I'm a home-studio based amateur musician; working in multiple genres. Always looking to collaborate on recording projects. haneworderecords.bandcamp.com/
Music is a hobby for me. It flows through my thoughts regularly, and serves to both make sense of the world, and to frustrate the living hell out of me. I can't be without it and yet, sometimes, I view it as a curse.
If a person can relate to a song I have written, then my job is done.
A single person shouldn't be able to change the world. No one person's view of life is correct. There are, of course, things that need changing. However, change is a complex process, that is often over-simplified by those who seek celebrity as a forward-thinking world changer.
Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits. It's not the song that started my musical journey necessarily, but it certainly awoke in me a realisation that music was more than what the charts were telling me (ironically, this was in the charts). Because of this, I started to explore non-commercial music and my understanding of music has not been the same since.
Paradise Lost, Anathema, Pink Floyd, Alcest, Monica Heldal, Leafblade, Weezer, Johnny Cash, Ben Folds Five, Opeth, Behemoth, Earth, Kyuss, Pallbearer, Drudkh, Tool, Winterfylleth, The Afghan Whigs, The Beatles, Faith No More, Gojira, Neil Young, Megadeth, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Tears for Fears, Talk Talk, Solstafir, Sigur Ros, Twenty One Pilots, Type O Negative.
It may sound crass, but life inspires me to make music. Very few days pass without something in the world inspiring me to express a feeling through music.
It depends on the song I'm writing. I don't often get overly-political, however. My lyrics tend to be ambiguous, so the message is down to the listener's interpretation.
Nervous and, depending on the reaction, either elated or deflated. It's this that has made me decide not to perform live anymore.
It is ever more difficult to break through in this industry, due to a huge increase in artists; due to the proliferation of Bandcamp, Spotify, et al.
It has the potential to connect musicians for collaborative purposes, and to offer a forum to seek/give invaluable advice. As a means to change the fortunes of artists struggling to gain recognition to a wider audience, I'm not so sure. That's nothing against Drooble, just that audiences in a wider sense aren't adventurous enough to drop in. And, while I appreciate the need for survival, the recent monetisation of services leaves a sour taste.
My ability. I struggle to get the ideas in my head into tangible music. I have almost no knowledge of theory, and I'm profoundly tone deaf. I'm also a very lazy musician, and totally self-taught.
Rarely. But, in reality, the local scene suffered a down turn in the late noughties, and is only just recovering. That said it takes a lot for me to be inspired to see a gig these days.
Musicians need to be gifted sales and marketing people. I'm not one of them. I'm content to place my music out there and let fate decide if someone will hear it.
Leafblade.