Featured Artist: WAZ

[Waz - Courtesy of Matt Harris] [Waz Cover Photo - Courtesy of Matt Harris]

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Waz grew up on the sounds of Tom Petty, The Pixies, and David Bowie. A long-time friend of Pete Yorn, he played guitar in Pete's band for six years prior to heading out on his own last year.

While on the road, Waz turned his life experiences into songs filled with heart-felt lyrics and lush acoustic melodies, with a touch of pop-sensibility. All of this is captured in the Mine To Remember EP, which Music Connection Magazine regards, "...consistently impressive to the end."

Waz currently resides in Los Angeles.

Q&A with WAZ

You were formerly lead guitarist for Pete Yorn. How do you know Pete, and when did you first start playing music with him?
Pete and I went to Syracuse University together. We met back in '92. We never did anything serious with the music back in those days. We would just come back drunk from the bars and jam in a basement. Our only motivation was to get chicks! It wasn't until after graduation that we hooked up. I went back home to Cleveland and realized in about two weeks that I needed to move west as soon as possible. When Pete heard I was in San Diego (12 hours after I arrived there), he got in touch with me and asked if I wanted to join his band. I said " give me directions and about two hours, and I'll see you there." The rest is history!

What actually made you decide to move to CA? Had you thought you were going to pursue your music or was that just a fluke based on Pete calling you when you got there? If he hadn't called you, what do you think you would be doing today?
Moving out to CA was always a dream for me -- especially growing up and attending college in freezing climates. I was actually thinking of going to graduate school (which lasted about 1/2 a day), before getting the call from Pete. If he hadn't called me I think I would probably be miserable in some job, just waiting to get home and play my guitar.

If you had pursued graduate school, what would you have chosen as a field of study?
Law or business school...

I love your EP Mine To Remember. What inspired you to do a solo release?
While I was on the road with Pete, a lot of people who had heard my songs encouraged me to record. I guess they thought I had something more to offer than just playing guitar in someone else's band.

It seems like relationships are at the core of this album - Did you write all of these songs around the same timeframe or just decide to assemble them for the EP?
The first two songs, "Nothing Lasts Forever" and "Mine to Remember" were written right after I left the band. The other three had been recorded intermittently whenever I was home from the road. But yes, the core theme behind all of these songs is about relationships -- whether about personal ones or those between family or friends. I find it very difficult to write about things that haven't actually happened to me, or someone close to me.

Was "Nothing Lasts Forever" written about leaving the band?
"Nothing Lasts Forever" was inspired by the untimely loss of Director Ted Demme. A lot of my friends were close with him, and their reactions put into perspective for me just how fleeting life really is... One minute someone's standing next to you; then the next minute they're gone. Although the song was inspired by his death, the lyrics are more of a general look at relationships and the importance of appreciating every moment.

Have you always written music? When did you start?
I started playing guitar when I was eight. I didn't actually start writing songs until a couple of years ago. I guess it all started when people began acknowledging my voice. Repeatedly I would hear, "I didn't know you could sing," and I was like "I didn't know either." Then I decided if I were going to sing, I had better write songs good enough to complement my voice. Whether or not I've actually done that is up to the listeners...

You opened for Pete on several dates of his recent tour. How did it feel to be on tour with him this time as a solo artist?
It was incredible -- not only to be performing in my own right, but also to be out there with old friends. Between my band, Minibar, and the Pete Yorn band, I was surrounded by dear friends, not to mention by incredible musicians. The tour worked out great because a lot of Pete's fans got my music. The crowds each night were really receptive. There was a lot of love and respect on that tour.

How have you felt about making the transition from lead guitarist to frontman?
It's challenging. With Pete, I knew what role I played in the band, and that was pretty much to play the guitar and have as many wild nights as possible (-- not too difficult). But with my own band, I'm a lot more focused on the future. Every little thing I do has to be the best it can be. I also need to feel and show a sense of conviction behind each decision I make. People are looking to me for answers this time around.

[WAZ - Courtesy of Bich Ngoc Cao - Oct. 2003]

Has making the move to frontman brought you closer to Pete in some ways? I would think it gives you even one more thing in common.
When I first left Pete I wasn't sure what to expect -- from Pete, everybody else, and especially from myself. I had been with Pete from the beginning, and there had always been a mutual respect between us. I think we heavily relied on each other while we were trying to get a deal, but towards the end, I felt we would both be fine working outside the comfort zone that grew from our knowing each other so well. At first, I think he was a little mad about my decision, but he knew what it meant to me. Looking back now, I feel we are closer because of the split. He's a songwriter. I'm a songwriter. And we're both out there expressing ourselves through our music. To this day, Pete will play me a new song on his acoustic, and I'm still completely floored with emotion, just like the first time he played me a song 11 years ago.

