Post by will on Dec 4, 2008 11:00:09 GMT -5
Uncle Kracker - Top-40 Pop Singer
By: Dominick A. Miserandino
Uncle Kracker talks about who he really is and his relationship and independence from Kid Rock. We also learn the difference between Uncle Kracker and Matt Shaeffer.
DM) With your new album out, I noticed that you did it a bit more independently than your first album, which was produced by Kid Rock. What motivated you to want to "do this more on your own"?
UK) It wasn't really intentional at first. We were just coming off of the tour for Kid's album and things were really busy. I was on tour for my album and just running around. Our schedules didn't match up, so I did it more on my own. I wasn't avoiding anything, just how things worked out.
DM) It seemed like at one point, any story that mentioned you, always mentioned Kid Rock.
UK) At one point that's all people mentioned, and for all of the wrong reasons. I was constantly listed as Kid Rock's protege. In a way though I didn't mind, because he's one of my best friends, and if I had to be associated with anybody, it would have to be him.
DM) You said, "all of the wrong reasons". What do you mean?
UK) I was always listed as Kid Rock's protege or somebody in his band, but they didn't realize what I did do. I co-wrote all of the songs on "Devil Without a Cause", except for two songs. "Cowboy," "Only God Knows Why," and "Wasting Time" were all mine. Again, I don't mind the comparison, but I just wish they knew me for who I am.
DM) It sounds like you did a lot more work than people would give you credit for.
UK) Well, they didn't know. I think everybody focused on me being a protege, but didn't realize how much work there was in the songwriting.
DM) In a way, is this album giving that to you? An independence from the comparisons and more of your own identity?
UK) I think that's pretty safe to say. "Follow Me" was pretty successful on the charts and people started seeing me for me. It did better than a lot of the Kid Rock singles that we did, and that really started shutting a lot of the critics up. It seems like all that the critics wanted to do was to bash my last record. And when it did well, or when the current "Drift Away" did well, it really shut them up.
DM) It must be pretty hard to keep doing what you're doing in spite of any negative comments.
UK) Absolutely, it's enough to drive you crazy. For this current record, there's a lot of critics who have just bashed it, but then "Drift Away" did really well, and then things turned around. But the more negative stuff you hear, the more you just want to say, "Screw this" and just stop what you're doing. Somebody gave me advice to stop reading any of the articles about you, because it just distracts you from what you're doing. So now, I just write songs, and immediately go into the studio to get them down, and ignore any of the critics.
DM) It sounds like you were prepared for a lot of the critics in a way.
UK) Absolutely. I went through it with Kid Rock, on "Devil Without a Cause". There were people who commented on the songwriting and some of the songs and I was taking it really to heart, good or bad. In a way, that experience really set me up for my own release at that point.
DM) That must have been a weird feeling where some people are blasting the songs you wrote, but you're still walking out night after night with Kid Rock singing them, to tens of thousands of fans.
UK) That's where I learned it was all a part of the game. So I can do what I love, write songs, I have to also do the interviews, deal with the critics, deal with the good and the bad. It's all a part of the same thing. You have to do the year long tour, and be away from your family and friends, but to get something in the end. If I can do what I love in the end, it's worth it.
DM) If I'm understanding you correctly though, you went right from touring and promoting Kid Rock's album to your own, back to Kid Rock's, back to your own and then home with your two daughters.
UK) Things have been busy. I'vie just been out of my mind. When you're away on the tour bus so long you start to miss everybody, and you're doing the constant game of being Uncle Kracker, putting on the sunglasses, doing the interviews. I'm not saying I was nuts, but I was going a bit crazy.
DM) But you're also coming off of three major projects, in a sense; your life, your album and Kid Rock's album.
UK) That's just it. I was doing a lot on Kid Rock's stuff and my own, and it was really back to back. One led to the other.
DM) Are things more stable now?
UK) Absolutely. Now I'm able to also be a dad again, and spend some time with the kids.
DM) To keep the balance, are you pulling out of the Kid Rock world then?
UK) No, not at all. That will always be a part of me. Right now I'm just catching up and taking a breath. Luckily, he's not touring now and I have to just continue writing. It gives me a chance to catch up and start to be me again.
