This week Pink (or P!nk) released her greatest hits album in the UK, in amongst the media frenzy and continuous promotional work from Take That and Rihanna. And whilst the return of the famous five, Take That, and the undeniable superpower that is Robyn Fenty (more commonly known to you as Rihanna) is to be greatly praised and welcomed with open arms, one cannot, and should not, forget about Pink.

A 21 track album, lasting roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes, from an artist that nobody really seems to give much thought to. What’s the big deal? Everything. From the off you realise that practically every Pink track is something you have loved but never realised; it’s an album genuinely made up of hit after hit and ending with four outstanding fresh tracks that almost eclipse her previous work with their brilliance.

Emerging on the pop scene back in early 2000, Pink’s care free and punkish attitude was a world apart from other leading ladies Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera who were also just coming into their own at that time. While Britney pushed the boundaries on sexualising her provocative image and songs, and Christina sang about the perfect man and what a girl wants, Pink sang about the real life crap that boys put girls through and the real life troubles of everyday life. Pink’s songs were real, pushy and opinionated – a kind of music that would not be fully embraced until the arrival of British star Lily Allen six years later.

Nowadays, music is different. Britney had a breakdown. Christina’s career collapsed. And there was movement amongst the youth of the world, people were suddenly proud to be different. Lady Gaga seems to be the embodiment of this. She sings and performs everyday for the rights of the gays and the mainstreaming of the weird. Just recently her contemporaries Kesha and Katy Perry have joined the bandwagon, releasing songs that tell the world you are perfect just the way you are. Being weird is now cool.

So why is it that even now Pink is still seemingly in the background? She has been singing for the underdog since the very start of the century. Her everyday activities include campaigning actively for gay and animal rights in America. She released the huge hit single “Dear Mr President” that confronted world leaders for their mindless destruction of the world. She released the somewhat hilarious video “Stupid Girls”, parodying the talentless dumb blondes of the MTV generation. Pink speaks up and is proud to be different. She’s not stick thin and sexy in that conventional, and frankly boring, way that teenage girls strive to be like. She doesn’t care to fit in and be the perfect little popstar. Her latest single “Raise Your Glass” proudly proclaims an ecstatic joy at being the minority as she sings in the chorus to “raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways” and gives the listener a sense of comfort and pride to be an outsider just like her, “all my underdogs, we will never be anything but loud and nitty gritty dirty little freaks”.

When you inevitably go out this week to buy Take That or Rihanna, take a moment and consider Pink. Listening to the Greatest Hits… So Far!!! you will not only be treated to the pleasure of new tracks “F***ing Perfect” and “Heartbreak Down” but also 17 superb tracks that not only define a remarkable career, but a decade of music and an attitude that came a little too early for some of us. Pink is the ultimate underdog, and she’s fucking proud of it.

By Steven Dawson.

There’s a refreshing honestly to the sensitive and emotive lyrics that have that rare ability to  truly  reach into your mind, into your very soul and transport you to different place.    The son of hippies, born and raised in Northern California,  he’s already building up a vast fan base, which is just as well,  for his next album really does depend upon his friends and fan’s,  no  really,  it does,  literally!

Jake has chosen a novel, and some might say  brave, or others risky,   way  to get his new album off the ground   with  Kickstarter!    Now,  for those that don’t know,   me included, Kickstarter  is  a different and fun way to fund creativity,  it’s a website  where singers, writers, artists and other talented people put up projects that need funding,  it’s  then all about hope!  Hope  that  others deem the project worthy of spending money on,  however,   as Jason Shaw found out in this exclusive interview with Jake,   if the project’s target’s not reached,  no money changes hands!

So Jake,    first of all,  thanks for coming online for this little interview,   You’ve got less than 10  days left on your kickstarter project to fund the new album,  hows that going?

