Pop Music
PREVIEW
David Ryan Harris.
Ex-Follow for Now vocalist Harris steers his soul to solo waters
Expectations have hung over David Ryan Harris' head since he and four other black guys ---some with dreads ---stepped on the stage. And didn't sing reggae. Or R&B.
No. His band, Follow for Now, was a rock band, folks. A few years later, more expectations when Harris served as the musical director on the tour of local vocalist Dionne Farris, whose critically r received debut, "I Know," generated all the attention that goes along with being the New Big Thing.
This week, more expectations for Harris. The 29-year-old Atlantan's eponymous solo debut hits the Billboard charts with a record mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Brendan O'Brien, on O'Brien's new Atlanta label.
Expectations. Expectations. And more.
"Yeah, and I tend to stay really separate from it," says Harris, sipping a "Shot in the Dark" espresso at the Little Five Points Aurora Coffee, just a few doors down from where he'll have his CD release show tonight. "Especially now that I'm married and have kids, I don't really get out. Which could be a good thing or a bad thing. But it allows me the time to figure out who I am and just try to really please the spirits that are giving me my gift.
"The thing that's strange but different is that for as long as I've been at this it's still like my debut," adds Harris, who gets so many enthusiastic "Hey mans" from the people in this area ---papered with his fliers ---that you would think he was passing out money. "No matter how big (Follow for Now was) here, we didn't sell any records in Wichita. So I'm just focusing and trying to make sure that my first step is the step that I want and need to take."
His footing has to be secure. He's headed out of the gate with the kind of record that radio hasn't embraced and even the artist has trouble neatly summing up.
"My record is different in that it's guitar-based," Harris begins to explain. "People are making the D'Angelo and Maxwell and Seal and Terence Trent D'Arby comparisons. And although all those artists are good artists, and make good music, none of that stuff is based in guitar. Which makes i it difficult. Because black folks in particular ain't really trying to hear no guitar.
"At times I don't think my record is really that R&B. I guess because I think R&B has, recently, . . . stopped being about songs and live instruments and substance. But, then again, I don't want to say it's a rock record. It's hard to say what it is."
Such is the result when you're a kid like Harris growing up in a town with no distinctive musical sound.
"There's no mecca for Atlanta, there's no central anything," says Harris, who was born in Evanston, Ill., but moved here when he was 6. "People are in their own pockets doing their own thing. Which is a good thing.
"For myself, when I was growing up, I was all about being in my bedroom and listening to my records. I wasn't really into the music mags, I had never seen Creative Loafing. And it seemed perfectly normal to me to listen to Prince, Gino Vannelli, Bad Brains and Steely Dan. That was just my experience."
Harris' experience, coupled with O'Brien's obvious gifts, makes him confident about whatever happens to him come Labor Day, when he officially hits the road and meets his public. "I've got what I've learned since we put out that Follow for Now record six years ago," Harris says. "I've got the benefit of Brendan's experience. The benefit of his ear. And more than anything, the benefit of the doors that have been opened for him.
"Now it's just a matter of getting out there and making sure we give this record its best shot. It's like being a door-to-door salesman. If you know you went to all the houses in the neighborhood then that's all you c can do. And a lot of that's out of my hands. As far as the music is concerned, I've done my thing."
WILLIAM BERRY / Staff
***Thanks to Furious Rose for submitting this interview.
Tuesday, December 30, 1997
Tuesday, September 30, 1997
DRH in Guitar Player, Sept. 97
Copyright Miller Freeman Inc. Sep 1997
THROUGH FOLLOWING
David Ryan-Harris, the 29-year-old former leader of Follow for Now, knows what he wants to be doing when he gets older. "I saw Pops Staples on television, and he was still singing Staples Singers songs from back in the old days," he says. "Those are the kind of songs I want to be performing when I'm 60. I don't feel the need to be as visceral as I was with Follow for Now." This helps explain the more nuanced soul-rock stylings of his self-titled debut album, mixed by Brendan O'Brien.
