Pheaturing Leah West

Hello, and welcome to the latest entry of the Phile. This is my last post... with me being 41 years old. Next Tuesday I turn 42, and by then I might know the meaning of life. Here is other the big news that's happening in my life right now: after working at Epcot for the last 22 years and ten months I am transferring to the Magic Kingdom. I wanted a work environment that was more relaxed, with less kids and more steady hours. Did you see that President Obama has written a children's book? You can tell President Obama wrote his children’s book a few years ago. It lists 13 great Americans and they include Bernie Madoff, Tiger Woods, and Charlie Sheen. All of the royalties from Obama’s book sales will go to an organization that really needs the money: the Obama re-election company. Children’s books have to have a moral at the end, like “Green Eggs and Ham.” The moral was that you can eat spoiled meat. Rep. John Boehner is the new speaker of the House. Turn-ons include tax cuts and spray tans. Sarah Palin’s new reality show had very high ratings. It’s basically “Ice Road Soccer Mom.” There was a funny moment on Palin’s show when the Palins approached a brown bear and asked to see its papers.
TSA agents can now feel the inside of passengers’ thighs. I get more action going through airline security than I did all through high school. There’s a royal wedding in Britain, but in America, a man in Kentucky was forced to eat his own beard. Britain hasn’t been this excited about the prospect for a new queen since Ricky Martin. Prince William and Kate Middleton will be married at the ancient gothic church, St. Paul’s Cathedral, where every royal wedding has been held for the last 100 years. Either that or they’ll get married in Cabo. If you’re British, you may as well enjoy the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. You’re paying for it. Do you watch "Dancing With the Stars"? I don't, and there's an old man somewhere who won't anymore either. A senior citizen was arrested after shooting his TV when Bristol Palin wasn’t kicked off of “Dancing With the Stars.” Come on, John McCain, it’s been two years. Get over it. You would think a guy with a shotgun tucked between his couch cushions would be a Palin supporter. Los Angeles County has banned plastic bags. You know what this means. Randy Quaid has to find new shoes. Tiger Woods joined Twitter. That’s right, Tiger tweeted out that he has “finally decided to try out Twitter.” Tiger wanted to say more, but he had to give half of his 140 characters to Elin Nordegren. There is a God: Warner Brothers announced that it wants to remake The Wizard of Oz. This version is going to be totally updated for 2011. For instance, each of the flying monkeys has to be patted down and go through a body scanner before they can take off. AAA is predicting that 42 million people will travel this year for Thanksgiving. Not only that — 30 million of them won’t be talking to each other by the time they reach their destination. Everybody in the world, except us Peverett's, are gonna go see the new Harry Potter film today. There's supposed to be one more, but they decided to make an extra one. and here on the Phile, I have the poster for it. So, Harry Potter fans, prepare to wet your pants.

And did you see the new Harry Potter inspirational poster? Check it out if you haven't.

And now for the...


This is the 11th book to be pheatured in the P.P.B.C.:

It's available on Amazon, at your local book shop and in a LEGO store somewhere. The author, Jonathan Bender will be a guest on the Phile later in December.

Okay, today's guest is a beautiful and very talented singer from Kelowna, British Columbia, who has a her debut album out called "Beyond Words". She'll be playing tonight at Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna, BC, Canada. so, screw the Harry Potter movie and go jump on a plane. I would go but "The Good Guys" are on tonight. Anyway, please welcome to the Phile... Leah West.

Me: Bonjour, Leah, welcome to the Phile. So, how are you?

Leah: Bonjour Jason! I'm doing really well, thanks for asking. And you? or... et vous?

Me: I am doing okay, thanks. Okay, first I have to say I purchased your album "Beyond Words" off from iTunes and really liked it. It's your first album, right?

Leah: Wow, for the interview, I would have gladly sent you a free copy. But I assure you every bit does help go towards the next album, so thank you for purchasing my album on itunes! Yes, it's my first official album. I've done demos, but this is the first full length album and I'm so happy with it.

Me: How long did it take you to record it? It came out last year I think, am I right?

Leah: Yes, it's called "Beyond Words" and it was released July 2009. Marty and I usually finish about a song a day, and a few days to mix and master. That being said, the album took a few years because of money and the writing process and then choosing the right songs for the debut album.

Me: You sing beautifully in English, but that's not your first language. Your first language is French, right? I am English so don't hold that against me.

Leah: I definitely won't hold it against you because my first language was also English. In fact, French is my third language. Spanish is my second. I grew up in the US, and both parents spoke English. My father's mother was of French decent, but I never knew her. I'm mostly Irish with a little French, Czech and Hungarian in my ethnic background. And thanks for saying that I sing beautifully.

Me: So, you're not French? Sorry. Where abouts were you born?

Leah: I'm American second generation. My mother's parents were both born in Ireland. I was born in New Jersey. I've lived all over including New York City; Los Angeles; Costa Rica; Boulder, Colorado; Lake Tahoe; Big Sky, Montana; and finally settled in Canada in 2005 after visiting for a few years and fell in love with a place called Kelowna in British Columbia.

Me: One of my number one favorite bands is from Canada... The Barenaked Ladies. Are you a fan of them? Who do you listen to?

Leah: I love those guys, such great tunes. Oh my list of favourites goes on and on. I listen to everything from pop, rock, folk, dance, country, classical, jazz, blues, new age. I love it all. Good music is good music no matter the genre.

Me: Did I hear right that you grew up in New York? Did you live in the city? What was that like?

Leah: I grew up just outside New York City in a town called Upper Montclair, New Jersey. I loved it. It's such a melting pot of cultures and such a diverse group of people from all types of backgrounds. I loved being so close to the city where it's just a high saturation of the arts.

Me: Congrats on finishing in the top 3 of 3 categories of the 2009 BCIMA Awards. What were the 3 catergories and what is the BCIMA Awards?

Leah: Oh, I have to try and remember... I think the categories were Folk Song of the Year, Pop Song of the Year and People's Choice. I'm pretty sure that's right. BCIMA are to recognize all the artists and industry people in British Columbia outside of the Vancouver area. BC is a huge province, about the size of California, Oregon and Washington all put together. Lots of incredible talent right here in the valley I live in including Andrew Allen, who just got signed to Epic; Ryan Donn, a good friend who has had much radio success; and Daniel Powter who wrote the mega-famous hit "Bad Day" to name a few.

Me: There was a huge controversy about your song "Spring" being ripped off for Eurovision. Can you tell the story, Leah? And a lot of my readers are American and probably don't know what Eurovision is. It's the competition that gave us ABBA!

