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Hi Roger, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Doing well all things considered, thank you!
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Carry Me”? Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
Yes – I started this song when I was down in Nashville after a day of co-writing. I wrote the majority of it while I was alone back at the house I’d rented. I was feeling very lonely and far away from my family up North. I was thinking about literally being on the road as in on tour, and on the road of music making in general. It’s about the truth that I have to write and perform because that is who I am, but that the connection to home is always there no matter where I am…
Any plans to do some kind of a live or creative video for this?
Yes – in fact there is an animated video in the works as we speak. It tells the story really nicely.
The single comes off your new album ‘Rise’ – what’s the story behind the title?
It’s no secret that we are living in very challenging times. We are very divided as a nation and the world seems to be devolving into a type of virulent nationalism and xenophobia that we really haven’t seen since WWII In reality we are not that different, we have different skin colors and religious or philosophical beliefs but those are pretty superficial. What we all want is to be loved, to have a safe place for our families, to have enough to eat, to have opportunities for economic growth. The song “Rise” is about making the decision to rise above our superficial differences…it feels like we are at a crossroad and we can go one way or the other. The choice seems monumental for the future of this planet.
How was the recording and writing process?
I guess I’ll start with the writing process. It was a little different for this album, as about half the songs were co-writes. I spent a lot of time in Nashville working with other writers. That was a change from my first two and really eye opening and fun. I find inspiration in a lot of places and getting to work with other great songwriters to hone and tweak the tunes was a real treat. When it came to the recording sessions this record was also different, in that the schedule was really compressed compared to my last two efforts. Larry had a window of time to work on the bulk of the album, so we needed to get ‘er done! I think that wound up being a blessing because we were all very focused and the vibe was just fabulous.
What was it like to work with Larry Campbell and how did that relationship develop?
I can’t say enough about how amazing it was to work with him. In addition to being an amazing player, as a producer he has a way of making everyone feel comfortable and of welcoming and valuing their input and contributions. He’s one of the nicest people on the planet to boot. In the studio it’s all about the hang, and it was a great hang! I met Larry for the first time when he played on my debut album ‘The Waiting Sky.’ That was an incredibly emotional time for him, as it was actually the week that Levon was in the hospital dying from cancer. Coincidently that album had a number of songs about people that I had lost. At the end of that session Larry had some very complimentary things to say about my songwriting. It was incredibly validating coming from someone I so admired and of his stature. We kept in touch over email and I then went to say hello to him one evening after a Larry and Teresa show. I told him I had a bunch of new material and asked if he’d be interested in producing my next album. He said he’d be willing to listen to anything… so I sent him a link with about 30 tunes in it. After a few months I got an email saying he thought the songs were great and he’d love to work together. So off we went!
How much did he get to influence the album?
One thing about working with Larry is he is involved in every aspect, he listens for every detail. So, he had a huge influence on the album. From the song arrangements to the parts everyone played, the violin arrangements, and the notes that that Teresa and Lucy sang as background vocalists. Not to mention all of the parts that he added with his electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, pedal steel, fiddle and lap steel! The sound of this album is owed largely to Larry Campbell.
As a longtime collaborator of Levon Helm – were you guys looking for a sound that resembled Helm?
Well – I think the idea was to go wherever the songs led but I do love that sound and think that on some of the tracks we wound up with that sound. “Strange Shape of Love” comes to mind especially…
Where did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?
Much of my inspiration comes from picking up the guitar and just playing and then following the music where it leads. My lyrics are very much inspired by my life and also current events and the state of the world. I feel like I kinda bared my soul on this record in a way I may not have on the previous two.
Any plans to hit the road?
Yes – as soon as this Covid-19 tragedy is in the rear-view. We had a lot of stuff cancelled and it’s kind of up in the air right now. We have a date opening for David Bromberg in early June but I’m not sure if that will happen. We are hitting the Hudson Valley and Western Mass in July and are working on a Mid-Atlantic and Southern swing in September right now. I’m really not sure what the touring world looks like in the near term and I hope it gets back to normal before too long!
What else is happening next in Roger Street Friedman’s world?
Right now I’m working on new songs and Larry and I have talked about another record. Not sure what the timeline would be on that at the moment as he’s still recovering from the Coronavirus. I’m also working on my live stream capability and beefing up my solo video recording setup and skills so I can provide fans with some good quality content from home while I can’t be out on the road. Beyond that – spending time lots of quality time with family and teaching my kids (13-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son) how to play touch football. It’s amazing how long it takes for them to learn what a down and out is!