It’s funny,  because of course you never really know.  Though the timing seems perfect now, being in true pre-production and full band rehearsals for the album, really we should have tackled this effort much earlier in the year.  Thing is, I just didn’t want to launch it until it felt right. I take very seriously what I am asking from people, and I wanted  the gifts and pledge levels to feel “me”, to fit in with the theme of   the album and to offer my fans/friends creative items or moments that  were authentic and worthy in my mind.

And so it is….we need about  20-30K bucks to make and market the record, a bit more to tour it and we  are at about 12K with two weeks to go so far.  I have all the faith in  the world that we will get there.  People are so kind and generous and  because of the way I feel connected to those who love my music, it is fitting to be able to collaborate both creatively and financially with those whom have invested so much time and energy through these three  years with me.

I’m babbling, but it is very validating, very exciting  and brings me a sense of real peace about a project that is so life  defining, to know it will be made with no compromise,  no limits….to  present the best of my songs recorded to the best of my abilities to the  industry and the world.

Lastly I will say that though the $500 and $1000  pledges are   exciting and impactful, really my hope is to get as many people involved  and “invested” in the project as possible, even if just to pre-order the  album digitally…it all adds up and matters to me.

Has the fact that you’ve already reached your preliminary target  surprised you?

Honestly, no, only because I am so tuned into the reality of the people  who both follow and interact with what I do.  I spent a year on the  road, I write every day, I have played hundreds of concerts now and met  so many folks on a personal level, so I had an idea in my crazy worried

mind that this was something I could be confident in.  That being said,   because of how Kickstarter works, where if you don’t reach your goal you  get NOTHING, we had to set it at a lower number to make sure we at least   got the project going, even though our true goal is two to three times  that amount.

What made you decide to do in the first place?

This all started as a personal “journey” that was about the music and  the faces of those I was able to touch with the songs.  Though I have  big dreams for the record once we make it and am open to aligning myself  with a label or publishing house if it fits in order to extend the  possible reach of the record, my little team and I felt that by doing  this part on our own we really could follow our hearts and make the best  ART possible.  After that, come what may, I will have known I did  something without compromise that means something to so many.

Also,  originally we were going to make the record with a few large   investors, but that led to many of the same issues as a record label,    so…here we are…

Yep, here  we are indeed,  it’s going so well,   but there is still time for those that want to to contribute,   just visit  kickstarter for more details.  Now,  let  me  take  you back,  what  drove you into music in the first place?

I have always been an artist, a writer, an actor.  Went to college to be  a film actor and that’s how I got to L.A.  I had always done musical  theatre and tinkered on a piano but never really thought about being a  singer/songwriter.

Music had always been so important to me,  so holy,   so larger than life, a dream and I guess I never knew I could do it.  That changed the winter my heart was truly broken for the first time and

for some reason I decided to rent a piano (thanks to my Dad who gave me the money to start) and I basically spent about a year, almost two, of  my life alone, in the dark, with my bare feet on the floor and the  windows open learning to play the piano and getting through the  devastation and loss.  It was a true life crossroads, and for some  reason as I opened my mouth, this voice I never knew existed in me came  out, very rough but textured.

Now, having developed my instrument so  much further I cringe a little at my early live recordings and demos because they were so guttural and rough.  That being said, I would play  a show and half the room would be crying at some point, transported to a  place that made them feel.  I was so raw and alive and wounded and yet  as always so hopeful.  Somehow the combination ended up defining me and  connecting with a lot of people.

From that point on I knew I finally  had found my purpose.  It sounds kind of dramatic, but hey, I AM kind of dramatic…and so it is…

There is a real authentic, honest, almost  tortured hero  quality to your voice,  that  makes it so emotive to listen to.    But,   Where do you gather  your musical influences from?

Easy one.  My folks are/were total hippies and I grew up with the songs of  Joni Mitchell and Dylan and Neil Young and Fleetwood Mac and SO many  others in such a way that it is beyond influence, it is the essence of  what I do now as a creator of music.  Thing is, I am not them, I don’t  live in 1970 and I have my own story, so though they are my heroes and  ”inspirations” I know that what I am doing is uniquely me and I am most  proud of that.

