Published: February 09, 2008 12:43 PM EST
By: Isaac Joseph Davis Junior (Juniorscave.com)
Avant-garde / Acoustic
Sometimes finding good music is right around the corner or in this case in my EPK (Electronic Press Kit) inbox on Sonicbids.com. If you are tired of listening to the string of pop clones currently flooding our radio waves, then I have a treat for your ears. The Blackwater Prophets, founded by singer songwriters Jim Burgdorf and John Hardin
are making a nice dent in the music scene with their unique background of classical, industrial, blues, country, punk, rock and southern Appalachian murder ballads.
When you are listening to their music, you are listening to stories being unfolded. This is something that makes their music appealing to music lovers looking for something that is genuine and real. The magazine is pleased to feature them on Junior's Cave and look forward to hearing from all of our readers of a band that deserves to be at the top of their genre.
Isaac-Joseph: Hello the Blackwater Prophets! Welcome to a New Year. How is everyone doing today?
John: Very well, enjoying a quiet morning in Las Vegas (if there is such a thing…)
Isaac-Joseph: Your music has a nice acoustical feel to it. What I really like about the music is that when you are listening to it I feel I am listening to a story being told. How do you approach your music?
John: I appreciate the kind words. It's difficult to describe my approach, I'm really not sure of how it works myself. I have been playing and writing music since I was 7. At the risk of sounding cliché, the songs seem to write themselves. It is as simple as breathing, and it is as dangerous for me as not breathing when they don't come. I never sit down with any formulated ideas.
Isaac-Joseph: What aspect of making music excites you the most right now as an entertainer?
John: I'm not the most excitable person. I'm one of those annoying people who dwell on a fairly unwavering keel. The technological advances are interesting. The internet is redefining the industry in some profound ways, it is fascinating to be a part of the evolution.
Isaac-Joseph: What aspect of making music gets you the most discouraged you the most?
John: On an industry level the advent of American Idol and like minded entities have lowered the bar to a previously unachievable level. It is destroying any remaining bastion of taste in the mass market. It is disturbing to see these glorified karaoke night miscreants selling out arenas singing other people's material. There is a wealth of extremely talented musicians going unnoticed due to this trend.
On a personal level the most discouraging thing is the passing of Jim who began this project with me. Every song seems to be missing his energy and presence. It was a very difficult decision to continue. We had a very spiritual connection when we were working on our music. The lack of his contribution is very discouraging. We were as close as brothers, and in many ways we were brothers. I still can't play any of the songs he wrote, just doesn't feel right.
Isaac-Joseph: You have some new releases. Expound on your new project and what can we expect from them.
John: The debut Blackwater Prophets release is currently being mastered at Interstellar Studios in Pennsylvania. We will have it available at some point soon, hopefully by early summer. My industrial project Saint Famine Society has had a completely finished release sitting on the shelf for well over a year now. I am waiting for the right time to put it out. Recordings are like children, you need to raise them and devote time to them. I do not currently have the time to rehearse and tour two projects and not neglect one of them. The Blackwater Prophets is taking precedence right now. I will be back to screaming and breaking things with SFS at some point in the future.
Isaac-Joseph: What's the most unusual place you've ever played a show or made a recording? How did the qualities of that place affect the show/recording.
John: I love playing or recording in Ireland. Geographically speaking I guess this is not that unusual, however the outcome was effected exponentially. The intensity and attention of the audience there is remarkable. They actually pay close attention to lyrics down to the inflection in which they are delivered. Recording there was a beautiful experience, sipping Bushmills and Guinness and doing what you love. It was a series of perfect moments. This said… I have a recording of a show 20+ years ago where I insisted on wearing only a backless hospital gown and combat boots. As I recall I was temporally upset with a drummer and it seems I felt it necessary to make him look at my blinding sour cream white ass for the entirety of our set. Somewhere in the third song I got fatally tangled in my guitar chord and fell off the stage, there was an audible applause when I ended up naked on the ground with the gown over my head. It's a horrible cassette recording, but it always makes me feel that beautiful combination of pride and shame. At least they felt some aspect of this naked bastard worthy of applause. The best part was I didn't miss a note.
Isaac-Joseph: In what ways does the place where you live (or places where you have lived), affect the music you create, or your taste in music?
