Featured IPO CD Artists: Fernando Perdomo, Rich Arithmetic, Danny Wilkerson
Featured IPO CD Artist: Fernando Perdomo
IPO Vol. 23 CD Song: “Girl With A Record Collection”
1. What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
DJ Rodney Bingenheimer has brought this song back to life … He keeps on playing it on his show and this new version from my Jangle album was custom made for Rodney’s tastes which is very congruent with the IPO world … It’s an ode to “My dreamgirl” getting her fingers dirty searching through the boxes of vinyl at a thrift store, Flea Market, or at the local mom and pop records store…
2. Please describe that pivotal moment when you first realized you wanted to create music or become a band.
It all goes back to The Beatles…I wanted to be Paul…I wanted to play all the instruments on my records…I wanted to be as prolific as him…Todd Rundgren is my other “Career Template”…I really just live my life in their image the way a religious person does with their God of choice…you know what I mean?
3. Which other artists (living or dead) do you admire most and why?
Jason Falkner and Roger Manning of Jellyfish…they get to play stadiums with Beck and St Vincent and put their paychecks into their own music…Jon Brion for figuring out a way to make his genius absorbable to the everyman with his soundtrack work…I moved to LA wanting to be like them…then I worked with all three on the Emitt Rhodes Rainbow Ends record…so I think my trajectory is good…
4. How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact you and your music?
It did wonders to my music…I like many others turned my studio into a Covid Bunker!!! I started sending my guitar, bass and drum tracks all over the world to make money and it also inspired the Ram On 50th Anniversary tribute to Paul and Linda McCartney’s Ram album which was all done during “Rockdown”… also I started a project with Carmine Appice mostly as a way for him to learn how to record himself…now we are making album number 2 for Cleopatra Records.
5. What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival/CD?
IPO/David Bash has been a crucial part of my life going on 20 years…I have met so many friends and collaborators from the festival…I consider it a huge part of my story!
6. Where can people who love your song on the IPO CD go to get more of your music and/or find out when and where you’re playing?
Best place is Fernandoperdomo.bandcamp.com
Featured IPO CD Artist: Rich Arithmetic
IPO Vol. 23 CD Song: “Carry You (Redux)”
1. What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
Although I have always loved my song “Carry You” and had recorded the basics for it a few years ago, I had never released it because I was unhappy with how it came out. So earlier this year when I had a chance to revisit the song, I wrote new lyrics, re-recorded a lot of the vocals and guitars, and retitled it as “Carry You (Redux)” to clarify that it was a new visitation of the song.
2. Please describe that pivotal moment when you first realized you wanted to create music or become a band.
There was always been music in our home (my father was a classical pianist with a lot of symphonic records but who loved the excitement of old-time gospel music with Jerry Lee Lewis piano style and four-part harmonies), I’d sung in youth choirs and taken piano lessons, and our family sang & played together at reunions. But like many other musicians my age, seeing The Beatles on TV was a defining moment. I wanted to write songs like they did and play guitar. That was my religious experience.
3. Which other artists (living or dead) do you admire most and why?
And though it was always mainly The Beatles, I have devoured all kinds of music throughout my life, always reserving my biggest respect for the songwriters who crafted wonderful melodies and complex harmonies and set them to witty lyrics — from the Cole Porter to Lennon & McCartney to Brian Wilson to Billy Joel and Brian Protheroe and Steely Dan and Andy Partridge from XTC and Adam Schlesinger from The Fountains of Wayne. The list is far too long to include everyone, and it also includes jazz and prog — all of which is the reason, I think, that my own music tends to wander all over the place, musically.
5. What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival/CD?
I first met David Bash back in the ’80s and ’90s when I ran Optional Art Records, a small indie label, and he talked to me about writing for our semi-randomly released newsletter. At the time I was not the editor of the newsletter (well-known pop writer Beverly Paterson had that distinction) and could not offer him anything, but I was delighted to see his reviews start popping up elsewhere, and when he started IPO, I was completely amazed by what he accomplished over the years, conducting the festivals in so many cities in the U.S. and around the world and exposing all the great pop talent that exists everywhere. It’s a huge accomplishment, and I am delighted to be included among such a great wealth of talent.
6. Where can people who love your song on the IPO CD go to get more of your music and/or find out when and where you’re playing?
For those who want to get a small taste of my music, you can check it out at is https://richarithmetic.bandcamp.com
Featured IPO CD Artist:
Danny Wilkerson
IPO Vol. 23 CD Song: “Endless Haze”
1. What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
The song is very different than most of the other songs on the WILKERSON album musically and lyrically and never got the attention some of the other songs off the album received, so I thought it might be a good way to give the track a little extra exposure and possibly interest listeners that haven’t heard the album to check it out.
2. Please describe that pivotal moment when you first realized you wanted to create music or become a band.
Definitely the first time I saw The Beatles on TV. It was overwhelming and immediate!
3. Which other artists (living or dead) do you admire most and why?
It would have to be The Beatles due to the incredible and amazing body of work they created and released in such a short period of time as band.
4. How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact you and your music?
It was very strange not being able to see or do live shows. Fortunately, I have an amazing wife and am very thankful she was there with me during that time. I can’t imagine how painful it must have been to go through that period alone and my heart goes out to anyone that was in that situation. I got to hang out with my best friends at our record companies listening room occasionally which was exclusive to us so we didn’t have to worry about exposure as much. That definitely helped me from getting too stir crazy. We still got to work on music a bit. I will say appreciating those relationships and emotions overall were heightened due to fear caused by COVID. I am sure that impacted the writing as well as the listening. At the end of the day, my love and appreciation for life and others has increased and I really hope that I can hang on to that the rest of my life.
5. What do you most enjoy about being associated with The IPO Festival/CD?
The comradery with all the artists and getting turned on to new music. Everyone there is so supportive of each other. I also love the opportunity to travel and perform anytime I can especially with my best friends and bandmates.
6. Where can people who love your song on the IPO CD go to get more of your music and/or find out when and where you’re playing?
Website: www.dannywilkerson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wilkersonalbum
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilkersonalbum
Bandcamp: https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/Wilkerson