Stacey Blood

By Rock N' Write
(SugarBuzz Orange County)

SugarBuzz Magazine

Stacey Blood is counting it off this summer with the anticipated release of his second album Millennium Blues. What to expect? The Morrison-ish, Beatlesque, Cash driven artist captures a mélange of rock, blues, and out-of-the-box style that he skillfully melds together for a sound that is very much his own. A fan of 60’s and 70’s rock, Blood awakens the nostalgic mind and sets the path for a timeless adventure with him.

Blood spent his influential years as a top-rated radio personality in the Dallas, San Luis Obispo and Fresno markets. This helped develop his multidimensional style. It’s certain to say that music was always part of Blood’s life. His father, Bobby Blood, was a session player and recorded/performed with renowned artists such as Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, The Doors, Steppenwolf, and David Bowie.

So fast forward into the millennium. Stacey Blood’s debut album Reversed Space was released in 2005 on Astral Records. In 2007, he released his single Sunday School which is peppered in psychedelia. With the final touches currently in progress on Millennium Blues, I was able to catch up with Blood and discuss the upcoming album, life in Nashville, and the fight against brown recluses…yes, it’s a trip of an interview!

Rock N' Write - How's your world in Nashville tonight?

Stacey Blood -A little quieter. Had thunderstorms today, sounded like the Battle of Bastogne.

Rock N' Write - I think I have to Google that battle. It sounds intense.

Stacey Blood - Very intense, so they say.

Rock N' Write - I'm gonna go on blind faith with that one. Shall we start with what year you were born?

Stacey Blood - Good call, blind faith was really the only way out of that one. I was born in 1976 in Fort Worth, TX. Spirit of '76 man. That makes me a dragon on the Chinese birth chart, ya know.

Rock N' Write - I happen to be a fan of the 70's...and the Chinese calendar. I'm 1974 which makes me a tiger. Couple that with being a Leo...watch out people! So are you musically inspired by the 70's?

Stacey Blood - A tiger and a leo? Didn't Napoleon Dynamite call that a "Liger"? Yeah, of course the 70's was a great time for music. Almost as great as the 60's but both decades are the pinnacle of 20th and 21st century music. It's only fallen off from there. By that I mean, in big picture. There has been some great music between then and now. They just kind of stand alone in a wasteland.

Rock N' Write - Liger...I'll remember that next time a dude asks me what my sign is. What do you consider great music in today's world?

Stacey Blood - I'd say anything that has some kind of meaning or relevant expression. You can tell by the amount of conviction. You either believe it or you don't. Music that is very human I'd say. Uninhibited. Fearless. A unique voice, I guess, is the best way to put it.

Rock N' Write - With that said let's get to your work. Describe your sound...do you consider your style Nashville country?

Stacey Blood - Nah I wouldn't call it Nashville country. Not really country at all. It just seems like rock n' roll to me. I try not to strap myself with genre and just keep things organic. Woody Mullis called it "Johnny Cash on mushrooms". I still like that one.

Rock N' Write - I'm gonna venture to think that Mr. Cash would give Woody Mullis a pat on the back for that creative description. I feel like there's a lot of heart in both your music and your voice. "Helpless" seems to have that Cash influence. What's the inspiration behind this song?

Stacey Blood - It's pretty much about how pathetic we can get hanging on to our delusions that something that simply doesn't exist anymore will come raging back to us. It's such a helpless feeling clinging onto false hope. I think we've all been guilty of that at one point or another. Obviously it's biographical.

Rock N' Write - Oh yes. I'm with you. Sometimes the fantasy is much more exciting even if it brings on more pain. I believe your latest song "Mirage" has that same theme. Speaking of which, you have some great vocals on that track. Tell us about the collaborations on your latest album.

Stacey Blood- Why thank you! "Mirage" is a song I've had laying around for a little while. It didn't quite make it onto "Millennium Blues" but it will be on the next album. The backing vocals were done by my sweetheart Laurie Ann Fessler... she's fantastic. I had two collaborations on "Millennium Blues" both with my producer David Norris. "Suicide King" obviously being the most prolific. That's a metaphorical song I had laying around and Dave went in guns blazing on that one. And it wasn't just the writing either. During the production of it the man was in my brain! He helped take that tune to another level. But that's why I love Dave. We've been friends for over ten years and I can't imagine anyone else producing me. He's my George Martin. His contributions on "Helpless" are amazing too. But amazing is what you get from Mr. Norris. Ask anyone.

