INTERVIEW
w/ Tim Coffman

Re: This is Fun

GW- I listened to your CD "This is Fun" several times yesterday and it sounds like you had a great time recording it.

TC- I had a blast and the musicians had a great time too. We actually recorded it over a 2-month period of time, so it wasn't a long drawn out recording. It was definitely fun.

GW- How did "This Is Fun" come about?

TC- The decision to record the CD was made about six months ago, but I had been writing these instrumental songs for maybe 5 to 10 years. Most of the songs were compositions that were really for my own personal inspiration. At first I would made a demo of each one and then kind of throw them in a drawer. It was a way for me to kind of shake off the demands of the music business and go and just have some fun, But as I continued to write, the songs became my own personal renaissance with melody, and I began to devote more time developing the melody lines. About six months ago I started to review the demos and there were some of those compositions that really had a voice that needed to be heard. So I selected the songs that I thought would fit together and we started recording.

GW-Why did you call it Vintage Soundtracks?

TC- All of the songs were recorded at Rolltop Music Studio. We used their extensive collection of vintage recording gear from the 50's and 60's. When you listen to "This Is Fun" you will hear the authentic sounds of an original 1965 Ludwig drum set, some early 60's Sonor, Gretch, Rodgers and Ludwig snare drums, vintage Epiphone, Gibson and Fender guitars and even some very old Fender and Silvertone amps. The instruments were recorded using old RCA and Shure mics into vintage tube pre-amps. The vintage mics and tubes color the sound and give the CD it's warmth and depth. That's why we called it "Vintage Soundtracks". There's one more thing, all of the instruments were recorded onto state of the art 24-bit hard-Disc recorders which gives the sound it's sonic clarity and brightness.

GW- What made you switch from performing to producing and songwriting?

TC- In some ways with "This Is Fun", I have come full circle back to performing, but I started producing because I have always been intrigued with just the music itself. I've always been interested in records and
how they sound. Just that natural attraction of taking an original piece of music, that has never been interpreted before, and being a part of the process of arranging and recording it for the first time is one of the most fulfilling things I can think of doing. You get the opportunity with original music to present it as a recording to the world for the first time. That's been the fun for me. I also love to write. Those two things just took me more in the direction of producing records.

GW- Do you have a favorite style of music and what was it like working with so many different artists?

TC- Actually, the one thing I've enjoyed about my own musical experience is growing and learning about different styles of music. You will be able to hear that on "This Is Fun", you'll hear a lot of different influences in the music. I have had the very good fortune of being able to work with everything from string quartets to singer/songwriter artists to rock and roll and blues bands and I can't really say I have a favorite style, because all of those styles add something to you. It's like a tapestry of influences. They give you the ability to relate to a new group of people. Many times as a producer, you really don't even understand a new style of music until you actually watch the artist play their songs, and you see what is coming out of their hearts and souls, and then you can understand it. The one artist that comes to mind is George Collichio a guitarist from New York. In 1999 he asked me to produce his new CD "Field Of Jarr", but I had never had the opportunity to hear him perform live. The first day in the studio he played several of his new songs for me and it was like the lights went on and we had a very clear vision of how to shape his music. I have produce 5 more CDs for him so I guess it's working. I am always excited to take on new musical challenges.

GW- Was there ever a time when you felt in over your head?

TC- Not really, because I always tried to be honest with any artist that asked me to produce a style of music that I had not done before, and, there's this wonderful thing called research. I would listen to previously recorded CDs and learn the history of the style of music, listen to the recording styles, familiarize myself with the instruments that are played, and understand the nuances of the vibe.

GW-Do you have any plans to do the music from "This Is Fun" with a band?

TC-Several of the players have expressed an interest in performing the music live, and so we'll see where it goes, as there is a demand for the music live, we'll put a band together.

 

For more information about Tim Coffman contact - Julie

Email - rolltop@adnc.com

Greg Wallace is a independent music reviewer from Indianapolis, Indiana