I can’t live without music. If I were to be dropped on a deserted island for an extended, or really any period of time, my iPod would be the one mandatory item I would strap to my swimsuit. Food would be second. (I would simply learn to hunt. Or scavenge. Or starve.)
And while I love Top 40, my beloved ‘80s, and rock above almost all else, I gleefully delight in new musical finds. If the find is a gem, I simply have to share.
Just a couple months back, I serendipitously stumbled upon 27-year-old New York-based singer/songwriter Ron Pope, and his song Drop in the Ocean. The first listen had me in tears, and by the third listen, I was voraciously downloading anything of his I could find on iTunes.
With six (mostly self-produced) albums available, there was a lot of material to sink my teeth into—songs of love, heartbreak, wistfulness, and simple introspection that just make you feel. The magic of Pope’s songs lies within the beautiful melodies, Pope’s earnestly honest delivery, and words strung together like the most fluid of poetry.
Now one of Pope’s disciples (had to say it!), the mission is to get Mr. Pope to Calgary to do what he does best—sing. In the mean time, I was lucky enough to catch up with the sensitive storyteller and ask him a few questions.
Ok, cliche question alert—where does your inspiration for writing come from? I find inspiration in my day to day life. I'm just paying attention to things as they happen.
So many of your songs are incredibly sensitive—a lot of heartbreak/life experience to draw from? I guess...annnnnnd next question. (laughs)
I know this may be like asking someone to choose between their children, but which one of your songs is your favourite and why?I like different songs for different reasons. If I'm sitting alone at the piano by myself, I like to play Fireflies. I love playing that piano part, and singing that really makes me give it everything I've got. Playing that song just feels very powerful. With the band, right now, I'm enjoying a lot of the tunes that are on my forthcoming album. It's always fun to stretch out and experiment with the new material.
You have a pretty avid internet fan base, and seem to favour using the web to promote yourself (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). Do you think it's a good tool? So far, utilizing the internet has been really effective for me. I'd like to find a way to translate my web presence into something a bit more substantial within the mainstream media though.
What’s it been like having two of your songs featured on episodes of SoYou Think You Can Dance (U.S.) this season? First of all, it's always inspiring and humbling to watch people dance to my music. I'm a terrible dancer, so I'm always very, very impressed by people who can create art through motion. It's truly magical to witness. The exposure from So You Think You Can Dance has been really terrific. After the first placement aired, my Daylight album, which was released two years ago, jumped into the iTunes top 200 and You're The Reason I Come Home found it's way onto the singles chart. This also happened to be the week I released The New England Sessions (which was also selling really well) so for a few days I had two albums in the top 200...the only other artists who had two records on that chart at the same time are household names and legends, so it was pretty incredible to be up there with Pink Floyd and Zeppelin.
Proudest moment as an artist so far? Seeing myself on MTV was pretty amazing (was a guest on TRL in 2008). The day I signed my deal with Universal was incredible, too.
What's the plan for the next 5 years? This next year is going to be one long push. We're gearing up to make a new album, then beginning a major PR push to get me out there in a more serious way—2011 will see us touring on a much larger scale. Ideally, in five years, we'll be talking backstage at Madison Square Garden. My end game goal is to become a major star—that's always been my dream.
What's the Sweetest thing you can't live without? Music. I'm obsessed with my iPods—I have a nano for the gym and an iPod Touch for the rest of my day. I'd most likely die without them. It still blows my mind that I can put my entire record collection in my back pocket.
If you weren't writing/singing, you'd be Ron Pope______what? I have no idea. I don't have a lot of other job skills. Thank God I'm good enough at this to make a living. I majored in anthropology in college, which is like studying ‘how to be homeless after you graduate’. I definitely did not have a plan B.
SUMMER FAVOURITES
Song: Right now I'm obsessed with the song Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
Movie: I see a lot of movies…dug Cyrus, Get Him To The Greek, Inception and Eclipse.
TV: I don't watch a lot of TV, but Entourage continues to rock my face off—the new season rules.
Artist: I've been listening to a lot of Drake recently. I'm pumped waiting on new records from T.I., Taylor Swift, Kings of Leon, and my friend Zach Berkman.The next few months should be great for new records. Then in early '11, y’all can go out and grab my new one! (Whatever it Takes)
MICHAELLE'S ESSENTIAL RON POPE PLAYLIST
Drop in the Ocean
Goodbye, Goodnight
Fireflies
Please Come Home to Me
Parts of You
Good Day
The Right Way
You’re the Reason I Come Home
Last First Kiss
Perfect for Me
Come to California
Ron Pope's newest album, The New England Sessions, is available in iTunes.