Whereas Follow for Now went for the groovadelic jugular vein, RyanHarris is now happier exploring the smoother side of the R&B spectrum, with a sound that echoes Seal, Prince, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder. "If I Had a Dime," "Sleep" and "Change" unwind slowly, fleshed out by floating vocals and understated electric and acoustic woven into dreamy, funky textures that, he says, separate him from the "urban alternative" crowd. "None of the artists in the popular arena are approaching their material from a guitar point of view," he says. "Prince was the last artist from that style that people identified as being a guitarist."
After Follow for Now ended its five-year run in 1992, Ryan-Harris, a transplanted Georgian from Evanston, Illinois, backed up singer Dionne Farris for a year. He started work on his album last summer, continuing the exploration of acoustic guitar he'd begun in the final days of Follow for Now. He tuned his 1966 Gibson Country and Western four different ways for the album, including open D and the C, A, ES, C, F, high F heard on "Genie." "What I like about alternate tunings," David says, "is how you can broaden your palette by just hitting a tuning peg."
He ran his PRS McCarty solidbody through a Roland VG-8 guitar synth into a Fender Pro Junior, a Fender Vibroverb and Matchless DC-30s, using the combos' internal speakers or a '70s Marshall 4x12. A self-confessed "pedal whore," Ryan-Harris also hauled out an Electro-Harmonix Micro Synth and a Prescription Electronics Experience Pedal, as well as an E-Bow. "There are a million boxes you can plug into that make you sound like a beer commercial, but I like things that make you sound like you don't know how to play. They give you personality."
***Thanks to Furious Rose for submitting this interview
Monday, June 30, 1997
DRH in Billboard June 97
HARRIS SHOWS OFF A SOUND ALL HIS OWN ON 57 RECORDS DEBUT
David Ryan Harris' name may not ring a familiar bell, but his music probably does. The Atlanta-based singer/songwriter/guitarist was the secret ingredient in Dionne Farris' 1994 Columbia debut, "Wild Seed-Wild Flower." He co-wrote two songs, co-produced six, played guitar, and served as musical director on that set. Or, some may remember Harris from his acclaimed eclectic funk rock band Follow For Now, whose self-titled 1991 Chrysalis album was overshadowed by the success of the similar-sounding Living Colour.
Now, Harris is striking out on his own with his self-titled, self-produced debut album on Brendan O'Brien's Sony imprint, 57 Records, due July 22 via Columbia. He hooked up with 57 Records through his longtime association with O'Brien, who produced the first demo tapes of "Follow For Now." O'Brien also mixed "David Ryan Harris." The enhanced CD (ECD) features footage from Harris' four-minute electronic press kit, interview clips, and an acoustic version of the album track "Nothing More To Say." The ECD also includes a World Wide Web browser to connect listeners to his site on the Internet, which is at www.davidryanharris.com.
"This album is a logical progression, but then a logical progression gives a connotation of being thought-out, but it's not. It's just where I am now," says the 29-year-old artist of his debut, which ranges from pure pop to soulful singer/songwriter-type songs to gentle rockers with hints of R&B and jazz. "I wanted to show my range. This record is all about the fact that I needed to put these songs out with these different styles and approaches so that the second record, if it's only one of these styles, will make sense."
The diversity on the album stems from Harris' upbringing--his mother spoon-fed him the blues of John Lee Hooker, while his father got him into bebop and jazz. The result is an artist who cites Bad Brains' "I Against I" and Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key Of Life" as two of his favorite albums and '70s popster Gino Vanelli, classic rockers Steely Dan, and is as a few of his favorite artists.
What do these artists have in common? "The element of surprisewithin the structure of the songs," says Harris. "That's what Ilike to do. I don't want people to already know what key I'm goingto do the chorus in. Surprise within structure, and certainlysurprise from song to song. The only thing that is somewhat centralto everything I do is blues. It's all blues-based stuff. Soul andblues, which is where I really come from.