Authenticity is everything to me…being exactly who WE are is what I try to sing about and to live my life is constant search of.

And now,   what artists  that are around at the moment do you admire,  aspire to be  like,  or   wish they had more success?

I love SO much music.  Big fan of Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams.  I love some country music and some pop music.  I think though my aspiration is to have the career of what I think is the best female voice I have personally heard live and that is Brandi Carlile.  She is  brilliant in every way.  She has had great success with placing her  songs on T.V. and film, she had a great song actually get played on the  radio (The Story) and she tours constantly to rooms of 1-3 thousand  people.  That is the dream.  To have longevity, fans you actually know  through the years and to have enough visibility to fill a nice sized  theatre wherever you go.

I think you’re already on the  way  to  archiving that!   Name a couple of people that you’d  like to duet with?

Stevie Nicks!!!!  Natalie Maines.  Brandi Carlile.  Adele.  Tori Amos.

Talking of duets,  you did an amazing cover of a fellow Brit,   Leona Lewis Bleeding Love  with Bonnie Somerville,   which is   really so haunting and beautiful,  how did that  come  about?

Bonnie is a nut, one of the most interesting people I know, complicated, beautiful and full of life.  She has championed me for a  long time and I love that woman.  We share the same manager and she called me one day saying  ”Let’s do a cover of Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis”…I was kind of hoity toity about it,    because it was such a   huge pop hit at the time and I don’t know…..doesn’t matter.    That  night I sat by myself and just kind of figured the song out, realizing it had the most amazing melody, that with my hauntingly beautiful thing I naturally do could be something  special.

Then once Bonnie sat  beside me and began to harmonize it was one of those moments, those rare ones as an artist where you realize you are a part of, in the presence of something very REAL and very special.  My friend came over  and we rented a nice microphone, set up pro tools on his computer and  recorded it live…well the piano actually and then sang the song in the this little bathroom closet,  in the dark of course.   It was magic  and it set in motion so much for me.

On Youtube here.

It  really  is an amazing cover version,  well  done!    Do  you perhaps have a  particular song or songs  that you are most proud of?

We Are and For Someone…

We Are because I close every show with it, and now the audience sings along and somehow everything just feels right with the world for a moment.

For Someone because, well, it is the song most people know of mine, the  one that came out of me in one breathe and says all the things I guess I  really needed to say at that time in my life.

Both  are really powerful songs,  although speaking of pride,  what was it like having two of your songs on TV shows,   I’m talking of course,  Wide Awake on Cougar Town and Alive and Screaming on Scrubs?

First of all, it was exciting to have something tangible to share with  all the people who support me.     Also, it has paid my rent a few random  and needed months…    Danny, who is one of the producers of the show is a  true fan and now friend who comes out to a lot of shows here in L.A.  I  know how much it meant to him to be able to find a way to get my work out there.

So  when you are going into the studio?

Next month we will officially record the first note!!

Oh  how  exciting,   on a personal note,   do  you  think that sexuality plays a part in your music?

Honestly, not really.    I really don’t identify myself  as a “gay artist”. I love that to those it matters to I can be honest and share who I am, but I really try and remain somewhat neutral so as not to take away from what any fan, straight, male or female may imagine  when they hear the song.   You want to paint the picture with subtle brushstrokes, leave room for personal interpretation and vision.  Songs from the heart, from an honest place, in my opinion, will of course have a point of view.  But my life and my art are so much more than who I love.  I consider myself defined by so many facets of who I am and long  to be.  I think what I can do to move along the acceptance and rights of  gay people is done by people loving what I do simply for who I am as a  human, then when they see, oh he is gay, all the sudden they realize  they know a gay person for more than their sexuality, more than what  makes us different…instead it is what connects us and what we share.

I believe we live in the most exciting of times and I’m proud to be who  I am, for ALL of me.

Tragically  there has been many gay teen suicides recently,  due to bullying,  what’s your advice on this?

