About to Pop: Five Times August

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Six Questions WIth Five Times August:

What advice do you have for other independent artists looking to be heard?

Think outside the box. It's hard to stay ahead of the game, but being independent also means you usually don't have the same funding as major label artists. You've got to think of new innovative ways to promote yourself. Think thrifty, and try things that have never been done before. It's all about experimenting. However, be patient and be prepared to work hard with persistence. Lots of things won't work out the first time, but when they finally do, you can watch everyone else copy it so easily.

Is it hard to have control over so many aspects of your career, yet still find time to write and be an artist?

Yes. There are two sides to my career: One is being the artist, and the other is taking care of the business. It can be hard balancing the two when you really want to start work on a new project but are still promoting another. I've found myself taking longer to write songs, sort of in pieces throughout several weeks or months since my schedule is so hectic. I used to be able to sit and write a song in a couple hours, but between keeping up with e-mails, websites, merchandise orders, online promotion, etc., it can be a difficult task. There are days I feel like I am growing more into a businessman than an artist, but in time I hope to extend my team so I can focus on the music over everything else.

What has been your favorite usage of your music so far in a commercial, film or TV show?

HBO used my song 'Do It Again' for a summer spot last year. It was sort of a gift that kept on giving. Not only did I love most of the programming the commercial was promoting, but they used it for the entire summer, then extended the license agreement for several more weeks, then decided they wanted to include the spot on all their 2009 DVD releases. It was a great placement. I can only hope for more like that.

Have you ever thought of joining a band or do you want to stay solo?

I love the idea of Five Times August being several different bands throughout my career. It will always be me and my music, but having the opportunity to work with different musicians from one album to the next will always keep it fresh. I think my albums and recordings will always alternate players, but I do like the idea of having a concrete touring band, which is what I put together for our current tour. Performing live is completely different than playing in the studio. You have to know each other, be friends, feed off each other [and] there's an energy you can't fake when performing live, so having that camaraderie is very important.

Who are your musical heroes?

The Beatles will always be number one to me, followed by Paul McCartney's solo work. I love music from the late '50s and early '60s like Elvis, Sam Cooke, the Beach Boys. '70s and '80s Fleetwood Mac and Billy Joel have always been an influence. More recently I enjoy David Gray, Duncan Sheik and Maroon 5.

It's obvious that you're very disciplined. What do you do to de-stress?

Music is my life. When I'm not taking care of the business side of things for Five Times August, you'll find me either writing, recording or simply listening to music. I love putting on a record -- the real vinyl kind -- just to sit and listen. If it's not that I'm usually out at the local record store looking through CDs and records. Outside of that, being at home is always comforting. In all honesty, though I do take on a lot of responsibility and work very hard. My wife works just as hard with me and no matter how stressful we are about work, taking a moment to look at each other and realize we're at least by each other's side always lets us know we have it pretty good. That's the most comforting thought in my life.

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