Moody, romantic, unresolved, comic, and hopefully: touching
Richard James Southey
Read this...especially if you are Bruce Springsteen!
Streetlamp: Tell us about your background? Where do you come from, how did you get into music…
Richard James Southey: I have been passionate about harmonic sounds since my primary school choir-boy days. At 16/17 I re-discovered an unused guitar that my mother had bought for me when I was ten. I always sensed that I would return to creativity of the musical sorts someday. I taught myself to play, and at about the middle of standard nine I organized a weekly gig at the original “Déjà Vu” in Bloemfontein.
SL: To those who have yet to hear your music, how would you describe your sound?
RS: Moody, romantic, unresolved, comic, and hopefully: touching.
SL: Who are your main musical influences?
RS: I try not to listen to any music other than my own so that my style/sound might remain pure. My faith has recently driven my song writing towards gospel lyrics.
SL: Do you write your own songs?
RS: All day long (at least in my mind). I avoid covers as a rule.
SL: What is your music about? Is there an underlying message?
RS: Each song has its own story – normally something that most of us have struggled with (or embraced) at some time or other.
SL: How do you write music? Do the words come first or the music?
RS: A combination – I prefer to write poetry first though, so that the musical composition won’t bind my prose (the natural tendency to write words to the tempo of the music). But then again, I really enjoy piecing a song together while live on stage... Hmmmm.
SL: If you could collaborate with any musical artist, who would it be?
RS: Bruce Springsteen… And I already collaborate with a brilliant artist:
Louis Young – watch out for this musician!
SL: If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be?
RS: The Kruger National Park
SL: Where is your favourite place to play music (venue)?
RS: I used to love our Saturday afternoon gigs at Die Mystic Boer in Bloemfontein. It started out as a jam-session for anyone interested, and soon turned into a solid three-man acoustic, zany outfit with no other participants… We had congo-drums; saxophone; two guitars and vocals. We gigged from 12 midday until 03h00 (or whenever the place closed), and we only stopped to fill up our alcohol platters. I like to write songs on the fly and live, so that was really a great breeding ground for new material.
SL: Do you play any cover songs when you perform? If so, which ones?
RS: Nope… Oh wait… Only one that tends to be requested by friends: “Van Diemen’s Land” by “U2”. I think of myself as a songwriter with musical skills, rather than as a musician.
SL: What do you do to pay the bills, or does your music earn you enough?
RS: I’m a Microsoft Systems Management Server Engineer in the Faritec Security Services Team for Vodacom... Need I say more?
SL: What are the biggest obstacles for upcoming bands or artists?
RS: Dedication towards their cause.
SL: What inspires you?
RS: Everything... My (beautiful) wife, my father (whose amateur poetry and texts live after his passing), my (acclaimed artist) mother, and my precious (talented in all respects) three-year old son.
SL: What music do you listen to?
RS: Leonard Cohen, Niel Young, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Nic Cave, Melanie (the original one), Bob Dylan, Buffy Saint-Marie, Donovan (the original one), Roger Waters…
SL: The best album you ever bought?
RS: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Up Where We Belong
SL: "You’ll know you've made it when..."
RS: Bruce Springsteen phones me to discuss collaborating on some work.
SL: "It'll be time to pack up the gear for good when..."
RS: I’m deaf, dumb and blind from old age... so I still have a year or two left.
SL: "I'll never forget the first time I..."
RS:... played in Grahamstown: Our three-man band (myself, Louis Young and Isak Voordewind) started in the streets with no prior arrangements, and we ended up playing at the Grahamstown Protea Hotel’s downstairs pub every night, with sponsored food from the hotel and the local Wimpy – Unrivalled fun ensued!
SL: What are your plans for the future?
RS: My music must become financially viable so that I can shirk this corporate monster that assumes a priority in my life.
SL: Can you give us a good cocktail recipe?
RS: Well considering that I once owned a pub I probably should have one somewhere (patting pockets hopefully)... hmmm... OK, no, I can’t remember anything from that experience (downtrodden, pitiful expression)... sorry!
SL: Is there any other info you would like to share with Streetlamp fans?
RS: It would be great if you could find the time to leave more comments about the songs that you download – the criticisms really help us identify our faults to create better songs in the future. PS: If you are Bruce Springsteen or another famous musician or producer, and you are looking for a songwriter... Phone me, you will not be disappointed (shamelessly punting music career while trying to protect image - is this possible?)!
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