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The NORB PAYR INTERVIEW!!Eizzel Magazine: First of all we'd like to thank you for being with us this month at Eizzel Magazine. Welcome Norb!
Norb: It is a great honor for me to be your musician of the month, thank you very much. And I am very glad that there are people taking their time to listen to my music.
EM: We've been wondering about your approach to song writing. Do you have several different approaches? Do you come up with titles and write around them? Lyrics first? Words first? Just how is it done?
Norb: Hard to say, it depends...but most times I have a melody and carry it with me for some time. When the melody is finished I usually write the words last. In fact, I am a "melody man", which means, for me the melody is more important than the words, but of course, when one complelments the other I am content and happy with it.
EM: We notice that on your personal myspace the songs are more thinly produced than those done with you other groups, The Subcandies, and The Jaybirds. Are these home recordings, or do you use a professional studio? What type of equipment do you use, for example, are these digital recordings or analog? What kind of microphones? Ect.
Norb: Some of my older recordings were made at home with a 4-track recorder I used in the 90s. Actually, I am working with a 16-track recorder (Fostex VF 160). I am very happy with it, we also did record the songs for the new longplayer on it (subcandies). It is also an advantage, that I can take this unit anywhere I need , because it..s quite portable. I have an AKG 3000 microphone, which I use for the vocals and guitars, too.
EM: One our cover this month is a picture of you playing a Dm7 chord on what appears to be an older acoustic guitar. We know that musicians become attached in certain ways to their instruments, and one of the things that comes across in that photo is that you love that guitar. What make is it? Can you tell the story of your relationship with that particular guitar?
In Texas there lives an Austrian called Stefan Passernig, who now is building high class mandolins. Before that he made around 20 guitars. My friend Ed Schnabl is a good friend of his. Luckily I had the chance to get one of Stefan..s guitars via Ed. It..s a masterpiece for me and has a wonderful sound and it is very unique. I love that guitar. It is also a special feeling when you know, that your guitar was built by just one person.
EM: What other guitars and basses do you play, and can you give us a little bit about why you like each one? What initially draws you toward a particular instrument?
Norb: I own a Lowden F9 acoustic guitar, which is a great guitar. I got it when I was 16. Today I play it dropped down to D, so it has a wonderfully deep sound. With the bands I play my Fender Telecaster mostly. It..s a great guitar, very easy to play and handle.I also have a Gretsch Tennessee rose, but I still have to find out how to play it!
EM: Like so many musicians, you were inspired by the music of The Beatles at a young age, and many people can hear that influence in your writing. That sound seems to be ageless. What are some of the "tricks" that you use when writing that reveal that "sound" and yet keep you so original?
Norb: Yes, that..s true. I always loved the Beatles..songs since I was 7 years old. I always had the approach to try to write songs with the same quality. Today I still look for unusual melodies who work out fine. I don..t like to write "banal“ songs. So, I think it is a mix of searching for the inspiration to find something I like and just trying out some riffs on my guitar. I know that sometimes I am using phrases from other songs. But in the end everybody has been doing that, and it is O.K.. Basically it is important not to steal any idea, but probably using it and making something else with it.
EM: Yeah, there's nothing totally new under the sun! All the greats have incorporated things from other influences into their songs.We spoke with David Flynn of "The David Flynn Group" earlier in the year, and he was talking about you and a few other groups. He was impressed with what he called the honesty of your lyrics. We found that in your songs "Ordinary Guy" and "Hey Mister" to name just two. We are intrigued by this, because to us your are anything but ordinary, very talented, a stand out by any means. Yet, is that how you see yourself? Are you and "Ordinary Guy"? In that respect, do you hold people up as standouts, or are we all just "ordinary"?
Norb: Oh, thank you. If there is one thing in the world I can do from my view, it is writing songs, not more or less. I think that we are all just ordinary guys doing more or less important things. I for myself do not like much of the mainstream music. Actually my approach is just to write good songs and play them.
EM:Well you do it very well! We imagine that the process you go through with your own individual project must differ from the work you do with your other bands. Can you give us some insight into this? Do you write in collaboration with the members of your other groups? How do you settle on specific parts, say, the bassline, a break, or a change of tempo to make the songs more interesting? How does that process take shape?
Norb: I have been playing in several bands. With The Subcandies, I play many of my songs, the arragements are made together with the band. With The Jaybirds I play the guitar, the arrangements are also made together. The solo versions of my songs often sound quite different from those same songs with the band, because each individual playing on the song places an influence on its sound with their instrument and playing style. I like that, when you see that everybody is playing differently adding their own inflection and flair.
EM: You mention in your bio that you were born in Malawi. Your father's work was that of helping developing nations. What effect do you think your upbringing in that type of environment has had on your development as a musician? Were your parents musical as well? Share some childhood memories with us that might illustrate this, if you would be so kind.
