chat transcript

DAVID USHER CHAT TRANSCRIPT

Author: N/A
Source: Yahoo!
URL: ca.music.yahoo.com/aom/d_usher/chat.html
Date: August 8, 2001

y_canada_host: Hi folks!
y_canada_host: Tonight we have a very special guest
y_canada_host: David Usher from Moist will be here at around 7:30PM ET and 4:30PM PT
y_canada_host: Send in your questions for the man himself
y_canada_host: Just type them in the "Ask a question" field and click on "ASK" and we'll get him to answer as many questions as possible
y_canada_host: Hope you are all doing well and anxious as i am to speak to David
y_canada_host: David has just released his next solo album entitled "Morning Orbit"
y_canada_host: He will chat about this and way way more with us tonight
y_canada_host: Please submit your questions at the bottom of the chat screen
y_canada_host: So how are you all doing tonight?
y_canada_host: Its hot and sticky here in Toronto but its way cool to have David with us tonight
y_canada_host: There are hundreds of people from all over Canada and the World joining us right now
y_canada_host: David will be here shortly
y_canada_host: Please send us your questions at the bottom of the screen
y_canada_host: We will starting the chat shortly folks, please hang on
y_canada_host: Submit your questions at the bottom of the screen
y_canada_host: Please feel free to speak to all your fellow Yahoo! Canada users and David Usher fans from all over the world
y_canada_host: David Usher from the Canadian band called Moist will be with us in about 7 minutes
y_canada_host: He has just released his new solo album entitled "Morning Orbit"
y_canada_host: Hang on folks, David will be here soon
y_canada_host: Hope you all are ready for David Usher
y_canada_host: Please submit your questions in the field at the bottom of the screen
y_canada_host: Hang on folks... we will be starting soon
y_canada_host: hey everyone, if you haven't seen it yet David is currently featured as Yahoo! Canada's Artist of the Month for August!
y_canada_host: you can see it at music.yahoo.ca right now
y_canada_host: hey folks, david has just joined us here tonight, we'll be getting underway in a few short moments
y_canada_host: as you all know David's second solo album Morning Orbit has just been released, tonight's the night to have all your questions answered by the man himself
y_canada_host: let's get underway everyone, please welcome David Usher to Yahoo!
y_canada_host: hi david, thanks for joining us tonight
y_canada_host: hope you're staying cool in this crazy heatwave :)
y_canada_host: so your fans are checking out and loving Morning Orbit, have you had a chance to listen to it objectively yourself by now - or is that impossible?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I don't usually have any perspective on a record for at least 6 months to a year out - you are usually far too close to it to be objective. Until you've had some time to play the songs live and live with it for awhile.
y_canada_host: so with that in mind, i'm sure you're anxious to hit the road!
david_usher_morning_orbit: Yes, I've put a band together of friends and we have been having a great time doing shows and can't wait to start the tour in September
y_canada_host: there are some familiar faces in your band, maybe you can tell everyone who will be onstage with you?
david_usher_morning_orbit: Kevin and Jeff from Moist are coming out with me , Kim Byngham who has her own solo project is playing guitar as well as Jerry Finn and Chris Taylor-Monroe
y_canada_host: and you had a host of friends pitch in for the recording of th album as well, which we'll talk about that later...
y_canada_host: but let's get rolling with your questions, we have hundreds waiting already!

danielroseca: How close are you to your Thai roots?

danielroseca: How does it feel knowing that your music is so popular in such a far off place?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I grew up mostly in the West but have spent a fair bit of time in Asia as well. My mom has always taken us back to Thailand to live for periods of time. It's great for me that I can have some succcess in her country because it gives her quite a thrill.

