Jeff Hendrick
Interview 7 May 2006
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http://www.myspace.com/jeffhendrick
Hey Jeff, thanks for doing this. How are you?
I’m doing well! A pleasure
chatting with you.
Let’s start with the current album, and then go back. It’s getting big plays and sales in the
UK. Were you conscious that it
might be the kind of album that would be popular over here?
I never really had any
presumptions about how it might be received in any specific market…my main
focus is always to present something that a wide array of people from all over
can feel and enjoy. Undoubtedly the response in the UK has been overwhelming,
and I couldn’t be happier or more grateful for the support I’ve received there.
It’s a special feeling to know that what you are creating and working so hard
at is appreciated and respected.
How’s it going down elsewhere?
Very well…I’ve recently sent a
shipment to Japan and Italy, and Germany, France, Switzerland, and Austria have
all requested copies as well. I’m extremely pleased to see this kind of global
interest…really quite unexpected!
What tracks are getting attention? Whets your following like locally, getting radio plays?
Tracks like ‘Old School Party’,
‘Celebrate’, and ‘I Just Wanna Dance’ have certainly garnered a lot of
attention…especially in the UK. A few of those tracks have also received a lot
of commercial radio play here in Canada. I have a loyal local following, but am
excited to make my way overseas and continue to build my fan base in the UK and
beyond.
How long did this album take to get together, and how does it
advance on the previous one? It’s all very instant well produced with some good
sax work.
Thank you. It took me about a
year to complete, mostly due to the writing and creative process taking longer
to develop this time around. My debut CD ‘Bout Time’ was completed in 30 days,
but I think the extra time and effort on ‘Soul Celebration’ really shows. This
is a more complete and mature effort in regards to the writing and production.
Do you do most of the work yourself in your studio?
Yes…I did the entire record in
my own home studio and then mixed the album at my colleague’s studio.
Do you have a band, a show?
Oh yes…always have and always
will! I use backing tracks for certain PA’s but obviously my preferred method
of performing is with a live band. I thrive off the energy and spontaneity that
setting brings. Makes my performance even better.
How is it as an indie, promoting the album?
It’s an incredibly challenging
and draining experience…taking on both the creative and business sides of the
career is often overwhelming, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I am
looking to let someone else take on more of the business side of things for me,
but finding the right person, or even an interested person, is often
difficult…most managers and booking agents, at least in North America, are
looking for a quick buck and not a career artist. Until that right person comes
along, I’ll continue to take on all facets of my career.
Any chance you’ll get over to the UK?
Yes! I am scheduled to do a PA at the Birmingham Luxury Soul
Weekender on May 27th, 2006 and I am really excited to be coming
over to the UK to perform and meet all my fellow soul fans and friends. I am
hoping to have a few more appearances while I am over as well, but that is
still being sorted out. I plan on visiting Holland, Germany, and hopefully
France on this trip too…
Where can it be obtained from?
My CD can be obtained at my website, www.jeffhendrick.com, www.cdbaby.com, and several UK retailers including
2-Funky Records and Soul Brother Records.
Tell me about yourself, your
background, your family?
Well, I grew up in a small town in Western Canada with my two
parents and younger sister before moving to the city of Edmonton, Alberta in my
teens. I was fortunate to have great music teachers throughout my youth and had
a lot of awards and national performances to my credit by the time I finished
high school. I completed a degree in Jazz performance (saxophone) at McGill
University in Montreal, Canada before joining a popular local latin-funk band
back in Edmonton. In 1997 I formed my own group in the hopes of showcasing some
local singers before realizing that I didn’t sound too bad behind the mic
myself! I cut several pop flavoured demos in the late 90’s and spent time in LA
and New York before finally recording my debut CD ‘Bout Time’ at the end of
2002. After a strong global response and a mini-tour to the UK in 2003, I moved
to Calgary, Alberta to work on my follow-up record ‘Soul Celebration’, get married,
and eventually become a father to a wonderful little girl named Brooklyn!
Has music been in you from an early
stage?
Absolutely! I knew since the age of 7 that I would be doing this
for the rest of my life. I have been fortunate to have amazing support from my
family over the years, and some absolutely great music teachers throughout my
youth.
Who were your early influences – old skool soul, Philly?
Well, I give my father a lot of
credit for bringing home records by artists as diverse as The Commodores,
Michael McDonald, David Sanborn, and Stevie Wonder…the sound of those artists
had an immediate impact on me. Later I was fortunate to discover Classical and
Jazz, and undoubtedly legends like Miles and Bird truly inspired me. Miles may
be my biggest influence in the sense that he taught me about being open minded
and he taught me that less is always more. I am happy to say that rock, pop,
and hip hop have all influenced me to some degree over the years, but certainly
good heart felt soul is my music of choice these days.
And you studied music?
Yes, I studied throughout my
youth thanks to the support and belief of my parents. I completed a music
degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Were you always writing songs?
I became interested in writing
around the age of 12 but other than Jazz pieces, I didn’t really get into
songwriting until my early/mid 20’s.
Your first band where you learned a lot of the performance skills
was Maracujah!. Tell me about that
and how valuable it was.
Oh it was an amazing
experience…extremely talented musicians and good friends that I literally grew
up with. The band was electric, wearing soccer or ‘football’ jerseys and
shorts, and playing a unique brand of Brazilian, Cuban, and Funk music. I would
literally shed several pounds after a performance as our stage show was a 2
hour exercise in showmanship and energy. Was a great time in my music career,
and many of us still work together and stay in touch.
Then you formed your own band,
and started your first solo project?