John: I grew up in Enterprise, Florida. My family home was destroyed to accommodate a new road for a slithering neighbor city. I guess that adds to the bitter side. For quite a few years now I have split my time between living on the road and Asheville, NC. I work as a roadie and live on a bus half the time, which is a job I love. I would say this affects my music in a lot of positive ways. I'm not built to stay in the same place long, and I thrive on sleep depravation and long bus rides. I'm in a strange reality, success as a musician only means a shorter workday for me. My lifestyle and routine wouldn't change much, but the time I wake up would be drastically different. I guess all this has had an impact on my music tastes and my definition of what is good and bad in a performance context. There is the rare opportunity to feel a part of something special, and gain even more respect for artists that you already admire. Over the years I have had the pleasure of working for Willie Nelson a few times, needless to say experiences like these are encouraging as a artist. There is that possibility available of doing things successfully and maintaining your integrity.
Isaac-Joseph: When was the last time you wrote a song? What can you tell us about it?
John: Yesterday I wrote a bit in my head on a airplane drifting in and out of sleep. All I can tell you at this point is that I have a melody and I think its good.
Isaac-Joseph: As you create more music, do you find yourself getting more or less interested in seeking out and listening to new music made by other people...and why do you think that is?
John: I haven't found much that interests me in the past year or so. On a commercial level all of it is two sterile for my tastes. The industry seems saturated with C level talent at its best. I'm not hearing much that is fresh and innovative. I do make a concerted effort to find new music, the best new material is definitely coming from underground bands that are trying to break themselves into the mainstream. I have faith this trend will change at some point in the future. Many established and legendary artists would have gone unnoticed in the present climate.
Isaac-Joseph: Lately, what musical periods or styles do you find yourself most drawn to as a listener? (Old or new music? Music like yours or different from yours?)
John: I have a very wide range of tastes and styles of music I appreciate. Lately I have been into old John Prine recordings, and country music from the same era (late 60's early 70's). The new Ministry release is great. I still listen to the old punk bands (Black Flag, Damned, TSOL, etc.) I like a lot of old blues music, I was lucky enough to see Bo Diddley a while ago and it was an amazing experience. That man plays from his balls. I have such a wide range of tastes, its hard to nail down.
Isaac-Joseph: Name a band or musician, past or present, who you flat-out LOVE and think more people should be listening to. What's one of your all-time favorite recordings by this band/musician?
John: There are a few… Leonard Cohen is a definite favorite as is Tom Waits and Jeff Buckley. One of my favorite bands is The Church, they have grown into an incredible band since the few radio hits they had 20 years ago, and are continuing to get better and better. I think they should be enjoying more success in the states than they are. Their singer Steve Kilbey put out an acoustic show available on itunes that is stunning. I like the band "Low" a lot, especially the release "things we lost in the fire". David Gilmoure stands out as a musician I have the utmost respect for. There is a wonderful version of "Fat Old Sun" and "Astronomy Domine" on his new solo DVD. Overall one of the greatest albums has to be "Exile on Main street" by the Stones. It is raw and embodies a visceral quality that to me resonates with what music should be. Art should never be safe.
Isaac-Joseph: What is your favorite song of yours that you enjoy performing on stage?
John: The live version of "Come Down" we do is currently my favorite. Most of our set is relatively mellow. We decided to take the most delicate song and end it with a wall of noise and feedback. I am wallowing in the joys of playing a highly distorted acoustic guitar.
Isaac-Joseph: This is what we call our Shout Out time. Elaborate on any and everyone that matters the most to you:
John: First of all thanks to Jim's family for their support in my continuing with the project after his passing. My lovely girlfriend and drummer Spartacus, My daughter Kayla, my dogs Eris and Bocephus (he is quite the backup singer). My tour family and employer for the encouragement and periodic time off to pursue my own music. The makers of Guinness and Bushmills. And last but by no means least, the talented people who have lent their time to the project, our bass player Jeff from the band Paperboy and Buzz-Cut studios (NC, NY), Fred from the band Mindshapefist (NC), Malcolm from The Music Watchtower studio (Ireland), Tucker from Interstellar Studios (PA) and Robert Anton Wilson for spiritual guidance www.rawilson.com.
We will be performing at the Cape May Singer/Songwriter showcase in Cape May, New Jersey on the 7th of March. If you are in the area, drop by and catch the show www.sscapemay.com. We are playing sporadically in the states until fall, then returning to Europe for a few shows.