electronicahoo: i think i've heard that little opera melody in "too close to the sun" before. am i correct?
david_usher_morning_orbit: The opera is actually in Black Black Heart. It's from the Flower Duet.
david_usher_morning_orbit: I'm may play but I don't know. It depends on scheduling

courtney_little20: The artwork is very beautiful on the new record, is it true that Sabrina shot the cover photo of you in Thailand?
david_usher_morning_orbit: The cover was shot in Thailand by Sabrina and we had to get up at 5 in the morning for about a week because the cover was shot at sunrise.

picture_elvis_2001: David, you've lived in Kingston, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto - which city was most inspiring to you as a songwriter, or is it more about how you feel than where you are? I think of a song like St. Lawrence River here...
david_usher_morning_orbit: Every time I seem to do a record I do part in one place and part travelling. It's important to me to switch up where I'm staying so I don't get too complacent.

courtney_little20: How do you find Moist shows, and you playing solo differ?? Do you think there is a different energy with the shows? Or a different audience?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I think there is definitely a different energy because I have different players and having different songs to play creates a new mood.

vicstismarsh: when are you going to do a tour for your European fans (england) i think you fab by the way
david_usher_morning_orbit: Well thank you!! I wrote part of the record in London and in Paris and will definitely be coming to tour there probably by the new year.

scorpiojen2001: What musical artist has had the most influence over you?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I have a lot of varied influences . I don't listen to much rock music. I started out listening to bands like the Beatles, ELO and now I'm listening to bands like Ben Harper, Outkast, the new Bran Van

confused_89: david do u rember 3 girls at musique plus holding a poster saying you are a god we'll we say hi and hope you liked the poster
david_usher_morning_orbit: Of course I remember youI always remember anyone who calls me a God
david_usher_morning_orbit: Just kidding, but I do remember you!

PunkAssH2O: Has your experience in Thaliand with WarChild affected your writting?
david_usher_morning_orbit: It's hard to know exactly how the experience affected me. Anytime you have a really intense experience it seeps in but it's hard to know how it directly affects the writing

etantje_2000: why did you decide to do a cover version of "fast car"?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I just always like the song. It was a song I always played when it came out on my guitar

rklama: what fondest memory do you have of touring?

u2hol: David, you do LONG hours on the road, how do you get your energy?
david_usher_morning_orbit: We did a show on the street in Montreal for the Indy a couple of years ago and I think 100,000 people came. It was one of those experiences that you just don't forget. And energy on the road is really created by the audience. You spend all day just waiting to play.

left_eye_m: Hey David! Can you explain the meaning of the Too Close Too The Sun?
david_usher_morning_orbit: Too Close to the Sun is essentially an Icarus tale. It's a mixture of a personal experience that uses that metaphor as a base.

bjorky_2000: Where do you see yourself in the next couple of years, more solo albums and less band albums? What with one of Moist members leaving and everything.
david_usher_morning_orbit: It's hard to know at this point. I'll be touring with Morning Orbit for about a year. The guys and I are really tight but I hardly know what I'm going to be doing next week. So we'll just have to wait and see

ty63rc1aw: I was talking with your webmaster for moist.ca and she informed me you use a Mac! Why, Dave, Why? : )
david_usher_morning_orbit: Because they're just better!!
david_usher_morning_orbit: they're better for music

genevievecroteau: Define your idea of "the utlimate succes" for this new album...
david_usher_morning_orbit: The only goals I have for this record are to tour places that I'm interested in, going back to some that I haven't been to awhile and going places like Europe and through Southeast Asia

lithiumkitty: how does your family feel about having a famous son?Do they suport you?Did they at first?
david_usher_morning_orbit: They're really supportive now. At first they thought I was kinda nuts and should get a real job. But they've always been very cool about it.

claudia_stpierre: Did you eat my "candy-strawberry-flower" that I gave you at the Liquor Store David ? :P
david_usher_morning_orbit: Yes we each ate one. Thanks for the acid!
david_usher_morning_orbit: Just kidding!!

tizzydawg: Like http://www.davidusher.ca/, simple and clean. do you have any part in it?

