Jamie Pham
04/08/09, 02:26 PM
Please state your name and what you play.
I am Michael Zapruder. I play guitar and piano, and I sing.
What are you up to right now?
I just finished making a new garden path in our back yard.
Describe your music for those who aren’t familiar with you?
Songs that are interesting, beautiful and hopefully also good, with orchestral and creative indie band skeletons.
How did you start playing music?
My dad was an amateur guitar player. He used to play when he got home from work. That got me started. But also my grandfather was a violinist and piano player, and some other folks in that generation of my family were voice teachers and professional musicians, so I think it was already in my blood.
How is this release different from your previous albums?
This one is more varied, and also more modern sounding, not that the others are antique or anything. Scott Solter, with whom I made the record, has a great way with sounds of all kinds, and we made this record in two weeks start to finish, which meant that a lot of the record's qualities, sonically, came from his talents. The songs are possibly more lyrically direct that my earlier records, but they are also very experimental in ways you might not really notice on the first listen.
How long did you spend writing and recording this album?
I spent about two years writing the record, and two weeks recording it.
Where did the name “Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope” come from?
It came from a dream. The record aims to have the same kind of freedom that the imagination has in dreams. The title Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope almost seems to make sense, but then it never quite comes into focus, kind of like looking at the hands of a clock when you're dreaming. That's where the title's from.
Are you pleased with the outcome, production wise, of the record?
Yes I am very pleased. There are always things you'd do differently on any record, but I think this one has a particular quality that came from the immediacy of the two week recording session, and I think that's cool.
Would you rather be in the studio or on the road?
Oh I like both. Do I have to choose? How about a bus with a Studer 2" machine on it? I'd do that.
How did you decide to sign to Sidecho?
James showed a lot of passion for the record, and we just had lots of conversations. We got to be friends, and it seemed natural to work on this together. It's been great. SideCho is a truly supportive home for artists, and that's something I value highly.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
We have a split single coming out in June with a songwriter I like a lot, and I'll be touring up and down the West Coast mainly, with a possible trip to NYC in the Fall.
Describe the first show you’ve ever played?
There was this singer songwriter guy who took a shine to my sister, and he let me play three songs in a Georgetown (in Washington DC) club called Dylan's. I played "Tangled Up in Blue," "Subterranean Homesick Blues," and "Helplessly Hoping." Everyone was very kind.
Which of your own songs is your favorite and why?
In general I don't really have favorites, but from this record right now I'm liking like Black Wine, Harbor Saints, and Experimental Film.
Will you be doing the 52 songs project again? Or something similar?
I'm not sure. I would consider doing a version of that project if it seemed like it would be good for the music, and for my day to day life. And if a label wanted to support my efforts. If I did it, though, I would rather make it a writing project, and save the full recording project for later. I'd also like to work with developing song writers by having them write a song a week for some period of time, and trying to help them find their way.
How has the industry changed since you started playing music?
It's totally different now. When I started people just made CDs. There were major labels that really dominated. There was a healthy underground. And the underground was really underground. Now, the underground is online, so anyone can dip into that. Ultimately, that's probably a good thing, so long as the underground music stays vital and challenging. Of course it will. That's it's nature. Still, the changes are too numerous (and not interesting enough to me) to list.
Who would you like to tour with?
Oh lots of people. Caetano Veloso, Elvis Costello, Nina Nastasia, Andrew Bird, The National, and people like that.
What are some goals you wish to achieve that you haven’t done so far?
I just want to keep writing better stuff and making better records. I'm focused on that mostly. I'm more of an incrementalist about this stuff. I just want to keep making improvements. I would also like to teach, though, and writing a book would be great.
What do you do to keep busy during your downtime?
I don't have a lot of down time at the moment, but I read a lot. I watch a fair number of movies too.
What are some albums that have influenced your life?
Velvet Underground S/T, Cat Stevens' Greatest Hits, Freewheeling Bob Dylan, Caetano Veloso (1967), Bee Gees First, Elvis Costello Get Happy, Talking Heads Remain in Light, Mahavishnu Orchestra Visions of the Emerald Beyond, The Mystical Flute of Hariprasad Chaurasia, several Silver Jews' records, and about a million others.
What was the first concert that you attended?
UB40 at the National Theater in Washington DC. We managed to get backstage where the bass player gave me a beer. I took it home and hid it. Don't ask my why (I was young).
Any parting words you want to share?
Thank you for thinking of me, and I hope the people out there who don't know me find their way to my record, either online or in their local record store. It's an amazing feeling to know that people are listening.
Thanks for answering these questions for me!
You are very welcome.
Album Review on Absolutepunk
(http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=967391)
Purchase through iTunes
(http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=308278771&s=143441)
Purchase through SideCho Records Webstore
(http://store.sidecho.com/product/michael-zapruder-dragon-chinese-cocktail-horoscope)
Michael Zapruder on Myspace
(http://www.myspace.com/michaelzapruder)
SideCho Records
(http://www.sidecho.com/)
I am Michael Zapruder. I play guitar and piano, and I sing.
