Music City Mike writes: Not totally silent, David has released two records since then with Elle Macho, his rocking trio with Butterfly Boucher and Lindsay Jameison. This somewhat tongue-in-cheek,  leather-clad combo has also managed to play the occasional local gig which kept up our hopes of someday seeing another David Mead record.

The new one is entitled “Cobra Pumps.” This marks his seventh record since his solo debut in 1999 after serving time as a member of local pop band Joe Marcs Brother. 

 

Sweet Sweet Music talked to David about this new release.

 

 

Buy vinyl or cd

 

Always proud to answer ‘I am a musician’ to the question ‘what are you doing?’?

 

I am very proud to tell people that I am a musician. I think of it the way that some people think of a religion. It’s a world view, it’s a daily practice, it frames the way that I think of nearly everything. Most of my mentors are musicians. Music has been in my head for as long as I can remember. I can’t imagine functioning without it.

 

 

For every song you record, how many end up in the bin? 

 

Good question. I don’t know if anything ever completely goes unused- they usually find their place somewhere else in parts or entirety, sooner or later. For COBRA PUMPS I wrote and demoed 17 songs and put 10 on the album. That seems like a fairly consistent average.

 

 

With every song you write, are you still learning to become an even better songwriter?

 

Absolutely. And occasionally I seem to get worse!

 

As an artist, you chose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?

 

It’s ok writing and recording because I am usually working in a small environment with people I trust. Once I begin playing the songs live it is less comfortable but that makes things more exciting as well.

 

Any ideas about how to turn this one into a million seller?

 

No. I think of myself as a boutique shop that serves a small and loyal clientele that demands a high quality product.

 

When was the last time you thought ‘I just wrote a hit!’?

 

2000.

 

You can’t control the way people ‘hear’ your music. But if you could make them aware of certain aspects, you think, set your songs apart. What would they be?

 

I like that question. The older I get, the less interested I am in trying to influence how people hear my music at all. I am trying to make music that invites people into it so they can have their own experience with it. Neil Young said something like “Writing a good song is like building a house- You build a good house, but you shouldn’t decorate it, shouldn’t furnish it- let people come into it and do that themselves.”