Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

The indelibly linked Greg Friedman

“I create a movie in my head,” says Greg Friedman, “and build the album as a soundtrack.”
“I create a movie in my head,” says Greg Friedman, “and build the album as a soundtrack.”

Known as Ott Truckee when he plays bass with the Truckee Brothers, Greg Friedman cut his teeth in the Washington D.C. punk scene. Still, he says he and his wife “had to have all the rugs removed” before moving into the former party house of the UCSD water polo team. About living in La Jolla, Friedman says he enjoys “the view from the canyon at sunset” and dislikes the fact that “La Jolla is not actually a word in Spanish.”

Friedman’s solo debut, Souls of Passing Feet, was nominated for best pop album at the 2007 San Diego Music Awards. Our online chat about his new release, Can’t Talk Now, starts with me inserting my foot into my mouth. Unaware that he’s snagged the services of a renowned graphic artist, I observe, “The cover art — a woman swaddled like a mummy, with the tape unraveling and imprisoning her — is painful to look at. How did that come about?”

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I wanted this album to celebrate the vinyl format, honoring the music I grew up with. Staring at the album cover while listening to a record is part of that experience. When I started thinking about artwork for my album, I pulled some of my favorite covers out of my collection, looking for inspiration. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, Peter Gabriel’s Car and Melt — the list goes on. Out of curiosity, I looked to see who the cover designers were, to discover they’d all been by the same guy — Storm Thorgerson. I saw it as a sign. So, I took a chance, contacted Storm, and asked if he’d create the artwork for my album. He wrote back that he’s rarely in the States but that he happened to be in Los Angeles, and I should come talk to him. I jumped in the car, drove to L.A., and we spent the afternoon talking about music, art, and life.

“Storm looked at my music and lyrics, then sent ideas that he felt captured the album concept. Can’t Talk Now is Storm being funny — as in, ‘Sorry, I’m tied up at the moment.’”

The melodic, hard-hitting “Melancholy Melody” reminds me of Weezer’s mid-era mix of joy and conflict. It’s followed by a quiet duet with Jane Lui, “Hear The Sound.” The third track, “Best I Can Do,” seems more in tune with contemporary pop, and the fourth, “Zombies & Cannibals,” is full of power-pop twists and turns. “By the time it hits,” I say to Friedman, “Can’t Talk Now is starting to feel rather...all over the place. Were you concerned with making a cohesive album or thinking about single-track downloads?”

“I love an album that takes me on a journey. Musicians have different techniques for mapping that out. I create a movie in my head and build the album as the soundtrack. Track one is the opening credits, giving a sense of the album’s overall tone. The second track is the beginning of the story. I’m also paying homage to the opening tracks of the White Album.

“I’ve listened to and played so many kinds of music. My memories are indelibly linked to the songs that played while my life unfolded, whether it was the Cocteau Twins, over which the joys and heartaches of relationships played out, or the Dead Kennedys helping me through the angst of high school. So, I don’t feel satisfied settling into any one genre. It wouldn’t be a true picture of who I am and what I have to say.”

Can’t Talk Now has stronger group chemistry than I feel was on your first album. Were Chris Hoffee, Jane Lui, Chris Prescott, and Carl Prescott involved in the creative process?”

“I wanted this album to sound like a band. And what better way to gel than to play live? We rehearsed, revised, and improved, performing tracks from the record around town. It wasn’t strictly about learning the songs, it was more about learning each other. Once the musical mind meld had happened, I knew it was time to record.”

“Jane Lui recently moved to Los Angeles. Will you still be working with her?”

“Absolutely. Jane is brilliant. She comes to the studio, we set up a microphone, and she does whatever she wants. In January I started a project, ‘The Song-a-Month Club’ [gregfriedmanmusic.com/a-song-a-month], where I record a new track every month, then release it the following month. Jane and I have been collaborating on these songs remotely. I send her songs as I record them, and she sends back vocal tracks for me to add.”

Mastered by Greg Calbi (John Lennon, the Ramones), Can’t Talk Now will be released on vinyl on June 4. Artist Storm Thorgerson passed away from cancer on April 18, 2013.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Dating Sites For Little People: Best Platforms & Tips

“I create a movie in my head,” says Greg Friedman, “and build the album as a soundtrack.”
“I create a movie in my head,” says Greg Friedman, “and build the album as a soundtrack.”

