A sense of place lingers prominently within William Fitzsimmons' work.
The singer has a strong idea of his roots, of the traditions that enfold both his life and his artistry. New mini-album 'Pittsburgh' is dedicated both to his late grandmother and the city that the two shared.
Out now, William Fitzsimmons is due to breeze into London for a Scala show on August 11th. As a prelude, Clash invited William Fitzsimmons to open up about the Influences running through his new release.
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Harry Nilsson – 'Without Her'
Nilsson was an exceptionally recent find for me, which is rather embarrassing given his revered status among many other performers I greatly admire from his generation. His voice is obviously the gateway, I mean it's just so soft and clear. But the icing on the cake is the unusual chord changes and melodies he chooses. To make such a catchy song while still keeping the musical theory crowd impressed is a one-of-a-kind talent.
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Don Henley – 'Heart Of The Matter'
Let me be clear about something. I fucking can't stand the Eagles. But I love Don Henley. And someone actually writing about the positive qualities of forgiveness! It's nearly unheard of. This is a song with such straightforward progression and lyrics that's it's power is almost hidden. But this comes from a place of someone who is willing to dive into the shit of real life and learn how to live at peace with those around him. It's a pop song born out of wisdom.
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Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young – '4+20'
Anybody trying to learn how to sing in harmonic unison should drop everything and watch some live performances of Graham Nash and David Crosby. It's like a year of vocal training in five minutes. This song is actually just Stephen Stills solo, but it's still very potent and shows the exact kind of guitar playing I was trying to emulate when I first picked up my mother's guitar at 15 years old.
Later when I starting producing records I went back to the old CSNY records for inspiration. They're far from "clean," especially by today's standards. But they sound amazing! A lot of modern music sometimes goes too far in the perfection direction. Give me performance over perfection every time.
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Fleetwood Mac – 'Silver Springs'
I'm a sucker for a great male/female duet, and when it's Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham, it's game over. I usually get pretty turned off by "angry" breakup songs; I think often they're not really getting to the core emotions. But this one is just gut wrenching! Stevie screaming "you'll never get away from the sound of a woman that loves you" in some of the live versions is intense! And to combine the almost syrupy sweet verses with the dark chorus is both unsettling and genius.
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Tom Petty – 'A Face in the Crowd'
I remember knowing I was going to be a massive Tom Petty fan the first time I heard his voice. I was listening to a lot of classic rock when I was younger. I loved the flashy guitar stuff, the adolescent affect; it just was right what I needed at the time. But Petty was altogether different. It was totally pop, but it was smart, it was tasteful, it was efficient. I was beginning to crave a little bit more than just guitar shredding and cool drum fills.
The production is AMAZING. Just what is needed and not a thing more. No wasted notes, no wasted words. It's music reduced to simple, strong elements. The older I get the more I see the value of having a reason behind every choice you make in writing and recording. If it doesn't make someone feel something get rid of it.
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'Pitssburgh' is out now.
