Interview with Brett Littlefair: Hell yeah … Haha. Any changes or overall evolution? Yes: Video

Interview with Blues guitarist Brett Littlefair. An interview by email in writing. 

JazzBluesNews.com: – First, let’s start out with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music. How exactly did your adventure take off? When did you realize that this was a passion you could make a living out of?

Brett Littlefair: – I got interested in music when I was a kid and first heard KISS. I played a gig when I was 17 and got paid. I thought … ”Okay. So I just have to keep doing this.”

JBN: – How has your sound evolved over time? What have you been doing to find and develop your own sound?

BL: – My sound went from.. ”What the F#@K am I doing? To … This kinda works. Nothing too intentional. I just heard music that connected with me and tried to tap into that vibe.

JBN: – What routine practices or exercises have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical proficiency, in terms of both rhythm and harmony?

BL: – I don’t have routines. I probably should…but I (pretty much) just play from the heart. In regards to improving my rhythm, I have found that playing livestreams over the Covid era has kept me developing my proficiency. Albeit in a live setting…He he. In regards to harmony…well I just trust my ears on that one.

JBN: – Have you changed through the years? And if so why?

BL: – Hell yeah … Haha. Any changes or overall evolution? Yes. I have constantly tried to evolve my songwriting because I hate writing “lame” songs.

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JBN: – In your opinion, what’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

BL: – The perfect equation is 95% Soul and 5% intellect.

JBN: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; are you okay with delivering people the emotion they long for?

BL: – I am more than okay with delivering emotion in music. I look for emotion when I am listening so it would be very hypocritical of me to not deliver it to my listeners, wouldn’t it?

JBN: – How can we get young people interested in blues when most of standard tunes are half a century old?

BL: – By accepting that blues is not just about those “classic” songs and structures. Some of the best blues I have heard have come from original tunes from The Black Keys, White Stripes and Seasick Steve.

JBN: – John Coltrane once said that music was his spirit. How do you perceive the spirit and the meaning of life?

BL: – We are all connected to a “core” energy. You can call it God or The Universe or just a Core Energy (like I do) but it all means the same thing. Music taps into that BIG time and unlocks that connection between humans.

JBN: – If you could change one single thing in the musical world and that would become reality, what would that be?

BL: – No more “singing/performance” TV shows.

JBN: – Whom do you find yourself listening to these days?

BL: – Alvin Youngblood, CC Adcock and lots of JJ Grey and Mofro.

JBN: – What is the message you choose to bring through your music?

BL: – Nothing singular really. Each song has it’s own message. If you were to look at the most common theme in my songs, it would be hope, redemption and havin’ a damn good time…haha.

JBN: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine: where and why would you really want to go?

BL: – Back to when they stopped importing Newcastle Brown beer in Australia. I would go back and buy as many cartons of it as I could afford. Damn I love Newcastle Brown…haha.

JBN: – At the bottom line, what are your expectations from our interview?

BL: – I have no expectations other than someone out there has a fun, entertaining read․

Interview by Simon Sargsyan