Curt Smith, co-founder of seminal pop band Tears for Fears, has an exciting year ahead, with a range of projects including a tour and the re-release of Mayfield. The artist recently took time out to talk to Flavors about his plans and inspirations, why he uses Flavors, and the importance of staying engaged online.
Flavors: What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the music industry since the start of your career 30 years ago?
Curt Smith: The biggest change is clearly the internet. The ability for consumers to download music, and the movement away from physical product, has been a game-changer. In addition, it’s brought about the (welcome) downfall of the major labels. Today there are few, if any, barriers to entry, no gatekeepers to keep you from getting your product into the marketplace. The issues now are twofold, 1) how artists will get fairly compensated for internet streams and digital sales, that’s obviously still working itself out, and 2) getting your product heard when there are an infinite number of distribution channels and nearly as many artists all striving for the consumer’s ear.
F: This summer will see the re-release of your long out-of-print album Mayfield. What was the impetus for making it available again now?
C: Happily, fans have been asking for it, so I just decided it was time. The company that originally released it in the late 90s doesn’t exist anymore. (So if any copies ARE still in the marketplace, nary a penny of the sales price comes to me.) It’s an album I’m proud of and I’m happy to make available once again. I’m also doing a bonus track for it, a re-recording of the song “Trees” from the album. Musician Janice Whaley, who recently completed a solo project re-recording the entire Smiths catalog, has laid down the “instrumental” portion of the song, and I recorded a new lead vocal. We’re just finishing the mixing and mastering now. For those fans who bought the original version of the album, never fear: the bonus song will also be available to buy as a digital single, so you won’t have to buy the album all over again just to get the new track! I wouldn’t do that to people.
F: “The Social Media Project” series of collaborations made via internet contacts is an intriguing project that has resulted in some lovely songs already. Can you tell us a bit about where you are with it now?
C: Thank you! I really enjoyed working both Zoë Keating and Melissa Kaplan (who I have yet to meet) on the first two tracks. Right now I’m looking for my next collaborator; I may do a tune with Janice Whaley. The joy of this project is that I’m doing it on my own time, as I’m inspired and meet a collaborator who seems right for a given song. I’m not on a deadline and will keep releasing singles as and when they’re ready.
All Is Love (featuring Zoë Keating) by curtsmith
F: What has been the most surprising or delightful result of your live music web series, Stripped Down Live, so far?
C: The best part was being inspired by the talent and creativity of the artists we had on the show. Whether they were rising stars like The Daylights, Nightmare & The Cat or Fitz & The Tantrums, or brilliant veterans like Matthew Sweet, Peter Himmelman or Gary Jules, there was an incredible energy in the studio when they performed. Especially in the heavily post-produced music scene we have today, having people in studio with the chops and fearlessness to play and sing absolutely live was a delight.
One highlight in particular was doing “Mad World” with Gary Jules. We had never done that before - ever! The YouTube video of our duet has been viewed nearly 100,000 times now, so I’m guessing it resonated with the fans as well. Another highlight came not on the show itself but as a result of an episode: The Daylights asked me to play bass on their song “Weapons” at their two most recent Los Angeles gigs. I was quite honored and had a great time doing it.
F: What are you most looking forward to working on this year?
C: Everything! I hope to do another track or two for the Social Media Project. Right now I’m working with my writing partner Charlton Pettus on the score for a feature film. In June, I’m going to Italy with my family to celebrate my 50th birthday. This fall, I’m doing a Tears For Fears tour of the West Coast, Mexico and South America. I hope to do some more TV work, both in front of the camera - I would love to do another live music show - and on soundtrack. And in between things, I hope to play a few more solo shows in Los Angeles.
F: What has been inspiring you lately?
C: Interestingly enough, and I wouldn’t have thought this would happen, playing live. I’ve been doing a residency at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks (which runs through June 1). As part of the show, I’ve been playing a work-in-progress song called “Beautiful Failure.” Doing the song live has actually helped me figure out how I want to record it, and I don’t think it would have come out the same if I’d gone straight into studio without performing it. So I guess you could say that playing live has been inspiring in and of itself.
F: Why did you chose to make a personal site on Flavors?
C: My manager and I work together to make sure I’m represented online where I should be, and Flavors.me is something she recommended to me fairly soon after it launched. Much as my own official website does, it aggregates my feeds from a number of the most popular sites and services. We’re able to customize it with my branding, and (perhaps most important) it looks quite professional without requiring a huge time investment to set up or to maintain.
F: As a speaker on social media, what advice would you give to those trying to make a name for themselves online?
C: I’m presuming you mean other musicians? My advice is that social media isn’t set it and forget it. You need to use it regularly. Luckily, smartphones make that pretty easy to do. I can update Twitter, Facebook, SoundCloud, even my own website right from my iPhone, so there’s no excuse not to do so. You need to engage and be engaging, not just make pronouncements. Above all: always do it yourself. Your followers can tell in a second if it’s not really you doing the updates, and once you lose the audience’s trust and credibility it’s difficult to get it back.
