Leroy Lytel Interview
Q: Can you provide some of your musical history? What got you interested in playing? When did you start writing? That kind of stuff.
A :When I was a child, we had a guitar in the house that I would try to play, but those were the days before Youtube and big chain bookstores and I didn’t have a local music store within Huffy bicycle distance. No one in my family played guitar, so with no videos, no books, and no instruction, I didn’t get far. I did not really start playing a lot of guitar until I was a young adult; I worked with a guy who introduced me to finger-style blues and Mississippi John Hurt, and that was it. I learned nearly all of his stuff, then moved on from there. I am still pretty limited when it comes to my guitar chops, but the thing I love about Piedmont blues is that it’s all-inclusive. If you can sing a bit, it’s a one-man band.
With regard to how I started writing, I have a fine arts and design background, and in those fields it’s expected from day one that you create original art. So after several years of playing other people’s music, it started to feel less rewarding. I tried to write a song, and when it was done, I thought, “Man, I really like this song.” And then I just kept writing them. Ultimately, a friend of mine in this great band called “Zombies of the Stratosphere” heard it, and he said he really liked it and I should put it out.
Q: In 2011 you released Swarm of Doves. It took six years for your exceptional sophomore album Whisper Sugar to be released. Do you feel there are major differences between the albums creatively or otherwise?
A: I would say that Whisper Sugar is in some ways a continuation of the earlier Swarm of Doves rather than a departure. However, I do feel this record occupies it’s own space and feeling.
Q: You keep things sparse on Whisper Sugar and it works to your advantage. What was the thought process behind that decision Instead of say adding percussion or other elements?
A: Well, I always write alone with vocal and guitar. After I have crafted and recorded a version of a song, I start to expand and experiment a bit by adding various accompaniments, and more often than not they don’t seem to add anything, so I guess I just tend to like things more reduced and pure. On Whisper Sugar harp and fiddle were added, and I was really pleased and amazed at how much they changed the songs.
Q: I read that the album was self produced and engineered. The results are studio worthy in my opinion. Any tips for home recordists on how to get such a good vocal and guitar sound?
A: I probably should use a proper studio and I’m sure it would improve the sound, but again, I think my fine arts background kind of gets in the way. When I’m in my creative space, I just want to be alone to play, rework, listen, play, rework, listen as often and as long as I like. I just can’t imagine trying to be creative in a paid studio setting with the added stress of a clock ticking and the money spending.
Another reason it works is that I keep things simple. When things start to get complex, my lack of sound engineering expertise would probably start to reveal itself. I use two mics, Oktava MK-319 on my vocals and a Rode NT5 on my guitar. I use an interface made by TC Electronics that plugs into my MacPro laptop.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about the themes and concepts the occur throughout the album?
A: Many of the songs stem from my own anxieties and struggles and the universal emotions that we all share. Mortality, environmental collapse, relationships, and the way humans treat one another are the things that interest me. I also seem to have a tendency toward story songs; I guess I sort of see them as little movies.
Q: Are you doing any touring we should know about? What are your musical plans for 2017?
A: In the past I viewed my music from the perspective of a fine artist, as something I created and put out into the world and that was the end of it. A painter doesn’t repaint a painting live in front of an audience, and I felt much the same about my music. That is changing a lot with the second record. I plan on playing live more and I’m starting to understand the joy of seeing how the music affects people in a live setting when you’re in the moment. It’s amazing to play a song that you created that has a specific story and emotion and four minutes after you start playing it, everyone in the room is now feeling that emotion. It's powerful stuff.
Q: Can you provide some of your musical history? What got you interested in playing? When did you start writing? That kind of stuff.
A :When I was a child, we had a guitar in the house that I would try to play, but those were the days before Youtube and big chain bookstores and I didn’t have a local music store within Huffy bicycle distance. No one in my family played guitar, so with no videos, no books, and no instruction, I didn’t get far. I did not really start playing a lot of guitar until I was a young adult; I worked with a guy who introduced me to finger-style blues and Mississippi John Hurt, and that was it. I learned nearly all of his stuff, then moved on from there. I am still pretty limited when it comes to my guitar chops, but the thing I love about Piedmont blues is that it’s all-inclusive. If you can sing a bit, it’s a one-man band.
With regard to how I started writing, I have a fine arts and design background, and in those fields it’s expected from day one that you create original art. So after several years of playing other people’s music, it started to feel less rewarding. I tried to write a song, and when it was done, I thought, “Man, I really like this song.” And then I just kept writing them. Ultimately, a friend of mine in this great band called “Zombies of the Stratosphere” heard it, and he said he really liked it and I should put it out.
Q: In 2011 you released Swarm of Doves. It took six years for your exceptional sophomore album Whisper Sugar to be released. Do you feel there are major differences between the albums creatively or otherwise?
A: I would say that Whisper Sugar is in some ways a continuation of the earlier Swarm of Doves rather than a departure. However, I do feel this record occupies it’s own space and feeling.
Q: You keep things sparse on Whisper Sugar and it works to your advantage. What was the thought process behind that decision Instead of say adding percussion or other elements?
A: Well, I always write alone with vocal and guitar. After I have crafted and recorded a version of a song, I start to expand and experiment a bit by adding various accompaniments, and more often than not they don’t seem to add anything, so I guess I just tend to like things more reduced and pure. On Whisper Sugar harp and fiddle were added, and I was really pleased and amazed at how much they changed the songs.
Q: I read that the album was self produced and engineered. The results are studio worthy in my opinion. Any tips for home recordists on how to get such a good vocal and guitar sound?
A: I probably should use a proper studio and I’m sure it would improve the sound, but again, I think my fine arts background kind of gets in the way. When I’m in my creative space, I just want to be alone to play, rework, listen, play, rework, listen as often and as long as I like. I just can’t imagine trying to be creative in a paid studio setting with the added stress of a clock ticking and the money spending.
Another reason it works is that I keep things simple. When things start to get complex, my lack of sound engineering expertise would probably start to reveal itself. I use two mics, Oktava MK-319 on my vocals and a Rode NT5 on my guitar. I use an interface made by TC Electronics that plugs into my MacPro laptop.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about the themes and concepts the occur throughout the album?
A: Many of the songs stem from my own anxieties and struggles and the universal emotions that we all share. Mortality, environmental collapse, relationships, and the way humans treat one another are the things that interest me. I also seem to have a tendency toward story songs; I guess I sort of see them as little movies.
Q: Are you doing any touring we should know about? What are your musical plans for 2017?
A: In the past I viewed my music from the perspective of a fine artist, as something I created and put out into the world and that was the end of it. A painter doesn’t repaint a painting live in front of an audience, and I felt much the same about my music. That is changing a lot with the second record. I plan on playing live more and I’m starting to understand the joy of seeing how the music affects people in a live setting when you’re in the moment. It’s amazing to play a song that you created that has a specific story and emotion and four minutes after you start playing it, everyone in the room is now feeling that emotion. It's powerful stuff.