"Not everyone is allowed artistic freedom like Stevie Wonder was," he continues. "He had something that was definitely his sound, but he was still allowed to dress it up in different clothes. He was probably the last artist to be allowed to do that. There aren't a lot of artists that the music critics allow to make those grand shifting artistic statements, and I know that that is something I want to do."
It wasn't exactly Harris' choice to wait so long between projects. "After the breakup of Follow For Now, I couldn't sign a record deal or do anything because of a legal entanglement with my ex-managers, who managed Follow For Now," explains Harris. He is now managed by Pete Angelus of Angelus Entertainment, who also managed the Black Crowes. "It was hard, no one would touch me for fear of being brought in on this suit [by his former managers], so I just sat tight and worked with other people."
Some of the people he has worked with in the past few years are Michelle Malone, Edwin McCain, and Seedy Arkhestra (helmed by fromer Fishbone member Chris Dowd).
The legal setback may have been a blessing in disguise, since Harris has learned, albeit the hard way, more about the business side of the music industry. "First, I don't know if I was ready to have a record of my own out four years ago," he admits. "I've just learned so much from a producing standpoint finding out who I am and paying my dues. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm not green anymore."
While the label doesn't service radio until late July, modern rock WNNX Atlanta's "Locals Only" show, which airs Sundays 6-8 p.m., is already playing "Change" from the album and in May had Harris perform on the "Locals Only" stage at the Atlanta Music Midtown Festival.
"There's been a big anticipation buzz about David because of the success of Follow For Now on a local level. They were a big 'Oh, I remember them' reaction band," says Steve Craig, midday personality at WNNX and host of "Locals Only." "He played the last night of the festival to a sea of people who were just mesmerized and grooving to him and his band. It was a phenomenal performance. He gave me his CD, and I've been leaning on 'Change' a lot."
Craig says the reaction to "Change" was equally "phenomenal" and that Atlanta listeners were calling to find out if David Ryan Harris is the same David Harris who was in Follow For Now. "His style does a lot to bridge the gap between urban and pop and rock," adds Craig. "It's real good mass-appeal, and everyone here is asking for it."
"Change" will be one of the songs on a four-song sampler that Columbia will issue to college, triple-A, mainstream rock, and modern rock radio stations. The sampler will also include "If I Had A Dime," "Sympathy For The Crow," and "Six Feet Off The Ground." The label's initial plan is to forgo the first single and introduce Harris to various radio formats as an "artist," according to Greg Linn, marketing manager at Columbia.
The label is looking for feedback from the various formats to help guide it on which way to go with the album, says Linn.
Already, Harris has been well received by a wide range of national publications. There will be features on Harris in the September issues of Vibe, Musician, and Guitar Player, while reviews are running in Request and Mademoiselle.
"We don't think of David formatically here," says Linn. "We just want to put him in front of a lot of people. His music crosses a lot of boundaries; he's an African-American man who listens to everything from Stevie Wonder to the Allman Brothers. His audience can come from all walks of life; we just want to get him in front of the right audience."
Troy Blakely at Agency for the Performing Arts is in the midst of scheduling a summer tour for Harris, which will include a June 25 showcase in Atlanta.
~~~~~~~~
BY CARRIE BORZILLO
***Thanks to Furious Rose for submitting this interview
David Ryan Harris' name may not ring a familiar bell, but his music probably does. The Atlanta-based singer/songwriter/guitarist was the secret ingredient in Dionne Farris' 1994 Columbia debut, "Wild Seed-Wild Flower." He co-wrote two songs, co-produced six, played guitar, and served as musical director on that set. Or, some may remember Harris from his acclaimed eclectic funk rock band Follow For Now, whose self-titled 1991 Chrysalis album was overshadowed by the success of the similar-sounding Living Colour.
