Most artists never get a chance to be Picasso, but that doesn't mean you would stop painting. Teddy Thompson More Quotes by Teddy Thompson More Quotes From Teddy Thompson The state of radio is not great. It's like playing the lottery. The chances of hitting are mind boggling slim. Teddy Thompson hitting radio mind I was obsessed with country music when I was a kid, and it's definitely had a huge influence on the way I write songs. I was always attracted to songs that had a brilliant pun or a clever turn of phrase, but came from a dark, bitter place. As a writer, I've always gravitated towards that feeling. Teddy Thompson clever song country My career could've been anything, I just wasn't that good at other things. I'd say it was fairly easy starting out as I did in LA, meeting some great friends and musicians and landing a record deal. That's where the hard work began though. Teddy Thompson great-friend musician hard-work I come from a place where there's a lot of musical families. Teddy Thompson musical I'm never worried about being upstaged. I love to have the best, most individual people come in and see if we hit on something. Teddy Thompson worried individual people For a long time I was trying to be poppier and younger. I didn't want to be on public radio or do any of that stuff for older people. Then I realized that that is exactly what I listen to. Teddy Thompson trying long people I don't try to stop myself from becoming too personal. I just put it all out there. If anything, I try to remind myself to be as honest as possible all the time. Why hold back? Teddy Thompson honest trying Country music was the music I was brought up on. It's the music that's closest to my heart and the music that speaks to me the most, and it's always been a big influence on my own songwriting. Teddy Thompson influence heart country I used to listen to my dad a lot as a way of trying to be close to him, as well, because my parents were divorced and I didnt spend that much time with him. I used to put head phones on and listen to my dad talk and sing and kind of had a weird bonding in a way. Teddy Thompson dad parent trying I came from a folk-family background. Although we weren't really the all-singing, all-dancing-around-the-piano folkies or anything like that, there is that idea of singing and playing with your parents and your family and your cousins. Teddy Thompson cousin piano ideas I vacillate between feeling grateful for what I have in such hard times for the music business and being frustrated that I haven't moved up more quickly. It can be dispiriting to play the same small clubs tour after tour. You think: "When am I going to get to theatres, maybe even arenas?" But maybe that's not on the cards for me, maybe I don't have a wide enough appeal. Most days, I am happy to have the best job in the world. Teddy Thompson hard-times grateful thinking Internet radio stations like KCRW do take you everywhere, yet thats just one of a hundred small things you have to do to succeed. It used to be, if you just got on the cover of Rolling Stone and a spotlight on The Tonight Show, that was enough. Teddy Thompson rolling succeed stones There's this bubblegum pop thing which is prevalent now that we haven't had before. People's ears are slightly de-tuned; they've been exposed to this weird synthetic, implausibly upbeat, Mickey Mouse stuff which I think is just weird; it's not really a human sound. Teddy Thompson sound people thinking Everyone's different, but it was fun for me to work with Garth Hudson. He's from 'The Band.' They are a massive influence, that was a big thrill. He's completely out of his mind. Teddy Thompson different mind fun I do think it's probably true to a certain extent that you tend to sing music that fits your voice. If you're Lou Reed, you're unlikely to become a country singer. Teddy Thompson voice country thinking I think I'm too cynical for L.A. My sense of humor doesn't go down well here, which probably affects my love life. I need to have a laugh track following me around so people know I'm trying to be funny. Teddy Thompson love-life people thinking Even for the people in the business who are real music lovers it's really about putting things in the right boxes, and my style doesn't fit into a box. Teddy Thompson style real people I love the sad songs with their maudlin, self-deprecating, almost funny lyrics. As an Englishman, they make a lot of sense. Teddy Thompson englishmen self song The songs are definitely all about me. I am my favourite subject. Teddy Thompson favourite subjects song I remember writing 'The One I Can't Have' at the kitchen table. I was looking at a picture of Truman Capote with Marilyn Monroe and that's where I started. It doesn't make any sense because he was gay, but it was just the idea of the short guy and the beautiful blonde out of his league. That's where I started, but very quickly it became about me. Teddy Thompson gay writing beautiful
