Scott SharrardSaving GraceSouthern BloodSaving GraceHow hard is it to put out a record these days?This was a big project to be relying upon funding from your fans.Is that how you see funding for your albums going forward?
There aren’t any less fans of music, though. What’s happening?Can you talk about the motivation behind the album?That’s key, isn’t it: to work with these guys, but also at these locations?You’re a Midwest guy, and now a New Yorker. How did you connect with the region?Laid BackSaving GraceAnd not only the birthplace, but the creative basis of the music, itself.When did you know where and how you were going to do this?
What was it like to put yourself in that space?Some would find that overwhelming.When we last spoke in December of 2016, you mentioned having a future decision to make: when to release this album relative to Southern Blood’s release. I like how the title, perhaps coincidentally, refers to saving grace, especially in light of Gregg’s passing.And with the recording of “Everything a Good Man Needs,” you have your own special story because you held off releasing it. And to my ears, it sounds like Taj is even doing a few of Gregg’s moves.The album as a whole has both a contemporary and classic sound; vintage soul within a rock framework. How did you achieve that balance?
And certainly, this is a guitar album.You have a solo career you have built, but your time with Gregg, even today, included roles as a musical director, songwriter, musician, and especially in the last few years, a spokesman of sorts for Gregg. How difficult has it been to handle those roles?
