Marty Walsh of Supertramp, Nickelodeon and Lucias talks about everything from being in a hit band to being on a kids television program, the role of the musician and relaxing at home.
DM) How will your fans from Supertramp feel surprised after
hearing your latest work?
MW) I am not sure if they will be surprised at all. Prior
to working with Supertramp, I played on numerous albums and there
was always a considerable difference in style from artist to
artist. My latest work of note, that is available for the public
consumption, would be my album with "YES" member Billy
Sherwood called "The Key" which is available through
MTM records in Germany. This project is a kind of hybrid progressive/pop
thing. The other recent release of note that I played on is the
new Leann Rimes album "Sitting On Top Of The World",
which is a pop/country thing. So as a player, I have always been
fairly diverse and I would think that the Supertramp fans probably
know that.
DM) How was it playing with Leann Rimes, especially after
the level of success she's recently achieved?
MW) I have known the guys in at Rosewood Studios in Texas
that do her albums for about 12 years now, and we always have
a good time working together. All of the work I have done so
far was overdubbed and amazingly still, I have not met Leann. But
I really think that album is great and I am very pleased with the
way my bits turned out. We are actually going to be recording
5 more songs in a few months and this time it is going to be
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recorded live with Leann and her band. So I am looking forward
to that.
DM) Does it ever disappoint you that your work on the album
might be overshadowed?
MW) Overshadowed in what sense? If you are asking me that
my guitar work would get overshadowed by the vocalist, I think
that is precisely the point. As musicians, we are here to support
the singer and the song. As a matter of fact there have been
many times when I have played something on a session that sounds
really good, but I have been told that it "takes your ear
away from the singer", which is something that you don't
want to do, until your solo comes in of course. No I have never
worried about being overshadowed, I have always been grateful
to be able to do this for a living.
DM) Of the three musical experiences (ST, Nickelodeon and
Lucias) which have the fondest memories?Oh, I have great memories
of all of those things, working with Supertramp was probably
the most exciting because of all of the travel, and also playing
the live gigs. There is nothing like walking up on a dark stage
and have the lights come on and hear the roar of the crowd. It
really is a rush. Doing the TV show Roundhouse on Nickelodeon,
was great because of the people involved and the challenge of
writing music for a show every week. It was definitely the most
painful gig to see end as we had all really become like a family.
Lucias is my solo project and this was done in the studio, with
very little live performance as of yet.
DM) Do you expect some live performance soon?
MW) I am doing some live gigs near the Boston area with my
Blues/Soul/funk band "Peanut Funker & Jam". But
as far as touring goes I am not sure what the future holds.
DM) Roger Hodgsen and Rick Davies are seemingly mentioned
everywhere. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the Supertramp experience
being such a part of musical history?
MW) No not really. Being in the biz as long as I have I just
enjoy it and am very grateful to have had the opportunities that
I have had. Playing with Supertramp was one of the high points
of my career for sure, but those guys are friends and very down
to earth people, so it is easy to look at it like just another
part of my work.
DM) Do you remember if there was any instance that put it
in perspective and made everyone seem more human?
MW) Well, when I first met the Supertramp guys around 1981,
we would jam together at Bob Siebenberg's house. Just those initial
experiences were when I realized that these guys were very down
to earth. Talented but down to earth also.
DM) What "non-musical" careers have you had?
MW) I have never done anything but music except when I was
a kid and had a paper route, but I have been doing this since
I was in my late teens.
DM) If you didn't have music in your life, what would you
be doing?
MW) Wow, who knows. I can't imagine not having music in my
life, and there is really nothing else that I have ever thought
of doing.
DM) What did you go to school for?
MW) When I was learning how to play the guitar in High School
it was all by ear. I could play pretty good but had no clue as
to what the mechanics of music were all about. I knew that if
I was going to do anything in music I needed as much knowledge
as I could get. I knew that for every one person that made a
career in music by making it with a band, there were hundreds
that were trying and getting nowhere. In a sense I got a music
education to "having something to fall back on" as
many parents tell their music oriented children. So as time progressed
I had some opportunities to do studio work which I could not
have done without the music education.
