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I’ve been writing and recording songs most of my life. With the first two guitar chords I learned at the age of fourteen, I wrote a song—nothing memorable, mind you, but a clear direction for my musical energy. And even though I’ve played in numerous cover bands as the years have gone by, these days I probably couldn’t play one entire song written by someone else because most of my time with guitar in hand is spent looking for a cooler chord progression, a better lyric, or an enticing hook.
I’ve had a number of influences all along the musical road I've traveled. Folk-rock players like America, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and Willis Allan Ramsey. Pure rockers like Joe Cocker, the Beatles, the Clash, the Pretenders, and Tom Petty. Most recently, I’ve enjoyed Death Cab for Cutie, Snow Patrol, Patty Griffin, Pete Yorn, and Radiohead. Toss in a little Beethoven and Chopin for good measure. But perhaps one of my greatest influences was a guy I wrote and recorded songs with for many years while I was living in Richmond, Virginia: Matthew Costello. He taught me about structure, flow, and content; those lessons have stayed with me all these years, and I return to them every time I sit down to put together a song. You can check out Matthew’s website at www.costello-media.com.
Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, I played in the heavy metal band Holland, the country-rock band the Stone Gap Band, and the power pop band the Noble Brothers—all with moderate levels of success in their respective genres. But as with most cover bands, the members decided to move on to bigger and hopefully better musical opportunities. I remember each band with fondness for the experiences and the relationships, all of which contributed to how I see music today. Cover bands taught me one great lesson: if you don't love music, you will be disappointed in it as a career choice ’cause it ain’t about the bucks.
I hope you’ll take a little time to listen to these songs. If you feel so inclined, please download the MP3s or pass a link to my site onto someone you think would enjoy my work. Also, please feel free to email me with any comments or questions; I’d love to hear from you.
Cheers,
Roy Kauffman
All songs © 2007 Roy Kauffman except “Something More,” lyrics by Michael Ryan. All instruments and vocals by Roy Kauffman except vocals on “Going Home” by Kellyn Ballard.