When putting out his debut album, Secondhand Serenade vocalist/guitarist John Vesley did it solo. No band, no label, no producers, just… John. He used multi-track recording to create a full sound, and mailed out orders for his merchandise from his home. The album experienced tremendous online support and it was only a short while after that Glassnote Records signed him. Now, four years, countless Billboard spots, MTV video airings, TV performances, live tours, and two albums later, Vesley’s Secondhand Serenade sets out once again in a tour stripped down to the bones.
I caught up with him while he was in Minneapolis. Or so he thought.
You got your start by gaining popularity as an Internet sensation. Do you ever find that this helps or hinders your progress?
Nah. It is good because all of the fans that I have gotten through the Internet performance days, those are the fans that last. It is really good to have that sort of knowledge and grassroots back-story. Things are constantly changing in the music world; you have to redevelop ways to reach people.
Tell me about the process you go through when writing your songs.
Usually I have something kicking my ass and I need to write my way through it. Or I am having a really great day and I can kick back with a beer and write about that. You know, it is different every time. It all has different reasons. As long as I have something to write about…
A lot of your lyrics speak about love, relationships, and love lost. Is this something that you have a lot of experience with?
I guess so? (Laughs) I mean, if you listen to the radio, whether it is about finding a girl at “da club” or something deeper than that most music is about love or love lost. You speak about family or friends, but mostly music is about love.
Your father pushed you to play many different instruments as a kid.
Yeah, I mean, I got started playing piano when I was really young. And then I picked it back up a few years ago. So I stuck with that I guess… not a lot of saxophone though (laughs.) But it established a really great foundation for me, and an appreciation of music. I was always around it so it just made me want to do it.
You recorded your very first album as a solo project; has the process changed now that you have support?
Not really! The EP that just came out, I recorded that in my dining room by myself, I played all the instruments. It was a lot like the first one I ever did except that I have just learned a lot since then. So I don’t really feel like a lot has changed, I still have a lot of control over my music. It all comes down to how much I want to do it and what I want to do; I am not being pushed in any direction whatsoever. The EP is kind of a thank you to my first grassroots fans, and that is something I wanted to do for them.
Do you hear a really big difference between listening to your early stuff and listening to your most recent songs?
I know that it is different; I have gotten better at singing. But I really try to stay true to that original stuff, while still growing and developing as an artist. You need to mature.
In the past you have mentioned that you were a big fan of rock bands like Guns n’ Roses or alternative groups like Nine Inch Nails, but your music take a whole other direction.
I absolutely still feel their influences today. It goes as far back as Beachboys and The Beatles. Sure, I may not be the same sort of British rock band, but I got my appreciation of harmony from them. Just like, okay, I may not be a metal band, but Guns n’ Roses’ melodies were fantastic. So you gather information from elements that they bring to the music, not necessarily the exact style. That is what makes them so great to love. That is the information that I gathered and took into my own music.
“Fall for you” was a huge hit, gathering a ton of attention and eventually going platinum. Did you expect that to be the song that took you to another level?
Nah, not really (laughs.) I didn’t think that anything was going to go wrong but I didn’t necessarily pick it out as being special. It is just all about being in the moment with songs like that, right time, right reception, right audience and then it just goes.
Are you on tour right now?
Yes, we are in the middle of the tour right now… I think we are in Minneapolis.
You think?
I am not sure (laughs.)
How is it going so far?
Well it is an acoustic tour, so it has been really different. The audiences are really into it. We get to fuck around a little bit and have fun with the songs and laugh with each other.
Plans for after the tour?
I have been writing new music; I just finished something right before we started speaking so we’ll see what happens with that. Try it out in a few cities, see how it goes.
Want to catch John on tour? Head to SecondhandScerenade.com for dates and more.
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