Now, Harris is striking out on his own with his self-titled, self-produced debut album on Brendan O'Brien's Sony imprint, 57 Records, due July 22 via Columbia. He hooked up with 57 Records through his longtime association with O'Brien, who produced the first demo tapes of "Follow For Now." O'Brien also mixed "David Ryan Harris." The enhanced CD (ECD) features footage from Harris' four-minute electronic press kit, interview clips, and an acoustic version of the album track "Nothing More To Say." The ECD also includes a World Wide Web browser to connect listeners to his site on the Internet, which is at www.davidryanharris.com.
"This album is a logical progression, but then a logical progression gives a connotation of being thought-out, but it's not. It's just where I am now," says the 29-year-old artist of his debut, which ranges from pure pop to soulful singer/songwriter-type songs to gentle rockers with hints of R&B and jazz. "I wanted to show my range. This record is all about the fact that I needed to put these songs out with these different styles and approaches so that the second record, if it's only one of these styles, will make sense."
The diversity on the album stems from Harris' upbringing--his mother spoon-fed him the blues of John Lee Hooker, while his father got him into bebop and jazz. The result is an artist who cites Bad Brains' "I Against I" and Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key Of Life" as two of his favorite albums and '70s popster Gino Vanelli, classic rockers Steely Dan, and is as a few of his favorite artists.
What do these artists have in common? "The element of surprisewithin the structure of the songs," says Harris. "That's what Ilike to do. I don't want people to already know what key I'm goingto do the chorus in. Surprise within structure, and certainlysurprise from song to song. The only thing that is somewhat centralto everything I do is blues. It's all blues-based stuff. Soul andblues, which is where I really come from.
"Not everyone is allowed artistic freedom like Stevie Wonder was," he continues. "He had something that was definitely his sound, but he was still allowed to dress it up in different clothes. He was probably the last artist to be allowed to do that. There aren't a lot of artists that the music critics allow to make those grand shifting artistic statements, and I know that that is something I want to do."
It wasn't exactly Harris' choice to wait so long between projects. "After the breakup of Follow For Now, I couldn't sign a record deal or do anything because of a legal entanglement with my ex-managers, who managed Follow For Now," explains Harris. He is now managed by Pete Angelus of Angelus Entertainment, who also managed the Black Crowes. "It was hard, no one would touch me for fear of being brought in on this suit [by his former managers], so I just sat tight and worked with other people."
Some of the people he has worked with in the past few years are Michelle Malone, Edwin McCain, and Seedy Arkhestra (helmed by fromer Fishbone member Chris Dowd).
The legal setback may have been a blessing in disguise, since Harris has learned, albeit the hard way, more about the business side of the music industry. "First, I don't know if I was ready to have a record of my own out four years ago," he admits. "I've just learned so much from a producing standpoint finding out who I am and paying my dues. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm not green anymore."
While the label doesn't service radio until late July, modern rock WNNX Atlanta's "Locals Only" show, which airs Sundays 6-8 p.m., is already playing "Change" from the album and in May had Harris perform on the "Locals Only" stage at the Atlanta Music Midtown Festival.
"There's been a big anticipation buzz about David because of the success of Follow For Now on a local level. They were a big 'Oh, I remember them' reaction band," says Steve Craig, midday personality at WNNX and host of "Locals Only." "He played the last night of the festival to a sea of people who were just mesmerized and grooving to him and his band. It was a phenomenal performance. He gave me his CD, and I've been leaning on 'Change' a lot."
Craig says the reaction to "Change" was equally "phenomenal" and that Atlanta listeners were calling to find out if David Ryan Harris is the same David Harris who was in Follow For Now. "His style does a lot to bridge the gap between urban and pop and rock," adds Craig. "It's real good mass-appeal, and everyone here is asking for it."
"Change" will be one of the songs on a four-song sampler that Columbia will issue to college, triple-A, mainstream rock, and modern rock radio stations. The sampler will also include "If I Had A Dime," "Sympathy For The Crow," and "Six Feet Off The Ground." The label's initial plan is to forgo the first single and introduce Harris to various radio formats as an "artist," according to Greg Linn, marketing manager at Columbia.
The label is looking for feedback from the various formats to help guide it on which way to go with the album, says Linn.