Leah: I actually never heard of Eurovision myself despite the fact that it dwarfs our little "American Idol". Eurovision is a contest involving almost all of the European countries and it's similar is format to "American Idol" or "America's Got Talent". Yes, it gave us ABBA and Celine Dion! Producers in Slovakia used my song "Spring", the same exact arrangements, same melodies, same production from beginning to end and pretended that they wrote the song, put Slovakian lyrics to it and had a beautiful singer enter the song into Eurovision. Somehow, by the weirdest coincidence ever, one of my fans recognized the song and told me about it. I hold legal copyright. I cannot imagine why these apparently reputable producers would risk their career to do such a thing. Just ridiculous really. They hardly changed a note in the whole song. Even teenage girls in Slovakia were writing me saying they recognized it was the same song. It's such a bizarre story that it made headlines around the world! Despite my panic and much wasted energy when this all began, I've also had a lot of press and fan support over the matter, so it has been a strange blessing in some ways.

Me: Don't feel too bad...my dad had a song stolen from a hotel room. Everything worked out in the end, right?

Leah: I've heard the hotel room story before. People will be people. Some are good and some, well, not so much. So far, I had have no issues with them contesting anything. I've had legal copyright for a few years now. I'm very diligent about that, always have been. Once the song is either written or freshly recorded, I send everything to the US Copyright office. I can't believe I actually had to prove one of my own songs, but I was lucky that I've had my Virgo personality taking care of details like that to save me arse this time around. The singer has admitted that she knew nothing and that the producer who claimed to have written acted very strange right before the contest. She apologized to me for the mess and was actually quite gracious about the whole thing and I'm taking that as they are admitting guilt to stealing my song based on all of that. I've heard nothing since and I have some really great fans in Slovakia now watching out for any activity on their part.

Me: You worked with Marty Rifkin who also worked with Springsteen, Jewel, Tom Petty and the woman who introduced me to you... Carrie Wade. How did you first get to work with Marty? Did he have any good Springsteen stories he shared with you? Or Jewel stories?

Leah: Marty was referred to me by a singer-songwriter friend who worked with Marty. Marty is simply an amazing person as well as a phenomenal producer. I'm sure Marty has lots of stories about Springsteen, Jewel, Tom Petty and others, but he's the kind of guy that respects the privacy of others and therefore doesn't talk about them much. He's discreet and totally professional and you have to respect him for that, because you know that he will offer you the same respect and privacy in return.

Me: And is that how you met Carrie?

Leah: Yep!

Me: Singer/songwriter Jeff Cameron introduced me to Peter Kearns who introduced me to Carrie Wade. You gotta keep the six degrees going, Leah. Who can you recommend that I interview?

Leah: Hmmm... I'll get back to you. Many, many amazing talents I know for sure! I'll hook you up with someone good though!

Me: Leah, you are a Jill of all trades. I cannot believe you are also a ballet dancer, an actress and a visual artist. What do you like doing best out of all the things you do?

Leah: You know I think life is life a moving ocean. I love it all. I've had my phases. Sometimes you never know what the tide will bring in. I kind of move around a lot but have been mostly into music and photography the past few years more than acting, dancing and painting.

Me: Have you acted in movies and tv? And can you explain what a visual artist is? I never understood it.

Leah: I've had small roles with many wonderful talents including Tom Cruise, Annette Bening, Gary Shandling, Kate Hudson and more. No super big roles, but I made a living off acting for a few years while living in Los Angeles. As far what a visual artist is, well, it's quite simple really. There are dance artists that dance; music artists that make music; and visual artists usually paint, sculpt, do graphic design or creative photography. Anything that is creative in a visual way. I love taking pictures and messing with the colours, contrasts, et cetera, and I also have done quite a number of oils on canvas, metal sculptures, pottery and more. Just love art and expressing myself. It's a great outlet for me, my thoughts and emotions.

Me: Leah, thanks so much for taking part with this interview and being on the Phile. You are working on your next album right now, right? Does it have a title?

Leah: YES! so excited for the next album. It's going to be called "Parachute" which is the title track. It's an album about letting go and blossoming. I'm hoping to release it by summer 2011. We'll see. And thank you for having me on this interview Jason, it's been fun.

Me: Can you come back when your new album is out?

Leah: You betcha! I'd be honoured.

Me: Thanks so much again. Go ahead and plug your website, Leah. I wish you lots of luck, and tell Carrie I said hello.

Leah: I will tell Carrie hello AND thank her for referring me to you! My web site is www.LeahWest.com and I'm also easily searchable on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, and Reverbnation. Thank you Jason and wishing you continued success. Until we meet again xoxo.

Well, that about does it for another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Leah for a wonderful interview and to Carrie Wade for hooking it up. The Phile will be back next Phriday on Black Friday (or Black Phriday) with musician slash blacksmith Layne Hendrickson. A blacksmith for Black Friday. Until then, have a Happy Thanksgiving, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye love you bye.

Pheaturing Inara George From The Bird & The Bee

Happy Veterans Day and hello, welcome to another entry of the Phile, and the last for a Thursday for awhile. More on that later. So, how are you? I am so excited they are playing Christmas music at Disney and the decorations or slowly going up. But for 22 years I thought the 60 foot Christmas tree at Epcot was real... then this year I discover it in five pieces backstage. I was shattered. Speaking of Disney, the greatest company to work for ever, this week every Cast Member (employee to you) was given a free copy of Toy Story 3 on blu-ray. That makes two things I received from them this week that makes me cry... my paycheck and the movie. Police in San Diego have uncovered a huge smuggling tunnel under the border with Mexico containing 25 tons of marijuana — and a couple of very stoned Chilean miners. So, did any of you readers run in the New York City Marathon? Sometimes they run episodes of a TV show and they call it a “marathon.” That’s like calling a bowl of ice cream a “lap.” The New York City Marathon is very prestigious. In front of the Plaza Hotel, runners have to hurdle over furniture thrown out by Charlie Sheen. Former president George W. Bush released his new memoir. By the way, “memoir” is just a fancy word for “a bunch of stuff that happened to me.” Bush’s memoir is 512 pages. To be fair, 200 of those pages are just games and puzzles. In the middle of the book is an Iraq maze which is pretty much impossible to get out of. President Obama is touring Asia making trade deals. He signed a $10 billion pact with India, brokered a deal to make India part of the Security Council, and got a $15 late fee removed from his Visa card. So, last Saturday Logan had his 11th birthday party at a place called Rebounderz which is an indoor trampoline arena. It was fun for five minutes before I cracked my back, fell, winded myself and seriously hurt my back. But I tried it, and for proof here is a picture of me on the trampoline.

It's fun if you are twenty years younger than me. Check it out on the web at rebounderz.com. I mentioned today is Veterans Day, right? I Well, I was so happy when I saw a Veterans Day inspirational poster. Take a look.

Okay, now for sad news...

