Jeff Rowe is a busy man. He's touring all over the place and releasing a new EP, entitled New Winter, New England, very soon (May 10 to be exact), which I'm sure will live up to the expectations set when he blew me away with Barstool Conversations. Rowe discusses his music and gives some great information about Boston; giving me some new bands to check out.

1. State something interesting about yourself.
I'm a professional craft brewer when I'm not running around the country touring.

2. How is the new EP coming along? Will it be released on Anchorless Records?
The EP is finished and will be out May 11th on Anchorless. It has seven tracks and I'm real proud of the way it sounds. It's up for pre-order at www.anchorlessrecords.com.

3. How does touring as a solo act differ from touring with a band?
I love playing a band but it's much easier to travel alone or in my case with my wife. When we're on tour with other bands its a blast to be a part of that collective feel of friends traveling together but again, I also like to be able explore new places and go where the day takes me which is harder to do with a band.

4. What sets you apart from all the other solo acts out there?
I write mostly about my life and the experiences that come along with it for better or worse and while that isn't necessarily a new thing for a songwriter it is unique to my personal experience and hopefully the people that are listening can relate to that. I also both bring it and keep it real.

5. On average, how long does it take you to write a song, from start to finish?
I've written some songs in less than 10-15 minutes and others i've kind of picked at over the course of a few weeks. Mostly as with any kind of inspiration it tends to be more spur of the moment for me.

6. How can you tell when you've written a good song (in your opinion)?
I know i've done right by myself when a song gives me the same feeling playing it as I'd get listening to it as a fan of music. I still get pins and needles when listening to songs that cut right through me. I hope to never lose that.

7. Boston is a hotbed for talented bands. How difficult was it to initially break into the scene (either with BoxingWater or as a solo act)?
Boston is a wonderful place for music. It does ebb and flow as far as the overall scene support goes but things have been on the up for awhile. I really do feel that if you believe in what you're doing people will listen, its just in some cases that can take years.

8. Name some good Boston bands that should be getting more attention.
I love this question! Boston has some great bands that fly under the radar but are getting attention locally. Wolves and The Radio, Movers and Shakers, Choke up, The Civil Warblers, Dan Webb and the Spiders and Larcenist are my personal favorites but the scene is expansive and growing by the day.

9. What's a little known fact about Massachusetts?
In 1919 Boston had one of the more bizarre disasters in U.S. history when a huge molasses storage tank in the north end exploded and flooded the surrounding area with molasses. People were killed and the flood decimating a few city blocks (dorky, but i love local history).

10. Any final comments...
Thanks to everyone thats been kind enough to buy a record or make it out to the shows. 2011 is gonna be packed with touring for me so I hope to see some friends from across the country/world and make some new ones along the way.

Written by: RF
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