Payne County Line Interview
By Stan Moffat
Emory, please give us a short bio of yourself…

'Well, I'm Emory Joseph (http://www.emoryjoseph.com). I'm from St. Louis Mo. originally, and I currently live in Northern California (Oakland).

In February of this year I released my debut album "Labor & Spirits"- after having been in the music/production business in one way or another for almost 25 years.

The album features: Levon Helm (The Band), Kenny Aronoff (Mellencamp, Joe Cocker, John Fogerty), Tom "T-Bone" Wolk (Hall and Oates, Elvis Costello, The Saturday Night Live Band), Dave Mattacks (McCartney, George Harrison), Duke Levine (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Peter Wolf), Jon Carroll ((Mary Chapin Carpenter, Danny Gatton), Soozie Tyrell (The E-Street Band, Buster Poindexter), Myron Dove (Santana, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown) and other wonderful people just like them - who I was blessed to be able to work with.

I'm proud and almost SHOCKED to say that it is being played on stations all over the US and in Europe, spent 20 weeks on XM Satellite's X_Country Chart (reaching #3), and has resulted in my being introduced to artists I've admired and stole from for years like Bonnie Raitt - who sits in with me when I play locally, and who recently invited me to play in her band at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival - where we performed together with R&B legends Ruth Brown and Howard Tate for 20,000 hot and sweaty people.. I'm having a great time y'all!

Let's see...what else?

Favorite foods- spicy, southern, Creole and Cajun, curriesSmeats

Favorite drink- anything with rum and lime, beer, Itey reds

Favorite Colors- yellow/gold, red, green

Plays- anything with strings, anything you can whack on, enough piano to get my point across, Native American flutes,

Influenced by- Blues, Southern Rock, Soul, Early Country, New Orleans"

How did you start in this business? Why? When?

I’ve thought of myself as a musician for as long as I can remember. My dad was a singer (Daddy John) and my mom had great records I learned later were very hip. I used to fantasize about being a singer on a “big stage” when I was a little kid, and had my first bands in junior high school. I remember finding some jingle house tapes (dumpster diving in high school) and having a light kind’a come on for me -- about a person being able to have a career based on working in and around recording studios.

Since I was 18 I’ve been doing something or another in rooms -- where I had gear, or was providing some kind of production service or another….often times it was my sleeping address too. Nice and dark in there….

Do you write your originals?

I record (on all ONE of my records haha) all originals. I cover quite a bit of material live though.

If so, what influences you to write, why do you write?

I think my biggest goal, or rather – the thing I’m proudest of these days, is my writing. I mean, I think I was born with a natural ability and instrument. But the craft of songwriting, and being able to create things others can relate to and want to cut, is something I’ve worked at constantly. I’m always writing. Lyrics usually come with melody attached. But, if I’m playing with others, jamming – or in rehearsal, I can usually expect songs to come from whatever we’re playing. Catching ideas is the hardest part. I use my answering machine more than any other tool -to catch bits I develop over time. I’ve missed lot of important calls (Randy Newman is one that comes to mind) because all the memory was filled with song ideas about important things like Jujubes or Mopar haha

What characteristics do songwriters need to have to be successful?

Let’s see… The courage to write a BAD song, a work ethic that guarantees you’ll put in the hours….and maybe a good knowledge of the great work that‘s been done before you….

How do you write, I know this sounds stupid, but we have a friend that locks himself in a room with some funny grass he says.. and some munchies, and does not come out till he has at least three songs??

I like that way too. In fact, that sounds like about the best recipe I can think of for getting it done, and enjoying the process- at least, until the next day when you listen back haha ..I don’t have any set way I work. You know, set hours like Paul Simon. I do up date lyric files regularly and make sure to video any session I do – at the odd chance a new song wants to come. The video part helps to recall any odd picking or chords that’s going on. It also serves to gather collateral content for promotional and posterital uses. Which as you know – is King!

What motivates you to write?

Anything….everything…..a book I’m reading, something someone says in conversation – or that I overhear while eavesdropping (a great source of material)..TV show….Film ….Betty Page magazine …In fact, I just thought of a song idea about two people doing an interview.

Where have you played? Towns, venues

I’ve lived all over the US (Boulder and all up and down the Eastern Slope of the Rockies, NYC, Boston, Houston, New Orleans, Virginia, Florida, -- a lot of this travel came working in the professional Hunter and Jumper horse trade—All up and down the West Coast. I was always doing something musical somewhere. My first big live break came sitting in with the late great Albert Collins at The Lone Star Café in NYC when I was 21. He was always very sweet to me; always gave me stage time no matter what city we’d cross paths in….dear man, funky too. My first band in NYC (22) had John Levinthal (Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohen, Roseanne Cash) Michael Holoman ( Lost Gonzo Band) Bob Mallach (Stevie Wonder) John Korba ( Carly Simon, Hall and Oates), and a great bass player named Lincoln Schleiffer (who was the guy that actually made all the others take a listen to the kid who called Leon and Lowell songs. He was in Soozie Tyrell of the E-Street Band’s group at the time “Great Balls of Fire”. (Soozie was the first person I called to sing harmony on Labor & Spirits. She’s a great musician. Hot stuff man! I want her to play fiddle on the next album.)

