Interview

Babble & Beat - Hi, Bo. Thanks for making time to talk to me.

B0 - Oh, no problem. I appreciate your time, Stacy.

Babble & Beat - You worked with producer Frank Liddell (and Mike Wrucke) on your recent album, 'See The Light'. It appears that he was a real good fit for you. Do you suspect you'll work with him again?

B0 - Oh well, yeah. I mean, I enjoyed working with Frank. It was a really good experience. For the most part, I like working with all different producers... all the producers I've had a chance to work with. I think that's one of the coolest things; it's taught me to be a better producer myself. You know? So, it might have been a little bit off keel for who most might think I would work with, but Frank was great. I've worked with so many different kinds, from Desmond Child to John Shanks, to Howard Benson, Max Martin, Ben Moody (formerly of Evanescence), Chad Kroeger (Nickelback)... they've each got their own style of producing. For Frank's it was..., it was nice this time around to have somebody that really just kind of let me do what I wanted to do and knew the kind of sounds that I was trying to get out of my music.

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Babble & Beat - You've stated that your new album is "genuine Bo." Was this album more difficult for you to make than the first one, 'The Real Thing'?

Bo - No, this one was a lot easier I think for me just because I was just kind of turned loose. I was not only able to do things in my own studio and produce on it, but I really was able to just kind of shine on the songwriting, pick out the songwriters I wanted to use... and most of them and I were just buddies, that’s how we worked together again. But, um, I guess it was a lot less stressful for me. It might have been a little more stressful on my wife - 'cause she had to put up with me all the time here. You know? Laughs. Normally when I’m recording somewhere else she gets a break during the day. It was liberating to be able to play the kind of music, and know the kind of production and things, that I wanted... and the sound that I was going for too. Yeah, it meant a lot to me to be able to do that album.

Babble & Beat - It's really fantastic! I was just blown away by it. Congratulations on all of the success you’ve had with it so far.

Bo - Thank you, we're very blessed.

Babble & Beat - You're living in Nashville, Tennessee now. I’m assuming that living there has had some major influence on your music?

Bo - I think the large majority of the influence was having the access to my friends that kind of live up here now. Like Chris Topkins, we wrote a couple songs together. Gary Nichols, who’d spent a lot of time up here in Nashville. My buddy Thomas (Lee) who plays the keyboards with me, he lives here in Nashville. So, really, a lot of it is access. Steve Gorman from The Black Crowes lives here. It was a lot of access to great players. I think at the end of the day it was... the things that I did on this CD were really kind of expanded upon by great players. I'm proud of the songs, I'm proud of the music. But for me, the players on the album are what made the CD. So, I think it had a lot to do with living here in Nashville and just the access to the great talent.

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Babble & Beat - You have a very loyal fanbase! I think you're doing everything right by being so real. Do you sometimes find it hard to share certain things with your audience, or does it fulfill you more by having those bonds?

Bo - I think it's a double-edged sword at times. You know what I mean?

Babble & Beat - Right.

Bo - Not so much on my end, but there's certain aspects of the industry where people like to keep you in a bit of a shell, or a bubble. For me, being able to be honest and forward with my fans is, well, that's one of the higher points. It gets me more close to the person that I am. I don't have to put on any fronts or reinvent myself for people. I think that's boring, you know? Why don't you reinvent yourself and cut your hair and do this, and do that? Well, hey man, I'm just happy being Bo... and the people that love me for Idol, or whatever else, it's what they started digging back then. So, why change something? You know what I mean? So, that's what I do. I try to keep my head together, always, and realize that these people spend their hard-earned money to come out to go to your shows and buy your CDs, and do all these things that support you. They are the ones you're out there for. It's about them at the end of the night. I think sometimes some artists get to the point to where they forget about how it used to be hanging out in the crowd... 'cuz it's been so long that they've been able to do what they love. I try to always, every night, go and meet my fans after the show, when we're not hightailing it to another town immediately. That's what's gonna keep a great fanbase and keep people around that will continue to enjoy being your fan.

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Babble & Beat - Did I read correctly that you play the harmonica, mandolin, saxophone, guitar, and piano?