Dino de Laurentiis
August 8, 1919 - November 11, 2010
He made Manhunter, Hannibal, and Red Dragon but decided to pass on Silence of the Lambs. Good move there, Dino.
Jill Clayburgh
April 30, 1944 - November 5, 2010
Clayburied.
Sparky Anderson
February 22, 1934 - November 4, 2010
Funny that they used to call him "Old Sparky". Well, kinda funny.

Megamind (Will Ferrell), the famously evil alien supervillain, has devoted his life to defeating the dashing Metro Man (Brad Pitt). But when his latest plot to destroy Metro Man actually works and Metro City falls undefended into his foul clutches, Megamind finds himself feeling rather lost. Incomplete and purposeless, adrift without a yin to his yang, he hatches a plot to create a replacement superhero and thus a new reason for being… until his new enemy starts wreaking havoc instead of heroism, forcing Megamind to question everything as he sets out to save the city with the help of a local lady newscaster (Tina Fey). So, a smart send-up of the Superman myth and the age-old precept of good vs. evil, Megamind is a refreshingly solid animated tale that soars on vibrant visuals, energetic vocal performances and clever writing. Its savvy comic flair and subversion of familiar genre stuff also make this one of the better superhero films, animated or otherwise, to be released in recent years. So three cheers for Megamind for saving us from the dumbed-down, dopey, or straight-up boring animated children’s films we’ve seen march in and out of theaters this year! From 1 to 10, it gets a 10 and yes, I will be buying this movie!

And now for the announcement of the 11th book in the Peverett Phile Book Club. Here it is!

There are 62 LEGO bricks for every person in the world, and at age 30, Jonathan Bender realized that he didn't have a single one of them. While reconsidering his childhood dream of becoming a master model builder for The LEGO Group, he discovers the men and women who are skewing the averages with collections of hundreds of thousands of LEGO bricks. What is it about the ubiquitous, brightly colored toys that makes them so hard for everyone to put down?

In search of answers and adventure, Jonathan Bender sets out to explore the quirky world of adult fans of LEGO (AFOLs) while becoming a builder himself. As he participates in challenges at fan conventions, searches for the largest private collection in the United States, and visits LEGO headquarters (where he was allowed into the top secret set vault), he finds his LEGO journey twinned with a second creative endeavor—to have a child. His two worlds intertwine as he awaits the outcome: Will he win a build competition or bring a new fan of LEGO into the world? Like every really good love story, this one has surprises—and a happy ending. Explores the world of adult fans of LEGO, from rediscovering the childhood joys of building with LEGO to evaluating LEGO's place in culture and art. Takes an inside look at LEGO conventions, community taboos, and build challenges and goes behind-the-scenes at LEGO headquarters and LEGOLAND. Tells a warm and personal story about the attempt to build with LEGO and build a family. Whether you're an avid LEGO freak or a onetime fan who now shares LEGO bricks with your children, this book will appeal to the inner builder in you and reignite a love for all things LEGO. The book is available at Amazon or in your local book store. And as always, the author will be a guest on the Phile soon.

Today's guest is a Los Angeles, California-based singer-songwriter, one half of The Bird and the Bee, a member of the band Merrick, with Bryony Atkinson, and a member of the trio The Living Sisters, with Eleni Mandell and Becky Stark. Her 2006 solo album All Rise was a KCRW hit. The Bird and the Bee's new album came out earlier this year called Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates. Please welcome to the Phile, the very talented and busy... Inara George.

Me: Hello, Inara, how are you? Welcome to the Phile, my dear. This is the biggest honor ever.
First of, my dad and yours knew each other. My dad was Lonesome Dave Peverett of Foghat. Tell the readers who your dad was.

Inara: My dad was Lowell George and was in the band Little Feat. He sang and played slide guitar.

Me: You were just a child when your dad passed away. Do you remember much about him?

Inara: Little flashes here and there... but not a whole lot.

Me: Where are you from, Inara, and where do you live now?

Inara: L.A. and I still live in L.A.

Me: You just did an album with Van Dyke Parks, the producer who worked with such bands as the Beach Boys. How was that collaboration?

Inara: It was really wonderful... He's an amazing musician and an amazing person.

Me: Van Dyke was friends of your dad as well. You must of known him all your life, right.

Inara: Indeed.

Me: Your solo album is called "The Invitation". How is that album different then the B&TB albums?

Inara: The album is all orchestrated... so it's really different. If The Bird and the Bee is 60's pop, that album may be 30's pop.

Me: Inara, I am a big fan of the Bird and the Bee. Where did you and the other half Greg Kurstin meet?

Inara: We met while making my solo record. He played piano and keyboard.

Me: Do you like collaborating with somebody else or doing your own solo stuff?

Inara: I've found that collaborating is a lot more fun for me. But I think doing my solo stuff is still really important for me to keep doing.

Me: Are you on tour right now? Will you be coming down to Florida anytime soon?

Inara: No plans for Florida yet... but hopefully sometime soon. We are not touring a ton...

Me: Okay, I have to ask you about your husband... director Jake Kasdan who directed some of my favorite movies. Have you ever acted in any of his films? What is your favorite film he made? Mine is Walk Hard, which has one of the best soundtracks ever.

Inara: I love "Walk Hard"... that's a great one. I wasn't in that film, but I sang on a few of the songs. But I would have to say my favorite is The TV Set. If you haven't seen it I recommend it.

Me: So, do you think Jake would be interested in doing a Peverett Phile interview?

Inara: Maybe... I would have to ask him.

Me: One of my favorite albums of the last year is Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future. Who came up with that title and what does it mean?

Inara: Thank you. The name comes from one of the songs, Ray Gun. And that song was inspired by a segment on "60 Minutes' about how the us military has invented a ray gun.

Me: Tell me about the song "Fucking Boyfriend". Nothing like a hot chick singing a song with the word fuck in the title. Did you write that song? Is it a true story about anyone in particular?

Inara: Greg and I wrote the song. And thank you. And no one in particular... it's just sort of a culmination of different romantic experiences.

Me: What is your new project, Inara?

Inara: A Hall & Oates cover record.

Me: If you could duet with anybody, who would it be? You and Duffy would make a good duet together.

Inara: Sure, that sounds nice. But I would love to sing with Prince... if he'll have me.

Me: Inara, thanks again for doing this interview. Tell your husband and Greg I said hello, and if they are interested in being interviewed let me know. I hope this was fun, and I would love to interview you again one day. Go ahead and plug your website and say whatever you like to your fans and my fans who will read this.

Inara: Thank you for having me... And if you want to know more about the band you can go to thebirdandthebee.com or about me myspace.com/inarageorge. Thank you!!

