networking’, that’s all you’re really doing with people, is saying something briefly. When I check out someone’s Facebook page, the first thing I’m looking at is, is she cute. Right then and there you’re kind of stalking people. And I’m not above that (laughs) but Twitter – it’s completely about what someone’s saying to you and you’re saying to them – about who they are. I think with all social interaction, who someone is has some sort of basis as to what you say to them. And for me I’m just talking to somebody who wants to say something to me.
Whether it’s at stores or after the show, it’s all you’re really there to do – you shake hands, you sign stuff but really, what you want to do is look them in the eye and get information from them about how they feel, or what they’ve seen or what they think. It makes you feel less alone and less isolated. Because it can be very isolating sitting on a bus most of the year thinking about your work, and what it s you’re saying, and it’s a very easy way to get out of the loop.
nMC: It’s like us; when we come up and have something signed and see you at a meet and greet, or after a show, we don’t necessarily want your autograph. We want that personal connection of being able to say hi face to face.
JP: Exactly. That’s why my autograph is a scribble – it doesn’t really matter, it’s the interaction that’s really what I think both of us are into. That’s why I do it. I don’t feel that I owe you an interaction; I kind of want to have that interaction. I’m curious myself – I want to know what you’re thinking. Without the audience, I’m sitting on a bus thinking about myself; the world doesn’t grow, there is nothing beyond me. Every human being wants a connection to the outside world; to the world around them. I’m determined to get as many points of view as I can in this life.
nMC: Do you also find that you want to meet the fans and get that interaction as a form of feedback as your performance as an artist? About your song writing and?
JP: That’s exactly what I’m talking about. What I try to do as an artist is make a connection artistically. What that is, is you’re saying something that someone can identify with. A comedian will tell a joke that someone laughs at because they know exactly what he means. “I’ve been there! I know that situation!” I think the same thing is true with song writing. You’re expressing a feeling that somebody knows and they stir something in common with the both of you, and it makes you both feel less lonely.
And so if I get feedback from someone about what I’m doing, I can do that better, which is what I’m after because I want to feel less lonely, I want to feel that connection. And Lord forbid maybe sell a few more records, and maybe do my job better. But that’s the thing – the first thing you’re looking at is to be as truthful as I can. That’s what I owe my audience, that’s the debt that I feel I owe- the honesty. I am to be me in answering things – I can’t be a focus group, I can’t be some sort of, of… marketing ploy to sell as many records as possible. I have to be as honestly myself and tell you as truthfully and effectively as I can, how I’m feeling.
And it’s great that talking to someone on Twitter turns into an actual interview (this interview), I like that. I think it’s just an extension of that dialogue – that’s a cool thing. It’s also nice to hear from you guys (laughs).
nMC: A lot of artists feel the same way – but why do you feel that you owe us something?
JP: Well, I‘m very grateful for getting the chance to express myself for my living. I don’t feel like when I see somebody I gotta go and give them a ride home or pay them $20 bucks or something. But I just feel that everybody owes everybody. My particular debt pertains to that. I think we all need each other in this world. And most people owe their parents (or whoever took care of you), and you owe whoever is taking care of you in the social contract of society. You also owe anyone who inspires you. You owe anyone who’s made you feel like you inspired them. You owe anyone that you have helped. You owe anyone who has helped you – it’s endless. It’s an endless interaction of a fabric of each other, and we are all constantly influencing all of time. and for me when I get to talk about how I feel, when I get to write it in a song, when I get to sing that way, and that’s how I earn my living – I feel very grateful to you guys for that. I know that I’ve worked hard to do that, that I gotta get on a bus and travel – most of my job is physically getting myself there – but I do feel very grateful. And the great thing my audience is doing for me is coming to listen and say, “What is it he has to say?” That’s where I feel that I directly owe them my honestly. That’s what they’re paying us for. That’s what they are trusting me to do. I feel like I’ve been entrusted to do that.
nMC: So if you saw me walking down the street thumbing for a ride you wouldn’t drive me home eh?
JP: (laughing) may…be… Depends on what you have in mind.
nMC: Well, thanks very much for taking the time to talk to us. Good luck with the tour and the album!
JP: Thanks for asking!
Check out John Popper and the Duskray Troubadours on their new site where you can listen to all 12 songs from the new album (for free) and buy the album or individual songs.
Check out @Blues_Traveler on Twitter where John does much of the tweeting for the band (and answers back, often)
And if you get a chance, check out John Popper and the Duskray Troubadours live. You won’t be disappointed.
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Kevin Trainor was a member of The Surreal McCoys, not The Real McCoys.
Thanks! fixed now.