This question is so hard.  I was just talking about Matthew Shepard,  about how from such a horrific act so many eyes and hearts were open and so I guess I hope the same for this time, and that these kids lives can not have been lost not in vein.

I truly believe it starts at home though.  Kids only hate what they learn to hate because they are inherently good.     My advice is for parents to watch what divisive hateful and ignorant  things they pass on to their kids.

Most of all, I guess my advice would  be to “be you”, and of course, to have enough of us telling them how  being different, though lonely and hard at times will ultimately open up  the world for them.  They are lucky to be different, lucky to be exactly  who they are.  I’m so fucking sad it was too late for these kids.  So sad.

Good advice there, and  yes, you are right,  It’s so  sad,  that  lives have been lost  through,  hate, fear, ignorance,  or thoughtlessness.  There is help available,   The Trevor Project does a wonderful job through their website and helpline.

Now, is there a  love interest in you personal life,  is  Jake in love at the moment?

Don’t you want to keep some of the mystery?  Haha……I actually am.  To the

most special man I know.

Good,   glad to hear it,  hope it  lasts a life time and beyond.  Sadly  we’ve come to the end of our time,  so,   just like always,   I  end  my  interview with a request for a secret,    don’t worry,  it’s just between us!

Haha,  umm  I started getting gray hairs at 20, and now at 30 if I don’t put some  sort of color rinse on it once every month or so I have spreckles of grey  hair EVERYWHERE.

I HATE coloring it, and everybody always says how much  they love it on me and how I still look very very young and it blends in and blah blah blah…I pretend it doesn’t bother me, that I am not that vein….so I smile and say “thanks” but always end up back in that bathroom with that dye on my hair.

Shhhhh…don’t tell anyone.   Seriously now, it’s embarrassing.

For more details and to get involved in his kickstarter campaign to fund his new album,  click  here.

Jake is also on  -

MySpace

Facebook

Twitter

You can also keep up to date  with this talented and handsome singer / songwriter and all round nice guy  at  his website   www.jakewalden.com where you’ll find more details about his music, history  and his life in a startlingly  honest  blog.

This new band create a fresh, exciting and rich sound. They are already setting social networking sites of Myspace and Facebook alight with excitement. A sound that is interesting, fresh, entertaining with meaningful and emotive lyrics are gaining an them an ever expanding fan base, so I just had to learn more about these five young guys who, collectively call themselves ‘South Jordan’

The band is made up of Michael David Hall, the sexy hunksome fella on lead vocals, whose voice is husky, deep and breathy and so packed with emotion. Next up is Bobby Campbell who plays piano and guitar. And also writes the emotive, raw, authentic songs with Michael. Mike Chan hails from Kuala Lumpur as is the bands happy synth master, David Witucki from South Bend takes on the bass and also provides the harmonious backing vocals. Finally finishing off this five piece nicely is appealing Evan Chapman on the drums.

Drawing from many influences, these young guys come together to make music with passion, honesty and power. Here in an exclusive interview, Michael David Hall, SoJo’s front man and enigmatic lead singer talks openly and honestly to our very own Jason Shaw.

Michael, you’ve got a lovely fresh and exciting sound, can you fill me in on the background, how was South Jordan formed?
SoJo formed 2 years ago when I met Bobby and Mikey through a mutual friend. Bobby and I were both writing our own music, and when the 3 of us sat down and jammed we just clicked. There was a lot of chemistry in our sound – it felt right.

Where did the name ’South Jordan’ come from?
We’ve lived on South Jordan Avenue here in Bloomington for 3 years now. We came up with the idea at Hooters …. yea…. haha.

You’ve got over 15,000 fans on Facebook, nearly double that on Myspace, are you surprised at how popular you are?
We’re always surprised at how far the music has reached. It’s an amazing feeling to have all this support from people over the internet. And its even better when we finally get to meet our internet friends at live shows.

Are you signed to a record company?
No record deal yet. We are going to New York City from May 18th till the 22nd – While we’re there we will be performing privately for a few of the biggest labels. We’re very excited for that shot.

