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Buck 65, real name Richard Tefry,
was born and raised in a small town in Nova Scotia. Although he
had dreams of becoming a baseball player and was even scouted
by the New York Yankees, he turned his attention to music and
is now adding a new and funky take to the hip-hop sound. Influenced
mainly by his hometown surroundings, Buck 65 is moving
music to a another level and creating much, much more than your
average radio-friendly tune. .
NDF: When did you first become interested in music and who
were the first bands/artists you listened to?
Buck 65: As a kid in the late 70's, I was a member of the
Kiss Army and bought all their records and paraphernalia. My cousin
also indoctrinated me with Black Sabbath. By the time '82 rolled
around though, I was completely absorbed into the hip-hop world.
I bought pretty much everything on the Sugar Hill and Enjoy labels...
NDF: You could have become a professional
baseball player, what made you decide you were more interested
in pursuing music as a career?
Buck 65: It was more a matter of fate and circumstances.
I injured my knee and I got some lucky breaks in music at about
the same time. I still dream every night about baseball though...
NDF: Your sound is diverse and unusual,
has this always been your style or is this simply how your music
has developed? Also how would you describe your music?
Buck 65: Well, my music is just a reflection of the fact
that I grew up in rural Canada and I've always been afflicted
with a terminal case of honesty. How else should my music sound?
If it sounded like New York stuff, it would be a lie - terrible
lies, I tell you! I would describe it now as dirt road break beat
blues. Like if Steve Earl made hip-hop. How trendy is that?!
NDF: What is the meaning behind your songs
and where does your inspiration come from?
Buck 65: My songs are just sincere expressions of my take
on life, stained by a bit of runaway imagination. Again, the small
town in me at work. I get inspiration by just getting through
the day. I take walks and peek through people's windows...
NDF: You are involved in every stage of
your work from creating the sounds to the final production. How
do you go about writing your music, what comes first and how do
you build on that?
Buck 65: I almost always start with lyrics and then go
about trying to capture the mood I want to convey with the music.
I don't tend to tinker as much as most people. I just trust the
gut and thrust the hips a little. I like to try to capture a little
spontaneity if possible.
NDF: How long does it take to create one
of your tracks and how easy is it for you to stop adding instruments
and tweaking the sound and say, 'this is the best I can make it'?
Buck 65: I don't often spend more than a few days on anything.
In fact, most often I can pretty much hear the song in my head
before I sit down to work at it in the studio. So it's usually
clear when it's done. I'm also fairly into minimalism, so I'm
not given to great urges of decoration...
NDF: Your new album, 'Square' is a collection
of four tracks, which are each over 10 minutes long, this makes
the CD come across more like a piece of art rather than simply
an album. How do you feel about that and why did you decide to
make an album like this?
Buck 65: I have the perverse tendency to work in album-mode
more so than just on single songs. I like the idea of the extended
listen; of spending a little time... I'm influenced more by film
than by other music, so that may have something to do with it.
It's music for patient people, no question. It's for long drives
and the bed-ridden.
NDF: You have just been signed to Warner
and this will see the re-release of your first 5 albums, how do
they differ from your current release?
Buck 65: The further you go back in time with my stuff,
the scrappier and more silly it gets. Scrappy and silly is good
sometimes, but I've matured over time and have developed my chops
more. It took a while for me to learn a few tricks about studios
and about life. It used to be much harder for me to write when
I was younger because my head was in the clouds. Now my focus
is down in the cracks. Also, in the early days, it was more so
music for boys. Now I hope it's a lot more girl-friendly...
NDF: How easy is it to recreate your music
in a live situation?
Buck 65: It can be a little tricky. There are a few different
approaches that can be taken. Sometimes I go the old-school route
and that really strips it down. When I can afford to pay people,
I play with a band and try out different interpretations and that's
fun too. I like having a little room to improvise and to be able
to adapt to the room.
NDF: What do you hope to achieve with your
music?
Buck 65: I guess I would like to change people's ideas
about what hip-hop can be, in part. Also, I just want to make
something that will last and that might mean something to someone.
Maybe I'll make a song one day that will be played as the last
song on prom night...
Quick Questions
1. What CD do you currently have playing on your stereo? "It's
a Wonderful Life" by Sparklehorse.
2. What is your favourite song of all time? "Youth of
Today" by Horace Andy or "My Last Days on Earth"
by Bill Monroe.
3. Which place in the world would you most like to visit? Peru.
4. Who is your favourite actor/actress? That's tough. I like
Humphrey Bogart and Vincent Gallo/Anna Karina and Patricia Arquette.
5. If you were given an endless supply of money, what would be
the first thing you would buy? A farm.
6. What is your favourite type of food? I have a bad weakness
for cookies and chocolate. I also like Italian food.
7. What is your most treasured possession? I guess I'd have
to say my bicycle.
8. Who is your favourite cartoon character? Underdog. I always
root for the underdog.
You can catch Buck 65 playing live at the Union
Chapel, London on 4th December and also at the re-scheduled Deadbeat
Weekender, next year. To find out more about Buck 65, please visit
his official site, www.buck65.com
Essential web links:
www.buck65.com
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