Yes. My time in Maracujah eventually came to an end and I had an
immediate desire to start a band with the R&B and Soul flavour I had grown
up listening to. I originally planned to be more of a musical director and let
some young female singers front the group, but after not finding anyone who
could truly capture the audience, I decided to return to my vocal roots and try
it myself. The response was positive from the beginning and The Jeff Hendrick
Group was born. I then got into the writing and production aspects of things
and created my first few demos /EP’s in the late 90’s. From there I pounded the
streets of LA and New York looking for some major label attention, and came
very close on several occasions. It was a tough time to be a true and sincere
artist. The world of boy bands and video imagery was at an all time high, but
I’m proud of the response I received from the majors at that time…and let me
tell you, some amazing stories of determination too!
How successful was the
album? It took you to New York
didn’t you?
Yes, as I mentioned before I took it to LA and New York…with
absolutely no management or representation whatsoever, I am truly proud of the
places I squeezed and pried my way into! Calling from pay phones (no cell at
the time!), I had meetings in BMG’s 40th floor offices in Times
Square and meetings with Queen Latifah’s people all the way back in her old
neighborhood in New Jersey (safe to say that not many Canadians….even New
Yorkers have probably visited that area!) I’ve sat down with Def Jam, Sony,
David Foster’s people, and had a positive response from all of them! The
biggest obstacle was always, ‘how will we market you?’ I wanted to remain who I
was…a white guy from Canada who loves R&B and Soul! No gimmicks or phoniness.
That sincerity didn’t mean much to the labels and so I’ve never really thought
much of it since. If a label was to come to me today I certainly wouldn’t close
the door, but I simply love all the possibilities this new world of underground
and internet music provides.
Tell me about some of the things that came out of it and some of
the things you were doing at the time – I guess were talking about 97 to 2000?
Well, a lot of good things. My
demos were always well received and I came close on several occasions to
landing artist or productions deals. Arista records was very interested in one
of my pop demos for an all guys group, and I had an LA based artist cut a few
of my tracks for his own label pursuits. I ended up playing live in Los Angeles
more than anything, which was a surprise to me, and was well received from
local audiences. I established a strong network of industry people in the LA
area which I still maintain and keep in contact with to this day.
And you worked with Brian McKnight and All 4 One – how was that?
Well let me clarify! I got to
sit in on some recording sessions with Brian McKnight, not really as an artist
but more as an observer…a great learning experience in many ways. Brian runs
his ship very tightly and is a very talented guy. Jamie Jones from All 4 One
and I have worked on production and writing several times and he is just a
great guy with tremendous talent.
And you came over to Europe – did you get to the UK?
Yes! I came over in 2003
determined to get onto some stages in London and beyond and let people know who
I was and what I was all about! I had the fortune of sitting in with a great
local band at The Jazz Café and 10 Rooms, and I also played a show in Liverpool
with some local artists at a club called Baby Blue. I even did a PA at a local
club night put on by the (now defunct)Soul 24-7.com crew, and did an interview
for them. I met with a few labels and continued to pound the pavement just like
in the past in Los Angeles and New York. I had a wonderful time in the UK and
am looking forward to my return trip in a few weeks!
Then your Official First CD in 2002, tell me about that, and how
it did do? – ‘Dance With Me’ did quite well.
I had wanted to do an official
release for many years, and in mid 2002 I had some promoters interested in
bringing me over to Ireland for a few shows. I did not have any ‘official’ product
at that point and set out to do my first official release ‘Bout Time’…which I
completed in 30 days start to finish!
I didn’t really know what to
expect from the record, but as I spread the word throughout the internet, many
people in the UK really embraced tracks like ‘Dance With Me’ and ‘Fine’. UK
label Café De Soul licensed ‘Fine’ for their fourth compilation album entitled
‘Café De Soul Volume 4” and my name gained even more exposure both in the UK
and abroad. Ironically, that little tour to Ireland never materialized, but it
gave me the push I needed to get that first record done!
Did you do any touring to promote that?
Just some local shows and then
the trip to the UK in 2003. I also was in Los Angeles a few times simply to
present the album to some of my industry friends.
You do writing, production and (I think) run a studio – how’s it
all going?
Are you looking to push on yourself or maybe working on others?
I have a small studio in my
home where I recorded both ‘Bout Time’ and ‘Soul Celebration’. I’ve gotten a
lot of praise for my production, especially on ‘Soul Celebration’, and I’d
obviously like to expand that side of things and work with an array of artists.
I am working on an all instrumental album and then I plan on following up ‘Soul
Celebration’ by years end. My style and sound seem to be resonating with more
and more people, especially in the UK, Europe, and Asia, so I see no reason not
too continue making albums that people enjoy.
Who out there right now are you feeling?
I’m really digging Dwele, Eric
Roberson, Steve Harvey, Jill Scott, and anything by Prince…there is a lot of
great music being made right now…you just have to look for it!
And being independent, what benefits and challenges
does this give?
Well, the absolute benefit of
being independent is the autonomy and control you have over your music and
business decisions. The drawback can be that you end up taking on too many roles,
and then get burnt out from trying to be everything. I am still in search of a
‘team’ to help me focus more on the music, but as I said before, until that
right person or persons comes along, I must dig deep and keep handling both the
creative and business side of my career.
And what’s next?
Just trying to finish up an
instrumental album and then getting ready for a follow up to ‘Soul
Celebration’. I hope to produce some records for other artists too.
What other things do you like to do?
I am avid sports fan…really
enjoy ice hockey, American football, basketball, and of course soccer (forgive
the North American terminology!) I like playing sports and working out and of
course, spending time with my family and friends.
Anything you’d like to add?
I just like to thank you for
doing this interview with me and I look forward to seeing many of my UK and
European friends at this years Birmingham Luxury Soul Weekender!
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