Interview with Bill Price
Bill Price is a folk rock musician.
Why did you want to be a professional musician?
I think the professional part is just the logical conclusion of wanting to do what you love the most to make a living. I know this varies for each person, but my idea of the "American dream" is to get paid to do what I love doing. The money or potential money just allows me to continue to pursue what I love.
What inspires your music?
Lyrically, I'm inspired by events, experiences, and things I care about. I write a lot about nature and being true to oneself regardless about what people may say.
Musically, I'm inspired by other music I hear. Most of that music comes out of the traditional rock and roll, folk and singer-songwriter genres. Some of it is from the 1960s and 1970s, but there are also many newer bands and songwriters that inspire me as well.
What things get you in the mood to write songs or do lyrics come spontaneously?
Usually, I start with music: chords, melodies, rhythm, and a phrase may magically show up while doing that. Sometimes that phrase suggests a path to follow. Other times, I'll look for a phrase, a quote or something I have written in a notebook that will suggest a subject. Occasionally a phrase will start the song before the music.
But in terms of being in the mood to write a song, I'm not sure. I tend to feel more creative in the morning. I also have noticed, when things are getting kind of hectic, if I pick up the guitar, a lot of times something interesting will come out. Not always, of course, but perhaps more often than when I set aside a quiet time to write. But there's no set pattern or rules in doing this for me.
How do you want your music to affect people?
I'd like it to give them some hope or some deeper sense that they're actually alive in this incredible world and not just some generic being going through the motions. If a song inspires them to do something kind or meaningful in their life, that would be wonderful.
Oh, and it's kind of a bonus if my music affects a person positively enough that they actually purchase an album. But that's really secondary to the emotional response. But it is a nice thing, too, I have to admit.
Do you test out your songs before releasing them? How do you do this?
No. I may play them for other people, especially if I'm really excited about them, but I'm the sole judge and jury on whether to record and release a song. Most of the time, I will sit with a song for a long, long time to make sure it still feels right to me before even recording it.
How do you prepare for a gig?
Practicing is the main thing. I have a lot of songs, and I don't like to just play the same ones over and over, so that means I have to memorize quite a few songs to keep my set lists fresh.
What is your favorite song that you've written?
"Postcards from Where the Wild Things Are" is a favorite. We've just released a video of a live performance of that song. That song means a great deal to me. "In a Flying Dream" is one that I'm very happy with as well.
Has there been a reaction to one of your songs that you've been surprised by?
Last summer I was playing in a small college town in Idaho. I played a song that I've written called "Get Me Gone." A woman came up to me and said, "That song was one of the best songs I've ever heard." She asked if I could play it again. I said, "Sure," of course, but really, of all the great songs out there, it's a million miles away from the top. But she liked it and she was, in fact, sober. So, I'll take that as a wonderful compliment.
What are some ways that you promote yourself?
One thing I'm trying to do is build up my YouTube page to include more videos. As I mentioned above, I've recently posted two live performances of my band that I'm pretty excited about.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge of your career?
Building a following of listeners who "get" what it is that I'm trying to do and express. I think my records take a little time to grow on people. They tend to be longer and full of different instruments and textures. The more you listen, the more you hear. A lot of people don't have that kind of patience like they did back in the 1960s or 1970s when people would put on a record and listen to it start to finish and study the lyrics. But I still do that and write and record music with that listening experience in mind.
What have been your favorite places to tour?
Of the little touring I've done, most of it has been in the American Northwest and it's because I really love that part of the United States. I'm very lucky to be able to travel there to play music as well as hike and explore the natural areas.
Are there advantages to being an independent musician?
Yes. The main one, I think, is that no one can tell you what to do. You are free to make music the way you are really inspired to do it. It may not be easy, or it may not be profitable, but you will have absolute artistic freedom in terms of creating.