Wow, that’s really exciting, good luck with that, but, What’s the best for you, doing videos, recording in the studio or performing live?
All of those are very different things. We’ve really started to love our live shows.. we’ve come a long way with our sound and our performance is getting better. The acoustic videos we’ve made (which can be found on YouTube here) can take a while to nail down – When we are filming those it can get stressful sometimes because we want the product to be as perfect as possible.

Oh that video for Firefly is really great, who directed it? Looks like it had a big budget?
Thanks so much – Dark Hound directed that video. The budget for that production was a whopping zero (0) dollars.

They are an amazing group of students at Indiana University who have put all their time into making movies outside of school. We’re so grateful that we got the chance to make a video with them… really grateful. It’s amazing that they made that product without a budget.

Where do you draw your influences from?
People think that this is a basic question… it’s extremely hard to answer this correctly for me. Bono and Chris Martin (coldplay) are so good at being frontmen for their bands….I like to study them. I love to watch those two men work their audience. I hope to one day control a stage like that.

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Any album by The Beatles. Those men wrote the best songs that will ever be written.

What’s the writing process like for you Michael? Do you sit and create, bouncing ideas of each other?
Bobby and I usually bounce ideas off of one another. We’re the two songwriters in South Jordan. I’ll send him a hook or idea and 9 out of 10 times it will be turned down. But the one he likes will be the one that our fans will love. And vice versa

What song are you most proud of?
I am currently writing a song about my sister , Aubrey. When that song is finished it will be one of my finest works. It means an awful lot to me

I can’t wait to hear it. The songs you do are all really powerful, so full of raw emotion, they have the ability to really move people, do you find they are easy to write?
Haha. Definitely not easy. Bobby and I are both relatively new as songwriters…We’ve both been writing for 3 or 4 years and it’s always a challenge to say what we really want to say. One of the hardest things about the POP music genre is that the songs are supposed to be immediately understood. We’d like to play with these radio boundaries in the future. We want to challenge our listeners to think

What’s the story behind the song Forever?
Bobby and I wrote that song out in NYC with a very successful producer named Kyle Kelso. We knew while recording the demo that that song was special. Its got a positive vibe and a catchy chorus that people love to sing along to.

Fatal Flaw feels very authentic, very honest, was this a personal tale of unrequited desire? Whats the meaning?
Bobby wrote that tune. It’s about a girl that worked in a coffee shop that he kept on going to see. (very attractive brunette) She was a tease, led him into thinking she was interested. The best part of the whole thing is that she has no clue that that song is about her and she’s definitely heard it before.

Ok, so let’s take a look at the future now, what’s next in the pipeline for South Jordan?
I think we’ll get a record deal within the next 6 months to a year. And if/when that happens we’re going to party very hard for a day or two with our closest friends and our families. But when the partying is over things will have to get really serious. We’ll have to work even harder to keep the snowball rolling.

Personally, I somehow don’t think you’ll have to wait long before that deal is offered, but where would you hope to be in, say, 5 years time?
I hope to be with my band. I hope music works out so I can help support others in need and hold a positive influence. Thats my biggest goal.

What’s the best thing & worst thing about being in South Jordan?
Touring is such a good excuse to eat McDonalds!! we pound hamburgers like its nobodies business!

The best thing is that I am living my dream.

The worst thing that could happen is a total loss of my own privacy. But one day I will try and use that to my advantage and be a great influence.

Ok, Michael, let’s get a lil bit more personal now,
What makes you tick, what really is the inspiration in your life?
I feel incredibly grateful for my family and my best friends. Most of the time when i’m sitting around with my dad I feel like Mufasa is talking to me. My dad is the strongest man I will ever know.

I am inspired by love. I think technology and society is distracting us from what really matters – family, best friends, the earth.

We spend too much of our time looking into computer screens and texting while we should be running around outside and having real conversations with people face to face.

