5 Q&A With The Texas Governor
How did everything come together?
Dylan’s been an inspiration for years. He’s like the RFK JR of music, in that musically speaking he is A-Political. All kinds of people HATE Dylan. All kinds of people LOVE Dylan. Robert Marchewka (Klown) and Dan Blakeslee throw this “Bob Dylan Million Dollar Birthday Bash” every year at the Press Room and all kinds of crazy people come out to play Dylan songs - yours truly included. Hippies, Beatnicks, Fishermen, Hunters, NASCAR aficionados, even Eskimos - Dylan fans span the extremes of human existence. I digress - I was preparing to play the show and I decided to record 3 of my favorite Dylan classics. I had so much fun with them and decided to put them out as an EP. ‘The Texas Governor vs Bob Dylan.’
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for 'The Texas Governor vs Bob Dylan' to life?
I recorded these myself in my famous homeless shelter/studio. It sounded surprisingly gooood so I decided to send “Positively 4th Street” to my pal Anthony J. Resta, who’s kind of a superstar producer out in Laurel Canyon. He’s worked with all kinds of artists from Nuno Bettencourt to Duran Duran. I begged him to add some drums as I know he loves Dylan and he sent back an 808 Drum Beat and these Demented Atari sounds he made with vintage toys. At first I had no idea how to work with them but then it sounded alive and fresh so I recut all the vocals and I think it might be my favorite track.
Next, I gave Eric Ott, “Simple Twist of Fate” to mix. Seana Carmody of the The Swirlies came in to add some harmonies. I was expecting a breathy performance but she somehow suddenly had this deep colorful Irish Brogue that I never noticed and she sort of weaves all around my vocals yet is always in perfect tune. I LOVE her performance. Eric Ott just decided to add Doo-Wop back-up vocals (Nickie Fuller & Stephanie Guzikowski) which took the whole thing somewhere bizarre but hauntingly familiar. It might be my favorite track.
I had so much fun with this project, I might release more The Texas Governor vs …. (fill in your favorite artist) records. However, right now I am so excited about my next project which is the next Lovesick Record. More on that soon.
Which song do you like the best and why?
I LOVE them all equally. It was fun to focus on the amazing lyrics and try to pour my spirit feeling them. I do love the almost unsettling quality of the vocals in the end of “Positively 4th Street.”
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
LOL Bob Dylan!
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a musician, and how did you overcome them?
Well, honestly in this day and age, the hardest part is how to get people to listen to it. The “humans” are so busy on social media. Music is often reduced to a background track for 15-second Tik-Tok snippets of pets caught up in some kind of chicanery.
BIO
The Texas Governor - Solo records of Goolkasian of LOVESICK, also from the notorious and legendary Elevator Drops.