I noticed your EP is produced by R. Walt Vincent, who also produced Pete Yorn. I love the way the whole CD sounds. How much of your sound do you attribute to Vincent's production? What does he bring to your music?
I can't say enough about R. Walt's vision. He's very cerebral about things. I might play him a song. He'll act like he didn't even hear it; and then two hours later, he's pieced a track together around what I originally played. He captures the intimacy and passion of a song. He also comes up with key parts, for example, the piano line in "Mine to Remember". When he played it for me, my final vision of the song became clear. What else can I say? His sound is his sound. When I do a song with R. Walt, I know it will have his signature sound on it ... and that's magical!

Which artists influence your music?
'Probably not as specific as you want, but every time I turn on the radio or pop in a CD, I'm influenced. If it's a cheesy top 40 pop song, there still might be a drumbeat that blows me away.

I look for something inspiring in all types of music. I love listening to the "oldies but goodies" stations; and on a more general level, I feel that Motown -- from the grooves to the emotion -- is what really shaped today's music. While I'm sure music buffs could give a more specific play by play on how music has evolved, I happen to connect with that particular timeframe. So at least for me, that's where it all came from…

This has been a killer year for covers. I got to hear Peter Himmelman cover "Evil Ways" by Santana, and Matchbox20 cover Simple Minds' "Don't you Forget About Me." I've heard Pete Yorn cover "Suspicious Minds" and the Wallflowers cover "Too Late For Goodbyes." I also recently got to see Minibar and Pete cover The Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love." Are there any songs you like to cover?
I've covered Cat Steven's "First Cut is the Deepest," Tom Petty's "Yer So Bad," Nine Inch Nails' "Sin," Velvet Underground's "Waitin' For My Man", Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty in Pink," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," Billy Joel's "Pressure," and a brief bit of Bananarama's "Cruel Summer" at the end of my song "Feeling Goes Away."

I really love seeing a favorite artist cover a cool tune at a show, but in terms of the ones that actually get released by an artist and make it to the radio, a lot of times I really don't care for the cover as well as the original. For instance, I've not really cared for any of the more recent covers of Joni Mitchell's songs. On the other hand, I loved The Fugees cover of "Killing Me Softly." Shawn Colvin also does a great cover of The Police "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," and I love Sheryl Crow's cover of "Sweet Child O' Mine." Is there a cover tune you've heard that really disappointed you? On the flip side, what's the best cover you ever heard, and who did it?
Actually, Sheryl Crow's cover of "First Cut is the Deepest" is really disappointing. I prefer Rod Stewart's version, which is sung in a way that is much more emotional. These days, my favorite is a cover of Billy Joel's "Pressure," which I've been doing with my own band (Jason Kanakis, Bill Shupp, and Danny Delamatyre). The guys totally rip on that one! Sorry!

[WAZ - Courtesy of Bich Ngoc Cao - Nov. 2003]

What have some of the high points been thus far in your career as a musician?
My time playing guitar with Pete was an incredible experience from start to finish. But more recently, it's been the process of slowly developing as a frontman. I've played countless shows at the Hotel Café, and every time I play a bigger show, I feel that my time there has helped me understand what it means to command a room so that a crowd will embrace you. Not to say that I've actually accomplished that yet, but at least I'm aware of the possibilities. Playing to a full house at the Troubadour was really a great moment. And of course, opening for Pete was a great accomplishment for me.

What do you hope your career will be like in the next few years?
First and foremost, I want to continue developing my fanbase by playing show after show. I hope that some entity will then get involved and support my music by allowing me to record a full album and tour constantly.

Some artists also get involved in creating music for TV and film. Is that something you would consider doing as well?
Absolutely! I am very interested in the way music is utilized throughout TV and film to complement and reinforce different emotions. I can't wait to have the opportunity to explore that aspect of the music business.

Thanks, WAZ, for taking the time to help us get to know you better! I wish you all the good things that you wish for yourself and much more. Best of luck in your career as a solo artist!

To learn more about WAZ, check out the links below:

To learn more about Trampoline Records and the other artists represented on Volumes 1 & 2, check out http://trampolinerecords.com