The Neal Morse Band – Morsefest 2015

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) It varies a lot. A wide variety would be one way to describe it. We have classical sections, pop sections and rock heavy sections and bluegrass sounding sections on this album. There is a little bit of jazz. It is a little bit of everything thrown in. The progressive rock theme is a lot of different styles represented in one piece. I really enjoy that because I really grew up with a lot of variety and it is something that keeps me excited.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I have been influenced by a lot of things, I guess The Beatles primarily. My dad was a choir director so I grew up listening to and singing a lot of classical musical. Then, folk artists like Simon & Garfunkel and even early Bob Dylan. Then, on into the rock stuff – I think the first heavy rock bands I got into was Deep Purple and Grand Funk Railroad. Then, I got into the progressive rock guys like Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis and King Crimson. I also liked a lot of mainstream rock like The Who. I liked bands on the jazzier side like Steely Dan.

Q) What are some of the songs on Morsefest 2015 that stand out for you?

A) What I remember is we started out night one…We were rehearsing the Question Mark album and it has such a grand ending that we felt like we couldn’t start with it and then do encores. It would be just a letdown. So, we essentially did the encores first. We did about forty-five minutes of music before we played the album. What I remember was that it was all going really well and then we did a song that was a bonus track called “New Jerusalem” and it felt like the whole room just broke open! Like the spirit of God just came in and touched everybody. It was a really beautiful experience. That was a special moment. My favorite parts of the Question Mark album are “Entrance” and “The Temple of the Living God,” the whole closing section is just amazing. Then, the opening of “The Door” is really special. My daughter and her friend danced to the part of the album that is depicting Martin Luther nailing the thesis on the door of the cathedral in the 1500’s. [laughs] They were dressed like monks and the video screen was so amazing with the candle on the back behind us. That was a really special moment. Then, Nick coming out and doing “At The End of the Day” with us was very fine also.

Q) This is going to be a Blu-Ray, DVD and Four CDs. Why was it important right now to release such a full package?

A) Well, our fans really like to have complete packages. A lot of them are completists so whenever we do a lot of partials we get a lot of complaints. So, we like to give them everything. They like to have a physical product. They want the most deluxe thing it seems. That’s why we wanted to do that. We wanted to give them the most excellent and complete package we could give them. Morsefest is about pulling out all of the stops and doing it up absolutely right. If you could have your dream version of this album, it would have real horns and real strings and a choir and all of that. So, the whole Morsefest thing is really going over the top and doing it up right.

Q) Talk about your songwriting process.

A) It’s interesting. Especially with the concept albums, the story will call forth the music many times and the lyrics. How I usually write is that I’ll get some inspiration and sit down at the piano or pick up a guitar and I’ll start writing some ideas. Usually, I’ll have a couple of lines or a hook line or the intent of the lyric will be in there. For example, on The Similitude of a Dream when I first came up with the idea of “City of Destruction,” it was like “You’ve got to get out of the city of destruction/Da da da da.” That was the mainline and then I fill in the rest of the lyrics later. But I know what the intent of the song is. Having said that, I’m more musically oriented than I am lyrically oriented. Usually I sit down and really hone the lyrics after I have written the music and done a lyrical sketch.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production aspects of your music?

A) Quite a bit. I have a studio at my house so I’m quite involved with the sound and the things as they are going down. The albums generally get mixed by Rich Mouser in California who I used to feel like I needed to sit there with him for days and days. Now, I just have him send me MP3’s and then I comment and send them back to him. He tweaks them. That can be a very long process, but it’s great. [laughs] Ultimately, the proof is in the CD.

Q) You’ll be heading out on tour again this summer. What can fans expect from a live Neal Morse Band performance?

A) The greatest concert ever conceived by man! [laughs] I don’t know what to say to that exactly. The Similitude concert is very theatrical. If you haven’t read about it, I’m doing costume changes. I come out in this hooded…it’s kind of like a post-apocalyptic traveler thing and I have a flashlight that I kind of do my own lighting on my face. It looks kind of eerie and moody. I do that kind of thing. Then, there are other costume changes. There is a song called “The Mask,” which is kind of dramatic. There is also a lot of really joyous parts and even some humor. I wear a sloth mask for the song “Sloth.” That’s kind of the staging part. Musically, I think really the Neal Morse Band (if I may humbly say) is among the best musicians you’ll ever see play live. They are just about eh best band that anyone could have. Arguably they are some of the best musicians and singers in the world. Eric [Gillette] and Bill [Hubauer] are great singers. There is great vocals and instrumentals. And there is a really great presentation of this epic concert album that we have put out.

Q) What songs do you most enjoy performing when on tour?

A) Well, we’re doing it all as one continuous piece with an intermission so a lot of the songs run together. Some of my favorite parts are “We Have Got to Go.” I love “So Far Gone” and “Back to the City.” I love “Man in the Iron Cage,” “Freedom Song,” “Mask” and the whole end section. I really enjoy that live. It’s really fun to perform.

Q) Is there anything else fans should know about what is to come for the Neal Morse Band?

A) We are doing another Morsefest. We are doing Morsefest 2017! We are going to do works! It’s in Cross Plains, TN which is about half hour away from Nashville. September 1^st, we’re going to do Testimony 2 and the Rare Epics and Sept 2^nd we’re doing Similitude. It’s a whole weekend thing. It’s a meet and greet, special concerts and all kinds of cool things.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your music?

A) I want to say thanks so much! It’s so great. I was working on some music and it’s great to know that if it comes to fruition and if I come up with something that is special that there are people that will listen, care and support it. And that means everything, really. It’s so wonderful to have an outlet as an artist. It’s really important so I really appreciate it.

All Questions Answered By Singer/Guitarist/Keyboardist Neal Morse