Artist: Earl Slick
Label: Sanctuary Records
Simmons Records
Official Site: Click here
Date: January 29, 2004
Conducted by: DJ Booker
TMF DJ: It has been 12 years since you’ve done an album, did it take you a while to choose to do this, or was it an instant,
“I’m ready to do this now” feeling?
Earl Slick: You know for a long time, I had lost my inspiration, then I started writing again, and I - my record just sort of happened. You can’t force that kind of thing.
TMF DJ: Yeah, then it would just be work, and you don’t have fun with it. When you were growing up, learning guitar and dreaming big, was there a point when you just wanted to give up?
Earl Slick: I actually got to the point about 1994ish where I kinda gave up. You know it wasn’t fun anymore, I wasn’t inspired. I think it happens to people sometimes, I just chose to bow out instead of doing something that I didn’t want to do anymore.
TMF DJ: So why’d you continue to play after that?
Earl Slick: I got a big call a few years later and then Bowie called me at the end of ‘99 and I decided, “you know what, this sounds like it’d be good” and that got me kinda excited again. So, I gotta give him a lot of credit for this album even happening because he’s the one he got me re-inspired.
TMF DJ: That’s cool. So the flame came back, the passion came back?
Earl Slick: It did, it took a little while, but once I started to do this gig, all of a sudden it started coming back and I was like “ok, this is good.” Sometimes, you don’t know if it’s gonna come back
TMF DJ: Right, yeah I know how that can be. I have times like that all the time when I’m playing. You just hit a writer’s block.
Earl Slick: Oh yeah, exactly
TMF DJ: You're touring with Bowie right now aren’t you?
Earl Slick: Yeah we’re right in the middle of the tour.
TMF DJ: Any interesting stories to share from the road?
Earl Slick: Nothing all that weird has happened yet, but we still got some time to go.
TMF DJ: Right, how long are you going to be touring with him?
Earl Slick: We started rehearsing for it last July, and probably are gonna finish it before next July.
TMF DJ: Oh yeah? You got a while then. What do you want your fans to walk away with after seeing your shows?
Earl Slick: What do I want them to what?
TMF DJ: What do you want them to walk away with after your shows? Like what do you want them to remember?
Earl Slick: You know… if they could get out of it what I get out of it, especially when I was like really going to a lot of shows - walk out of the thing feeling really good and excited, and just exhilarated.
TMF DJ: Oh, that’s cool.
Earl Slick: Cause that’s how I used to feel, I would come out of a concert just buzzing. Like “whoa” you know? I want them to walk out knowing that the band just took them away for 2 hours and 15 minutes, and all they were focused on was what we were doing and what they were doing, and that they were having a good time and they were having a good time. I mean that’s what we do this for. We do this for entertainment yeah, but also, you know it’s an escape.
TMF DJ: Yeah.
Earl Slick: And, if we can get them to escape from reality for a couple hours during the show, I think we’ve done a good job.
TMF DJ: Ah yeah that’s cool, I agree. So you wanna give them what music has always given you then?
Earl Slick: Yeah, give them inspiration. Give them something that they can just walk out of there feeling good about
TMF DJ: What kind of music do you listen to? Like what’s in your CD player right now?
Earl Slick: Right now, let me see, the Dandy Warhols is in there right now.
TMF DJ: Dandy Warhols? Never heard of them, what kind of music is it?
Earl Slick: West coast band. It’s hard to describe them they’re kinda of a artsy, Bohemian type of-sort of grungy pop - uh… I can’t describe them! (laughs) TMF DJ: (laughs) Well, what kind of music do you normally listen to?
Earl Slick: I listen to them. I listen to Radiohead. Let me look what’s in here… a band called Starling from Canada that I really like. I like more of the kind of grungy pop stuff, you know I’m a big XTC fan.
TMF DJ: XTC, oh never heard of them
Earl Slick: you know, XTC, Radiohead…
TMF DJ: Yeah, Radiohead. I know Radiohead. That’s cool I like them too.
TMF DJ: If you had to choose a song for a theme song for your life, what would it be?
Earl Slick: A theme song for my life…
TMF DJ: Would it be one of your songs?
Earl Slick: That would depend on what happens during that day. There have been times in my life you know, where (laughs) I can’t get no satisfaction was my theme song
TMF DJ: (laughs)
Earl Slick: My theme song for my life though would probably be “Reality” the title track for my new Bowie album. Welcome to reality.
TMF DJ: (laughs)
Earl Slick: Yeah “reality’s” good these days.
TMF DJ: finally “into” reality huh?
Earl Slick: I like “Reality.”
TMF DJ: Would you ever want like an Earl Slick signature guitar made?
Earl Slick: It hadn’t been a goal of mine. It’s not really anything I have thought about. Honestly, it’s one of those things I could give a shit about.
TMF DJ: (laughs) Well, I think I’d want a guitar made after me if I was famous
Earl Slick: Ah well, I don’t really care about that.
TMF DJ: You’ve worked with big names in the past like John Lennon, David Bowie, and stuff. Now that you’re a successful solo artist, and you’re looking back on all that, is there anything that you feel you haven’t achieved? I mean are you still looking forward to something in the future?
Earl Slick: I kinda like where I am right now. I wouldn’t change anything that it took to get here. You know, and as far as the future goes, the only thing that I haven’t done that I was interested in doing is doing some stuff, uh talking to people about maybe being able to do some really cool soundtracks for movies. You know, some stuff you really can’t get away with on albums.
TMF DJ: Like whole soundtracks?
Earl Slick: Oh yeah, like the whole score, the whole movie.
TMF DJ: What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
Earl Slick: Oh I get asked some weird shit, I don’t really know if there’s a strangest. Let me think about that. Go back to that question
TMF DJ: What thought or sentiment would you put into a fortune cookie? Haha there’s a strange one for you.
Earl Slick: (laughs) What would I put in a fortune cookie, I would put “Don’t take it so fucking seriously” and I would word it just like that.
TMF DJ: (laughs) Yeah, that’s a good one.
TMF DJ: Now, your inspiration for the “Zig Zag” title came from living in a massive forest that had a real magical feel to it you said?
Earl Slick: Yeah there was this place I used to go all the time, right outside of Portland, Oregon up in the mountains. I used to go up there to get away from shit. Little place called Zig Zag out in the forest, and I’d get a lot of inspiration up there. That’s where the title track came from.
TMF DJ: So, how do the surroundings affect your music? Do they let you escape? Like does it matter what your surroundings are when you’re making your music?
Earl Slick: Absolutely, everything that’s going on in my life, and what I am, and what I’m doing has a direct effect on what’s happening when I record.
TMF DJ: What’s next for you after the tour?
Earl Slick: You know, I’m not really sure yet, I know I have to have a month off. That’s the only thing I’m absolutely sure about.
TMF DJ: (laughs) Okay.
Earl Slick: Then, I’m going to start writing for another album. I’m thinking about maybe doing this gig on my own, but not a tour.
TMF DJ: Well that’s about the end of my questions. Except for the strangest question one
Earl Slick: I get stupid shit like, do you wear boxers or briefs? I mean you know I get weird questions
TMF DJ: (laughs) yeah
Earl Slick: I mean I don’t get shocked very easy but, sometimes I just look at them like “What?” “What are you thinking about?” I’m so unaffected by this stuff, but boxers and briefs? What the fuck does that mean? I’m not gonna answer that.
TMF DJ: (laughs)
Earl Slick: They must run out of things to ask.
TMF DJ: (laughs) Yeah, that must be it.