mzahra1: how do you see the internet as a promotion and distribution channel?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I have a part in it in terms of general design ideas - semi involved sometimes. And the internet is an important tool for promotion and distribution!

frugirlca: no question...just wanted to say thanks for the music, David...its really wonderful stuff
david_usher_morning_orbit: Thank you very much!!

sj_silent: Have you ever considered doing a b-side album?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I have been thinking about it, mixed with some live recordings because I have so many songs that I put aside as I was putting together Morning Orbit. Maybe for summer

etantje_2000: little songs seemed to be more intimate and the songs were more "Stripped down" than on Morning Orbit, was this something that was planned or did it just happen?
david_usher_morning_orbit: With Little Songs I very much wanted to make a record that felt intimate as if the person was sitting right next to me and with Morning Orbit I wanted to experiment more with soundscapes each time I do a record I try to set up different loose parameters for myself about the way I want to work.

amandadigi: Hey david...I heard you're still working on a book...can we get a sneak peak on what it's about?? david_usher_morning_orbit: I sort of stopped working on that during the process of writing Morning Orbit just because this record took up a lot of my time. I'm going to try to get back to it over the next year while out on the road.

Cmon_Chicken: David you said in the tribute magazine that one of your favourite movies is planet of the apes, wondering have you seen the new one.. and if so what do you think? david_usher_morning_orbit: I have seen the new one. What a royal piece of crap!!

Kam_17_: how does it feel to be the only band (moist) that's never put out a shitty cd? =) david_usher_morning_orbit: Thank you!!

etantje_2000: you've done some interesting collaborations, are there still any dreams you have that you want to make reality one day, concerning collaborations? david_usher_morning_orbit: I just did a neat collaberation with Juliette Lewis where we produced a song for her. I think I'd like to work with Alannis sometime. She has an interesting voice and lyric ideas.

sarah5_10: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING YOUNG MUSICIANS? david_usher_morning_orbit: Firstly, just remember it's always about songs and everything is based around songs. Also Mark from Moist has a book out on the music business called "The Indy Band Bible" and it's a great reference for musicians starting out.

loungefly1981: hey David, recently in an interview Scott Wieland reffered to his band as the saviors of rock and roll? Do you think there is actually one band which you would call the "Savior" of Rock n Roll? y_canada_host: keep sending your questions in now use the box below... david_usher_morning_orbit: Not really. I'm much more interested in music that's a fusion of all different styles of music these days and much less interested in rock.

lliiiss: Did you ever take voice lessons, or did singing just come naturally to you?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I have taken 4 voice lessons. But I've been singing since I was really little.

blackblackheart: How extensive will the Canadian tour be, and when will the tour dates be released?

amandadigi: Hey David.....how did you feel when you first heard "Forest Fire" on the radio?
david_usher_morning_orbit: The dates are being booked right now and should be announced in the next week or so. It's going to be a very busy schedule going all over the country. Check www.davidusher.ca

fiveheadedbeast: You said that there was about 40 songs that did not make the record, will these be available to the public at anytime?
david_usher_morning_orbit: because it was the first solo record it was a pretty exciting time. I don't know if I've heard forest fire on the radio. I don't listent to the radio very often
david_usher_morning_orbit: Some of them may make a future record, some I may put on to the website. I'm not really sure at this point
david_usher_morning_orbit: Jeff and I are in the process of working on another project, so some may come out then

firemistress34: You seem to have alot of emotional release in your performance. Do you find that helps you in day to day living?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I find that performance is the emotional release, especially these days where we have been playing smaller venues and getting back to being very close to people from the stage.
david_usher_morning_orbit: I'm finding it a much more satisfying way to perform

amandadigi: Hey David....I would like to know what you do before a show in order to get both physically and mentally prepared?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I tend to stretch a bit and write the lyrics on my arm!

ty63rc1aw: The first two albums of Moist had photos of body parts, why did you stop the "trend"?
david_usher_morning_orbit: My face is a body part!

amandadigi: Hey david...I have to say...you have an amazing sense of style....(and also a great head of hair)...where do you get your clothes??
david_usher_morning_orbit: I bought my hair on St. Laurent in Montreal and my clothes I just pick up wherever - I don't have any sort of method

confused_89: david usher do you have a great fear of any kind?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I'm afraid of flying . I hate to fly. I know it's safer then driving, but I don't care, I still hate to fly
david_usher_morning_orbit: I've been lucky . There have only been a few instances where people have gone too far and been waiting outside my house. But for the most part everyone has been really cool.