DM) I know you take pride in being a songwriter but your latest hit, "Drift Away" is a cover.
UK) Believe me, I was the last one who wanted to include that on there. At first I really protested it, and didn't like the idea about it. I just want to write songs that make people happy, and "Drift Away" seemed to be a song about nothing, a song just about music. But then I saw the reaction of people and I realized that it was doing what I wanted, it was making people happy. Now I'm thrilled by it, plus I got DobieGray who wrote the song, to appear on my cover. And as a songwriter I got to add my take to it.
DM) Have you ever thought of just gearing yourself towards writing, maybe just even writing for other artists?
UK) I'd love that. I'd love one day to just be able to hide in the attic and write some songs people would love. I'm always searching for that one true song, that one perfect song. Maybe one day I'll put Uncle Kracker to the side and just focus on the writing.
DM) Does that mean one day you'll be able to be Matt Shaeffer (Uncle Kracker's real name) instead of Uncle Kracker? You talk about Uncle Kracker in the third person as if it's not really you.
UK) Well, I don't want to come across as schizo or anything! In a way though it's a professionalism or like going to work or a job. Some people have to wear a suit to work, Uncle Kracker wears sunglasses. He wouldn't show his baby pictures around but Matt would. It's almost as if I become a little bit of Uncle Kracker when I go to work. I couldn't come home and expect my wife to want me to autograph her boob, but when I leave the house, that's what they expect. It doesn't make my wife happy, but that's another thing. For me though, it's going to work. It's doing my job when I become Uncle Kracker.
DM) But it sounds like it's a goal in a way to become Matt the songwriter?
UK) In a way it is something in the back of my mind, not really a goal, but something that I think about. I'm not in it to be on the front cover of things, but simply to write the songs. If I write a song and collect a pay check and make people happy, I'm happy. I don't have to do the Uncle Kracker thing to be happy, it's the song part that makes me happy, but it's all a part of the same game. If one day, I can be Matt who writes songs for people, and they get the fame, but the songs make other people happy, that would be great.
Talk to other readers about this story.
By: Dominick A. Miserandino
Uncle Kracker talks about who he really is and his relationship and independence from Kid Rock. We also learn the difference between Uncle Kracker and Matt Shaeffer.
DM) With your new album out, I noticed that you did it a bit more independently than your first album, which was produced by Kid Rock. What motivated you to want to "do this more on your own"?
UK) It wasn't really intentional at first. We were just coming off of the tour for Kid's album and things were really busy. I was on tour for my album and just running around. Our schedules didn't match up, so I did it more on my own. I wasn't avoiding anything, just how things worked out.
DM) It seemed like at one point, any story that mentioned you, always mentioned Kid Rock.
UK) At one point that's all people mentioned, and for all of the wrong reasons. I was constantly listed as Kid Rock's protege. In a way though I didn't mind, because he's one of my best friends, and if I had to be associated with anybody, it would have to be him.
DM) You said, "all of the wrong reasons". What do you mean?
UK) I was always listed as Kid Rock's protege or somebody in his band, but they didn't realize what I did do. I co-wrote all of the songs on "Devil Without a Cause", except for two songs. "Cowboy," "Only God Knows Why," and "Wasting Time" were all mine. Again, I don't mind the comparison, but I just wish they knew me for who I am.
DM) It sounds like you did a lot more work than people would give you credit for.
UK) Well, they didn't know. I think everybody focused on me being a protege, but didn't realize how much work there was in the songwriting.
DM) In a way, is this album giving that to you? An independence from the comparisons and more of your own identity?
UK) I think that's pretty safe to say. "Follow Me" was pretty successful on the charts and people started seeing me for me. It did better than a lot of the Kid Rock singles that we did, and that really started shutting a lot of the critics up. It seems like all that the critics wanted to do was to bash my last record. And when it did well, or when the current "Drift Away" did well, it really shut them up.
DM) It must be pretty hard to keep doing what you're doing in spite of any negative comments.
