Here's my interview with singer Marty Nolan
How'd you get started in music?
I have played acoustic guitar since about the
age of 16. I’m now 61. At 16, I learned a handful of chords, then I would
write down lyrics to songs I liked, and then try to figure out the chords that
went with lyrics. As to when I started
recording and posting songs, that has only been in the last year or so, hence
the name “Late Start Productions”.
Really, because we were not going out much during Covid, I had time on my
hands and started pulling out old songs I had written during my teen years and
in my twenties. Over the years, in
between raising three kids and everything going on in life, I still would write
songs now and then. In the last year I
have written many more and I enjoy doing it very much. It is a great to have an artistic outlet very
different from what I do for a living.
During Covid I also pulled out an old banjo I built back in my
20’s. I can play that a little bit but
was never very good. I’m a better guitar
picker.
Who are your inspirations or influences?
I grew up on Rock & Roll. My friends and I were into bands like
Aerosmith, Rush, Led Zeppelin. Then,
once I started playing acoustic guitar, my influences were artists like Neil
Young & Bob Dylan. Eventually I
discovered singer/songwriters like John Prine and Townes Van Zandt and they
blew me away with their storytelling and simple deliveries. I would say that would best describe most of
the music I create – singer/songwriter.
I change up a few songs now and again according to my mood. Today, I am in awe of the Avett Brothers, the
Lumineers and spend some time listening to Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Radio.
What advice would you offer aspiring
performers?
Explore.
In my youth there was nothing like what exists today for new
artists. No Spotify, YouTube. Today, you
can post music so easily and connect to other artists that you find
interesting. People will even include you
on playlists sometimes and help you promote your music. In the end though, keep it fun. You can enjoy making music your entire life
even if you never sign some big contract.
You can find peace making music alone, you can do it with just another
friend or two or you can put together a band.
Making music is great therapy.
Make some music, get it to where you like it and then post it on sites
where someone might listen to it. Again,
nothing like this was possible 10-20 years ago.
How do you set yourselves apart from other
bands or singers?
Lyrics.
It has to be the songwriting. I
have an “OK” voice, so it will not be that setting me apart. And, candidly, there are just so many notes
one can use to create a song. You have
to change up the tempo or the combination of notes to make something original. Certainly, there are artists who stand out
musically and I love them. I am an
admirer of them. But I am not that
gifted. I am a pretty good guitar picker
and that’s where it ends. After that, it
has to be the lyrics or how I arrange my songs that carries me along.
Any new gigs or albums in the future?
Haha, I have never done a gig. I was pretty cautious just putting my first
music up on YouTube. I’m not a shy
person but I was so timid about it I used the name Late Start Productions and
used an old picture of my grandparents as my cover photo. But, after a year or so, I am not embarrassed
by my music and I think some of it is pretty good. My brother and I trade songs back and forth
and we often comment “I have heard worse stuff than this on the radio”. So, the future will be continuing to release
my songs under the name Late Start Productions.
If I have get the opportunity to perform live I will share that on one
of the sites where I post my music. My
biggest hope or wish is that some artist would hear my song, like it enough to
want to record it, and then put the resources behind it to really produce and
mix it. I fly by the seat of my pants
and do what I can. I would like to hear
one of my songs done by someone who really knows what they are doing. That would be really fun to hear.
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