"Nothing like a hot chick singing a song with the word fuck in the title." Man, I am an IDIOT! I say some stupid things sometimes. My wife would say, "Sometimes?!" Thanks to Inara for the interview. I hope she wasn't bored. And I hope she'll come back soon. Well, that about does it. Like I said before, this is the last entry to be posted on a Thursday for awhile. Starting next week the Phile will be posted back on Fridays, or as I like to call it here on the Phile... Phriday. Next week's guest will be a beautiful singer named Leah West who has a new album called "Beyond Words" which is available to download from iTunes. Spread the word, not the turd, don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Patricia Cox

Hello, welcome to the Phile, how are you? Congratulations to China. They now have the world’s fastest computer. Just imagine what they could do if their people were allowed on the Internet. America still leads the way in the important areas. Paper goods giant Kimberly-Clark will soon start selling tubeless toilet paper. The new Brazilian president is planning to visit the United States soon. A word of advice: Skip Arizona. They premiered Justin Bieber’s new music video before a baseball game. If there’s anything that says “America’s national pastime,” it’s a Canadian teenage mop-head. Although many of her Republican colleagues were elected to the House, Christine O’Donnell ended up underneath it, with her feet curled up. The Democrats lost the House. Big deal, a lot of Americans lost their houses. Why shouldn’t they? Did you watch the World Series? After the Giants won the World Series, they had a riot in San Francisco, overturning Priuses and lighting clean-burning bonfires. Charlie Sheen filed for divorce from his wife. I guess he finally had enough of her shenanigans. Martin Sheen, the father of Charlie Sheen, is reportedly having a family intervention in Ireland. I’m sorry? They’re sending an alcoholic to Ireland? That’s like sending Lindsay Lohan to Bogota, Colombia. Well, tomorrow my son is gonna be 11 years old, and as he is growing up we are getting rid of some of his baby stuff. I looked through his books and couldn't believe he had this Dr. Seuss one.

And it was eleven years ago when I found my first inspirational poster. Check it out.


And now, from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is this week's...

Top Ten Signs You're At A Bad Halloween Party

10. You have to bring your own boos.
9. You burned your face bobbing for French Fries.
8. Everyone came as Bob Dole.
7. Clown is wearing sensible shoes.
6. Jack O'Lantern looks an awful lot like Ted Williams.
5. The guy delivering pizza wins scariest costume.

4. Instead of candy corn, bowls of creamed corn.

3. The wolfman is just some guy with a 5 o'clock shadow.

2. Invite arrives via text message from Brett Favre.

And the number one sign you are at a bad Halloween party...

1. 2,041 feet below ground level and lasts 69 days.

Maurice Lucas
February 8, 1952 - October 31, 2010
They called him "The Greatest Portland Trailblazer of all time", which is kinda like being called "The greatest taco chef of all time".

Today's guest is the author of the 10th book to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Book Club. "Ramblings" is a collection of short stories, most of which were originally written for competition in The Amazing Instant Novelist on aol.com many years ago. Please welcome to the Phile... Patricia Cox.

Me: Hello, Patricia, welcome to the Phile. And congrats, your book is the 10th book to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Book Club. How are you?

Patricia: Thank you, Jason. I’m just phine – a little amazed that I’m being interviewed as an author, but I am liking the idea.

Me: You live in Arizona, right? You are not originally from there though, right? What made you move out West?

Patricia: I'm originally from Rhode Island, but my heart was always out west. Hey, I love sunshine, hot weather, tequila and siestas - where else should I be? I grew up watching westerns on television, reading novels of the west, and wishing for a horse! As soon as my son was grown up, I decided it was time to make my move. I had investigated Colorado and New Mexico, but in 1988 I went to Arizona for a vacation, and an hour away from the airport I announced, “This is my home.” Two years later I was back. My first home here was on a horse ranch, and outside my living room window the view was cactus and mountains and a beautiful rocky butte that turned a luminous rose color at sunset. Heaven.

Me: You have been writing for a long time, Patricia, am I right? But "Ramblings" is your first published book, right?

Patricia: I have been writing pretty much all my life, from a diary as a child to beginning a novel in the 7th grade. I’ve had a few personal essays published and worked for a short time for a weekly newspaper here in Cave Creek, writing mostly feature stories. Since I am in public affairs with the federal government, I spend my days writing speeches, PowerPoint presentations, brochures, newsletters, and press releases. For a few years, I had a side business interviewing people and writing their life stories for them. It was called "I Remember When, Personal Biography Service. I eventually wrote five "autobiographies" that way. So you could say they were my first published books. But “Ramblings” is the first book I’ve published that I’ve put out there for public consumption and with my own name on it. It’s a little scary!

Me: Are you working on any other books? Or a novel?

Patricia: I am working on several novels. I still have that first one I started 20 years ago and plan to someday finish. I put it aside when I realized I didn't know what I was doing, and started learning how to write fiction. Since then, I’ve just about finished one titled “Chasm Creek” that I’ve been working on for 15 years. I’m going through it right now for a final polish, and then hope to get an agent. It’s set in the 1880’s Arizona Territory (of course). During breaks from working on “Chasm Creek,” I’ve worked on other ideas. I’ve completed a first draft of a novel, also 1880, set in Prescott, Arizona Territory. And I’ve started one that is based on the pioneer life of Sarah Ashurst, who was the mother of one of the first Senators from Arizona I wish I could write all the time, but I also have to pay the mortgage so I have that full-time job.

Me: By the way, Peverett Ramblings was one of the names the Phile was going to be called. Explain to the Phile readers what your book is about.

Patricia: "Ramblings" is a good title for stuff that has no rhyme or reason, right? What else could I call it, when it really is just me, rambling. It's a little book (98 pages) of short stories, some of them super-short (a page and a half). When I was first learning how to write fiction, I got into the Writers' Club on AOL. They had a contest called The Amazing Instant Novelist. Each week, they announced a topic and then you could submit your short stories, either 250 words or 1,000 words. I found it to be a wonderful exercise in self-editing and being succinct. Who would think you could tell a complete story in 250 words? But you can! So "Ramblings" is mostly a compilation of some of those entries, plus a few other things thrown in.

Me: It's cool how you stated to write those stories for an AOL competition. I was going to take part to, but never did. You won a few times, right?

Patricia: Surprisingly, yes, I did win a few times. The 250-word stories that are in "Ramblings" were all winners, and I think that's what gave me the confidence to actually let people read them! It was encouraging, and I've spent 20 years now learning how to write fiction: critique groups, workshops, classes, writers' conferences, and writing and writing and writing. When I looked at those stories again recently, they still seemed pretty good.

Me: Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

Patricia: Well, some of the stories in "Ramblings" were suggested by the AIN contest, but others come into my head different ways. Sometimes I hear a piece of a conversation, or I see people behaving a certain way, or I read a headline in the newspaper, and there's a story there. The best thing is when it just falls into your head. I know that sounds crazy, and I think it only happens when people are actively writing, so they are receptive and they've been thinking about the writing. For instance, a new last chapter for "Chasm Creek" literally just fell into my head one day as I was driving up to Prescott. I got to my friend's house and had to run inside and beg for a pen and paper so I could get it down! And most of the plot for the novel set in 1880s Prescott, AZ came the same way. I guess I should go on long drives more often...

