A Conversation with Julian Velard – HuffPost 1.13.12
Mike Ragogna: Hi Julian, or should I call you Mr. Saturday Night?
Julian Velard: For the purposes of this interview, It would be helpful if you did.
MR: You got it. So, Mr. Saturday Night, why Mr. Saturday Night?
JV: When I was writing the album, I had a character in mind. I was living in England and had been dropped from a major label. It was a hard time. Up until that point, I was just another heart on my sleeve singer-songwriter. But after that experience, I had all this anger and frustration. So, I decided to smile through the pain. I started writing songs from the perspective of a worn out entertainer, a legend in his own mind. I love the Billy Crystal movie, Mr. Saturday Night, which is about the greatest comedian you never heard of. I felt this album fit nicely into that vibe: the greatest musician you never heard of.
MR: If it feels like “Love Again For The First Time,” will it be the last time for a while?
JV: I wrote that one back in my “heart on my sleeve” phase. It’s from the previous record. I’ve been in love twice since then. Go figure.
MR: When you fall in love, like you say in “Sentimental,” are you truly a sentimental fool in love?
JV: Absolutely. I do the same thing every relationship…I have an idea of the person I wanna be with and I’m constantly comparing it to who I’m actually with. It never matches, and then I do stupid things like stay up all night and think about it. Isn’t that the definition of a sentimental fool?
MR: (laughs) I guess. What exactly did you do to finally get to be the guy who got to be with her in “The Guy Who…”?
JV: Women never tell you what they want. The songs sounds exuberant, but really, it’s about exhaustion. I am willing to do and have done all the following things for love: Catch a bullet in my teeth, push ups in the desert heart, tame a lion, get black and blue from boxing with a kangaroo. You know, the works.
MR: You’ve been compared to Nilsson, Tom Waits, Elton John and Randy Newman. Are any of these guys influences? Feel any pressure to live up to that bar?
JV: I love all of them and look at their output in amazement. I’d love to make a record likeTumbleweed Connection, Little Criminals, Swordfishtrombones, or Aerial Ballet. It’s a shame that storytellers aren’t as much in vogue. That music was considered “pop,” and it was amazing.
MR: For the most part, your writing style and Mr. Saturday Night‘s production seem intentionally in a classic seventies. Was it?
JV: I definitely wanted to make a truly “retro” record, tip my hat to the music I love. Also it made sense for this album cause of the kind of songs I was writing. I don’t know if the next one is gonna be so 1976. Maybe I’ll make it more modern, more of a 1977 kind of vibe.
MR: (laughs) Your ode to fantasy singing, “Me And My Mirror On A Saturday Night” has the lyrics, “Call me crazy, call me Aladin Sane,” and calls out “All The Young Dudes” “singing with the spiders tonight,” all obvious shoutouts to David Bowie. Did you really fantasize about being Bowie?
JV: I love the idea of having a party when you’re alone. The song is about the king of the losers, singing into his hairbrush in his bedroom mirror, watching old movies, reaching out across the internet to the others like him. It’s a call to arms for the dorks. I feel like underneath the makeup, Bowie was one of those dorks. And really, who’s doesn’t love Bowie? He was the coolest, and the songs were incredible.
MR: How did your musical and theatrical sides develop? What’s your musical history?
JV: I’ve always had a bit of theater kid in me. I went to LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York City, a.k.a the school from Fame. When I left for college, I tried to hard to conceal my show biz aspirations, but the older I get, the more I let it hang out. I love the old school idea of glamor, tough guys with a heart of gold a la Bogart, Brando and McQueen. Plus every girl loves the guy who plays Sky Masterson in their summer camp production of Guys & Dolls. FYI that wasn’t me, but I would have been perfect for the part
MR: What advice do you have for new artists?
JV: Do something crazy. Mainstream music is all but gone and all that’s left are niches. Your chance for success is just as great if you’re Nickelback or Weird Al. And make sure you love it, ’cause in the end, that’s all you can count on.
MR: Do you see an eventual return to the classic singer-songwriter approach to recording?
JV: In pop music? I don’t know. The future looks pretty strange and unpredictable. The other night, I dreamed Twitter started limiting songs to 140 characters. I’m happy to carry the torch ’til the good old days return, and keep my fingers crossed all the while.
MR: Any parting words of wisdom?
JV: Be like Mike: Tyson, Jordan, Jackson. And Go Knicks!