Haha, hippies don’t have to have dreads i guess. That is what i truly believe

Are you romantically involved with anyone at the moment? Or are you too busy to look for love?
Haven’t had a girlfriend in a while. It’s kinda hard when you’re on the road with guys all day and you don’t have a girl to call.

I think all the guys in South Jordan want a girl. But we are climbing a musical mountain right now and life is very hectic between school and touring.

You’re a young good looking guy, did you know you’re already starting to build a sizable gay fan base? How do you feel about that?
Thank you very much. I am very flattered when anyone thinks I am attractive.

What’s your view on the fight for equality and gay marriage?
I think it’s sad we live in a “free” country that degrades minorities. It’s a joke that politics have any say in whether or not two people can be married.

So, would SoJo ever play live at a gay pride event?
Haha that’s definitely not our typical venue.. but I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t.

Any message you want to give the Best Gay Blog readers?
I strongly hope that those who give South Jordan a chance will be pleased with our music and our message. We’re a very young band but we’re growing so much, and the support we get is the fuel we use to keep getting better.

Ok, now, I always end an interview with a little request, so Michael, go on, tell us a secret?
I legit knew I wanted to sing by the time I was 6 – because all those disney studs were getting the hottest babes by the end of the movies because they all had great voices

——

I’m sure it’s Michael’s gonna be the one getting a lot more ‘babes’ in the not too distant future. I’m also very sure that it’s not going to be long before we’ll hear and see a lot more of South Jordan in the mainstream. If you take a little time to listen to their music, I’m sure you’ll agree, these young guys have a big future ahead of them. A record deal is almost certainly just around the corner, which I can hardly wait for, I’d also like to thank Michael for his openness and honestly during this interview, it’s great to feel the passion.

For more information on Michael and the other boys from South Jordan please visit their website SouthJordanMusic.com or join in the fun of the Facebook fan page they have, as Michael says ”It’s the most important site for us because we can interact with everyone that visits” and they do try to answer and reply to all the comments they get.

Jason Shaw

Jason’s very own interlude in this thing called life can be found on his daily slice of cake from England’s south coast – The Seafront Diaries!

Anyway,  back on track,  and  back to this morning,   so there I was,  checking online stores for man knickers when I dropped me me spoon back in the muesli and my jaw gaped.    I’d found myself on the American Apparel site,  not my usual choice of retailer,  but hey,  never hurts to look at different things now and again,  and this morning was a classic case in point.   There right over my breakfast  I came face to err crease with a load of bottoms!

Here’s the lovely Connor,  he’s a  Seafront Diaries fan!

In November last year you released the Sad Britney EP, now on the YouTube promo video, you mentioned that it wasn’t your intention to cover Britney Spears songs, so how did this come about?

I did ask,  but as yet,  still no comment from Britney and Jive records!

You were born  in  Milwaukee, what was it like growing up there?

In hindsight, Milwaukee was a great place to grow up. It’s not a small town and there are things to do, but it’s also not a big city, so you don’t grow numb from over stimulation. When I lived in Milwaukee, I had more real conversations than I do now. It’s pretty effin’ cold, though, and I don’t think I could live there again.

When did you first start getting into music and writing songs?

I started writing legit songs when I was 17. When my first real boyfriend gave me my real heartbreak, I started to write songs about it and performing them every Friday night at a local coffeehouse called Sunset Boulevard.

Whom or what were your early influences?

Musical influences in my early songwriting are Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco. I was really attracted to their emotional extremities and I wanted to write songs like theirs, songs that can punch you in the gut and then flip around and be so beautiful. I think you can still hear their influence every now and again in my songs, but for the most part I think I’ve shed that from my songwriting instincts and found my own thing.

Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you knew and decided to be a singer / songwriter?

Not exactly. I saw the realization coming and frankly I fought it really hard. I grew up really comfortably. My father is a lawyer and my Mother is a teacher. I went to a private school where I wore a coat and tie. It wasn’t exactly expected for my path to be that of a starving artist.

But, I can’t imagine doing anything else and I’m comfortable starving for it. I have love and a really fun life.

