We chatted with Austin, TX native Austin Basham. Basham just released his brand new album You and Me for Now on July 27, 2018 (You can read or review of of the album on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter where it received 4/5. Basham was also was #1 on our Top 6 Tuesday Countdown this week!). In addition to this, the lead single of Basham's new album "All is Well" currently has over 45,000,000 plays on Spotify! Needless to say, it's been a busy couple of weeks for Mr. Basham. Anyway, we did a pretty deep dive with him, check it out below and be sure to check out his new album and his social media accounts!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
"I come from a family of musicians. My dad was a singer-songwriter back in the day so we all grew up hearing his songs. Most of my siblings play music in some form or fashion as well, so when everyone is home for the holidays there is typically music being played, sometimes starting off with a little “heart and soul” on my parents pitchy hundred year old grand…As a child I sang in church choir, but became more involved in music when I joined the middle school band in the sixth grade to play trumpet. Though, after about two years I stopped playing trumpet and picked up guitar instead so I could start a band with some friends."
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
"The songwriting process for me…is a bit of a scattered mess. Each song is pretty unique in its inception and fruition, though, often times the starting point for me is my guitar. I might read something that strikes me lyrically or a melody might pop into my head. Maybe I’m in a lull feeling down about something, or conversely, up about something. I use Voice Memos on my iPhone to record ideas regularly…there are thousands of recordings on there; albeit most of them for my ears only. I will generally jam on an idea for quite a while and refine it via numerous iterations and versions until it feels natural and almost aged..."
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
"There’s a laundry list of artists to name, both old and new, who have inspired me. Especially now days with streaming, I can listen to any song from any album, old and new. From The Beach Boys, Neil Young, The Beatles, Nick Drake to Johnny Flynn, Sufjan Stevens, Fleet Foxes, Damien Jurado, Jose Gonzales, Bon Iver and so many others. Though, I am also lucky enough to have a lot of friends who are brilliant musicians, artists and photographers. Their art motivates and challenges me…to me that’s one of music’s biggest inspirations; the community it can create."
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?
"Talking gear is a slippery slope for me. I could talk for way too long about it…ask my wife. There’s always a new instrument, guitar pedal, amp, microphone, software, etc. that’s on my radar. One fairly new piece of equipment that I acquired, and love, is the OP-1 by Teenage Engineering. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a synthesizer/ 4-track virtual tape machine/ sampler/ sequencer that is so tiny you can take it anywhere. It has made my songwriting process so much fun, and helps me organize the scattered mess (as I mentioned before); allowing for me to capture ideas as quickly as they come."
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?
"I would describe my shows to be rather low key and chill (as they’ve been mostly acoustic)…? In between songs I enjoy (and sometimes fear) chatting with the audience a little, or as much as possible while tuning; which usually consists of me mumbling something awkward and getting laughed at. But it always means so much to me, and still blows my mind when people come out to a show. It’s been interesting touring with only an acoustic guitar. You have nothing to hide behind (except the guitar) so essentially if you mess up its all on you. There’s a sense of vulnerability that’s nerve-racking. Although, for whatever reason, it’s equally thrilling and I think it has been a good place to start and build from. One day I hope to tour with a full band to play the songs as they are recorded…
What I enjoy most about venues revolves around their atmosphere and sound. I’ve played in my fair share of noisy bars with only an acoustic guitar, which is never ideal. Hah, so it is a real treat when I get to play quieter venues whose vibe encourages the audience to really listen, i.e. theater-esque venues are great. Thoughts on this might change though if I am to be accompanied by a band at some point."
6. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music?
"My music is out on most platforms so check it out!"
7. Do you have any upcoming projects you would like fans to know about?
"I’ll be touring the album soon and would love to meet all of you. Follow me on social media to get all the latest updates. I’m always writing and recording new music so there are lots of potential upcoming projects and other exciting things on the horizon."