10 Quick Ones with BRETT EMMONS of THE GLORIOUS SONS – September 2018

According to a recent press release: “Los Angeles, CA – The Glorious Sons are excited to announce that they will be opening for Welshly Arms on their ‘No Place Is Home’ Tour this fall. The JUNO-award winning rock band will provide direct support and also share the stage with Charming Liars. The first leg of dates launches September 25th in Kansas City, MO, with the second installment beginning on October 14th in Houston, TX. The trek also hits major cities including Chicago, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Nashville, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. At the end of October, the guys will also head out on a massive headline run across Canada, finishing at the Scotiabank Arena (formerly the Air Canada Centre) on November 22nd.”  We get frontman Brett Emmons to discuss new music, influences, and much more in our 10 Quick Ones…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

I mean, that’s a pretty hard question to answer. I’m sure people’s ears lend themselves to different things depending on the person. I would say Chris Koster’s background vocals are very important and pretty understated. So that might be one thing. Also, perhaps the yells in the background of “My Poor Heart.” Other than that, certain things are turned up and turned down for a reason. Some things are meant to be felt, not heard. And some things are meant to be heard and felt.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I was asked to join a band in high school. They kicked me out because I wasn’t a “real” singer. So, I picked up my brother’s guitar and started singing the same song over and over again until my voice started sounding good to myself. Then I approached my friends about starting a band in gym class one day. That night my best friend Shane and I went to Richard Storms’ house and wrote a song called “Rags”. About a month later we entered a battle of the bands and I won best singer. I was completely hooked after that. I quit caring about everything else. All I wanted to be was a rock and roller.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Here are some, perhaps not my main: AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, The Killers, Bob Dylan.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Maybe Dave Cobb. He’s produced a lot of my favorite albums lately. He definitely has a stamp. I’m not sure it would work for our band. But I would be very interested to see how that man works.

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Rock and Roll in the 21st century.

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

The shows, the songs, the fans. It’s all a rush in its own right. There are obviously some down sides to the job as well. But they all tend to disappear on stage, or in your bedroom, when you’re singing something you wrote that you love.

7. When the band is all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Jay and Packer are generally the cooks. They are the best chefs in the band. Everybody seems to enjoy their fair share of drinks. Koster chooses the movie. I am usually off in some corner playing the guitar and singing. Mamba might be flying his drone or watching the movie. He’s kind of the wildcard.

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

A writer. Maybe a novelist, journalist, poet, maybe a songwriter. I just love to write.

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?  If so, please tell us about that.

I wouldn’t be able to pin point any moment  or step. I look back and wish sometimes I would have been a bit more careful with my body and mind. It’s very easy to feel bigger than you are in this business, and right now I’m at a point where I’m trying to make some lifestyle changes. In the end, I think it’s just really important to be able to separate the person you are on stage, from the person you are just walking around.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run. I’ve heard that that period was very stressful. I think it might have been his last chance to produce a hit album with his label. In my opinion it’s a masterpiece. And I would love to be able to see what a man looks like performing at that level under such stress. I’m sure it wasn’t very glamorous.

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Category: Interviews