Known as Ott Truckee when he plays bass with the Truckee Brothers, Greg Friedman cut his teeth in the Washington D.C. punk scene. Still, he says he and his wife “had to have all the rugs removed” before moving into the former party house of the UCSD water polo team. About living in La Jolla, Friedman says he enjoys “the view from the canyon at sunset” and dislikes the fact that “La Jolla is not actually a word in Spanish.”

Friedman’s solo debut, Souls of Passing Feet, was nominated for best pop album at the 2007 San Diego Music Awards. Our online chat about his new release, Can’t Talk Now, starts with me inserting my foot into my mouth. Unaware that he’s snagged the services of a renowned graphic artist, I observe, “The cover art — a woman swaddled like a mummy, with the tape unraveling and imprisoning her — is painful to look at. How did that come about?”

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I wanted this album to celebrate the vinyl format, honoring the music I grew up with. Staring at the album cover while listening to a record is part of that experience. When I started thinking about artwork for my album, I pulled some of my favorite covers out of my collection, looking for inspiration. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, Peter Gabriel’s Car and Melt — the list goes on. Out of curiosity, I looked to see who the cover designers were, to discover they’d all been by the same guy — Storm Thorgerson. I saw it as a sign. So, I took a chance, contacted Storm, and asked if he’d create the artwork for my album. He wrote back that he’s rarely in the States but that he happened to be in Los Angeles, and I should come talk to him. I jumped in the car, drove to L.A., and we spent the afternoon talking about music, art, and life.

“Storm looked at my music and lyrics, then sent ideas that he felt captured the album concept. Can’t Talk Now is Storm being funny — as in, ‘Sorry, I’m tied up at the moment.’”

The melodic, hard-hitting “Melancholy Melody” reminds me of Weezer’s mid-era mix of joy and conflict. It’s followed by a quiet duet with Jane Lui, “Hear The Sound.” The third track, “Best I Can Do,” seems more in tune with contemporary pop, and the fourth, “Zombies & Cannibals,” is full of power-pop twists and turns. “By the time it hits,” I say to Friedman, “Can’t Talk Now is starting to feel rather...all over the place. Were you concerned with making a cohesive album or thinking about single-track downloads?”

“I love an album that takes me on a journey. Musicians have different techniques for mapping that out. I create a movie in my head and build the album as the soundtrack. Track one is the opening credits, giving a sense of the album’s overall tone. The second track is the beginning of the story. I’m also paying homage to the opening tracks of the White Album.

“I’ve listened to and played so many kinds of music. My memories are indelibly linked to the songs that played while my life unfolded, whether it was the Cocteau Twins, over which the joys and heartaches of relationships played out, or the Dead Kennedys helping me through the angst of high school. So, I don’t feel satisfied settling into any one genre. It wouldn’t be a true picture of who I am and what I have to say.”

Can’t Talk Now has stronger group chemistry than I feel was on your first album. Were Chris Hoffee, Jane Lui, Chris Prescott, and Carl Prescott involved in the creative process?”

“I wanted this album to sound like a band. And what better way to gel than to play live? We rehearsed, revised, and improved, performing tracks from the record around town. It wasn’t strictly about learning the songs, it was more about learning each other. Once the musical mind meld had happened, I knew it was time to record.”

“Jane Lui recently moved to Los Angeles. Will you still be working with her?”

“Absolutely. Jane is brilliant. She comes to the studio, we set up a microphone, and she does whatever she wants. In January I started a project, ‘The Song-a-Month Club’ [gregfriedmanmusic.com/a-song-a-month], where I record a new track every month, then release it the following month. Jane and I have been collaborating on these songs remotely. I send her songs as I record them, and she sends back vocal tracks for me to add.”

Mastered by Greg Calbi (John Lennon, the Ramones), Can’t Talk Now will be released on vinyl on June 4. Artist Storm Thorgerson passed away from cancer on April 18, 2013.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Hip-hop artist Don Elway makes movies for his music

Not Ordinary EP tells a story of life on the streets
Next Article

Pet pig perches in pocket

Escondido doula gets a taste of celebrity
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.