 Backroads is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money by the vote of the people November 4th 2008 My name is Tate McLean singer-songwriter kind of the Americana style. I've always appreciated songwriters and You know three-minute song man kind of thing with a story behind it So that's what I try to do. And when did you first get into music? Well, I was a drummer first as a kid. I always wanted to be a singing drummer I got a guitar when I was probably 12 and couldn't really play it and I was in bands with like older kids I was the drummer and I started picking up on a little guitar here and there and then they all graduated on me So then I just ditched the drums and started playing guitar and started writing songs after I could put chords together pretty much and then There was a luthier in my hometown was my neighbor actually and I took my guitar there to get it fixed or strong or something as a kid and Once I had some song certain I went back to him. I was probably 15 years old 16 and he would have me come to the open mic night at this little blues bar and How would I share my songs I got hooked from a young age So you were performing originals that young in front of an audience already? Yeah, I mean in the first time I went in there I was too scared to even get on the mic So I sat at the bar and there's two old Vietnam vets and I got done with my first song and they went And I was like well, I think I can do this From then on I'll get on the mic and I had you know some originals. I don't know how good they were But I mean it was always similar style to what I do now. So I got full moon fever is probably my most straightforward love song I've ever written It's one of my more recent songs and it's one of my fairs. I get a good response from that one. It's a Kind of different from some of the other things that I do but Because there's kind of some darkness. I got like only love you and I'm highs like kind of a murder ballad I mean it kind of ranges a spectrum of good times and sad and You know all the weirdness in between What are some influences on your sound like what bands did you looked up to growing up and stuff like that as a kid? My mom was really into the old country Jimmy Rodgers and left you for Zell and Johnny Cash and all the way up the line, you know So I had that at a really young age, you know She used to sing them to me at bedtime and things like that Had a little record player as a kid played 45s of it and when I was a teenager It was probably the whole like weird grunge thing in the 90s there And then I just started going back to the 70s and 60s and then Really going back into the old like pre-war blues in country. I really like that kind of stuff And there was kind of a shortage of new material like that for a long time But in the past like I'd say 15 years. There's really been an underground come out and now it's really kind of a big thing It's really exciting. There's a lot of good bands now that I really like in that whole You know American sound rock blues country kind of blue grass things like that And now with the internet like you can check out so much. It's so easy to find Other artists you like now even if they're just from some small town in Montana or Minnesota or wherever, you know and it's easy to get their music stream their music and then Follow what they're doing and go see them, you know support them or Play shows with them or get them to your town or whatever the ease of access to music I really like because when I was a kid it was You know $20 a CD, you know, and if you wanted anything that wasn't at Walmart in my town you had to Go talk to an old guy who had Records or something, you know, like or whatever that's how I found out about a lot of music too was playing those open mics in that Bar so young not only are the guys who are playing amazing, you know, Joe Price from Iowa and Eric Nodin from Chicago and things like that you learn a lot from just watching that But then, you know, they would play in between sets. They'd be oh put on this record or put on, you know, whatever So all these old-timers are playing this great music So that's how I got to pick up on that because it was really hard when I was young Song right is that kind of you have a tune in mind or did you work on lyrics first? Sometimes sometimes it's just picking around on a guitar. You get a couple You know things that sound good and then the words just kind of start bouncing off from there usually I have my Phone so I can record because I just start playing something and singing with it like whatever I just feel or whatever happens to pop out and then it's like I listen back later It's like oh, yeah, those are great lines That's a great line and I can kind of build it from there. Usually that's how it happens Sometimes the line will hit me out of the blue or whatever. I've had one of the songs. I'm gonna play is a It came to me like I was falling asleep one night and it popped in my head And it was before phones where it was easy to you know type everything down So I had a piece of paper and a pen I wrote two lines down and went to bed Just fell asleep, you know and I woke up and it wasn't there like the pen was defunct or whatever So like I had to use a pencil and like Make it come out, you know like they do and it worked it was amazing I got the two lines and then built a song from there and it's one I still play I love to play like a film or both music, right exactly. Yeah So what's it like for you as a performer, what's the experience of playing live like for you well playing lives always been The thing, you know that it's where you take your song from home And you go play it in front of people and you see what they how they react, you know I mean granted it can be hit or miss places But when you're in a room where people want to hear music and they react to your song. It's just it's amazing Because it might mean something completely different to them, but Just the fact that it made them feel something is You know what it's about and it's really gratifying to play songs that people want to listen to or that You know want to hear it again or remember at the next time you're there and say hey could you play this song again? You know, I really appreciate that and it's just that's why you keep doing it You know, I mean I write music for myself to feel good and when that happens I'm like, okay I'll introduce this to someone else. All right, and when it makes them feel good, then it kind of Validates what I'm doing for me. Anyway, you know, she never know if it's a good song or not Tell someone else hears it. You know what I mean? So thanks you guys My name is tape McLean Backroads is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money by the vote of the people November 4th 2008 if you enjoy watching back roads online, please consider making a tax deductible donation at lptv.org