Me: You must really like writing fiction, Patricia.

Patricia: It's like a drug. You start out feeling like a god: you create these people, you create their world, you put them in it and then you decide what happens to them. What power! But after a while, you find out you're not in charge at all, and they start telling you what will happen. The carefully crafted plot goes out the window, two characters morph into one, someone dies who wasn't supposed to. It's out of control! I used to hear authors talk about that and think they were nuts. I guess it is nuts, but now I know what it feels like. And it's really, really hard.

Me: Do you have any authors that you are fans of, or influenced by?

Patricia: You could say I was most influenced by James Michener, only because I read an article about him many years ago in which he explained that it took him a minimum of three years to write a novel: one year to draft it, another year researching, another year polishing. Up until then, I thought authors sat down to write and out came something like "Hawaii," a finished product! Seeing that it wasn't magic, that hard work could do it, made me think I might be able to. My favorite book for a long time was "Gone With the Wind," but now I have too many favorites, too many authors that I'm a fan of. But I will say that Larry McMurtry is a god. Oh, but so is Charles Frasier ("Cold Mountain"), oh and so is Cormac McCarthy and so is... !!!

Me: I am guessing you are a fan of Douglas Addams, am I right?

Patricia: Ha ha ha! Why do you say that? (Where's my towel, I'm outta here...) I would like to write that kind of humor. Humor is the hardest thing! It's easier to make people cry than laugh. I admire anybody who can write something that makes me laugh. I'm a great fan of Mr. Beeblebrox - I like his attitude. He IS the most important person in the Universe! And wasn't Sam Rockwell just perfect in the movie?

Me: I have to ask you about the cover of the book, a horses backside. Where did that picture come from and what made you choose that as a cover.

Patricia: Oh dear. Okay, I designed that cover myself from a picture I took in Monument Valley, a Navajo Tribal park on the Arizona/Utah line. I wanted to use the horse, but he was grazing, and that didn't look "rambly" to me, so I cut off his head and thought it would look like he was "rambling" off the cover. Since then several people have asked why I put a horse's ass on my book cover.

Me: Patricia, tell the Phile readers where they can check out the book and purchase it.

Patricia: I'd be happy to, thanks! It's available via www.blurb.com, you can go there and click on "bookstore" and then search for "Patricia Cox" and it will come right up. Or just go here: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1527924.

Me: So, when is your next book coming out?

Patricia: If I decide to self-publish again, "Chasm Creek" should be ready before the end of the year. My plan (my hope, my prayer...), though, is to find an agent and go with a traditional publisher. In the meantime, though, I'll probably put it on blurb so my friends and relatives won't have to wait that long. There are a lot of people who have listened to me talk about this for years and years, and they would probably like to see some results.

Me: Patricia, thanks for being on the Phile. I wish you lots of luck and when your novel comes out, you are welcomed back to the Phile. Take care.

Patricia: No, thank YOU, Jason! I'll look forward to coming back! You take care, too.

Well, that about does it for another entry. Thanks to Patricia for a great interview and for letting her book be pheatured in the PPBC and Terry Scholle for hooking the interview up. Next week I will have the announcement of the 11th book to be pheatured. And next week's guest is Inara George from The Bird And The Bee. Thanks for reading, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Carrie Wade

Hello, welcome to another entry of the Phile. How are you? Everyone is on strike in France, even the garbage men. There are huge piles of garbage rotting in the streets. It smells like Randy Quaid has moved in. In Paris, they called in riot police. They’re no joke. They crack skulls with baguettes and they unleash fire hoses filled with soft cheese. The reason for the strike is that the government wants to raise the retirement age to 62. Right now, it’s 27.

The judges are raving about Bristol Palin on “Dancing With the Stars.” Her mother must have threatened to shoot someone. Former President George W. Bush has a memoir coming out soon. Between this and Justin Bieber’s book, this could be the biggest year ever for literature. Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai, backed by the U.S., has been receiving bags of cash from Iran. That’s a conflict of interest, I think. There have been tornado warnings across the country, with at least 24 possible tornados. Possible tornados are the second worst kind of tornado. If this weather keeps up over the weekend, kids that are dressed up as witches and Superman may actually be able to fly. In New York, they’re still cleaning up from a tornado named “Charlie Sheen.” This weekend it's Halloween and I can't believe they have inspirational posters for it. Check this one out.

With all the Charlie Sheen talk in the news I am surprised CBS released a new poster for "Two And A Half Men". Check it out.

It starts with getting dumped. In fact, it starts with what may be the funniest, fast-talkingest, character-establishingest breakup scene ever. But the point is that it starts with getting dumped. Mark Zuckerberg is an ego-bruised Harvard man who takes to his LiveJournal to drunk-post about the lady he lost. Then he cruelly creates a "Hot or Not" site based on her and all the other women of Harvard. And then he creates Facebook, zooms past the competition, sells out his best friend, makes a billion dollars, gets sued and winds up dating his other best friend: his laptop. So the moral is that it's the socially awkward rage-penis that climbs the ladder to era-defining success. Okay, that didn't make a lot of sense but you know what I mean.
So, it's either a biopic or a loose interpretation of real events amped up to look like a biopic, but that's not really the point. It's really a somewhat familiar story about the ascent to power, just a different sort of power than the one that a place like Harvard could even see coming. Weirder, it was a situation that wrote new rules and felt democratic even if it was the work of guy who knew only how to get his own way, a social network invented by a lone wolf. It's part Citizen Kane, part Goodfellas, part Revenge of the Nerds and the most entertaining film you never knew you would want to see. If I had a buck for every person I've read or heard say, "Why would I want to watch a movie about Facebook?" I'd be a billionaire myself. If you hate life lessons, this is not your movie. Nothing makes me more annoyed in a film than when the lead character is an unsympathetic jerk and the filmmaker tries to make you love him by showing you his inner pain. Another thing I hate is comeuppances for the unsympathetic jerks. So thanks, David Fincher, for not rolling out any of that. This guy stays prickly, brilliant and unpleasant, while the movie demands that you admire his nerve, ambition and throat-slitting snappy answers to stupid questions. And the only person who gets an anti-reward in the whole film is the guy who had one too many feelings and didn't want to take risks. It's a David Fincher film so that means there's all sorts of green-screen seamlessness going on, from the too perfectly composed scenes of men rowing crew to the movie's coolest trick, a set of identical twins played by one actor, Armie Hammer. Yes, the great-grandson of that Armand Hammer. At one point Eisenberg is even seen wearing a T-shirt with the baking soda logo on it. Watch for it. From 1 to 10, it gets a 10 and is one of my favorite movies of the year so yes, I will be buying it. Now maybe they can make a movie about a guy who updates his blog once a week and does some really cool interviews.

