He is a multi-talented, multi-tasker who is a member of The Dears and Lesley Lane. He is also a solo artist and yet he found time out of his obvious hectic schedule to answer my questions. He is Patrick Krief. He is adorable. Is there no end to this man's talents? Read on...
SoundsXP: Where to begin Patrick! There is so much I want to ask you. I'll start with the guitar/bands and we'll go from there. You play guitar for The Dears and you also formed the band Lesley Lane. What is it like to be part of two bands and also have a solo project on the go! (I'll come to the solo project) Do you distribute the same amount of commitment to both band projects and your solo work?
Patrick: Well, its definitely tough to make a commitment out of anything when Im a part of a band with a touring schedule such as The Dears have. But the amount of emotional commitment is pretty even.
SoundsXP: For your solo project you have turned your attention to a manner of all instruments (drums, piano keys, percussion - should I go on?) And of course the biggest instrument of all, your voice. How does it feel to be fronting a music project in all areas? Were you nervous making the break on your own? Is it exhilarating? Is it challenging? What are you hoping to achieve with your solo work?
Patrick: It was something I felt I needed to do for so many reasons. I needed to sing my own lyrics, having other people sing them was ruining my life (Ive been doing it that way for years, before Lesley Lane, before The Dears), and dare I say, it was a decision based on lack of confidence and fear. I mean, it worked, and Lesley Lane is something Im proud of, but having people sing about these personal things in my life was tough even though I feel they sound better than I do. I just didnt feel like it was an honest way to deliver things, neither did a lot of people around me. I also didnt think it was a good position to put people in, sing it like this, say this word like that Paul is a much better singer than I am, so is Elizabeth Powell (Land of Talk - who sang on an EP/Demo I wrote a few years back), thats why I had them sing those songs, but for this batch, I didnt really care to have a honed singer. It had to come from me, it was a test. This is the first time I ever sing on a proper recording, with proper projection. For the other projects I would record the songs on an elaborate home demo, in which Id track all the parts and sing. Then Id bring the song to the band, and theyd make it their own. Sometimes things changed, and sometimes the songs sounded identical to the home demo. But the person I gave the least space to was the singer, and I think that was a shitty deal for them 'cause theyre both great singers. So yes, I was nervous tracking this record. I didnt have a lot of time. I tracked the record in a week. I may have wanted to use a band, but there was no time to get a band tight, I knew what I wanted, and I treated this as a glamorized home demo (and like I said before, Ive always wanted to track all the instruments). It was definitely a challenge, but I love challenges. I was totally wasted during the tracking, so that numbed some nervousness but I was still a tad nervous about tracking drums, but piano, bass, keys and guitar I had no worries about, Id tracked those instruments so many times before. The vocals however... I was terrified to record. Id never even sung karaoke. I had Clement Goulet engineer the vocal sessions; hes a singer as well as a great engineer, and not to mention a close friend. I knew he was the right man for the job, he coached me through it, and we tracked all the vocals in about 14 hours over three sessions. The record was tracked on a super low budget, I had a lot of friends helping out, it cost under $1000 Canadian to track, mix and master the entire album. I tracked 14 songs, I had 11 mixed, and I think its going to end up being a 6 or 7 track EP. As for what Im hoping to achieve with this record. I dont even know! As clich as it may be to say, if it could reach people and make them feel good in any way, then mission accomplished.
SoundsXP: You say that your influences are 'anything honest' Is it really as simple as that? Are there no individual figures who you can point to and say 'Actually yes, you influenced me greatly' Or do you not want to single out influences?
Patrick: Well, anything honest is vague I agree, but the influences vary so I just laid that out for simplicity. The reason I used those words is: I find theres a lot of bullshit out there, people putting on fake accents, or using voices that are nothing like their speaking voice, or singing about shit that never meant anything to them just cause its cool So, anything honest is what I look for. To elaborate, Im a huge Beatles fan, I doubt theres any question about that when listening to my songs. Im also obsessed with Jimi Hendrix. Recently I bought Desire by Bob Dylan, and its destroying me on a whole new level. The lyrics are amazing, and anybody that says Bob Dylan cant sing is full of shit! Great singer! I listen to a lot of Beethoven, and some other classical music. I grew up on Ray Charles, Neil Diamond, Diana Ross, Paul Anka, Phil Spector stuff, Fats Domino, Elvis.. Thats what my parents would blast around the house. My older sisters were listening to Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Bob Marley and Ozzie Osbourne in the 80s, they also listened to some dance music that I couldnt stand (which Im sure somehow has influenced me) But it was the Beatles (which my older bro brought to my attention when I was 6) that made it clear to me what I had to become. Im sure Ive left out a huge chunk, but you get the idea.
SoundsXP: Will you be taking your solo project out on the road. I love what i'm hearing. You've got a huge tour schedule with The Dears. Would you even find the time? Perhaps you could tour with The Dears as Krief :-) Warm up the Dears and then play with them? I'm sure that you would find the energy!
