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WEHM All Access - Sag Harbor American Music Festival - Jake Lear · WEHM All Access

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's WEHM All Access with Harry Waring as we get to know the artists of this year's Tag Harbor American Music Festival.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: And there's so many of them filling the streets and the venues at uh this year's fest, happening, of course, Thursday, September 24th through Sunday, September 27th.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: And it's always a pleasure to get to know a whole bunch of different artists, a lot of new ones this year, and also reconnect uh with some older ones that have been around and done this festival, and we've connected in different ways.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I want to welcome to our virtual studio now, Jake Lear.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: Jake, how are you?
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Good, good.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: My pleasure.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: We chatted uh a while back on an elf LTV segment, actually, I think Homegrown, and it was a good chance to get to know you then.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's right.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: It seems like yesterday.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: Although it's hard to believe it's been five or six years.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: But uh, you were always very busy, uh, during the summer, especially, uh, a whole bunch of shows, and uh now you're a part of the Stack Harbor Music Festival.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: Again, how many years have you been uh been doing this festival?
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I think I've done it every year since 2012.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, which was when I when I I just moved here.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: I was uh my wife was pregnant and Kelly was pregnant, and we were in uh like uh La Mans class together.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: And she said, Oh, I'm putting on this festival.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I said, Oh, I just moved up from Memphis.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: So she she put me on the festival, and we've done it every year since then.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you've been here for over a decade now on the east end of Long Island, and I guess why don't we start as we get to know different artists uh throughout uh this festival that are performing?
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh first off, uh you mentioned Memphis, but where are you originally from?
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: You're from Vermont, if I'm not mistaken.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was born in Vermont, uh Montpelier, and then I lived out here when uh through high school, and then uh but yeah, but when before I moved back, we were living in Memphis.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: Oh wow.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well, do you remember back when um I guess you you said you were raised, I've I've read interviews that talk about blues and country, but uh how did that start for you as a kid?
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh what kind of attracted you to those those types of genres?
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I guess it was just um just a record collection that was in the house.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow, you know, like board after school.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh had a an old record collection and uh turntable.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so I pulled out uh just some things I didn't know what I'd be interested in.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: And there was uh uh Buddy Guy album, a J Hooker album, uh Sonny and Terry album, BB King.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: It was all there.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: So kind of like it just yeah, it's kind of like uh yeah, knee buckle moment.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: It all made sense.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: That that's for sure.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: When did you pick up your first guitar?
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: What age?
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh around maybe eleven or twelve.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: There was an old acoustic house in the house in the house, and uh did that for about a year and then uh moved to electric.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: Oh wow.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: Now did your parents play music or were you just kind of figuring out on your own?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I was pretty figured.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, they were they were they were into music, but I was uh but no, they weren't uh they played a little tiny bit of guitar and piano, but not they weren't musicians.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: When you were first started, were you uh exploring any different genres or just really kind of blues and country?
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: It was pretty much blues from the beginning.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean I liked uh uh blues, you know, blues ra.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I was I liked Led Zeppelin and stuff like that, but as as far as learning, it was it was pretty much blues.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: Now, when did you first start writing uh your own songs?
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: What what was that like uh for you those early attempts?
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was when I was a bit older and I would uh you know I played as a guitarist.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: I lived in uh Austin, Texas for a while, and that's where I kind of got um hired into some bands, played on Sixth Street, and it was kind of um but I was just a guitar player, so I was like it was kind of those I think we would get there, it was like a nine to one in the morning gig.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I it was it was great.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then at some point I started wanting to do my own band, so uh started singing, and uh then that's kind of I think the you know started fooling around with like writing my own material.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Was that down in Austin or was that in more in Memphis?
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like that kind of started then, but I think the first recordings I did was when I was in Memphis.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: What was that time like on Beale Street?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: How did that that environment uh it has such history?
