INTERVIEW: Doug Powell
- Bob Gajarsky
For many recording artists, getting signed to a major label is the culmination of a dream. But when Doug Powell became a casualty of major label politics unrelated to his music, the music for his second album lay waiting in the dust - and the dream for his music to be heard started to fade.
His first record, Ballad of the Tin Men, generated a critical, if not quite a commercial, buzz. Songs such as "Return To Sender" and "Unmutual" became instant favorites of anyone who heard them with their hummable choruses and talented musicianship. But when Powell went looking around with his demos - in search of another record deal - the response was surprising.
"My manager shopped me to just about everyone and got the same response: 'I love this stuff. Can I keep the tape? I wish I could sign it, but no one would buy it.'," Powell remembers. "It was worse to me than being disliked."
But, finally, a man with the conviction to release quality music came into the picture. Enter Bruce Brodeen, the founder of Colorado-based power-pop label Not Lame. When Not Lame issued a Nashville Pop compilation in 1997, the seeds were sown for a Powell / Not Lame collaboration.
That partnership now takes the form of Curiouser, a thirteen song collection of Powell's demos which sound (without a major label's budget) far smarter and more complete than almost all other albums.
At times, this release comes across as a distant cousin to Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra, with their parental units the Beatles. Sure, "Graceland" owes much of its structure to Sgt. Pepper, but there's no shame when your songs can be thought of in favorable comparisons to the Liverpudlian pioneers. "Don't Say" will instantly draw comparisons to Nilsson's "Without You", which, as astute fans pop fans might draw upon, was written by members of Badfinger - who recorded the Paul McCartney song "Come And Get It". The six degrees of the Beatles comes full circle here. And the key track, "Torn", is that rare song that stays locked in your mind, long after the final note has stopped playing.
Powell's Curiouser is being issued on Not Lame Limited, which according to Brodeen, "means to be an unencumbering thing for both the label and artist - no paper contracts, to allow them (the artist) the flexibility of not being shackled to a small label while looking for a bigger deal." With a printing of only 800 copies, Curiouser is truly limited - unless demand encourages Powell and Brodeen to press more copies. That depends on initial support from fans. But the key feature for being on Not Lame Limited? "It has to be *fun* for both the label and the artist," emphasizes Brodeen.
For now, Powell's future plans include continuing to write and perform, with a song ("Everyday Is Christmas") slated to appear on a Ringo Starr Christmas album. In addition, he is performing in a band called Swag - with Powell on lead guitar and vocals, Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick) on bass, Ken Coomer (Wilco) on drums, the Mavericks' Robert Reynolds (rhythm guitar/vocals) and Jerry McFadden (keyboards/vocals) and Scotty Huff on guitar and horns - which is being shopped to various labels. And fortunately, we can hear the latest standout work from Doug Powell on Curiouser. With or without the support of a major label.
For further information on Not Lame - or to purchase the Doug Powell disc Curiouser online - check out the website at http://www.notlame.com