This is the 10th book to be pheatured on the Phile and next week the author Patricia Cox will be the guest.

Today's guest is a very talented singer/songwriter who has a new album out that I purchased on iTunes called "The Old Ways". She'll be playing next in concert tomorrow night at Kulak's Woodshed in North Hollywood, California. Please welcome to the Phile, the amazing and talented... Carrie Wade.

Me: Hello, Carrie, welcome to the Phile. So, how are you?

Carrie: Hi, Jason, and thank you! I'm doing just fine these days… life is good.

Me: Okay, I have to ask, are you from New Zealand or America?

Carrie: I understand the need for the question. Even though a good deal of my debut album "The Old Ways" was recorded in New Zealand, I am indeed American. For better or worse.

Me: So, how many people call you Care Bear? It seems everyone that is named Carrie is called Care Bear.

Carrie: Well (smile), the good news is, it's not constant. Not because I hate it, but because I tend to like things like that to be personal and not global. I knew a woman for a while who called me that and because it came from her, and no one else called me it at the time, I enjoyed it. I think I've heard it once or twice since. It’s clearly affectionate, so it’s sweet.

Me: You are based in LA, right? How did you get to meet and work with Peter Kearns?

Carrie: I am based here in Los Angeles, yes. Peter had solicited on-line as a Producer through a songwriting organization and when I read his post, I had a feeling about him. I heard some of his sample work as a producer and liked the sound and his production values. We agreed to speak right away via telephone, I played him some of my songs through the phone and he liked them. With “The Old Ways” being my first real project and with Peter being based in New Zealand, it was a real learning experience for me on so many levels. I sent him possible songs for the album via a very basic four-track cassette recording. We agreed on the 12 or so (there ended up being 10). He managed to transfer my tracks of acoustic guitar and vocal to his music software, and built the songs up around the guitar/vocal. Some were real instrument tracks, some midi. He’d send MP3s of his arrangements, I'd give feedback and we'd continue like that song by song. From the beginning, Peter seemed to know the direction I wanted to go in without me saying a lot – extremely musically intuitive. Here in Los Angeles, a fine engineer/ producer named Meghan Gohil engineered a number of tracks and was and continues to be invaluable to me in his talents and knowledge. And Marty Rifkin slayed me in his ability to not only be a great talent in multiple things but a wonderful person. I’ve not stopped complimenting myself in the Finding of Marty. He was perfect in helping me to complete the album. We worked together to replace some of the midi tracks Peter had intended as guides but we kept quite a bit of midi, too. I was ultimately pleased with having had both. I layed the bulk of my acoustic guitar and vocals with Marty. And as a musician, he layed some of, what I feel are, great bass, pedal steel, dobro and slide guitar tracks. The bottom line is that I could not have been happier with Peter and Marty as my co-producers/engineers on the project. Brilliant, both I think that was a much longer answer to your question than you had intended.

Me: It's funny, I was introduced to Peter through Jeff Cameron and Peter introduced me to you, so you have to introduce me to somebody else to interview. Have you heard of Jeff Cameron?

Carrie: Can’t say I have.

Me: Okay, let's talk about your album "The Old Ways" which I purchased off from iTunes and really like it by the way. It's your debut album, right?

Carrie: Thanks so much for purchasing the album, Jason - very much appreciate that! And I am, of course, very happy that you like it. It is my debut, yes. Many years in the making. I wanted to do it the right way and I believe the album reflects that, but it took me a while.

Me: How long have you been writing music and playing guitar?

Carrie: I believe I started writing songs when I was about 20 or 21. I was playing guitar longer than that. Even though I’d been playing guitar for quite a while, I never really focused on it - no lessons, etc., so I've never really thought of myself as a guitarist until fairly recently; I consciously make the decision to believe others' comments about being "a good guitar-player". For many years, and for various reasons, I sang background vocals with original music bands in the Boston area rather than concentrating on songwriting and working on a career of my own. I guess I am as they say, a late bloomer

Me: You have a really good band, Carrie. Who played on your album?

Carrie: I was so pleased with the players. There are those on the album I do play with live and then others I brought in specifically for the recording: Instrumentation and Musicians for The Old Ways: Acoustic Guitar and vocals: Me of course. Drums: Peter Kearns, Christopher Allis and Marty Rifkin. Bass: Peter Kearns and Marty Rifkin. Electric Guitar: Adam Daniel and Stefano Capobianco. Pedal Steel, Slide Guitar and Dobro: Marty Rifkin. Piano: Peter Kearns and Adam Daniel. Strings: Peter Kearns, Benedikt Brydern (violin), Briana Bandy (viola) and Kevan Torfeh (cello). Harmonium: Peter Kearn. Accordion: Bob Malone. Trumpet: David Zasloff.

Me: "The Old Ways" is also a song on the album... what made you decide that was gonna be the name of the album?

Carrie: Many songs on "The Old Ways" reflect a rather lengthy period of time of struggle. I believe at the beginning of that period I was very much a certain kind of person. Prior to the writing of the title track I thought I had come a long way in my, call it “personal growth”, only to experience something that blindsided me insofar as my reaction to it being uncomfortably close to how I had [over-]reacted in the past. So, the song refers to a pattern of behavior that I had thought of as my old ways OR "the old ways". In addition, I was raised to acknowledge and hold compassion in my heart for the Native Americans and the genocide that occurred as the result of our attempt to and success in conquering what was their Nation. The Indians refer to their traditional ways as “the old ways”. So, there was that, too.

Me: I love the cover, but when I first saw it I thought that was a real tiger sitting by your shoulders. Did you come up with the concept for that cover?

Carrie: (Laughs) Yeah, turns out many think the tiger looks real, which I love. It was not my idea and in fact, I was resistant to the idea at first. We had the shoot at the house of a friend of mine, amazing actor and artist Daniel Mailley - wonderful house. The vintage Gund stuffed tiger is his and at one point he just grabbed it and put it around my shoulders. I tend to be way too serious for my own good, and I think allowing some lightness into the picture was ultimately a good thing. Also good because there’s a significant amount of stuff to chew on on the album itself.

Me: I am greedy for your music, Carrie, when is your next album coming out?

Carrie: How cool. Thanks, Jason. I don't have an ETA yet on the next album. Right now, I'm focusing on getting “The Old Ways” out there and writing for the next. I like working with titles for songs, and I’ve got some good ones, so I’m excited. What’s funny is I’m thinking of titles that would be good hooks in country songs. So, we’ll see…

Me: Not only did you work with Peter Kearns but you worked with Marty Rifken who worked with Springsteen. Are you a fan of Bruce? Did Marty tell you any good Springsteen stories?