Bo - Yes, mam. Well, I didn't play saxophone, obviously, on the album. That was a guy named Ike Bartley. But I do play a little bit of all those things. I just started dabbling... I started with guitar first and then I played the saxophone. I started in school... middle school and a little in high school. Then I really got into the guitar and that became a major writing tool for me. That and the piano. So, yeah. I know enough to leave things alone when I don't know what I'm doing. But as far as for demo purposes and recordings of certain parts, it's really been an asset to know more than one instrument.

Babble & Beat - When you were about 15 you moved to England with your family. I heard you worked with some alternative musicians out there? Who?

Bo - Well, we moved there when I was 14. So, we were all just a punk band bunch of guys, you know what I mean? These guys were more of, well, one of the guys kind of had a Steely Dan kind of guitar sound. The drummer and the bass player were heavy metal. You know, this was back when hair metal was big. So, that mixed with my Southern kind of influences,... laughs. It was really more fun than it probably sounds like it was. You know? I really enjoyed getting that time. Plus, it kind of worked me into being able to work with different aged people throughout my career. It helped to kind of learn from the people around you more than so much before.

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Babble & Beat - You left England when you were 18, right?

Bo - Yep, I was 3 months from being 18.

Babble & Beat - So, you didn't really to play gigs for money, just for fun then?

Bo - We had some paying gigs. I've been playing gigs since I was 14. I've been making a living at this, lucky enough, since I've been about 18 years old. I moved back and started my first band in Huntsville, Alabama, and have been playing paying gigs ever since. That doesn't mean we were getting paid a lot, but it doesn't matter when you're doing it for the music, for the love of what you do and the music. It helps. What's most incredible to me is to be able to make a living doing what I've dreamed about every day, and what I really love. It is probably the greatest gift that I have. The Lord has just blessed me with more than I deserve in life. I think it's truly a testament to faith, more than it is anything else for me, because God is the beginning of everything we do every moment around here. It hasn't always been that way, but I tell you living by walking with Christ definitely has a lot to do with my music too, so...

Babble & Beat - It's really cool that you appreciate it and know what you have. You're a smart man.

Some people say you should never meet your idols. Have you regretted meeting any of yours yet? I'm not asking for names but I'm curious in general.

Bo - For the most part I have had all good experiences. I think, out of all of it, the greatest is like (Lynyrd) Skynyrd, meeting Jim Peterik from The Ides of March, Ingrid Croce and A.J. Croce, and Scott Ian from Anthrax - who I've loved since I was young, he's a friend of mine. Those kind of things... they mean the world to me.

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The style of music I play, I didn't invent it. I just listened to the best growing up, and just kind of mimicked some of the things they did. To be honest with you, a lot of the people I have met, thank goodness, they were also just as groovy as I thought they would always be. I can think of two occasions that I met folks that kind of bummed me out, but Willie Nelson and Lynyrd Skynyrd... the large majority have all been great. I think that's because a lot of them still remember the position I'm in, where I'm getting to do what I love and they're still out doing what they love. At the end of the day there's nothing better than being able to do your gig as long as you want.

Juicy Tidbits Section

This is where we ask personal questions for the fans. Yeah, they're often stupid questions. We like reading the answers though!

Babble & Beat - While watching the video for 'Witness' I got to wondering if you’ve ever hitchhiked before. Have you? Why? Where were you?

Bo - It sounds like a wussy thing to say, but no. I've never had to hitchhike, thank goodness. My mom always taught me don't get into a car with strangers. I try to listen to my momma. But, that being said, I have picked up a couple of folks that have run out of gas or something on the side of the road. She told me not to do that too, 'cause everyone could be dangerous. I've done that a couple of times but I've never been stabbed so far... so, I'm good! Laughs.

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Babble & Beat - So, have you gotten use to eating fancy food at fancy restaurants, or do you generally prefer a good cheeseburger at some mom and pop joint?

