Phil Putnam has emerged as a musician in a fashion that makes you shake your head in wonder. Nothing in his youth could possibly have made you feel he was going to be a popular musician. But, one thing we have found out about Phil in the several months we’ve been aware of his music – he surprises.
Phil Putnam creates controversial and insightful situations in his songs – these are songs from the very core of this talented songwriter – and his craft and attitude about life allows him to “bring it” like a diva.
IRM: We know you from listening to your music and, listening to you on radio shows, as well as reading about you for several months now. Can you introduce IRM readers to Phil Putnam?
PHIL PUTNAM: Absolutely. I love ice cream and hate tomatoes. I have mixed feelings about tomato ice cream. Beyond dairy and music, I would say there are two things that define me: I love people, and I love to talk. As much as possible, good people and high word counts are a part of everything I do. People just fascinate me. I’m the egghead who goes to the gym to observe the sociology of it while I work out. I’m also a confirmed workaholic. Sleeping and going to the bathroom annoy me because I’d rather spend the time working. Falling asleep in the bathroom really grinds my gears.
IRM: What got you into music – I mean, when was music “the” thing you were going to do?
PP: People are what got me into music, as opposed to dreams of being a rock star. I was a very social, yet socially challenged, kid – and when I started high school I had no friends to hang out with. Literally. That was when I joined the choir and met some great people. My first music experience gave me what I wanted most: friends. And of course it introduced me to singing, which I immediately fell in love with. Professional songwriting and recording didn’t become part of my life until college, so in that sense my journey has been reversed from most Artists’ experience. My goals in professional music formed in adulthood, rather than when I was a kid. Though, I may recall some saucy 8-year-old hairbrush-microphone moments with Debbie Gibson and Tears for Fears. Just maybe.
IRM: Can you tell us a little about your run on MTV/LOGO?
PP: The video for my song “More Than This” is my first video, and it really was an afterthought to recording my latest album “Casualties”. A video wasn’t in the original plan, but once I decided to do it the goal was to get a solid run on MTV/LOGO. Well, my phenomenal fans gave me that in spades, and made “More Than This” the longest consecutively-running video in LOGO’s history with 20 weeks in the Top 10 and 19 of those weeks in the Top 5. It hit Number 1 too, which was a remarkable moment. Getting that kind of support was so humbling, and inspiring, and I can’t wait to do it all again when my next video releases in July.
IRM: Tell our readers a little about “More Than This”, please.
PP: “More Than This” has an interesting place in my journey, partly because it hung around my repertoire for 5 years before it found a home on one of my records. I wrote it in early 2004, and it was originally slated to be the lead track on my 2006 release “Best of Intentions”, but that record evolved significantly through the recording process and by the time we finished it “More Than This” didn’t fit in with the other songs. It got shelved, passed over for my acoustic album “[What Became of] the Choirboy]” in early 2008, and wasn’t even in the original list for “Casualties”. Then one day I decided I needed another up-tempo song on “Casualties” and remembered that “More Than This” was there, waiting, just waiting, and that’s when it entered “Casualties”. And then it became the lead single and my debut video and set airplay records and took over my life and points and laughs at me and says “you silly little man, you’re going to be playing me forever”. And that’s fine by me.
IRM: Where do you see yourself in 5 years – what’s your goal?
PP: In five years, I’d like to have ten records released with many more on the way. I’m writing my seventh record now, so that goal seems within reach. I’d love to be on a national tour or two, and spend more time writing songs for other Artists. One of my loftiest goals is to win the Oscar for Best Original Song, which I imagine will take more than 5 years to materialize. That golden man can take as long as he likes to come home to me; just as long as he does at some point in time.
IRM: You really have six albums out? Now, I look at you and see a much different Phil Putnam today than the one who released Long Story Short in 2002 or Healer in 2001. What is the difference?
PP: Yes, I really have six albums out. Like I said, workaholic, and tremendous fans who keep asking for more. The most significant difference between my “Healer” days and the present day with “Casualties” (funny, I just realized the dichotomy of those two titles for the first time) is that my first couple records dealt heavily with my spiritual life and the Christian church, but now the church is not really a part of my life. I didn’t have a standard take on Christianity, either. Questions have always engaged me more than answers, and “Healer” is all about the questions.
There are some aspects that have remained steady, though. I’ve always written songs from my life experience with the same rigorous authenticity; my life has changed, while the honesty has stayed the same. It’s also important to me to write about all aspects of life. I used to be really involved in the church, and now I’m openly gay, and if I write only about god or guys or the fight for gay marriage rights or my favorite hymn then I am giving you less than you deserve. I want to live one integrated life rather that separate pieces of the whole, and I want to give you as much of that life in my music as I can.
IRM: We talk to a lot of emerging artists. As a veteran in this industry, what advice would you give to someone just getting started – about recording, marketing, managing the day-to-day as a musician?
PP: First and foremost, stay focused on people. People are the single most important part of your life and your success. Treat those around you well. Say “thank you”. Be nice. Pay people for their work whenever you can. And if you don’t have people skills, get some. Fast.
Second, and still foremost, develop your business skills. Many indie artists waste so much time resisting the idea that they are business people, but the fact is that the moment you decide you want to make money off of delivering your music to people, you become a businessperson.  If you want to succeed as a professional musician, you have to be a fully-functional professional, and that means honing your music biz skills just like you smack your music chops.
Third, and ever foremost, decide what “making it” is for you before you set out to “make it” as a pro musician. There are several levels of success for musicians and not everyone wants to be a global superstar. It’s easy to forget this, however, as you’re climbing the ranks surrounded by fans that assume every Artist wants to be a household name. If you’re not clear on what “making it” is for you, you’ll end up adopting their desires for you and forget that maybe you don’t want to be Avril Levigne. Know who you are before you start, and consistently clarify your desires to yourself as you grow.
IRM: As an independent artist, what do you find to be the most useful aspect of the internet?
PP: Simple; it’s where the people are. Artists have never had so much access to so many people for such low cost in the history of the music industry, and this is vital both from a personal/creative perspective and a business perspective. Online is where you will build relationships with your fans, and where your fans will buy your music. Both tasks are crucial, and both can be accomplished with relative ease online simply because the people are there.
IRM: What challenge posed by the internet would you select as the most important to solve for musicians?
PP: Piracy, but I don’t think that can be solved. I am generally an optimist, but where piracy is concerned I think the damage is done and government or private resources will never be able to eradicate digital music theft. However, I think the ugliness of the actual stealing is overshadowed by the gross mentality it has created among music consumers.
Most music consumers now have an expectation of being allowed to steal music, and act like you’re infringing on one of their rights if you try to stop them from stealing it. They think that having the technology to steal music gives them the permission to do so, and they never realize the obscene level of disrespect this shows to those of us who make the music they’re stealing. I doubt that it would go well if I hired these same people to Street Team for me and then, after they were done, told them I wasn’t going to pay them because I believed that I had the right to take their work from them for free. Music thieves don’t think it through to its logical end, and the hypocrisy of that is disgusting.
IRM: What else would you like to tell your fans?
PP: Thank you. Above all else, thank you.
Website & Album Sales – http://www.philputnam.com/
Connect on Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/philputnammusic
