ON TRACK: ANDY FLEET ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS

On Saturday (June 14), Andy Fleet - and his band - will return to The Stables at Wavendon.
It is a venue he sold-out in 2013, and ticket sales this time around are expected to be just as brisk.
The songwriter, vocalist and piano man has a recent album out to indulge your senses - Takin' Aim has been earning critical acclaim and ace reviews in the UK, the US, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Jazz, blues, rock and folk come together on the release, which gives a wink to influences including Tom Waits, Donald Fagin, Randy Newman and John Lennon.
Check his site at www.andyfleet.com
Meantime, as the Stables date approaches, Andy answered our musical questions...
The song that first awakened your musical senses? Isolating one song is tricky as it was a combination of various sounds that first awakened music in me but if pushed I would say Fire And Rain by James Taylor.
Physical or digital - how do you take your music?
There's merit in both forms - physical for albums and music to treasure and keep and digital for the odd single that tickles my ear.
The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me'
When I first started writing aged 15 or 16 I remember thinking I want to be a songwriter/musician.
Your best on stage memory... Performing at The Arts Chapel in Bath in Feb this year - the band was on it, had a new guitarist Pete in the band, the place was full and I remember losing myself in the music. Almost an out of body type experience ... looking back at myself. The evening went perfectly with bucket loads of feeling and emotion. Those nights are the exception rather than the rule.
And the worst gig you've ever done One of the early shows when I was finding my style. Some of those were hard.
 
What made you take up the piano
I remember loving chords and harmony and the piano provided the ability to accompany myself. I started on trumpet then saxophone but never quite got along with them. I've always loved the sound and look of the piano - it literally is music laid out in black and white. It's the perfect instrument.
Which one song by another artist do you wish you'd have written
Alone Again (Naturally) by Gilbert O'Sullivan. Such a lovely tender and emotive song. He's an underrated guy.
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And one - by yourself  - which holds special significance Fifty Four Candles - its a song about my baby son, James, who died after only 54 minutes on this earth.
 
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
Tom Waits, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen or John Lennon. My BIG four. I would use my power and influence and try to hook up with the others and do an album together!!
Are there any current musical influences that you might look to There are some good artists out there now but I do tend to look backwards to the source. The late Bill Evans (piano player) is a current favorite along with ELBOW - a brilliant band in every sense.
 
And any genre of music that you simply can't stand?
Not really - Techno or Death Metal I guess but for me there are really only two types of music - GOOD and BAD.
Finally, plug your current album
Takin' Aim came out mid last year and is doing well in the press and in the shops, especially in Belguim interestingly. It's a big dark luscious sounding record from the horns laden New Orleans vibe of the opening track 'Who's Gonna Be Sorry' to the celebration of old friends and good times in ‘Get The Boys Round’ to the cinematic ode to the port of Hamburg in ‘The Beast’ to the frighteningly honest and personal finale where I reference John Lennon’s ‘Mother’ and tell the tragic tale of the night James died in 'Brave Little Soldier'.