DM) What music did you listen to growing up?
MP) Pretenders, Journey, Replacements, Culture Club. (Wow
I can't believe I'm admitting to this)
DM) What did you like about Culture Club songs?
MP) The thing I liked most about Culture Club was that they
had some great pop tunes. Very well crafted yet overlooked because
of their wacky image.
DM) Do you ever worry about your image when you play?
MP) I use to worry all the time. Obviously image is everything.
Problem is if you lie about your image People can see through
it. I've come to the realization that truth is best. The image
you project has to be your own or in the long run you'll fade
away. That's why I don't worry anymore. Just go do my thing and
if people like it great and if they don't then so what. I can't
stand people who try and make me something I'm not.
DM) Do you ever cover any other band's when you perform live?
MP) I rarely do cover tunes but I have covered Lyle Lovett,
Partridge Family and old Pretenders.
DM) What was the toughest song you had to cover?
MP) Partridge Family "I think I love You" was the
hardest. The band and I incorporated an acapella 3-part harmony
in the breakdown bridge section. It was a hard song to do with
a 3-piece band compared to the original recording done by L.A.'s
finest musicians back in the 70's. It was a bitch to do live
but when it went right it sounded incredible.
DM) What music do you play at home to relax?
MP) Relax? That's an art form in itself. I'm usually listening
at home to Collective Soul, Del Amitri,
and Mathew Sweet. I figure if I keep drilling great pop songs
in my ears eventually I'll master the craft. I have little time
to listen to "relaxing" music. If I'm totally alone
for a few days I will throw on Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue
Rain Coat." Its all his songs sung by Jennifer Warnes. I
think that might be the most relaxing CD I own. It takes you
to another place for 45 minutes.
DM) What's your songwriting process?
MP) Worry, stress and then write about it. I try to write
about something real to me so that I don't get bored with the
tune.
DM) What's the fastest and shortest you've ever written a
song?
MP) I've been lucky a few times to actually write the main
parts of the song in one afternoon. Unfortunately that's rare.
Most songs I might work on a year or more developing each part
on a 4-track recorder till its time to record a new CD and bring
other instruments and accompanying parts. Some songs don't ever
fall in place till years later. It's an odd progression that
varies for every songwriter.
DM) Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
MP) The first complete song I ever wrote was not very pretty.
I believe it was called "The System" and it was a rebellious
little number. I wrote it about the public school system being
a scam. It had a lot of angst to say the least. I must have shoved
a novel of lyrics in 4 minutes of music. It's quite funny now
but at the time I thought it was the anthem for taking over my
high school. Too bad no one was listening!