UK) Absolutely, it's enough to drive you crazy. For this current record, there's a lot of critics who have just bashed it, but then "Drift Away" did really well, and then things turned around. But the more negative stuff you hear, the more you just want to say, "Screw this" and just stop what you're doing. Somebody gave me advice to stop reading any of the articles about you, because it just distracts you from what you're doing. So now, I just write songs, and immediately go into the studio to get them down, and ignore any of the critics.
DM) It sounds like you were prepared for a lot of the critics in a way.
UK) Absolutely. I went through it with Kid Rock, on "Devil Without a Cause". There were people who commented on the songwriting and some of the songs and I was taking it really to heart, good or bad. In a way, that experience really set me up for my own release at that point.
DM) That must have been a weird feeling where some people are blasting the songs you wrote, but you're still walking out night after night with Kid Rock singing them, to tens of thousands of fans.
UK) That's where I learned it was all a part of the game. So I can do what I love, write songs, I have to also do the interviews, deal with the critics, deal with the good and the bad. It's all a part of the same thing. You have to do the year long tour, and be away from your family and friends, but to get something in the end. If I can do what I love in the end, it's worth it.
DM) If I'm understanding you correctly though, you went right from touring and promoting Kid Rock's album to your own, back to Kid Rock's, back to your own and then home with your two daughters.
UK) Things have been busy. I'vie just been out of my mind. When you're away on the tour bus so long you start to miss everybody, and you're doing the constant game of being Uncle Kracker, putting on the sunglasses, doing the interviews. I'm not saying I was nuts, but I was going a bit crazy.
DM) But you're also coming off of three major projects, in a sense; your life, your album and Kid Rock's album.
UK) That's just it. I was doing a lot on Kid Rock's stuff and my own, and it was really back to back. One led to the other.
DM) Are things more stable now?
UK) Absolutely. Now I'm able to also be a dad again, and spend some time with the kids.
DM) To keep the balance, are you pulling out of the Kid Rock world then?
UK) No, not at all. That will always be a part of me. Right now I'm just catching up and taking a breath. Luckily, he's not touring now and I have to just continue writing. It gives me a chance to catch up and start to be me again.
DM) I know you take pride in being a songwriter but your latest hit, "Drift Away" is a cover.
UK) Believe me, I was the last one who wanted to include that on there. At first I really protested it, and didn't like the idea about it. I just want to write songs that make people happy, and "Drift Away" seemed to be a song about nothing, a song just about music. But then I saw the reaction of people and I realized that it was doing what I wanted, it was making people happy. Now I'm thrilled by it, plus I got DobieGray who wrote the song, to appear on my cover. And as a songwriter I got to add my take to it.
DM) Have you ever thought of just gearing yourself towards writing, maybe just even writing for other artists?
UK) I'd love that. I'd love one day to just be able to hide in the attic and write some songs people would love. I'm always searching for that one true song, that one perfect song. Maybe one day I'll put Uncle Kracker to the side and just focus on the writing.
DM) Does that mean one day you'll be able to be Matt Shaeffer (Uncle Kracker's real name) instead of Uncle Kracker? You talk about Uncle Kracker in the third person as if it's not really you.
UK) Well, I don't want to come across as schizo or anything! In a way though it's a professionalism or like going to work or a job. Some people have to wear a suit to work, Uncle Kracker wears sunglasses. He wouldn't show his baby pictures around but Matt would. It's almost as if I become a little bit of Uncle Kracker when I go to work. I couldn't come home and expect my wife to want me to autograph her boob, but when I leave the house, that's what they expect. It doesn't make my wife happy, but that's another thing. For me though, it's going to work. It's doing my job when I become Uncle Kracker.
DM) But it sounds like it's a goal in a way to become Matt the songwriter?
UK) In a way it is something in the back of my mind, not really a goal, but something that I think about. I'm not in it to be on the front cover of things, but simply to write the songs. If I write a song and collect a pay check and make people happy, I'm happy. I don't have to do the Uncle Kracker thing to be happy, it's the song part that makes me happy, but it's all a part of the same game. If one day, I can be Matt who writes songs for people, and they get the fame, but the songs make other people happy, that would be great.
Talk to other readers about this story.