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Q)
Who are your major musical influences and how do they affect your
writing process?
A)
Morrissey. (laughs to self)
I am influenced by all styles of music from all eras. I grew up
listening to 70’s guitar rock, but was also an enormous Elvis Presley
fan. As I got into high school (a 1989 graduate from Mountain Home,
Idaho), I discovered acoustic music and put down the electric guitar.
The three CD’s that changed my life were the debut releases from Tracy
Chapman, Melissa Etheridge, and Indigo Girls. As a result, I started
playing the acoustic guitar, and began focusing on songwriting. As time
progressed, I had less interest in being in bands and more ambition to
become a solo artist. I have been told that my writing process is very
different from other people. And admittedly, I am not as prolific as I’d
like to be. Some songs will remain in pieces for years until inspiration
hits to finish them. I write directly from the heart, which can slow up
the writing process. Each word is a direct glimpse into my soul. I am
very careful to always say exactly what I mean to say.
Q)
Many musicians live for the live performance and audience. How do you
see yourself on stage? Is it a comfortable place to be or a simple
necessity of the business?
A)
I’m more comfortable playing and performing in front of crowds and being
on stage than I am in my own home. Yes, I absolutely live for the
performance and the overall ambience of a playing live. On stage is
where I get my relaxation. Performing is the greatest stress reliever
for me. Especially if I’ve given what I felt was an exceptional
performance. As far as it being a necessity of the business, I can
easily understand where artists might adopt that perspective. The stage
can be intimidating and sometimes painful. If you aren’t comfortable, it
comes across within seconds, and the crowd gets that vibe. For me, I am
in my absolute comfort zone on stage. I hope it stays that way.
Q)
What topics give you writing inspiration?
A)
Being in relationships, being out of relationships, and the pursuit of
the perfect relationship. Self-introspection. I have solved some of my
biggest problems by simply writing a song about it. When I finished “Why
Did We Leave It Like That” it was as if a ton of bricks and about eleven
years had been lifted off my back.
Q)
Separate from the song title on the album, what moved you to name the
album White Lie?
A)
The lie is an interesting thing to me. Everybody tells them. We’ve all
fallen victim to lies. The white lie to me is the most intriguing. Lies
of any kind are hardly harmless. Yet white lies are told rampantly,
almost as if telling lies has become chic and expected. People lie about
everything. Has the truth become that boring? I named the album White
Lie before the song “White Lie” was completed. It seems as though I
had been living in a world that had been overrun with tiny white lies.
It is easy to fall victim to here in California. People go to
painstaking efforts to conceal reality. As we were conceptualizing the
artwork for the CD, we decided to focus on the “Hollywood” of it all,
and only reveal a small part of my face for the cover. I was touched up
and airbrushed. When you flip the disc over, it reveals a very real me.
No Glamour Shots… just the truth. It looks like a mug shot or something
straight out of America’s Most Wanted. “Have you seen this man? He was
last seen spreading vicious lies.”
Q)
Do you have a favorite song on the album? Explain its significance.
A)
I’ve always loved “To My Heart.” I wrote that song in my tiny apartment
in Eagle River, Alaska. It was the last addition to White Lie, as
I was unsure of how it would flow with the rest of the more progressive
material. But when it brought tears to my CD engineer Guy Charbonneau
during the mixing process, I knew immediately that it was a great choice
for inclusion. I’m very proud of “To My Heart.” I have strived from the
beginning of my songwriting career to write a song in the same vain as
classics “Always On My Mind,“ “Since I Don’t Have You,” and the more
modern heartbreaker “Stay” by Lisa Loeb. Out of all the subjects in the
world, nothing affects us like relationships. “To My Heart” is my
ultimate lost love song. “Here I Go… Again.”
Q) Does
your family influence you professionally?
A)
My
family is the reason that I do what I do. Very simply put, I am at my
worst when I am not involved in music. My family has recognized this
completely. I’ve tried to do numbers of other things with my life. I’m
not happy when I’m not being musical. Nearly everyone in my life gets
it, and supports me fully. I base almost all of my decisions around the
well being of the family. I’ve seen and heard too many stories about
what life as a musician can do to the family. I’d like to think that I
am centered and smart enough to always make the best decisions for my
family.
Q)
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
A)
My hope is that I have finally found a place to call home. Growing up in
a military family, we moved constantly. It stayed in my blood, and I
find myself needing to uproot about every couple of years or so. To tell
you the truth, I’m getting tired of packing and unpacking. It’s time to
make a home. So, ten years from now, I hope to have made a few people
happy with my songs, maintained a career as a musician, and have
provided a stable and happy home.
Q)
What would you consider your musical genre? What defines that genre?
A)
I have always railed against the concept of labels. I guess if you have
to categorize me, I’d put me in Rock or Pop Rock. I think popular
opinion defines any genre.
Q)
Do you have a favorite artist and song?
A)
The problem with having so many influences and liking so many different
styles of music has made questions like these virtually impossible for
me to answer. It’s like the weather. What am I in the mood for this
hour? I guess I’d have to put Elvis Presley at the top of any list. As
far as a favorite song, it would probably be “Constant Craving” by k.d.
Lang.
Q)
What's coming up in the career for Brian Bateman?
A)
My biggest focus at the moment is getting the CD out to anybody who will
listen. I’ve had reports that radio stations around the world have been
playing different tracks. That’s exciting news. Naturally, I’d love to
have some major label interest. But, immediately, I have an album to
promote. There is talk of a northwest summer tour that will include a
brief return to Alaska. I am also in the process of compiling live
footage from my recent shows in Palm Springs and Los Angeles for a
promotional music video for the track “Good For You” that will be
presented in DVD format. I plan on continuing to write new material, and
taking my music out to as many people that I can. It’s going to be a
great summer!
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