You have a lovely, silky smooth breathy voice that’s been described as transcendental, soulful, melted honey like, and aural wallpaper (I added that last one!) You’ve also been likened to James Taylor and David Grey and James Blunt – how do you feel about that?

Ha! Thank you. I’m at a nice place with my voice. I think that I understand it better than I ever have and am writing songs now that suit it better than in the past. It’s not the voice that I thought I had a few years back. I think I really wanted to be a screamer but have only recently come to terms with the fact that my real power lies in the softer moments.

Your songs, are without doubt touching, heartfelt and intimate, where do you draw your inspiration from?

100% from my own life. I write from where I am at the moment. It’s why my songs are honest and authentic. It’s also why it takes me a really long time to write them.

As they are so authentic and personal, is there one about the others that you’re most proud of?

On my first record, I’m most proud of ‘Over My Head.’ The song lived in limbo for a long time with verses and a chorus, but, once I stumbled upon the bridge, everything came together and the first time I played it was a great moment. I think I’ll be playing it forever.

Otherwise, I’m always most proud of the song I’m currently working on

Do you feel your sexuality plays a key part of your music, your songs and your life?

Not really. I embrace my sexuality, but I don’t rely on it. It plays into my music in that I’m very open and I always have been. I don’t feel like my audience is largely homosexual, though I’m always trying to reach more gays I definitely have something to offer them!

And I feel an obligation to be 100% open about who I am.

OK, let’s take a little more in depth look love and some of your songs now, the soft melancholic feel to Green Camaro is so atmospheric , how did that track come about?

That song is about my mother and the connection we share. The song is born from an old photo I have of my mother taken just after she and my father were married. They married young and they are no longer together. My father’s parents gave them a brand new green Camaro as a wedding present and in the picture, my mother is leaning against the car. She is so pretty and so young and she’s smiling but her eyes are so sad.

You paint a wonderful picture with sound and words, there’s also an enchanting, haunting, hypnotic sound to Driving to You, where did you draw that from? Were you really driving down highway 42?

I wrote that song in the car. I’d had a falling out with a very dear friend and we hadn’t spoken in years. I woke up from an intense dream about him and immediately got in my car and drove while the sun was rising 3 hours to where he lived. And I was really on highway 42. What I love about it is that it’s entirely about the journey there and was prompted it, but it never goes into what happens when I arrive. And it doesn’t really matter.

Now, forgive me for being a tad emotional here, but Has Been from your Never Was EP, is just so sad, so sweet and delicate, that a tear always forms in my eye when I hear it, how did you come to write that?

Ya know, there are many twists and turns on the path of trying to make a living off of your art. Twists and turns and ups and downs and it’s easy to lose faith in yourself. I wrote Has Been on the road after a really tough show when I wasn’t digging touring and was super homesick. I felt like a has been and then thought that was so funny, because how can you feel like such a has been if you’ve never even really ‘made it.’

Another powerful track is Anthem, what prompted you to write that?

I live in Los Angeles, and when Prop 8 passed, I was moved in a really unexpected and powerful way. I had just assumed that it wouldn’t pass. It seemed like a no-brainer to me. And shortly after finding out Barack Obama had been elected president – which had been a moment of high emotion – we found out that Prop 8 was most likely going to pass and it was like the floor dropped.

I’ve been with my husband for 8 years now. We have a really amazing relationship, a true partnership and it’s COMICAL that we don’t have the same rights as a straight couple. The song came from that outrage.

It really is a great Anthem for marriage equality, when do you think the fight for gay marriage or a same sex civil partnership law will become legal all over America?

Who knows. While the fight is obviously very frustrating, I think we need to take a step back and look at how much has happened over the last few years. 5 years ago, I don’t think anyone expected that the issue would have progressed as far as it has.

NOH8 founders Adam Bouska & Jeff Parshley invited Chris to pose!

What’s best for you, is it the recording or performing live?

Live. The energy of it. The connection with audience. The fact that it’s different every time.

