The Way That It Was, An interview with Pierre De Reeder

Pierre De Reeder is the bassist for Rilo Kiley and in 2008 released his stellar solo debut, The Way That It Was. As a veteran musician his insight into the creative process is unique and insightful. Pierre took the time to answer a few questions and for that, The Broad Set thanks him.

In addition, take this as my petition to have the title track to Pierre’s album be in an Apple commercial. The track is perfect for any new, mind-reading futuristic technology made by Apple. I hope you’re reading this Steve Jobs.

Youtube: The Way That It Was

Purchase

Can you please talk about your process as a creative writer? How does a song start? How does the editing process work for a musician?

I don't think I have a definitive process, but maybe a series of more often-than-not processes. Meaning, for me, it's not always the same, though there are several ways that are the more 'usual' ways I go about writing a song. Top of those are the plain old sitting with a guitar in hand or at the piano, as I would guess it starts with many a songwriter. Sometimes it's a chord progression, sometimes a melody. Sometimes it all comes together at once, sometimes over an arduously long period of time, and everywhere in between. Sometimes the words come first, and at times everything will be in place melodically with only a few lyrics... and then get to weave a story from there.
As for editing, again that's a subjective thing. For me, structurally, I think I come from a more 'pop' sensibility. At least I seem to find myself trimming the fat as much as I can, and usually end up with something in the range of that ol' 3 minute kind of arrangement. Again, not always the case, but more often than not.


How long does it take to write a single song?

Guess I got ahead of myself in my last answer, but there's no good answer for this. It can take one sitting, or can be crafted over days, weeks, months, or shit, years!! On average, I'll chip away a song over a period of time. Sometimes it's only filling in a few blanks here and there, or an ongoing construct of verses. And I have plenty of old kernels of unfinished songs that I'll either finish one day, or never quite feel inspired too. If it takes too long to finish, those usually succumb to a songwriters Darwinian death... as I've somehow evolved out of whatever inspired it in the first place.


What were some of the difficulties you faced while creating your solo album? How did you overcome them?

I think the most difficult thing for me was finally coming to a place, emotionally, where I felt strong enough, or confident enough, about the songs that I was putting into the record. Getting to that place was a matter of biding time, I suppose. I've been writing and recording songs since I was an early teenager, and suppose I've had plenty of 'records' worth along the way. But having a collection that were honest or mature enough or whatever you want to call it, took, well, about as long as it did. And it also took that long for me to have enough objectivity to be comfortable with the material, and the production and all that. So overcoming, for me, was a long and patient process.



How does the writing process work as a solo artist as opposed to in Rilo Kiley?

Well in Rilo Kiley I am not a principal songwriter. Sure I've contributed some writing here and there, but more often it's 'writing' my musical part to a song and helping with arrangement. So for me, as far as song writing goes, it's night and day. With solo stuff, it's all my little painting.



What is your favorite song to perform?

Hmm... it's hard to say. But I always get all mushy when I sing a song I wrote for my daughter Sophia. But that's more a fondness I suppose. That's The Way That It Was might be, just because the band really gets to let loose a bit.



All writing is somewhat autobiographical. In your first few live shows, did you find it difficult being the lead and sharing your life with an audience?

To a some extent, sure. But it was a hat that I put back on after a long time. I was always in some band as the singer guy back in high school and thereabouts, so I got to shake out most of the nerves back then. Certainly the stuff I write about these days is much more personal, but it never seems to freak me out wearing it on my sleeve.



Who is least favorite Simpson’s character and why?

Krusty. I don't know why.



If Apple asked you for permission to be on their next commercial, would you allow them?

As I peck out my answers for this interview on my Apple keyboard, I'm obliged to say yes.



What is your favorite book?

Every time I think I have a favorite, I can't convince myself that that was actually better than another favorite. Very often I hold a distant memory of reading John Fante's West of Rome as a marker, but not sure if it's just romanticized in my head or not. Same thing with A Confederacy Of Dunces. The Rum Diary is probably my favorite Thompson book. I don't know, can't single one out. In the middle of a Jack London adventure now... will let you know.



If you could do one cover at your next concert, which song would you chose?

Maybe the theme from Family Ties.



What advice can you give aspiring singer/song writers out there today?

All the classic advice... just keep at it, do it because you love it, you'll have you're ups and your downs, don't be afraid to try out something new... and yatta yatta... those are all VERY true. And don't worry about the success part, you have very little control over that. As long as you keep on keepin' on (more clichés) and are true to yourself (oh yes, even one more), then success of some measure will follow. And then there's the ol' subjective term itself 'success'. I think that everyone has to define that for themselves. And know that your very definition of success will evolve over time.

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In addition, we would like to remind everyone that The Broad Set Writing Collective will be reading at Bluestockings. The Broad Set Writing Collective is reading in NYC!

Date:	Friday, January 29, 2010
Time:	7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:	Bluestockings, 172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington

And we'd also like to announce future readings!

Date: Friday February 5th

Time: 7:30P.M.

Location: Kaffe Kaprys polish restaurant, 41 E. E. Washington Avenue (also known as Rt 57)
Washington, NJ 07882

&

Date: Friday, February 19th

Time: 7:00PM

Location: Symposia Community Books, 510 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ

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The Light

I drove through bridges and tunnels,
alleyways and crowded streets
to meet You in a shady hotel
on the bad side of town;

an occurrence once repeated earlier
with two other girls.