What are you up to right now?
I just finished making a new garden path in our back yard.
Describe your music for those who aren’t familiar with you?
Songs that are interesting, beautiful and hopefully also good, with orchestral and creative indie band skeletons.
How did you start playing music?
My dad was an amateur guitar player. He used to play when he got home from work. That got me started. But also my grandfather was a violinist and piano player, and some other folks in that generation of my family were voice teachers and professional musicians, so I think it was already in my blood.
How is this release different from your previous albums?
This one is more varied, and also more modern sounding, not that the others are antique or anything. Scott Solter, with whom I made the record, has a great way with sounds of all kinds, and we made this record in two weeks start to finish, which meant that a lot of the record's qualities, sonically, came from his talents. The songs are possibly more lyrically direct that my earlier records, but they are also very experimental in ways you might not really notice on the first listen.
How long did you spend writing and recording this album?
I spent about two years writing the record, and two weeks recording it.
Where did the name “Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope” come from?
It came from a dream. The record aims to have the same kind of freedom that the imagination has in dreams. The title Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope almost seems to make sense, but then it never quite comes into focus, kind of like looking at the hands of a clock when you're dreaming. That's where the title's from.
Are you pleased with the outcome, production wise, of the record?
Yes I am very pleased. There are always things you'd do differently on any record, but I think this one has a particular quality that came from the immediacy of the two week recording session, and I think that's cool.
Would you rather be in the studio or on the road?
Oh I like both. Do I have to choose? How about a bus with a Studer 2" machine on it? I'd do that.
How did you decide to sign to Sidecho?
James showed a lot of passion for the record, and we just had lots of conversations. We got to be friends, and it seemed natural to work on this together. It's been great. SideCho is a truly supportive home for artists, and that's something I value highly.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
We have a split single coming out in June with a songwriter I like a lot, and I'll be touring up and down the West Coast mainly, with a possible trip to NYC in the Fall.
Describe the first show you’ve ever played?
There was this singer songwriter guy who took a shine to my sister, and he let me play three songs in a Georgetown (in Washington DC) club called Dylan's. I played "Tangled Up in Blue," "Subterranean Homesick Blues," and "Helplessly Hoping." Everyone was very kind.
Which of your own songs is your favorite and why?
In general I don't really have favorites, but from this record right now I'm liking like Black Wine, Harbor Saints, and Experimental Film.
Will you be doing the 52 songs project again? Or something similar?
I'm not sure. I would consider doing a version of that project if it seemed like it would be good for the music, and for my day to day life. And if a label wanted to support my efforts. If I did it, though, I would rather make it a writing project, and save the full recording project for later. I'd also like to work with developing song writers by having them write a song a week for some period of time, and trying to help them find their way.
How has the industry changed since you started playing music?
It's totally different now. When I started people just made CDs. There were major labels that really dominated. There was a healthy underground. And the underground was really underground. Now, the underground is online, so anyone can dip into that. Ultimately, that's probably a good thing, so long as the underground music stays vital and challenging. Of course it will. That's it's nature. Still, the changes are too numerous (and not interesting enough to me) to list.
Who would you like to tour with?
Oh lots of people. Caetano Veloso, Elvis Costello, Nina Nastasia, Andrew Bird, The National, and people like that.
What are some goals you wish to achieve that you haven’t done so far?
I just want to keep writing better stuff and making better records. I'm focused on that mostly. I'm more of an incrementalist about this stuff. I just want to keep making improvements. I would also like to teach, though, and writing a book would be great.
What do you do to keep busy during your downtime?
I don't have a lot of down time at the moment, but I read a lot. I watch a fair number of movies too.
What are some albums that have influenced your life?
Velvet Underground S/T, Cat Stevens' Greatest Hits, Freewheeling Bob Dylan, Caetano Veloso (1967), Bee Gees First, Elvis Costello Get Happy, Talking Heads Remain in Light, Mahavishnu Orchestra Visions of the Emerald Beyond, The Mystical Flute of Hariprasad Chaurasia, several Silver Jews' records, and about a million others.
What was the first concert that you attended?
UB40 at the National Theater in Washington DC. We managed to get backstage where the bass player gave me a beer. I took it home and hid it. Don't ask my why (I was young).
Any parting words you want to share?
Thank you for thinking of me, and I hope the people out there who don't know me find their way to my record, either online or in their local record store. It's an amazing feeling to know that people are listening.
Thanks for answering these questions for me!
You are very welcome.
Album Review on Absolutepunk
(http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=967391)
Purchase through iTunes
(http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=308278771&s=143441)
Purchase through SideCho Records Webstore
(http://store.sidecho.com/product/michael-zapruder-dragon-chinese-cocktail-horoscope)
Michael Zapruder on Myspace
(http://www.myspace.com/michaelzapruder)
SideCho Records
(http://www.sidecho.com/)