Interview with Autumn Boukadakis -- "Velvet Sky"

 

Autumn Boukadakis performance on her sophomore release gives the listener more than you would expect. Her rich vocals mixed with the personal touch of her songwriting keep you wanting more. Autumn has a gift of capturing the most interesting details of life and transforming them into great songs. I met with Autumn after her performance on the Billy Block’s Western Beat Show at Tootsies downtown Nashville and touched on her writing, her music and how this is all coming together for her. Bev: Thank you so much for the opportunity to visit with you about your new CD “Velvet Sky”. This is your first time performing here, how does it feel? Autumn: It is AMAZING. It is my first time performing in Nashville and it feels so different here. I love it. People appreciate the music, and there are tons of people out actually to listen, it is just great. Bev: This is your second CD, how have you grown as an artist from the first one? Autumn: The first CD was good, but I was still trying to find my sound. I have calmed down and the entire project is a whole piece of work as one and not chopped up into just a bunch of songs, they blend so much smoother and the flow is so much better. Bev: You just returned from the UK where you debut’d the project, can you share some of the experience with me? Autumn: Sam Baker is an awesome songwriter out of Austin TX and he has a big following in the UK. He already had this tour set up, and one night in Austin he asked me to come up on stage to play. I ended up being asked to join the tour and the rest is history. Bev: Was there any one particular experience that stood out or a special memory from that trip?

Autumn: The best thing for me was not performing, but rather sitting and just watching the people and absorbing the culture. It was very inspirational to just relax and watch the activity around me. Bev: Do you have a personal favorite on the CD? Autumn: Yes, hands down the first song on the album, “Rain Down”, is my favorite. It is very personal and in all honesty it is very difficult for me to perform, so I do it first to get it out of the way. Walt Wilkins helped me with the production and made it a little more upbeat than how I originally wrote it and that helps. Bev: I know you wrote seven of the songs on Velvet Sky, do you prefer to write your own songs? Autumn: I do not really co-write very well, I tend to write from my heart and do not go after the commercial aspect. So yes, I enjoy writing my own material, however there are so many incredible and talented writers and I really am supportive of them, so if it is a well written song, I enjoy doing others work as well. Bev: How did you manage to get so many talented and established artists like Danny Flowers, Fats Kaplin, Dave Jacques etc on your project? Autumn: Walt Wilkins and Tim Lorsch can take all the credit for pulling together some of the absolute best musicians out there. I think they know everyone in the industry and we came to Nashville specifically to be able to be with them. I am so fortunate to have all this talent on my CD. Bev: Do you feel more pressure after working with them and do you find yourself putting more pressure on yourself to raise the bar and excel to a higher level? Autumn: Yes. Absolutely. I would sit there in awe of these musicians and now when play piano I try harder and harder to match them and I practice so much more to improve. Bev: You were in radio before, have you always known this was the ultimate goal to be an artist yourself? Autumn: I do not know if I ever saw myself as a song writer. I knew all my life I wanted to be in the music business. I went to UT and my major was in music and then I got into radio as an intern and loved it! They could not get rid of me. But, it came down to me playing music at night til 2 o’clock or 3 o’clock in the morning and then doing the morning radio show and getting no sleep and I just needed to make a choice. Bev: When you are not on the road, what do you enjoy doing to unwind and relax? Autumn: I do not relax. I do watch a lot of reality TV just to escape, but I do not ever really relax. My mind is constantly working. I do yoga and that helps, you should do it, it is great! Bev: You are No. 16 on the AMA charts and moving up, can you describe the emotions you go through as you watch your project mature from the production stages into chart numbers and award considerations? Autumn: I try to not look at them much. If I do, I will analyze them and let it get to me on what it is doing and the charts can be so confusing. I prefer to just let things happen. I would be thrilled to know I have a No. 1, but I am not going to sit and watch the song climb. I just get excited when I hear the reviews and talk to the people after they hear me play, to me that is what counts most. Bev: How long did it take you to complete this CD? Autumn: It took me three years to write, but once we came to Nashville to record it, it was about a five month process to complete. Bev: If you could change any one thing in the music industry, what would you change? Autumn: This is a great question. There are so many wonderful and talented musicians who are forced to quit because they do not have the support to keep going. If I could change anything it would be to allow more of the talent to shine through. Bev: On a similar note, with all the reality shows out there that more or less throw an artist into the limelight, what are your feelings on that? Autumn: There is a place for this, but I feel there is too much of it. It makes it look so easy to be famous. I care so much about music, good music and sometimes I do not think these artists take the music itself serious, they are just looking to be rich and famous. Bev: Besides the music, do you have any other aspirations in the entertainment industry? Acting or producing? Autumn: I only want to do music. I do not have any desire to anything else. I love to write and sing and perform. Bev: How about music videos? Autumn: I did a music video with my brother in LA. It was very cool to do that because he directed it and I got to learn so much about what is involved in the process. We are going to do a 2nd one for the album as well, so I am looking forward to it. It is an extension of performing. Bev: What is the most commonly asked question when you are interviewed or by the fans when you meet them? Autumn: (Laughing) People ask me how long I am going to do this. It seems like a strange question, but I get asked it often. Bev: If you were given the opportunity to be on the stage performing with any one artist, who would you choose? Autumn: Another hard question, there are so many people I meet that I would be honored to perform with, and I am sure my answer will change in time, but right now Rickie Lee Jones. She is eccentric at times and I love the old stuff she did. Bev: What is the funniest gift a fan has given you so far? Autumn: Well no funny gifts, but I did have someone who was moved to start break dancing right in front of me; and my music does not exactly lean towards that kind of dance. So that was a little strange for me. Bev: Are you the kind of person who pays close attention to the lyrics in the song? Autumn: Yes, and if I could encourage people to buy my CD and just listen. Sit down in a quiet room, light a candle and listen to every word, because it was truly written for a reason. I love to buy a CD and read the lyrics inside and then listen to the melody. Bev: I have enjoyed meeting you and getting to know you and appreciate you letting me visit with you about the new project and your musical careers. I am sure we will be hearing more and more about you. Autumn: Thank you so much and it has been great to get to know you too. I hope I can see you again soon. For more information on Autumn online go to www.autumnonline.com or www.myspace.com/autumnonline.