Kam_17_: Just to let you know.... your fans always are thankful of all the autograph sessions you do! It's nice to see a bad so in touch with their fans. Do meeting them give back to you in anyway?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I love to hang out with you guys and often you'll tell me thing of what you've gotten from songs or shows that refresh it all for me.

ty63rc1aw: Did you ever consider taking up acting? I would love to see you in the Crow
david_usher_morning_orbit: I acted in university and I'm a bad actor!

Kam_17_: what do you do with the bras that getting thrown to you on stage apart from putting them on band members!? =)
david_usher_morning_orbit: But they look so good on Kevin!

dpftc: Are you planning on recording versions of any more songs in Thai like you did for Leave It Alone?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I recorded a Thai version of Alone in the Universe and How are You for the Thai record
david_usher_morning_orbit: It's so hard to say, hopefully I'll still be doing creative things. That's as much as I know

emilo1978ca: does it freak you out when people come up and start talking to you or are you sue to it and comfortable with it?
david_usher_morning_orbit: I'm fairly relaxed and usually everyone has been very cool and just want to talk about the music and that 's a good thing

tricksterbutterfly: hey dave i don't know if you answered my question but here goes do you ver feel the need to censor your music and did you enjoy the metaxa i gave you?
david_usher_morning_orbit: Sometimes you have to censor what you're saying just because you want to make sure that things come out the way you intended them.. If the interviewer is a prick you never know how they'll twist the words. And yes, the whole band enjoyed it!

freaksncreatures: david whats more tedious for you the studio or the drains of being on the road???
david_usher_morning_orbit: Being a musician, there are different phases. There is the writing, then recording, then playing. And each can be amazing and horribly frustrating. But you keep moving on from one cycle to another, which keeps it fresh.

silverophelia_510: are you a practicing buddhist?
david_usher_morning_orbit: No, my mom is a practising Buddhist and I'm sort of a mix of a practising Atheist and a practising Spiritualist depending on the day. Because I come from 2 religious backgrounds, Buddhist and Jewish, I think that influences the way you see religion.
david_usher_morning_orbit: But of course!
y_canada_host: a quick question from a fan : do you fear death?

lliiiss: Do you ever miss living on the west coast?
david_usher_morning_orbit: Yes, everytime I go out to the west coast I really miss it, but the idea is to keep moving to keep getting fresh ideas and keeping yourself off balance
y_canada_host: well, we're coming to a close tonight, everybody. I want to thank David for joining us to talk about Morning Orbit and his career
y_canada_host: keep checking out davidusher.ca for the latest info (especially tour dates!)
y_canada_host: and please say thanks to david for taking time to be with us tonight
y_canada_host: One last question, cause it's a fun one ;)

Kam_17_: if I invite you to my wedding will you play a song for us there? =) Open bar!
david_usher_morning_orbit: But of course!
david_usher_morning_orbit: not
y_canada_host: :P
y_canada_host: that's all the time we have tonight, thanks again and if you haven't already, go pick up Morning Orbit
y_canada_host: and get ready to see David on the road!
y_canada_host: And head over to music.yahoo.ca to see the Artist of the Month feature on David Usher!
y_canada_host: Thanks for coming out, we'll see you again soon - much oblihed, David!
david_usher_morning_orbit: thanks everyone!
david_usher_morning_orbit: hope to see you soooon
david_usher_morning_orbit: bye bye

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