Carrie: Marty Rifkin has worked with many well-known (and lesser-known) artists in addition to Bruce. He’s played on highly-acclaimed albums such as Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” and on Jewel’s "Spirit" album, amongst others. I met Marty backstage at a Springsteen concert at The Greek here in L.A. It was Bruce's tour for his album "The Seeger Sessions: We Shall Overcome" which I loved being able to witness live. It was more than a concert – real presentation. I guess I was cool enough that night to have a VIP area pass so after the show, I walked up to Marty and told him I thought his pedal steel playing was phenomenal. We got to talking and he told me he was based here in the Los Angeles area and that he also produced (and enjoyed producing) a number of artists in his studio, many, Indie. And, yes, I am a fan of Bruce's. I remember his original albums with the E-Street Band which were so powerful and then I loved how he later forayed into more traditional folk-sounding music with his “The Ghost of Tom Joad” and “Nebraska”. Brilliant. As far as "Bruce Stories" go, and I hope I remember this right, Marty told me they were playing a show at a huge venue in Santander, Spain to promote "The Seeger Sessions" and it was his (Marty’s) 50th birthday. Before he knew it, Bruce had the entire audience (thousands) singing Happy Birthday to Marty in Spanish, which of course, goes down in Marty's world as a pretty big deal and a great memory. I think the biggest thing that was worth hearing about Bruce, is that he supposedly is a really nice guy and a very generous artist to those lucky enough to have been able to support him.

Me: I read something that you are mentioned on Neil Young's website... or was that Neil Diamond? Am I getting confused?

Carrie: Neil Young, yes. Neil has a "Living With War Today" page on his website where he posts favored songs that have to do with the war experience. As you may know, he is very anti-war. My song "Broken Soldier" (not on the album) was lodged at #39 on the chart there for a while, which was a real honor.

Me: You play a lot of shows I see, Carrie. What is your favorite gig you have done?

Carrie: Hmmm... well, my favorite show ever could've been the release show for “The Old Ways” at Molly Malone's in Los Angeles. That was incredibly satisfying in many ways: the actual completion and release of the album after having worked on it for over 6 years, the great crowd of friends and fans who attended, the company that kept me company onstage and the response. Over-the-top. An extremely joyful evening.

Me: And if you could open up for anybody, who would it be?

Carrie: Perhaps Emmylou Harris - that would nice.

Me: Carrie, thanks for being on the Phile. When your next project comes out, come back, okay? Go ahead and plug your website if you want.

Carrie: Honored to have been invited, Jason, and thank you for that - I'd love to come back! My debut album "The Old Ways" is available on CD at cdbaby.com/carriewade and as downloads on iTunes. And I’d love to hear from your readers at: www.facebook.com/carriewade, www.reverbnation.com/carriewade, www.youtube.com/wadecarrie
www.myspace.com/carriewade.

Me: Take care, and I wish you all the best. Can't wait for your next album.

Carrie: Jason, thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to talk about my music and “The Old Ways”! The support is so meaningful to me and it's great that you're a fan. And, of course, a new friend. Best always, Carrie.

Well, that about does it. It's getting late and I am tired. Thanks to Carrie for a really good interview and to Peter Kearns for introducing me to her. Before I go, I want to say something important. Last Sunday the daughter of a good friend of mine lost her battle with Cystic Fibrosis. She was only 18 years old and was still studying in school and planning on going to college. I am honored to know Julie and remember when she was born and was there when she went to her first Foghat show when she was just a few months old. I am asking Phile Phans to please donate to the to help find a cure for this horrible disease. Please click here to donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Florida Chapter, Central Florida Office, 1850 Lee Road, Suite 111, Winter Park 32789. http://www.cff.org/GetInvolved/ManyWaysToGive/MakeADonation/. Thank you so much. Okay, now that's done, thanks for reading this week. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Elliot Ulysses Brown

Hello, welcome to the Phile. So, this Saturday on the 23rd it is our 13th wedding anniversary. Also known as I Can't Believe She Put Up With Me For Another Year Day. Philosophy is a struggle to answer the most basic questions in life such as “Why are we here;” “Where do we come from;” and “What the hell was Jennifer Tackett thinking marrying me?” Starting in January, couples can actually get married at McDonald’s in Hong Kong. I’m not saying those marriages won’t work, but when have you been to a McDonald’s and not regretted it one hour later? A man in India just moved into a billion-dollar home with 27 floors. It’s really hard to make excuses when friends ask to crash on his couch. He’s like, “Oh, ordinarily I’d totally let you stay, but I already have like 2,000 friends staying with me.” One of the 33 Chilean miners revealed that they all joked about cannibalism while they were trapped. He was like, “If you don't believe me, ask the 34th guy — I mean... never mind.” November 2 is Election Day. Americans will cast their votes and everything will remain exactly the same as it was before.
The White House canceled President Obama’s visit to a Sikh temple because you have to cover your head, and they thought pictures of Obama in a turban may fuel rumors that he’s a Muslim. It’s the same reason he canceled Turban Tuesdays at the Rose Garden. Apparently the Octomom still has 29 frozen embryos, which is almost enough to give one to each Chilean miner. I think it’s time for President Obama to build a border fence around the Octomom’s uterus. Hopefully Brett Favre won’t be suspended. It would break his streak of retirements.
Christine O’Donnell revealed in a debate that she didn’t know the separation of church and state is in the Constitution. I guess they don’t teach that at Hogwarts. Okay, you all know that Disney (the greatest company to work for ever) purchased Marvel, right? Well, real soon there's going to be Marvel super heroes in the parks... with a slightly different look. Here on the Phile is an exclusive of what one character will look like.

And here's an inspirational poster that I really truly like. And I agree 100% with it, which isn't a joke.

And now for some sad news...

Bob Guccione

December 17, 1930 - October 20, 2010
From the Penthouse, straight to the basement.
Tom Bosley
October 1, 1927 - October 19, 2010
Sunday, Monday, Happy Days. Tuesday - not so much.
Barbara Billingsley
December 22, 1915 - October 16, 2010
That's a beautiful casket you're wearing there, Mrs. Cleaver.

From the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is this week's...

Top Ten Ways To Make Baseball Games More Exciting
10. Replace Green Monster with green monster.
9. Three strikes and you're neutered.
8. Incorporate the word "Extreme" in some way.
7. Play with a football, have the players wear pads and helmets, use a 100 yard field... well, you get where I'm going here.
6. Have announcer read an entry of the Phile.
5. Bat Night featuring Ozzy Osbourne.
4. 9 players, 7 uniforms.
3. Skip the first eight innings.
2. Bases loaded -- with TNT.
And the number one way to make baseball games more exciting...
1. Steroids.

This is the 10th book to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Book Club...

It's available at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1527924 and in two weeks the author, Patricia Cox, will be a guest on the Phile.

