Heart of Soul
From an excellent interview by Rory Flynn, editor-in-chief, of Boston Music Spotlight:
On recording his most recent album
Hicks certainly took full advantage of the resources presented to him for his major label debut, released at the end of last year. “The recording process was pretty intense,” admits Hicks before reasoning that he and his label (Artista Records) wanted to get the album released as soon as possible. With the aid of top-notch studio session players and songs penned by the likes of Bryan Adams and Rob Thomas, Hicks had plenty of experienced star-power support. He also managed to push two tracks of his previously released songs, “Soul Thing” and “The Deal,” off Under The Radar, onto the new record. This, along with a trio of cover selections, comes together to form an album that Hicks feels embodies who he has been as an artist without succumbing to any new pressures. “I had time to develop myself as an artist,” reflects Hicks, “and I was very thankful for [Artista Records] guiding me down the path I started a long time ago.
The album also manages to capture Hicks’ eclectic energy as a modern soul artist, which was his distinction on American Idol. Still, nothing captures it better for Hicks himself or his fans than his live performances, which have been taking place non-stop across the nation since February.
On his upcoming autobiography, Heart of Soul
In addition to the new album, Hicks will also be promoting his inspirational memoir Heart Full of Soul, which will be released on July 10 (2007). “There’s a lot of life lessons you can learn on the roads in the South, as a struggling musician, that you can apply to everyday life,” explains Hicks for the novel’s inspiration. “If I can help people in my story and some of my thoughts to get over the hump and really make something of themselves, whether it be in music or any other business, that’s what the book is aimed for.”
On his live shows
“My shows are very family orientated. It teaches a lot of kids who don’t know about Supertramp or some jazz stuff, and so it’s a learning process. And it also makes their parents happy to hear some good ole rock ‘n roll.”
On his next album
If any free time permits on the tour bus (summer of 2007), Hicks hopes to work on ideas for his next album before returning to the studio this fall to start the songwriting process. With more time expected to be on his side for this project, Hicks plans on recording more of his own material and possibly returning to play guitar on the sophomore release.
1. Gonna Move
2. don’t know name but lyrics include, lay my body down.
3. Hell of a Day
4. Wherever I Lay My Hat/Night Shift/Chain Gang
5. Heart and Soul/ jam session/Brown-eyed handsome man/mixture of all
6. Just to Feel That Way
7. Hold on to Your Love/ Blues you can Use/ It’s my life/ Hold on to Your Love
8. Young Turks (Young hearts)
9. She’s Gone
10. The Deal
11. Heaven Knows
12. The Maze/Tupelo/Let’s Get it On/The Maze
13. The Runaround
14. Encore: The Long Way Home
Questions:
Where’s Jeff Lopez? His replacement was good, but he was no Jeff. Why is Brian in the background? He should be taking the lead in the keyboard solos. I’m confused… Melanie (background singer) is very good. She adds a sparkle to the stage. She’s a keeper!
Taylor was wearing the black Modern Whomp t-shirt at the Meet and Greet. I thought that was very nice! [Read more →]
Tags: American Idol 5, Taylor Hicks by TK
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