Patrick: Well opening as Krief for The Dears is out of the question. Its not something I want to do, nor is it something I think The Dears would be into. I plan on having this record out there in fall 2007 when The Dears are winding down from this tour, then I could do some touring with the Krief thing (hopefully)
SoundsXP: Would it be fair to say that your solo work is tinged with sadness? There is hope in there but what I hear first is sadness. Is this purposeful or just how it has developed? Are you a sad soul at heart, Patrick?
Patrick: Does singing sad songs make me a sad soul? I hope not, its like therapy for me. I mean, I guess I am a bit gloomy or intense at times, but most of the time Im joking about things that shock people. I hate the whole concept of being politically correct! I think its a load of crap for unstable people. All of my friends and band mates are crass and in your face, and we laugh at anything including (if not especially) each other and ourselves. The darkest motherfuckers out there are comedians, and theyre in the business of being funny. Metal bands are always sweet and stable dudes (from my experience) and they sing about death and the darkest shit possible. There is definitely a sad element in my songs; Ive seen a lot of sad things go down around me, and Ive always been attracted to dark things even as a child. But lyrics are just a way of analyzing problems, just me writing down my thoughts and observations. The song is the solution for me and anybody that can relate. Its not purposeful or intentional, just the way things happen, maybe itll change who knows?. All I know is that for me, its easier for me to pour emotion into a vocal when its about something personal, not necessarily sad, but personal. A few years back I dated this girl for 4 years, and the best way for me to communicate was to write her letters (even though we lived together) Once I start trying to talk openly about personal and dark things, my brain has a massive melt down. Writing is the best way for me to make things clear for myself and those around me, otherwise its just angry gibberish. The only other solution would be a reclined leather seat talking to some dude with a notepad.
SoundsXP: Where do you find the energy to divide your time among your commitments the way that you do? Are you always on the go or do you find time to
relax? Do you ever chill?
Patrick: Im not the kind of person that can live sanely without being busy. I need to be productive. I always find time to chill though. I spend many nights getting wasted with friends or alone at my favorite pubs in Montreal. Or I hang out with my bro, he has a place in FLA and Vegas, dont care where, as long as I see him a few times a year, I use that time to catch up and relax.
SoundsXP: Do you feel fortunate right now in life, Patrick? Are your worries over now? Do you think that life has dealt you a fair hand? Are you feeling optimistic about the future?
Patrick: I am fortunate, Im alive, Im well, I could be better, but Im in no position to bitch about where Im at! Im touring the world playing music every night, and Im not starving. About the future, Ive never been that optimistic about the future. I know how this business goes: youre in one day and out the other. Im trying to enjoy it while it lasts, and make plans for the future. Worries will never be over for me, Im a neurotic Jew; Im in a perpetual state of worry and fear. I always want to improve, and Im always worried that the music Im working on needs to be recorded before I die in some freak accident. Ill rest when Im dead, for now, I want to pump out as much music as I can. Im not nave enough to think Ill be writing my best tunes when Im forty something, the prime is now, so .. no The worries arent over for me, but the hand Ive been dealt is a good one for now, it just depends on the hand that my fate has been dealt.
SoundsXP: You have been wanting to embrace the solo work for years. Shall I be cruel and make you choose between your solo work and your bands? If you had to choose, what path would you stick to? (you may slap my wrist for that question if you like)
Patrick: Do you really need to ask that? Think about it? Im lucky to be in a successful band like The Dears, and I love doing it! The songs are great, I feel I have a lot to contribute, but without a doubt, any situation under which I can have more control is the better one for a guy like me. Not just creative control, but logistical, and so on. Ive never had the experience of singing live, maybe Ill hate it, it scares the fuck out of me, so it can go two ways, but assuming I enjoy it, I would probably choose my solo work. For now, Im happy with the way things are. And anyway the odds of my solo work making it to the Dears level, whether its as good, or better or whatever, are super slim! This business is brutal! The artist always gets bent over in the end.
SoundsXP: What is making you smile right now in your life and what brings a tear to your eye?
Patrick: My sister is expecting her 4th child, that makes me smile. The tear comes from the fact that the other 3 have grown up without me seeing much of them, and I dont see much family at all. The chance of any solid committed relationship with this lifestyle is impossible, so thats not exactly making me smile either. I just got off the phone with my mom, and I dont think she digs my record! That was painful, she was like ,, hmm yeah its nice but what about all your up-beat songs, its too mellow! Hehe.. Shes heard more of my songs than anybody, and typically, theyre more upbeat than this EP, so I guess it came as a shock to her. Or maybe she doesnt like the idea of her son being dark.
SoundsXP: Dare I ask you what is next Patrick? Apart from the huge tour schedule and the three music projects going on? Are you directing and acting in a film also? Running for president? (let me just press that superman suit for you...)
Patrick: Well, actually, Id love to do a couple of short films, I have some ideas, Ive done a few in the past, nothing artsy. But the priority is getting this EP released and starting to record the full length by the summer. Then soon enough, I want to disappear for a while.
Don't disappear for too long though, Patrick, as the music world will miss you. If you're one of the lucky ones with a Dears ticket for their huge tour schedule look out for the guitarist who looks a bit like Al Pacino (sorry couldn't resist, Patrick) He may well be coming to a stage near you in the future, as a solo artist, and if that happens i'll be one of the lucky people there....
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