Singer - Songwriter Nick Tann

I love music (as I'm sure you know by now if a regular reader of my blogs!) but listening is where my expertise lies :-) Apart from playing the recorder at primary school, I can't read a note, I just know what I like - and the music of Nick Tann, since I discovered it a short while, has definitely grown on me. Let him tell you about DADFAD and Acoustica, I'll just interrupt occasionally!

@Scattyjan: Your latest CD, Life is a River - you seem to have produced, played, sung and written this alone - do you prefer to work that way or is it just circumstances?

@Nick_Tann: Yes, I did the whole thing myself. I have quite a nice home set up and it's very convenient for me to record at home as well as very cheap! The downside is that I have a lot to concentrate on whilst doing the actual recording. It would be great just to think about the playing, the actual performance of each songs.

@Scattyjan: Do you miss working with your band People?

@Nick_Tann: Working with "People" was a great experience and I loved it but folk move on and circumstances change. I value the experience and think that there is still plenty of that influence in my solo performance.

@Scattyjan: Were you thrilled when you when BBC Southern Counties Radio featured "That Woman" on the live demo panel and gave it a thumbs up?

@Nick_Tann: I don't know if I'd use the term "thrilled". I was flattered and interested in what they would make of it. I'm naturally suspicious of "industry types" (they made up the panel) and although they liked the song, one guy couldn't understand what it was about. It was obvious he hadn't heard all of it otherwise he would have done.

@Scattyjan: A tad annoying - and a bit rude too, actually. Talking of the radio - the Russell Brand jingle - what's all that about?

@Nick_Tann: A while ago, Russell Brand had a part of his radio show where listeners could send in their own jingles for his show. I just re-jigged one of my tunes "How Can It Be Wrong?" to fit. Unfortunately, thanks to a certain Spanish waiter, he never got to play it!

@Scattyjan: Perhaps he can use it on russellbrandtv! You've been likened to Sting in one review, which can't hurt, can it - I do happen to agree with the reviewer - are you happy/sad/indifferent to that? He's one of your influences isn't he?

@Nick_Tann: That's a comparison that is made a lot and I'm perfectly happy with it although I would say that the Sting aspect of my voice is influenced more by Bob Marley.

@Scattyjan: I hadn't picked up on the reggae influence, but now you mention it ... *nods* Would it be fair to say you're a guitar specialist? I love the description of the slide guitar: Tanglewood Odyssey Roundback Martin Strings with DADFAD tuning. Eh? Please explain exactly what that is, plus what a 12 string slide player (ie you!) is also!

@Nick_Tann: I think that's a fair description! The description of the guitar, Tanglewood Odyssey, was for any guitar geeks (like myself!) who are interested in such detail. DADFAD is what the strings are tuned to, EADGBE being the norm. My main guitar is my Aria 12string that I've had since I was 18. It's travelled the world with me and has been my main instrument since then.

DADFAD enables one to play amazing sounding chords that, using the usual EADGBE tuning, would be imposible to play. Many guitarists vary their tuning, there are many variations, DADFAD being nothing that unusual. Most slide players use alternate tunings. This song uses a DADFAD tuning AND it alternates between normal play and play with a slide.

Any of my tunes on my youtube site are in usual EADGBE tuning including this one.

@Scattyjan: Ok, I get that, I think. So who is Jaco Pastorius and how much of an influence is he on you?

@Nick_Tann: Jaco Pastorius is probably the most influential and innovative bass player of modern times. As well as being one of the driving forces behind Weather Report he also played on some of Joni Mitchell's best albums. He has been a massive influence on my bass playing for most of my life.

@Scattyjan: Hm - remind me to write 'jazz band' alongside Weather Report, if I ever Google them again, won't you! I love the bass line of Bernard Edwards and it sounds to me like John Taylor from Duran Duran was very influenced by it too, in Planet Earth - are there any songs you love purely because of the bass line or other individual instrument or vocal in it?

@Nick_Tann: The "Rappers Delight" bass line had a great impact on me at the time but as far as bass lines I've often found that subtle, more background bass lines have excited me more.
Bruce Thomas from The Attractions (Elvis Costello's band), Tina Weymouth from Talking Heads and Norman Watt-Roy from the Blockheads are all phenomenal and are too often overlooked.

@Scattyjan: That could've been filmed at my school disco ...*moves on quickly* The Vinyl Project is your latest venture, aimed at fans of good music and also vinyl junkies (like myself, only I've got nothing later than 198....something) what was the inspiration behind this idea?

@Nick_Tann: I was midway through a massive project of recording all the songs I had ever written; I've just finished. I had tried various methods; playing to a click track, a drum beat, adding bass and guitar solos and found I was making slow progress. I decided to record with just a single mic, no headphones and with no effects, not even any reverb. It felt fantastic and very natural, just like at a gig. I got thinking how great it would be to repeat the same thing but in a studio with a few more microphones and an engineer pressing the buttons. It just seemed a natural progression to press it to vinyl. That great bottom end and the overall beauty of vinyl was just too tempting to resist. I'm so excited about it, I just can't wait to get going!

@Scattyjan: Thanks for taking time out to talk to me Nick, I'm looking forward to receiving my special copy of the album!

And it's easy for fans to be involved in the project too - see The Vinyl Project blog for full details of how YOU can play your part in the production of this musical venture, a snip at just a tenner! You can also listen to Nick's songs at his Reverbnation site and download from I-Tunes, as well as listening to his podcasts at Is This Thing On? For further info on all Nick's ventures, plus live gigs, this is Nick's website.