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: Uh how did that kind of shape you the way you saw this music?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'd imagine it changed it a bit.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean I was lucky.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: I I had uh um you know I played a lot, so there was there was you know, I played three or four nights a week, every week, traveled a lot.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then I had um I I you know I had good people that I played with.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: I I had a a drummer who was kinda really started to inform my playing just because of the style of like he, you know, he was a Stax drummer.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: He was he was born in Clarkston, Mississippi, and he came from a family of you know, there's 14 kids in his family and 11 boys, and they were all drummers.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then like so his, you know, and they were one of his his drummer, uh one of his brothers was the drummer for the Barques.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So he actually died in the plane crash with Otis Redding, and he had another brother who was um you know a big studio musician, and this guy Roy, who I played with, was played on a lot of Stax albums, so he had like a really good understanding of the feel of like uh the music that I love.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: So just like playing with him night after night was was a big gift.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then just the exposure to all the other music and uh just a repetitive amount of playing that you you do in an area like that, it's just like long nights of a lot of playing, so it kind of just like it's good.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: Do you uh now when you were writing your own music, what was that like for you?
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: Because you were really working with a lot, you mentioned a lot of different musicians.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, how did you kind of balance the the songwriting, the lyrics with um the melody?
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: And also you're you're terrific on guitar.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how do you balance that when you're you're kind of you're you're known for being a tremendous guitar player?
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: How do you balance the the lyrical storytelling too?
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, for me, the the the songwriting has always been um uh it's not something I do a lot or that often.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of times it happened when I you know I recorded three or four albums, and it would usually be like, okay, we're going into the studio to record these albums.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: I want to do some original material.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: You know, maybe through the all the nights of playing, I came up with some you know rhythms or riffs that I like, and then so you introduce those into the studio.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: And then, you know, they're blues-based songs, so the um, you know, something comes up, something pops.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of it was like writing in the studio, and that's kind of where the best stuff came out, or maybe you had a snippet of something, or a little bit of music, or a little bit of lyrics, and you start to put the put it all together, and there's the pressure of being in the studio, you know.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we were only in there maybe two or three days, so it's like you gotta, you know, so that that's how I kind of like to in that environment was a good way to write.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: Did you enjoy being in the studio?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: It sounds like it was something that you you knew you had to do, but not necessarily if it's a performing live.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I like well, I do like performing, but I like the stuff I like the studio.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: I I was I haven't done it so many times that I got completely comfortable with it, but it it is it is a space that's fun to be in.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have the right group of people together, it can be like a lot of fun.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I haven't done it, you know, it the model isn't there to really do it like for for me anymore, like it was like when I was in Memphis, you could record the album and then you're selling the albums that shows and you're making you know, but people aren't buying uh physical albums now, so it's a little bit different.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I haven't done it.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's been at least like six or seven years.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: Well, but well, I was curious because I noticed that the gap in it it might not make sense to do a record.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: Do you want to work on new songs and record uh you know, studio things?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: I definitely do.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm kind of thinking um probably soon, you know.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: I you know, when I moved up here, it was kind of like this change in scenery and change, you know, it was with my my was just starting my family, my kids were born, so there was kind of like a real uh you know, change in in the direction of the things that I was doing.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: But now, you know, as they get older and I could see definitely getting back into it and putting together some projects where where I record.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: Was it difficult moving from Memphis to up here for the music side of things?
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you were starting your family and and that is uh kind of took your focus.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but you moved from such a rich history and to the east of Long Island, which it has its own history, but in a way you you have to kind of start start over in a way with the music community here.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean I was you know, when I moved back, I was really kind of putting it aside for a little while.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: I was focusing on the family, and then um, yeah, I just started just kind of naturally and fits and starts.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, uh found some people to play with.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um then I stopped playing with those people, found some other people.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, now I got a got a solid uh group of people that I play with.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then the gigs are out here, and there's there's they're fun, you know.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: They're they can there's a lot of you know, it's a lot of fun.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of good musicians, you know, a lot of good musicians out here.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: No, it's really grown, and uh it's interesting.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_01: I we've I've spoken to a lot of different people that have left or come back and kind of have to reassimilate with the uh the community, and it's nice to see it seems very welcoming.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: Uh they they like them, there's a lot of collaborations.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean everyone, everyone I've you know, I've encountered and met is just yeah, it's I don't know, it's a it's a nice it's a really nice scene.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: People are yeah, I I haven't I haven't come across anyone.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: It hasn't been funly and good.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's great.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm curious because I you know it's interesting.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: We watch we do the HM Gig list and other different things, uh, and there's so many shows and really just especially you're you're an incredibly hardworking musician.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: What's that like to watch?