How hard is it to break it in the music industry?

Maybe I’ll let you know when I’ve ‘broken.’

The hardest part is getting people to listen. I find that once I have their ears, I can usually work it out and connect. But there is so much noise in the world and it’s tough to cut through it and make people pay attention.

Is it difficult to make money/cover costs without a major record label behind you?

Not if you do it smartly. I spent an arm and a leg recording ‘Never Was’ and ‘Sad Britney,’ and while I don’t regret it, I’ve definitely learned that its in my best interest to be more cost effective. My next EP which will be out at the top of the summer is recorded on the cheap in my producer George Stanford’s home studio. And it sounds fantastic. It won’t take me long to recoup my costs. But ‘Sad Britney’ and ‘Never Was’ have a long way to go before I’m out of debt.

Oh that’s exciting, so you’ve got a new EP in the pipeline, please, please tell us more about that Chris?

The new EP is still untitled. I’m super excited about it. The approach is very different from ‘Never Was’ and ‘Sad Britney.’ WIth those EPs, we recorded the voice and guitar live and then added the other instruments around that. It was really time consuming because it’s a bitch to get a perfect take. I would do it again that way in a heartbeat because I think what was captured was really magical and is very true to my live sound.

For the new EP, I’m working with George Stanford. If you haven’t heard his own music, drop what you’re doing and check it out. He’s uber talented. Anyhow, with George we are taking a more traditional approach– laying down the tracks for each instrument with the vocal being the final touch. It’s a totally different vibe. In a good way. While a musician has his own particular style and each record usually follows that path, I think it’s cool to do different things. And different songs call for different approaches.

This EP will have a reworked version of my marriage equality song ‘Anthem,’ ‘Subterranean,’ (which I leaked back in August because it was done and I loved it and I couldn’t wait to put it out) and 2 other songs that I have been playing for the last few years but hadn’t managed to record yet. I think I will release it in June, but I change my mind all the time. It definitely feels good to have the next project almost done, though!

What is or has been the greatest inspiration in your life?

I can’t think of anything to say. Isn’t that awful?! My husband? Music? My family? All huge but none the single greatest.

OK, we’re pretty much wrapped up now, but just before you go, can you tell us a little secret?

Once at a party, Lindsay Lohan told me I was ‘hot.’

And I for one am not gonna argue with Ms Lohan! If you’ve not heard Christopher’s music before, then you really haven’t lived! I strongly urge you to do so, I guarantee you’re in for a treat. He has the ability to not only entertain, but also move you with his breathy, seemingly effortless vocals, his deep and meaningful lyrics and his easy sound and melodic tunes. .

You can download him on iTunes.

Alternatively here:

Never Was EP

Race The Light.

Antham EP

Sad Britney EP

More info about everything at his website www.cjdmusic.com

Or you can catch him live at one of these forthcoming shows and live appearances:
Up coming shows

8:00pm Tuesday March 23

Room 5 Lounge – Double Trouble Tour w/ Aiden James
143 N La Brea (Above Amalfi) LA, CA

7:00pm Thursday March 25
Dolores Park Cafe – Double Trouble Tour w/ Aiden James
501 Dolores St. San Francisco, CA

7:00pm Saturday March 27
Alberta St. Pub – Double Trouble Tour w/ Aiden James
1036 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR

7:00pm Sunday March 28
The Skylark Club – Double Trouble Tour w/ Aiden James
3803 Delridge Way SW Seattle, WA

April 17-18 2010
Phoenix Pride
Phoeniz, AZ

June 10, 2010
Evocative Sounds House Concert – open to the public
Cedar Rapids, IA

June 12, 2010
Milwaukee Pridefest
Milwaukee, WI

The full  exclusive interview from Jason Shaw with Chris can be found on GayAgenda.com

Jason Shaw posing here with a Christopher Dallman’s Never Was EP

Jason’s own blog The Seafront Diaries, the continuing stories of one slightly mad and forgetful Brit gut running around from one midlife crisis to another!

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