Internet Further: Behind the Music with JP Soars

Within the February challenge of Boca journal, veteran rocker JP Soars discusses his scorching, swampy sound, his entry into the blues and steel scenes, and the way the pandemic has shifted his road-tested way of life.

On this unique Internet Further, Soars shares extra of his ideas, together with on how his adopted residence state influences his music.

On his earliest musical reminiscences:

My dad and mom at all times performed music on the radio. My mother was an enormous Beatles fan. My dad was into Bob Dylan, Neil Younger. My dad performed guitar, not professionally however at all times round the home. I might at all times affiliate that with comfortable occasions within the family. My dad was taking part in guitar, or choosing; my people weren’t bickering. I at all times related that with peacefulness and quietness within the family.

My dad and mom had been hippies. They’d have events, their associates would come over, they usually’d all be sitting round taking part in music and telling tales. I used to be very drawn to that. My dad taught me the primary stuff I discovered on guitar.

On how Florida conjures up his music: 

… In a variety of methods. Florida’s very culturally numerous. There are folks right here from all around the world. So I get impressed from reggae music to jazz; now I’m studying bossa nova stuff, diving into that somewhat bit. I acquired a nylon string guitar, and I’ve been listening to a variety of that stuff, making an attempt to be taught that sort of type so I can incorporate that into what I do. It’s a melting pot of music right here.

On his songs that particularly reference the area, like “Ain’t No Dania Seashore” and “Southbound 95”:

“Ain’t No Dania Seashore” is about somewhat membership we used to play, the Dania Seashore Bar and Grill. We had a month-to-month gig there, and the sound was actually good—not a elaborate membership in any respect, however we simply beloved taking part in there. We performed exterior on this little picket stage. We had been over in Europe, touring, and among the locations we had been taking part in had been actually tough. We performed a few castles, and you may solely think about what that feels like inside a stone fort. So our bass participant stored saying, “it ain’t no Dania Seashore.”

“Southbound 95” was impressed by once we’d exit for a tour, and we’re on our approach residence. Say, the final present is in Virginia Seashore, and we begin heading residence, and we get on I-95 heading south, and as soon as we cross into the state of Florida, it may be 3 or 4 within the morning, however as soon as we cross over, we’re like, we’re simply going to complete it out, and we get that second wind.

On the altering face of South Florida live performance scene:

The opposite night time I had Saturday night time off. I posted on Fb, “does anyone know of any unique bands taking part in round city? I’d prefer to go see them and probably get impressed.” Folks would say, “There’s this Iron Maiden tribute band” taking part in at such-and-such. No, I wished unique music.

There was, again within the day, late ‘80s, early ‘90s, a scene of unique bands that had been making an attempt to get signed, that had been placing out demos, placing out their very own stuff, and there was this plethora of unique bands, and all people was in a wholesome competitors with one another. It produced some actually cool stuff. Within the steel scene, everybody was making an attempt to be heavier and crazier than the subsequent man. It spawned some actually cool, distinctive stuff—groundbreaking stuff.

Folks will flock to see a tribute band. I perceive. For me, I don’t take care of that. It does nothing for me. I wish to hear what somebody has to say, not only a copy-and-paste scenario.

On the bespoke devices on which he performs, together with a stringed instrument long-established from a cigar field:

The cigar field guitars have two strings on them, and no frets. So because of the limitations of the instrument, it forces you to method it differently. Sure issues come out of it that wouldn’t come out of an everyday guitar. It’s simply by nature, you method it in another way, and create distinctive sounds from it.

This internet further is from the February 2023 challenge of Boca journal. For extra like this, click on right here to subscribe to the journal.