Today's guest is a singer/songwriter from New Zealand. His latest album "Delirium Tremens" is available on Amazon and at iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Elliot Ulysses Brown.

Me: Hello, Elliot, welcome to the Phile. So, how are you, and g'day.

Elliot: Thank you sir, it's an honour! I am good thank you.

Me: By the way, I love your name, a very good stage name. Do you use Ulysses often?

Elliot: I never used to use my middle name, Ulysses, until I discovered that U.S. Grant's middle name was Ulysses but due to a mis-print they put his middle name first and added an S. Grant didn't have any names starting with S but he couldn't be bothered changing it back. When I was younger my stage name was Ulysses E. Brown for that reason. I've stopped doing that now, I'm not like that anymore.

Me: I have to ask, being from New Zealand, are you a fan of "Flight of the Conchords"?

Elliot: Yes I am, and I have been for a long time. I'm not a fan of Lord of the Rings, however, which is the other thing NZ has done since the War.

Me: You played in a band called The Stomps, am I right? Did you leave the band to go solo or do you do both?

Elliot: The Stomps was a band Jackson Hobbs and I started a few years ago. We were angry young men and we sang a lot of anti-love songs. We never wrote a single pro-love song. We had a basic 1/1 time signature and played at every dive we possibly could. At our best we played 7 consecutive nights and then died of exhaustion.

Me: What do you prefer, being in a band or being solo?

Elliot: I prefer being in a band, or at least playing with a band. It's frustrating playing solo when you know, for instance, that an organ should be playing with you.

Me: You kinda have a new band, right? The Candy Caps. Who is in the band with you? Did they play on the CD?

Elliot: The Candy Caps was what I called anyone who would help me record or perform. There were any official Candy Caps. The name comes from a mis-hearing of the words ''Canned Heat Tapes''. I guess the Candy Caps, who never existed, decided they were sick of me being drunk at every practice and so up and left for the coast to do their own thing. They're probably going to be more successful than I ever will be like when Brian Poole left the Tremeloes.

Me: Okay, let's talk about the CD. It's called "Delirium Tremens" which is not an easy name to remember. What made you name the album the after the song of the same name?

Elliot: I have thought about this since deciding on the name. It is difficult to remember and the name isn't immediately appealing unless you have heard the term before. People are more familiar with the expression DTs than Delirium Tremens. The reason I chose that as the album title was because it was played on the radio more than any of the other songs I've ever recorded, and was getting a lot of airplay when I was compiling the album. The other reason I chose that as the title track was because I was polishing off at least three litres of wine per day when all of those tracks on the album were recorded, so it's a pretty central theme.

Me: I purchased the album off from iTunes and really enjoyed it. It took you two years to record it, right?

Elliot: Thank you! Well, it is a compilation of two years' recording. I never had the idea to record the album then spent two years working on it, the album really only took about two days to make.

Me: Who are your influences and idols?

Elliot: My most recent two heroes are Jimmie Driftwood and Townes Van Zandt. Van Zandt doesn't need to be explained but Jimmie Driftwood is almost completely obscure. He was a schoolteacher and folklorist from the Arkansas Ozarks born in 1907 and he wrote over 6, 000 songs including The Battle of New Orleans, Tennessee Stud, and Banjer Pickin' Man. He has changed my approach to music more than any other musical hero I have ever discovered. There was a period recently when I actually couldn't listen to anything except Jimmy Driftwood songs. There's a comforting lesson for all of us young songwriters who are struggling: look at Jimmy D., he was better than all of us and lived in relative obscurity all his life. I guess that may account for the fact that he remained so productive over all those years-fame and fortune never got a chance to make him start sucking. The only other influence which comes close, for me anyway, is Hank Williams. He taught me a lot about songwriting too, but then again he influenced EVERYONE. Edgar A. Poe, of all people, has probably had the most influence over the way I meter lyrics.

Me: I read that you are planning on coming to the States. Is that to live or to tour? Any plans to play in Florida?

Elliot: I have wanted to come to Florida since I was about 6. There was a competition on where if you collected enough lemonade bottle wrappers and sent them in you'd be put in the draw for a 3-week holiday there. I also want to see the Everglades after hearing the Kingston Trio song "Everglades" and growing up listening to Jim Stafford. I have been intending to come to the States for some time but have never had enough money to get there. There are quite a few really good underground bands in the US that have offered to set up tours with me and have offered accommodation, but the problem is getting to the US in the first place. I have considered stowing away on a freight ship. If I ever do get to the US I will tell them that's how I got there, unless it's true, in which case I'll tell them I got there legitimately. I would love to live in the US eventually, especially in the South, but that's a long-term plan.

Me: Also, I noticed that you have a few videos on youtube done by yourself and fans. You are very good to your fans, letting them make their own videos. Was that your idea? It's a very good one to say the least.

Elliot: Haha, thank you! Yes it was my idea but it came out of desperation. I simply don't have the means or the talent to make my own videos so if I were to get any videos made at all it had to be through other people. I'm very grateful for all the people who have made music videos for me and am surprised that most of them have come from countries other than New Zealand.

Me: So, Elliott, what is your next plan? Any new music coming out?

Elliot: I always have a backlog of songs I want to record but finding people to record me for free is not always easy. At the moment I'm trying to find some free recording hours to get as many songs recorded as I can. I don't have any plans for another album as yet though, but I'm sure it will happen within the year (assuming I get free recording time). I also play live country/traditional music with a few other young country music bands in the area (as well as performing original music). Here in NZ in one of our cities called Christchurch (in the South Island) has recently had an earthquake so there will be a lot of reconstruction work going on down there over the next year or so. I might jump on that wagon and save up some money. I hear they like country music down there which suits me. At the moment I am a busker (which means I play guitar out on the street with the hope that people will throw coins into the hat).

Me: Like I said I love your album "Delirium Tremens" and I cannot wait to hear more music from you. Go ahead and plug your website if you want and anything else. When you come to the States you are welcomed back to the Phile.

Elliot: Well, most of my new music gets posted on either youtube (youtube.com/rogermiler) and myspace.com/elijahbrownmusic and also I have a website which some kind Americans have set up for me elliotbrownmusic.com which has a heap of stuff on there, please check it out! Incidentally I have recently discovered that some kind person has made a Wikipedia page for me which has some good links on it.

Me: Thanks for taking part and continued sucess.

Elliot: Thank you very much for the interview! When I'm in Florida we will have to have some corn whiskey and cider!

Corn whiskey and cider? Yuck. I'd rather just have a beer. Anyway, thanks to Elliot for a really good interview. The Phile will be back next week with another New Zealander I think... recording artist Carrie Wade. Then the week after that it's Peverett Phile Book Club author Patricia Cox. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let alligators and snakes bite you. Thanks for reading, bye love you bye.