Rock N' Write - When and how can people get their hands on "Millennium Blues"? Are you currently touring?

Stacey Blood - "Millennium Blues" should be ready before the summer is out. Final mix sessions start on July 4th and mastering around the 12th. As soon as I have a target date I'll announce it on my website, Facebook, Twitter, and I'll even sky-write it if need be. I'm currently casting players for a long string of dates in Nashville. Hopefully I can get a tour scheduled after that. I'm really looking forward to getting this album out into the night.

Rock N' Write - I might be able to get a plane for you! What are you looking for as far as players and where do you plan on touring?

Stacey Blood - Ha! Well that's the first rule of rock n' roll... get yourself a plane! Well with players I'm looking for good ones!! I reckon a tour would start in the mid-west and of COURSE we'll have to come to the West Coast!

Rock N' Write - Oh you have to come to the West Coast! So with a cliche question, do you have a favorite song on the album?

Stacey Blood - Well I'll have to give you a cliche answer... I'd probably have to go with the title track because it's the most recent one. That's usually how it works. I like what I'm doing at the moment.

Rock N' Write - How do you like living in Nashville?

Stacey Blood - Living in Nashville is great for a musician. They don't call it "Music City" for nothing. But I'll tell you, they have a real brown recluse problem here. I've killed probably 25 of them in my apartment. Seriously! I've become somewhat of a brown recluse expert lately so I know how to ID them. They suck.

Rock N' Write - Quite literally! I'm going to assume you're a wanted man in the recluse community?

Stacey Blood - Yeah I'm sure they have my picture on a "This Is Why We Fight" poster in their "layer" or wherever they are. I should have a reality show called "Brown Recluse Hunter" or something like that, eh?

Rock N' Write -Haha! "Recluses Most Wanted!" So when you're not battling the blood sucking evil forces, you're playing guitar. You're actually a multi-instrumentalist correct? What's your favorite instrument and when did you get your start in music? Oh and I believe it's "lair".

Stacey Blood - This coming from a "liger". I have this problem with typing phonetically what is in my brayn.

Rock N' Write - Of course. A blonde one too.

Stacey Blood - It's okay, I won't deduct any points.

Rock N' Write - Wow, that scared me. I really like keeping a flawless score. So then onto your music background...

Stacey Blood - Well that's an awful embarrassing question don't ya think?

Pretty much my musical background is set around my dad's years as a musician. He had a pretty prolific career in the late 60's and 70's in Hollywood playing with all kinds of greats. I got serious about writing at about 18 and have just allowed myself to follow the muse. This is where I've ended up. My dad's a renowned trumpet player, so I started playing that. But baseball pretty much had all my attention as a child. It wasn't until the Seattle sound hit that I snapped into a musical fury that I was destined to enter in life. That sound never defined me, but it did jolt me awake. I mean, the 80's. That'll pretty much put anyone into a clinical coma.

Actually, I'd have to say it was "Appetite for Destruction" that jolted me. Grunge kind of held the line. Then when I was 18, well let's say I was in a different mental state, I put Sgt. Pepper on in headphones and it was a different listen! That was the fall down the rabbit hole. And I haven't landed yet. I hope I never land.

Rock N' Write - Not to sound like Charlie Sheen, but Appetite was epic! I can see how Sgt. Pepper did it for you. Do you collaborate with your dad and do you still play baseball?

Stacey Blood - Yes, my father (Bobby Blood) played bass and horns on two of the songs on Millennium Blues, "Fire in Atlanta", and "Penniless and Poor". Sad to say the baseball days ended in high school when I picked up the guitar, but my father and I played catch last Sunday on Father's Day. It was great, and I've still got the arm! I throw so much harder now! Granted I'm about 8" taller now, that helps.

Rock N' Write - Blood collaborations are some of the best, no pun intended. Well, I hate to wrap up the fun and banter with you, but is there anything you'd like to add, plug, write in the sky for us at SugarBuzz Magazine?

Stacey Blood - Yip! Head on over to my website www.staceyblood.com and my new Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/staceyblood and "like" it to stay current with all the release info. And one little known fact... brown recluses are the only North American spider with only 6 eyes. The rest have 8. It was a pleasure, Rock... love ya!

Rock N' Write - 6 eyes? At least their two eyes short from being excessively dangerous. Stacey, you're definitely on my Summer of Love Tour 2011. Thank you so much for this interview! Now go rock it!

www.staceyblood.com

SugarBuzz Magazine