I’ve done a lot of “one offs” over the years with players like that. I used to find a way to play with a fantastic band a couple of times a year – for benefit or something. To find whether I still had it while I was percolating, and be able to pay ‘em decent money for their time. Getting with good players early on is a great way to raise your bar. Like in sports you know, play with better people whenever you can and you’ll get better by the rub off factor. I never really liked playing in bands early on. Especially cover bands. As fun and wood- sheddingly useful as it can be (not to mention the opportunity it affords a person to meet all manner of charming young women) – I always preferred to be drinking WITH the people in the audience than providing a soundtrack for them to do it by.

What are some of the covers you all do? Most favorite song?

Wow, there are so many things I like to sing…..I cover James Taylor – a very funky white boy really– Allen Touissant, Ry Cooder, Lowell George, Bonnie… If it was on Warner’s, or on Electric Asylum in the 70’s I probably have taken a crack at it.

Do you have a band? Who is in it.. short bios.. etc…

My last show was at the Sweetwater Saloon in Mill Valley CA – opening for soul legend Bettye Lavette. The line up was….Me- Tele/ Lowden acoustic; James (Dip Dip) Di Prato – Gibson SG and Supro slide; Kevin Stevens – Drums (up from LA) Dewayne Pate – Bass; Jon Carroll – keys and vocals (up from Reston VA); And Bonnie Raitt – slid Strat and vocals on “Work to Do” and “Trinkets” I’m planning to do some work with Rick Richards (Georgia Satellites, Izzy Stradliln) in the coming months. We’ve been getting to know one another here lately. I also would like to play with a band from Charleston, WV called The Carpenter Ants. I think we’d be great together – but they don’t know that yet haha This week I’m playing with a new group of local guys that happen to be off the road for awhile. They include a great drummer named Jimmy Sanchez, and key man John R. Burr. The bass will be Steve Parks who plays and sings his hiney off too – and of course Dip….I’m excited about that, and about playing with Bonnie every chance we get.

She’s the best pal anyone could ever hope to have in this business btw. Funky, Cool, and as stand up as a day can be long….Her recognition of what I do has been a major major help in my being able to keep enthusiastic when things are slow.

What has been your greatest reward to date?

Hearing my daughter sing, hands down.

Your thoughts on the Folk/Country/Americana Music Scene/The California Music Scene?

There’s a might whole lot of great music out everywhere …as far as business and commerce go, it’s about the same everywhere. To make something of it you gotta hustle and learn and ..and have BBQ as often as you can….with pie and cocktails.

Any “big news” you want to share with PCL?

Would you settle for whole big bunch of little things? I got lots of those. Today’s is about receiving play lists from DJs in Europe who got my package last week and are playing “Labor & Spirits” today…The level of deep respect and knowledge the Europeans have for and about American music that matters to them is awesome – really wondeful.

Future plans for a band? For Emory?

You bet….. haha

How do you perceive a band to be a family, business, partnership, etc? and why? Like in a family, it’s nice for things to be as Democratic as can be – as often as possible in life. Also like in a family…..it can get messy when it comes to shared responsibility and money. Someone’s gonna have to buy the seed, plant the seed, water the seed…etc. I have some friends in Australia. A band called The Blue House. Before they did anything business wise, they got together with a mediator and figured out what percentage of everyone’s time would be offered to the group – and then adjusted the “net” pay accordingly. They also produced their records with money they got from pre-selling to their fans (who they then listed individually on the liner notes). Really smart approaches. But they’re women, and as such, much smarter and more reasonable than men…

Describe your music.. and who you sort of sound like…??

That’s hard for me to say really…..Someone recently called it something like “Doctor John recording at Stax with Willie Nelson and George Clinton” or something like that . I liked that description a lot…..

Do you all play private parties? Socials? Venues?

Try me. I’d love to do a tour of “house concert parties”. Let me know if you know of anyone who has a big spread and wants to BBQ….

Describe how one gets started in this business?

Oh man…I dunno - genetic defect?

Your call, anything you wish to say about anything.. goes here.. thanks to parents.. friends, fans wanted..etc..

I think I’m pretty up to date being openly grateful to the people that matter to me. I’m super excited to hear from people who are hearing and digging the music. I’m so happy we’re finding each other after all these years haha. Really, I can’t wait to play for you – all o’ yuns.

Oh and, to all you “lifer” musicians out there: Unless you know you’re fooling yourself about what you’re willing to do to get it done – hang in there! You can bloom late in this, or any, business if you’re willing to work hard and keep learning.

Feel free to add anything here you feel would help you shine..ok.. anything at all, take as much room as you need. We are not limited, and the purpose of this is to make Emory Joseph shine even brighter than he is. Whatever, this is your call, ok?

I’ll just sum up......“you can take the boy out of the country, but it’s hell getting’ all that country out of the boy…” from “It’s My Life” by Charlie Daniels….

Thanks for taking time to do this!

It’s my absolute pleasure to discover you and yours Stan. Whatever I can do to help will be too. I love the idea of you, and the farm, and all that time and effort you put in for people and music. I hope your Daddy’s feeling better. We gonna fry chickens together one day boy….

Take good care,
Emory