Interview with Jeff Black

June 12, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

As anyone who's seen his moving, funny, and unpredictable concerts already knows, Jeff Black never plays the same show twice, pulling from his commercial catalog Birmingham Road Arista 1998 Honey And Salt Blue Rose 2003, B-Sides And Confessions Volume One Dualtone 2003," and the new music on Tin Lily, he responds to the moment and to whatever voodoo is floating through the air shared by a unique collection of people on any given night with the stories and songs that transcend the role of a singer/songwriter and his instrument. What makes a Jeff Black record or show exciting is that, as a listener, you know the singer is there not to perform for you, but to take you on a journey with him.

Cincy Groove: So I understand you are in the studio right now?

Jeff Black: Yeah, just doing some pre production work on some stuff, getting it ready for the next record. I don't really have a studio per say, just a room with all the equipment I need. I can make some pretty rough stuff, but its nice to have everything all set up so all I have to do is come in here and record.

Cincy Groove: So I guess you could say your in the early stages of a new record?

Jeff Black: I guess the early stages for me would be right after you release the old one, then you start working on new songs. Most of the songs are written, I'm just playing them out live and finding out which ones want to live together.

Cincy Groove: I see how you used to be a road warrior, touring constantly and then your priorities changed when you got married and had a kid.

Jeff Black: Around the turn of the century I just took on a whole new attachment to everything. I moved to Nashville and spent the 90's with my head down pretty much chasing the dream. Then I started thinking about everything that was affecting me , I lost my dad in 1999, actually a couple people in my family. Then I met my wife and then all of a sudden here comes some new itty bitty people (laughing). I'm really just trying to stay on the course that I'm on, and I'm not really sure what that is most of the time. I never came to Nashville to become a country music songwriter or to become a country artist. It made sense to me to come to Nashville because of the business side, New York and L.A. just seemed out of reach to me at the time.

Read the full Interview here