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Rusty Gear has been quietly going about the business of putting out music for a little while now, helping him to achieve a massive one million plus Spotify streams. But with the release of his new EP Delivery Man, a superlative collection of contemporary country, Rusty has refined his style yet again, creating a wonderful mix of tracks. We sat down with Rusty to get the low down on his new EP and his upcoming plans.
The first single from your EP Delivery Man has just been released and has already attracted a lot of attention. For someone who is obviously a creative all-rounder, do reviews matter to you?
I appreciate the reviews of my records. It gives the listener some idea of what they will hear and is useful content on my website and social sites when fans and venue management check us out.
How does this EP differ from your other releases?
With seven songs, there is more variety than my last two Eps. It includes rockers like Delivery Man, more traditional country like Over the Pass and Terra, and more serious ballads like We Know Too Much and Those Tears.
I want to talk in depth about your creative processes. Do you just sit in a room and bang away at the guitar firstly or do you start off with a lyric idea?
I usually have a style in mind when writing and , for example, wanted Delivery Man to be a rocker that would play well in bars, etc. Usually it starts with either a guitar lick or an idea for a chorus and I build from there. Tequila Won’t Solve Your Problems (but it’s probably worth a shot) came from a sign I saw outside a Mexican restaurant and I just had to turn that into a song.
I think people are always interested in how a song comes about. We get a version of something that may or may not have gone through a whole bunch of different processes. Is your approach to writing organic or is it labour intensive?
The initial phase is very organic and the ideas just come once you know what you’re trying to say and have a basic chord structure—the melody follows the lyrics and you come up with verse one and chorus. The next phase takes longer as you try to perfect the melodies, make sure the lyrics are clear and interesting and try to come up with a vocal performance and harmonies that really deliver the song.
I know that aside from the new EP, you’ve got a substantial catalogue of albums and tracks. Can you tell us a little about your history?
My first record was Happy Ending, which I cut in Nashville as an experiment since I hadn’t written original music previously. I was pleasantly surprised with the response and Happy Ending and Jake Brakes remain two of my most popular songs live. That encouraged me to keep going and next was Second Gear, with Wondering Why charting on Billboard’s country breakout chart and strong support for Darty Time, with a widely viewed youtube video, and Rest in Arizona, a patriotic song popular with veterans. The next EP, High Gear, has a few blues numbers, including Sorry Excuses featuring Bekka Bramlett, who killed the vocal and got us to number two on the Roots Chicago Blues chart, and Tequila Won’t Solve Your Problems and Won’t Forget Remix both hit number one on the Hotdisc Top 40 in Europe. Last year I cut two EPs, What We Believe and Out and Runin Round. I worked with Calamity Jane for the first time and they are featured on Home is Where the Heartaches and Check in Check Out Blues. Lucy and Camille sound great on those tracks. The EPs have gotten play in the US Americana market and for the first time we promoted songs in Australia, including It’s Still You and Out and Runnin Round. With 10 new songs this year there is a large catalogue now with a variety of styles and a growing list of talented collaborators. I am very lucky to work with great producers in Nashville, Brad Hill and Tony Sarno, and great session musicians.
It can be said that performing is acting, and a lot of your songs have a story telling quality about them. What differences, if any, are there for you between performing a song and assuming the guise of a character?
When you play a song like Delivery Man, you need to become the Delivery Man. When songs come from my personal experience, like We Know Too Much or Repo Man, it comes pretty naturally to play the part.
A lot of the times an artist’s life is consumed by their art. Is this true in your case?
I do have other work I do, but when I’m working on a new song, it is always rattling around in my head until it’s done.
What or who inspires you?
I am inspired by everyday life and by other musicians. I listened to a podcast by a great songwriter and, in the middle, got the idea for Those Tears even though it had nothing to do with what she was talking about.
How much inspiration do you draw from other artists or other forms of art?
Music and performance art, TV and Movies, is always an inspiration, especially the music in TV and movies, which can really create a mood.
I’m sure the new EP is going to make a big splash. What’s up next for you?
A three song EP with Bekka Bramlett is coming out soon and I am working on the next batch of new songs.
Do you have any plans to tour?
We are now playing every month in clubs and private events and it’s great to be out playing the new music.
Well thanks, Rusty, we really appreciate your time today and look forward to seeing Delivery Man help you attract another million streams and new chatbot ideas.
Thank you.