Though this time was different.
I wasn’t lying when I said
“Because of You, I burn brightly”

and then You began to cry

****
I thought since no one had updated in a while I'd put up a poem I really like.

Currently listening to:
1901 - Phoenix

Roof Tops & Roads

*so I haven't posted in a very long time! sorry about that! but here's a poem I wrote while still in school (sucks to say that). I'll have some new one's coming soon :)

He stands on the roof and looks out.
Spread out before him is the landscape of his childhood.
He closes his eyes and lets the wind brush against his face as he remembers.
He lets the deception of good times bring him back to when he was a boy.
For years he has contemplated this moment,
yet feared it at the same time.
He knew the day would come when,
if pushed far enough,
the end would be too near.

Finally, that time has come.
The wind blows just strong enough
and
he falls. (or does he jump?)

He’s carried weightless, towards the cracked pavement down below.
With a melancholy smile plastered to his face
He has no idea that his bones will shatter,
like an old storm window,
when a child hits it with a stone.

Photographer Jim Rimi: An Interview

 By Dr. Mullin

Jim Rimi is a native of Washington, NJ (the one in Warren County), and is the operator of the photography sector of Rimi Studios.  He is publishing a book of photography, NY Underground, that will most likely be released this month.

NY Underground is a collection of black and white photographs of homeless people and street musicians taken in shelters, on the streets and in the subways of New York City. 

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First of all, when and how did photography really become a passion for you?

Rimi: I've been into photography a long time. Even in the first grade I can remember my teacher said, "Think of your eyes as a camera," and I remember that I'd go around looking at the other kids and pretend I was taking pictures of them.  And, my uncle was a photographer, so I used to see his cameras all the time and I got very excited about that.  When I was 16 I went into the city with a bunch of money stuffed in my boot and I bought my first camera and that was it.  I still have that camera today.  It's my favorite camera and it still works great, it's a Nikon F2.  Beautiful camera.

One of the things I can say was a huge influence in my life was when I was in high school.  I really wasn't into school that much, and I went to school in West New York, and it was the type of thing where you don't even know if you want to stay in school.  They just so happened to hire a photography teacher at the time and the guy really took me under his wing.  He saw that I loved photography.  He would take me out shooting with him and then he told me, "You know, you can go to school for photography."  And I wasn't planning on going to college, but I got into school with my portfolio, so he definitely changed my life, and that's the reason why I also teach.  I like teaching to give back, and to me that's what it's about.

So what is this book all about?  How did get started?

Rimi: This was a project that started in the 80's, and what it is is basically photographs of homeless street musicians and also people living in the shelters.  I started photographing most of these people in the shelters and I went from there to photographing homeless on the street and in the subways and then street musicians, and it pretty much became a documentary project on these people.  I had some interviews with them and a lot of these people were famous people or writers or doctors or lawyers and due to some circumstances, they wound up homeless.  It could have been a nervous breakdown or drugs or alcohol, and through life's experiences, depending on how you handle things and which road you take, you can wind up in this situation.  It's a split second, you know? 

We take for granted that we just go along each day, but you have to really thank the Lord that we are in the position that we are in, and recognize that it's not like these things can't happen to anybody.  That's really part of the premise of the book.  I'm using it as a tool to help people.  When the book is published a percentage of the proceeds is going to go to the Salvation Army, and I also feel that maybe by people seeing this it will affect a certain amount of people and possibly turn them away from [a self-destructive] road.

You know, you're walking in a city and you see a homeless person, or a person who is just walking down the street, talking to themselves, that sort of thing.  Most peoples' first reaction is to turn away, but what I wanted to do is to photograph that person so that you have to look at them.  I wanted to put that across to people - this is a person, too, you know, and I'm making you look at this person now. 

How did this whole process go from a logistics aspect, shooting in shelters and on the street?

Rimi: In the shelter I shot against a nine-foot tall seamless white backdrop.  Sometimes I would drive in, other times I would bring this thing on the subway.  Not kidding, almost knocked this woman's teeth out one time trying to maneuver it - it rolls up into a skinny tube.  I would photograph hundreds of people.  In the shelter I would set this thing up and there would be a line of people who were really into it, and there were just tons and tons of people.  Then on the street it was more of who I saw, and I would always ask them first if I could take a picture of them.

This guy here, Roger Ridley, became somewhat of a famous musician.  He did some stuff with Disney and things like that.  Unfortunately he passed away a couple of years ago.  But really unbelievable voice on this man, you could hear it echoing through Grand Central Station, and I will never forget it, never.  And I guess that's what this is all about, it's about people.  And the great thing is that it will be used to help people.

Are there any interesting stories from when you were out shooting?

Rimi: I was photographing this guy and it was about two in the morning - I would photograph these people from about 11 at night until two in the morning - and this guy was just wigging out.  He was behind these bars and acting like a monkey.  So I'm photographing him and all of a sudden I feel this presence, this big presence, behind me.  There is no one down in the subway because it's like 10 degrees, and I'm like, "Oh man, this is not good."  You know, you get this feeling.  And I turn around and there is this huge guy, just huge, with this big army coat on.  And he looks at me and he goes, "What are you doing?"  And I just said, "I'm photographing this guy."  And he goes, "I don't think that's a good idea."  And he opens his coat and he has a sawed-off shotgun in his coat.  I remember distracting him somehow, and he looked this way and I went that way and that was that. 

It was very, very dangerous doing this at the time, and I can tell you that while I was doing this there was always in the back of my mind that I might not come home.  My wife used to freak out because I wouldn't come home until two, three, four in the morning.  I had to stop for a while because you get burned out from doing this sort of thing, and then I went back and finished it.

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Be sure to check out the links, especially the one for Roger Ridley - after being homeless, he rose to a mild level of prominence, doing work with Disney and the NBA, among others.  This video is of him on the Third Street Promenade of Santa Monica, Calif., singing Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me" - amazing to listen to.

And be sure to stop by Bluestockings in NYC for the next Broad Set Reading on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.!  Tell everyone you know!  Tell random people you meet in the movie theater!  Tell your in-laws (if you have them)!