A Conversation with Bobby Long – HuffPost 5.25.11

Mike Ragogna: Bobby, your style has been compared to that of “…an early Bob Dylan” by Pollstar, and your song “Penance Fire Blues” is a good example. Do you feel there are any similarities between you and him, and are you a fan?

Bobby Long: I think a lot of people get compared to him because he is so influential. When people see a solo performer who plays harmonica a bit, you always get the Dylan tag. I love his music but there are others who i am influenced by as much as him.

MR: Your album A Winter Tale seems to be a collection of introspective songs. Did you write them from personal experience?

BL: I think they all came from a personal place, but I’m not sure they all came from a direct experience. Often, the thing with writing is you can throw yourself temporarily into a situation or a feeling. As it’s coming from you, it always has a personal feel, but imagination is an important and fun tool.

MR: Would you describe your style as “folk”?

BL: I thing that there are folk influences, but “folk” now is such a broad genre. In terms of the traditional ideas of folk music like storytelling, I think that some of my stuff floats inside the boundaries of that.

MR: Songs like “In The Frost” and “The Bounty Of Mary Jane” seem to emphasize your British roots, considering the topics, lyrics, and melodies. On the other hand, “Sick Man Blues” seems pure U.S. folk-country. Who were your musical influences, both British and American?

BL: On the American side, I love Dylan, Young, The Band, Elliott Smith, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman and lots more. English bands The Beatles, The Kinks, the Who, Zeppelin, The Stones, and loads more. I listen to a lot of different music from all different times.

MR: How did you land The White Stripes’ producer, Liam Watson, for A Winter Tale?

BL: He was producing my best friend’s band, and we hung out and found we got on well. An opportunity sprang up, and we just fell into it. I just started with a 4-day session where we recorded 5 songs, and then I decided I would do the album there.

MR: What was it like working with him?

BL: Hes great and knows how to get the best out of everyone. He also has a really great team around him so the whole experience was a lot of fun.

MR: What was it like working with Nona Hendryx?

BL: She is incredibly kind and really supportive with new artists. She took 10 minutes to do her part, and told us some great stories and left. She has always been really good to me, and I felt lucky she sang on my record.

MR: Where will your album tour take you in the coming year?

BL: So far, me and my band have been all over the US and Canada, and I just came back from Australia. I’m heading to Europe in a week to play some shows there too. It’s been really great so far, and I’m excited for what’s to come.

MR: What’s your advice for new artists?

BL: Just to stick to your guns and work hard.