Bo - I eat out a lot, when I'm out of town, at mom and pop pizza places. Italian is more my style anyway. I mean, when I eat out I'm not going to say I wouldn't ever go to a fancy restaurant. If I take my wife out or something, or a business meeting... a lot of business meetings we might go somewhere nice. For the most part, if I was going out to eat I'd just assume eat BBQ or would really just prefer just to sit at home and cook something I love to cook. I'm a pretty laid-back-cat. You'd probably be surprised at how normal a life we live.

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Babble & Beat - Please tell us a little bit about your new Harley!

Bo - Yes, mam. It's a Softail® Deluxe. My wife's finding it very hard to keep me in the cars now!

Babble & Beat - Yes, I bet; I have a husband with a motorcyle too. So, what color is it?

Bo - It's called olive-pearl, and black. It's a very vintage-looking bike. Yeah, I rode on bikes when I was younger. Had dirt bikes when I was younger. But, I never really realized how freeing having a motorcycle ride is when you're kind of stressed out or you've got your mind on different things. It's really cool because I can jump on the bike and go out for a ride, and that just clears my head. Those kind of things are... just spending time alone, thinking, it's a good spot to do that. You've got to be looking around for people around you too though, so... Laughs.

Babble & Beat - You should stop at the Harley-Davidson factory here in Milwaukee next time you're in Wisconsin.

Bo - I'd love too!

Babble & Beat - What would your know-it-all fans be surprised to hear about you? Any habits or pastimes they don’t know about yet?

Bo - They know a pretty good deal about me. What I don't tell them they tend to find out! They're very resourceful fans. I find out things on my website about me all the time. They all know I love NASCAR and I like to fish, I go hunting,... things like that. They know just about everything; I'm a pretty open person. I kind of put it in blogs every week. I try to blog as close to every week as I can. So, they find out a lot. Along with the blogs, I put my pictures up that are my point of view. Like, they're there. They are experiencing this with me. There's probably... I would tell you something that I thought that they didn't know, and then of course they would start hitting your webpage up or whatever saying, "We knew that!" Laughs.

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Babble & Beat - I'm not seeing that you've ever officially released your version of the O'Jays hit, 'For The Love of Money'. Any interest in doing so?
*Question submitted by Bernie of Kenosha, WI.

Bo - Oh man, that would be a great one, actually. I haven't thought of redoing it. I know the Bullet Boys did it in the past, but the O'Jays, that was an awesome one too. I don't know. There are several songs I would love to record though. I really want to keep jamming out on the original stuff, but adding a cover to your albums here and there never hurts 'cuz it shows people where your style and your influences come out. I'm also starting to have songs specifically for bobice.com where I'll put up a download or two there of demos of songs that could turn into a master recording, and things like that. When you get the fans involved in that sort of stuff, when they help you to pick songs and things like that, they really feel the connection - and that they helped make a moment for you on an album. So, it really is cool. I always like getting requests for certain songs, and it's amazing the kinds of requests you get.

Babble & Beat - I didn't know you were offering all of that!

Bo - Yeah, that's one thing about my website. We're trying to make it very family-oriented, and let the fans be a part of this family. They get to put up their own pictures and things like that, their own blogs and stuff. I get to interact in their world everyday, just as much as they can interact in mine. So, it's real wild.

Babble & Beat - I see you've got lots of shows lined up for the next few months. What's next for you? More studio time, TV appearances, more kids?

Bo - Oh, we got loads of stuff. I'm going out to Los Angeles this next week to do some of the Idol stuff..., I'm going to the finale where you can check all them out. Then, just working on projects. We've been doing a thing with Peavey, a Bo Bice guitar with Peavey Guitars. We've been working on that for years and finally got that prepared. It's really been an exciting year for me, not only as a dad and as a husband, but to get to grow as an artist. I'm not really concentrating on that much more than working hard and getting to enjoy playing gigs, and recording new albums. That kind of stuff completes me more than anything.

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Babble & Beat - Bo, it's been a real pleasure talking with you. You've been very kind and I wish you all the best.

Bo - Thank you. You be careful out there. If we can talk to you again soon that would be great. Bye, Stacy.

Babble & Beat - Now that Bo's gone, between you and me, they just don't get any nicer than him. A class act indeed.

Links:
Official Bo Bice
Official BB Merch
Official MySpace