|
6/1/05 Listen Local Artist of the Week Interview How old are you? I just turned 35, but apparently I appear as though I'm still in my twenties(!). I still look like a boy in some ways. Married? Kids? Single? I'm engaged to be married for the first time and have as of yet sired no offspring. Where were you born and raised? Born and raised in Palo Alto, CA (Northern Cali), at the Eastern base of the San Fransisco peninsula. There was this funny "commencement address" circulating a while back that was supposedly attributable to Kurt Vonnegut...anyway, one of the bits of advice in this pseudo address was "Live in New York [sometime during your life], but leave before it makes you hard...Live in the Bay Area, but leave before it makes you soft." Don't know how much this applies to me (I'm definitely a suburbian outskirts rat), kind of funny though. Dog/cat owner? I have an orange cat named Riley that's needy as hell because he was separated from his mother too soon! He likes drinking out of the bathroom sink, random glasses left around the house, everywhere but his water bowl seemingly(!). He's a little lovebug, though, and for not being a cat lover before he sure has converted me. Occupation? Oh, Riley's a professional lover/loafer...WAIT--you meant MY profession(?!). ;) I'm proud to say that I'm a full-time musician. I do my solo project, my band Alpha Ray here and there, I give guitar lessons to roughly eight students (steadily growing), I play classical guitar at various formal engagements (weddings & such), do the odd voiceover here and there (I sang on that annoying, ubiquitous Union Tribune ad that's still being played on TV and radio!), and now I freelance write--and update the website--for the San Diego Troubadour. Astrological sign? I was born March 23rd, 1970 at 5:15 PM, which means different things depending on what book you read. I consider myself a Pisces/Aries (The Cusp of Rebirth, according to Personology), but at least an honorary Pisces (my due date was the 16th of March, which would be Pisces III, the Week of Dancers and Dreamers). Anyone who knows me, even though I'm technically an Aries, will tell you that I'm very Piscean. 1970 happens to be a Dog year in the Chinese zodiac: Dogs are loyal, dutiful, heroic, respectable, and intelligent, but also cynical, tactless, self-righteous, critcal and worrisome(!). My Ascendant is Virgo, Moon Sign is Libra (born during a full moon), Mercury in Aries, Venus in Aries, Mars in Taurus, Jupiter in Scorpio, Saturn in Taurus, Uranus in Libra, Neptune in Sagittarius, and Pluto in Virgo. Sports fan? Not the usual sports fan(!). I've been watching Texas hold-'em poker torneys on TV lately. I always dig extreme sports when they're on...used to follow golf when I actually played (still watch the big events on TV occasionally, the Masters, US Open, etc.)...basketball is kind of my only standard sports leaning (I like to catch hilights and playoff games). I still skateboard and snowboard here and there, so whenever ESPN plays any footage of those two sports I get stoked, dude! Your best trait? I'm pretty affable I guess...I take people and their feelings/emotions seriously and am quite loyal and considerate to them. I think I'm a good communicator. Oops, the question says "trait," singular...sorry. ;) What type of music do you play? Hard to categorize, but something along the lines of alternative R & B and pop, with a dash of alt-country, and folk-jazz. I refuse to be corraled into one genre or style: too limiting, for I have an affinity for most musical forms. What instruments do you play? All of them. I sing, play electric and acoustic six and twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, mandolin, fretted and fretless basses of all number of strings, drumkit, all the auxiliary percussion toys, and keyboard, which is kind of my weakest instrument but I can get around on it well enough. Do you play with a band? Who are they? Lately I've been playing mainly solo...but when I do play with a band it's always my boys! Matthew Stewart (www.matthewstewart.com) on drums and vocals, and Nathaniel Flick (www.flikworld.com) on bass and vocals (I'm electric guitar and lead vocals). How long have you been playing? 20 years. Do you self-manage? Use a booking agent? I'm lamentably self-managed and book all my own shows presently! I might aim to change this once my next record is in the can... What is your ultimate musical goal? Used to be the proverbial "brass ring," but now I'd just settle for being able to pay my way through life solely on the music I create. Ultimately I want to be in a place where I'm creating world-class records on a frugal, grassroots basis and playing great shows, just meeting all the cool artists I should meet that will expand my horizons and inspire me in the creation of my own art. Living a life of philanthropy through music is all I want and all I can see myself doing. Hopefully someday I'll have sufficient clout to accpmplish this. How are you trying to achieve this? Through persistence, mainly(!). Just stubbornly sticking with it, which is all you can do when your music is incongruent with current trends. Trying to be the very best I can be, give myself kudos to keep me going, but never be satisfied with where I am, always strive to write, perform, record, and market better. Why should people come and see you perform? I don't know...I guess people should come and watch me play because what I do is totally unusual and out of the ordinary, with time put into the songs, different than what's on the radio and yet still catchy as hell, with good song themes and monster hooks(!). There's some really interesting things happening with the music and lyrics. I take a lot of risks, which can be exciting and entertaining even during the times when I don't quite pull it off(!). I'm an artist who's really striving for connection, has put the time into his craft, is trying to keep it real, and is pushing himself to innovate. I give it my all when I'm up there and my stuff is thought and discussion-provoking. Do you have CDs available? Yes, I have two CDs that I'm very proud of: 'Soliloquy' (2003) and 'Indigo Child' (2004). You can find audio samples and lyrics at my own website, or you can visit my two CD Baby pages and actually purchase them: What is your website address? http://www.simeonflick.com/ What would you like potential fans to know about you? I'm just a friendly guy who happens to play music somewhat well and needs support...I'm trying to make a point to be of the people, for the people, and by the people, and am looking for friends (not necessarily "groupies" or "fans") who are willing to take this journey with me, who are looking to be subtly challenged by what they listen to. No small feat, I suppose! What's your favorite live music venue? Belly Up Tavern to just watch bands (well, to play there would be great too!), Hot Java Cafe to perform at. What's your favorite local band? I really dig Gandhi Method, Flathead, Steph Johnson, 21 Grams, Sweet Tooth, Tapwater, Matthew Stewart...the list is endless. What's your favorite part about San Diego? The weather is second to none...but I like that there's a "scene" here, there's a bunch of cool people and artists of all mediums trying to stick together and build something cohesive. I've never before lived in a place where I knew more amazing people and artists than I do here...I met my fiancee Allison here as well, after all! |