Listen to this ….
War Zone - urban love story
Did you listen to the words?
If you didn't go back and listen again!!
Did you relate to what he was singing about? You should have, haven’t we all had
experiences of one kind or another that equate to feeling like you are in a
war zone in our relationships?
This is Pol Arida. Pol
writes much of his own music and has been known to put his own unique spin onto
cover versions of well-known songs, but it his hammering guitar playing technique
that has set him apart, it is quoted as being a ‘unique percussive style’ . Clearly though he has a gift in the writing
of lyrics …. I personally absolutely
love the hammering guitar – it is highly emotive. Pol has a dynamic stage presence and
interacts with his audience very naturally.
He epitomises the reputation the Scottish have for their warmth and
friendliness. His style of music is highly addictive.
Many of you will already have heard him perform somewhere
out there at some music venue or other as he has been plying his trade in SL
for a good number of years now. Pol
kindly squeezed in some time for an interview with the SL Enquirer.
Pol is from
Edinburgh, Scotland. He has been a musician most of his life and has played in
various bands over the years. In 2005 he decided to go solo and concentrate
on song writing and guitar technique.
He performs in RL about once a week. He comments “but to be honest there are fewer live venues to play nowadays. And a
lack of a `music lovin` audience. That’s what kinda brought me to SL”
He also currently performs about once a week in SL. Initially he performed 2 or 3 times a week, but again found a lack of audience if done
too often. Pol says it’s a double edged sword as if you don`t play
SL regularly the audience changes and you have to start from square 1. Particularly as
many people come and go from SL.
Pol regularly takes
breaks from SL. He says “This keeps my enthusiasm up for when I return. I go
away and do other project and then return :)”
When asked what
keeps him coming back, he replies “I
have a large fan base in SL which makes sure I come back, and frankly I miss it
after a while. I like the personal and `close up` performance that can
be achieved in SL.”
Clearly, memorable songs require well-written lyrics and skilled lyric
writing, and Pol Arida is one very skilled lyricist. As mentioned earlier, Pol does much of
his own writing, he says “My music is very subject specific so the words are
the part I spend most time on. To say the subjects are enjoyable is debatable.
However, I can explain every single line I have ever written, in detail.” Pol regrets not having gone solo many
years before he did as it has allowed him to freely explore his own direction. He explains that music is important to him as it’s a tangible collection of experiences in his life,
“a bit like an explained diary.
I don`t care about being well known, I write to leave a chronicle for my
children and theirs.”
Cheekily Pol mentions that the best part of his profession used to be
the woman and booze. Now
apparently it’s just booze! He reckons the older you get the less of an ego you
have, “so I must be very old :), I don`t really want much from it now. I
still love if what I write affects people on a personal level, that’s the point of good, clear song writing.”
Pol is very well known for his hammering guitar technique, which is
extraordinarily physical. He describes his
music as, heavy,
interesting, honest and sometimes brutal.
He says that when he
developed the `hammer` guitar technique it took him 6 months to actually be able to complete a 4 minute song. He comments that even now that is now stretching it. He is not concerned about what critics have to say, he interjects “I don`t write for other people, I explain
events and experiences via music and words. I know that what I do is not very
accessible to many, but hey, I don`t take that as criticism.” He is of the opinion that the music business today is spoon fed
marketing and as far as he is concerned it’s not really the
business he is in. Pol
says that the magic formula to attract
a `fan` or listener is to interpret emotion in a way that they can relate to.
Pol plans to “keep on doing the doing. More quality
recordings ( I lack them) and see where it takes me.”
More to listen to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtuEKwHzzvg
Links:
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Comments will be reviewed and posted within 24 hours. Please note any abusive content or outside promotional links may not be approved.