Name: Tim Scott McConnell aka Ledfoot
Nationality: American, Norway-based
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current Release: Ledfoot's Outsiders is out via TBC.
Recommendations: "Death don’t have no mercy" by Reverend Gary Davis; "Jack O’Diamonds" by Mance Lipscomb

If you enjoyed this Ledfoot interview and would like to find out more about his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, and Facebook.
 


Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

They don’t play any part. I sit down and start writing.

Sometimes I have a spoken or musical phrase in my head, sometimes I don’t. I’m writing all the time in my head so there’s never a starting / stopping process … it’s a never ending process.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

There’s absolutely no planing or visualization process. The story takes on its own life as I write.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

I constantly rewrite songs up till the moment they become public. I write anytime, anywhere, anyplace.

No, I don’t prepare.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

None whatsoever … I just sit down and do it.

What do you start with? And, to quote a question by the great Bruce Duffie: When you come up with a musical idea, have you created the idea or have you discovered the idea?

I start with what ever I have … a couple words, a couple notes, a good or bad attitude ... a deadline ...

I use whatever motivation is available.

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

Again, there is no set way. I write them when they’re needed.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

To tell the truth somehow.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

Heh heh, I don’t really give a shit as long as I like the song in the end.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Yes, of course, it’s the best way to get into trouble … then you might have something worth writing about.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

No, it’s just what I do … I don’t overthink it.

When you're in the studio to record a piece, how important is the actual performance and the moment of performing the song still in an age where so much can be “done and fixed in post?“

I’m not a fan of fixing things in post.

What I do then and there is what the listener gets.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

I do it and if I’m satisfied, it’s done ... that simple.

Even recording a solo song is usually a collaborative process. Tell me about the importance of trust between the participants, personal relationships between musicians and engineers and the freedom to perform and try things – rather than gear, technique or “chops” - for creating a great song.

I’ve worked with the same engineer for over 15 years, we’re like brothers, I trust him completely.

On the new record, I came into the sessions with demos that gave the the other musicians a strong idea of what I was looking for and than we did it in a couple takes, great musicians. Markus Klyve, Brørn Holm and Tobby Johansen.

We recorded it in four days and mixed it in two  … old school.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (performance)?  

They mean a lot. A whole lot. Winter Lazarus mastered the record and co mixed it with Kjartan. Very thankful for his contribution.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

No, I’m already working on my next record. And lots of gigs.

Music is a language, but like any language, it can lead to misunderstandings. In which way has your own work – or perhaps the work of artists you like or admire - been misunderstood? How do you deal with this?

I write it and it is what it is  … fuck it!

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I really never think about it … they’re both everyday tasks.