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, how how has it evolved?
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there's a lot of different places to play.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: I know you do the Montacket and uh Kids Squid, which in fact is is how you're opening up the uh the Santa Harbor Music Festival.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: Well what have you seen over the past decade as it's grown in different types of venues and the audience for it too?
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_01: What's that been like for you?
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I mean it's it's you know, well, I played so much when I was in Memphis that now it seems like I I don't play that much.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but I do play regularly.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um I I feel like it was I I feel like after the pandemic there was a real uh like a bump in appreciation for live music.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I think a lot of I don't know if it's a lot of like they relax some of the rules, but it seems like there's a lot of venue.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: So okay, this is the people want this, and so like there was more of like a support of live music after the pandemic, and that's continued on.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because a lot of these places, you know, like kids squid, all you know, they do music regularly, you know, three, four nights a week, um which is which is great for for the musicians and the younger musicians that are that are coming up, you know, just starting.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: And they they you know, places seem to give a lot of people a lot of um opportunities, you know.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's not like they're not just giving it out to a couple people.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: They get you know, there's a lot a lot of support for a lot of different types of music.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're doing a lot of different gigs, and and this is of course part of the Sack Harbor American Music Festival, kicking off that Thursday night at Kid Squid.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_01: How do you approach that?
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: Do you approach it a little differently, or as far as building the set list or then other performances?
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: How do you kind of differentiate when you're looking at this performance?
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I mean, not no, not I mean I I rarely use a set list, so it's just kind of like what I've been playing at that that night.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, when you play these festivals or you play uh certain places, yeah, you're dealing with a like a real nice sound system, so that's always good.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: So that you know that there's like a kind of like a bump in the performance, you know.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but no, I approach it the same, you know.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I try to give every gig 100%.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: So not sound, you know, uh, you know, if I'm playing in front of two people or you know, 200, it's kind of the same thing.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's like um, but I'm excited.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: I I like this festival.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: I like how that you know it's it's all over the town, the town comes out, everyone responds to it.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's a it's a good time.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: So have you noticed any of the newer uh generation uh as far as uh in this the music field out there and and as they learn and they grow, has anyone stuck out to you uh that you've you've really enjoyed um some newer talent?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I th well it's just like in you know, in terms of guitar players, I was uh you know, the Marcus King is like stuff like that.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Is like I was watching you know my my brother-in-law, we send each other videos back and forth and we were sharing some videos and uh you know, like the Billy Strings, like those those guitarists are um um but I think there's a lot of good, you know, it's like um I don't know if you've seen that that Joe Lauro he put together that the the uh the um that movie of the Newport folk festival.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's just like you know, there's just so much good music, American, you know, you call it the American music festival, but it's kind of like that that tradition of what all all that music is, I think it's still it's still it's still out there, you know, and and it's you know it's creeping into different places, but there's there's there's a huge appreciation for all that, you know.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: Certainly.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever American music is.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought when I saw his movie, I was like, I that's just just like that's that's that's you know, that's kind of like the heart of American music.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's all there, it's like it's strange, it's like it is all over the map.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's like blues, country, folk, but it then it goes into all these different areas, and that uh that's pretty cool to see.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: So and I think there's a lot of that like you know, people are exploring some more of those different areas.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: For for sure.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh do you have you have gotten back to Memphis at all in the past decade, or have you just kind of No, I know no, I had my drummer come up uh when I first moved up here a couple times, uh once to record.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: We did an album, and then he he came out here when I when I first moved back, and then uh you know, unfortunately he had he's old, you know he's older.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: Fortunately, he had a stroke and can't play anymore.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: And then going back, no, I haven't I haven't been back.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: Probably will at some point, but yeah.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: Well you're you you're very busy, got another show.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: It seems like every weekend you got a few, and you're coming Thursday, September 24th, uh Kids Squid Garden Lounge, nine o'clock.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Right way to wrap up the first night in the village of Sag Harbor of the Sag Harbor American Music Festival.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_01: Jake Lear, thanks for your time.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: I really appreciated catching up and uh wish you the best.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: And when you if you're working on a new record, please let us know.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: I can't wait to hear.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: That's it.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for having me.