Already, Harris has been well received by a wide range of national publications. There will be features on Harris in the September issues of Vibe, Musician, and Guitar Player, while reviews are running in Request and Mademoiselle.
"We don't think of David formatically here," says Linn. "We just want to put him in front of a lot of people. His music crosses a lot of boundaries; he's an African-American man who listens to everything from Stevie Wonder to the Allman Brothers. His audience can come from all walks of life; we just want to get him in front of the right audience."
Troy Blakely at Agency for the Performing Arts is in the midst of scheduling a summer tour for Harris, which will include a June 25 showcase in Atlanta.
~~~~~~~~
BY CARRIE BORZILLO
***Thanks to Furious Rose for submitting this interview
Sunday, June 29, 1997
DRH in Billboard, June 97
Five Atlantan Acts To Follow
By Jeff Clark
DAVID RYAN HARRIS
For David Ryan Harris, the most important thing he's learned since his former band Follow For Now disintegrated four years ago is patience. "I guess right after we broke up, what I wanted to do was kinda parlay whatever name I'd made for myself with that band into a deal and keep moving immediately. Of course, that didn't happen."
Instead, after Chrysalis rejected the Atlanta funk-rock quintet's demos for their second album, there was talk of a Harris solo deal with Columbia Records, which never materialized. "But ultimately, I wasn't really ready, even if it had happened," Harris now says.
He spent much of '94 and '95 playing guitar with fellow Atlantan Dionne Farris, on her "Wild Seed-Wild Flower" album (on which he also co-wrote and co-produced several tracks) and subsequent tour. It was on several of those dates that Harris opened Farris' show with a solo set, getting comfortable with his new songs and the idea of being the sole focal point.
"At that point, [solo gigs] were really the most petrifying experiences you could imagine," Harris claims. "Now it's the easiest. It's really gratifying, because I know I'm in full control."
Now Harris is gearing up with a new band and preparing to tour in support of his long-awaited solo debut, due in July on Brendan O'Brien's 57 Records, through Columbia. With a more soulful, introspective bent than the rambunctious Follow For Now was known for (the band took its name from a line in a Public Enemy song), the "David Ryan Harris" album reflects the down-to-earth concerns of a 29-year-old father of three who has finally outgrown impatience. "I admire people who are slow and deliberate," Harris says. "So I'm just trying to chill out."
***Thanks to Furious Rose for submitting this interview.
By Jeff Clark
DAVID RYAN HARRIS
For David Ryan Harris, the most important thing he's learned since his former band Follow For Now disintegrated four years ago is patience. "I guess right after we broke up, what I wanted to do was kinda parlay whatever name I'd made for myself with that band into a deal and keep moving immediately. Of course, that didn't happen."
Instead, after Chrysalis rejected the Atlanta funk-rock quintet's demos for their second album, there was talk of a Harris solo deal with Columbia Records, which never materialized. "But ultimately, I wasn't really ready, even if it had happened," Harris now says.
He spent much of '94 and '95 playing guitar with fellow Atlantan Dionne Farris, on her "Wild Seed-Wild Flower" album (on which he also co-wrote and co-produced several tracks) and subsequent tour. It was on several of those dates that Harris opened Farris' show with a solo set, getting comfortable with his new songs and the idea of being the sole focal point.
"At that point, [solo gigs] were really the most petrifying experiences you could imagine," Harris claims. "Now it's the easiest. It's really gratifying, because I know I'm in full control."
Now Harris is gearing up with a new band and preparing to tour in support of his long-awaited solo debut, due in July on Brendan O'Brien's 57 Records, through Columbia. With a more soulful, introspective bent than the rambunctious Follow For Now was known for (the band took its name from a line in a Public Enemy song), the "David Ryan Harris" album reflects the down-to-earth concerns of a 29-year-old father of three who has finally outgrown impatience. "I admire people who are slow and deliberate," Harris says. "So I'm just trying to chill out."
***Thanks to Furious Rose for submitting this interview.
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