Norb: My parents never really played any instruments, but they gave me the Beatles music when I was a child, I am still very thankful for that. I lived in Malawi until I was 5 years old, so I still can remeber a lot of the country and the people there. My father was interested in their arts, making wooden sculptures and other wonderfu things. I can remember that I always had a magic impression of the people, who were very poor, working hard, but who always were essentially creatve. I still have some sculptures at my home now and I love to admire them, they show people of any age and work, their expression is very intense and mystically dark. I think I was very influenced to start to build something out of nothing, then.
EM: The first two chords that I learned on the guitar were C and Am. I think all guitarists remember that kind of thing. Also I can remember learning The Beatles "I've Just Seen a Face" and playing it over and over and over again. And when I wasn't playing it, it was still going around in my head! Did you have those same experiences? Tell us a story about that if you will.
Norb: The first song I could play was House of the Rising Sun. When I learned to play guitar from Ed Schnabl there were so many songs I wanted to play over and over again. It is still great to find songs you want to play over and over. In playing them time and again I find out why they are so great.
EM: Do you have that same kind of experience with some of the songs you write? Do you fall in love with them for a while?
Norb: Of course sometimes there are melodies in my head I carry around and think about them. From time to time I also can work on with a song that way, means, to find a bridge or a refrain or something like that. At the moment, working at my longplayer, I often think about the songs and especially the arrangements, for example, should I use a fender rhodes or a hammond here...
EM:You hear of people like Lennon or McCartney, and many others, talk about songs and say, "That one just fell out of the sky.", or, "I couldn't believe that I actually wrote that." Does that kind of thing happen to you?
Norb: yes, it is quite the same. Some songs just fall out of the sky, I would say. But there are also tunes who took years to get finished.
EM: Aside from music, what are some of your other interests? We find that many musicians are also artists in other media, are you? Do you have a "day job"? What can you share with our readers about family and friends?
Norb: I also like to paint and draw a little bit, I am also a very visual guy aside from making and listening to music. I have a day job to earn my money for living. I work together with mentally and psychicallly handicapped people as a social worker. I am married to a wonderful woman, Susi, and we have an 8 month old son called "Paul“ living here in Vienna. Though we have some good friends together, my personal friends are mostly musicians just like me.
EM: What new projects do you have coming up? Tell us a little about them.
Norb: I am working at my first solo CD right now, which will be titled "Hiding Place“. This is also one of my personally favourite songs. The Jaybirds are recording new songs at the moment. In the Fall a 7 inch vinyl should be released, a longplayer will follow next year I guess. I hope to finish my CD this year and I want to start a series of new Norb Payr CD..s though I have many songs yet not recorded and lying around.
EM: Do you have a venue where you "play out" regularly as a solo artist? What about your gigs with The Subcandies and The Jaybirds?
Norb: I still do not know, if I will perform live gigs when the CD is out then. It also depends on the people working with me now on the record. We will see, I..d love to do a presentation party then. I have been organizing many of the Subcandies..gigs from Verona, Berlin to London. Many of the contacts were made via myspace So, myspace is a great platform to meet other people, who want to work with you in some way. The Jaybirds are well known among the mods and 60s affected people. There are some friends in the scene putting up gigs for us from time to time in Europe.
EM: Where do you see Norb Payr in the future? How do you express your dream for yourself?
Norb: I..d love to do a lot of records. A dream would be, to earn enough money with music, so I wouldn..t have to go to work again. It takes a lot of energy and also inspiration to write songs, when you have to do a day job. I wouldn..t be bored then, it..s really a dream of mine just to make music. And I hope that the family stays together and that everything works out fine in the future.
EM: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Norb: I want to thank you again for inviting me to be present at your platform. Your myspace magazine is a wonderful idea to bring attention people who make interesting music. Thank you so much!!!
EM: Norb, it has been our great pleasure to have you featured in Eizzel. We want to thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent with us, and giving our readers an insight into who you are as a person and as a musician. We'd love to have you back anytime, and we want to encourage our friends to visit you on myspace often, and to follow the events as they transpire in you musical career. Thank you Norb Payr.
David Flynn(right) and Friends Carlos, Mark, and Gary, May 2008
David Flynn has really been out and around in the past few months, playing regular gigs at The Blackwater Cafe as well as engagements all over Central California from the mountains to the sea.In March, the "Concert on the Cliffs" in Fort Ross, California took place and David introduced for the first time live his "Backyard Swing". Then it was on to Obrigado's Beach Hut for another great night. After that it was Beverly's on the Hill, overlooking the ocean at a private party that rocked with many great musicians into the wee hours of the morning!! Then, in May it was Betty's in the Garden for bluegrass and a banquet that was truly a celebration. Then there came An Evening in Pioneer on May 30th for another performance which featured even more of David's musical friends including the fabulous Monte Guadagnolo on bass, and singing harmony. Oh yes!!"The life I love is making music with my friends!" David told EIZZEL MAGAZINE, "I am looking forward to writing and recording this summer, and too hooking up with friends from around the world!!"
GREEN LIGHT MEANS GO! Check out "Green Light Means Go" on myspace music. More on this group very soon from EIZZEL!!!