Yoni Gordon interviews Yoni Gordon Q: Who are you? Why do we care? A: I am Yoni Gordon. I was born in 1979, which means at present I am 26 years old. That is subject to change depending on when you read this. I have been living in MA. for seven years now. I am singer/songwriter, but not so much like Bob Dylan is a singer/songwriter. More like how Chuck Berry is a singer/songwriter. Q: What does that mean? A: It means I WRITE rock and roll SONGS for the electric guitar, but don’t play them with a rock and roll band. I play them SOLO. Alone. But I still believe in playing riffs and guitar solos and fills and all of that stuff. Q: So then are your songs about cars and girls and such? A: No, not strictly speaking. I mean there could be cars and girls in my songs for sure, but I wouldn’t reduce them to being about just that. I wouldn’t say I am a political or topical songwriter either. The best thing I could tell you is that I strive to be an HONEST SONGWRITER. I used to love this band the Velvet Underground, but as I entered my 20’s, I began to feel like there songs had nothing to do with my life. I wasn’t shooting up smack, or hanging out with femme fatales. There was no factory or Andy Warhol, no waiting for the man, no Sister Ray. I was just a young man full of hope and ideas, in love with rock and roll, working jobs and paying rent. And when I finally heard songs that reflected that, I found them so much more interesting. So I write songs about things that happen in real life. Songs about sulking, loosing faith at the end of each work day, walking around town late at night, playing shows to an empty club, being late to work and the spiritually rejuvenating power of the electric guitar. Q: Who’s songs reflected all of that stuff for you? A: Well, I found that the songs of my friends in various bands around Boston spoke to me so much louder than songs by bands getting played on the radio. BREAD AND ROSES, JACOB BERENDES, DAWN LANDES. Just great songwriters all of them. Q: But no one knows who those people are. A: I know who they are. But I know what you are saying. I know this space is supposed to be where I tell you who I sound like so you know what to do with my music. I know that if you heard my stuff for the first time, you would probably make the ELIVS COSTELLO comparison, but his music doesn’t really speak to me to be honest. The famous people who have done excellent work and who’s careers I really admire are people like BILLY BRAGG, PATTI SMITH, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, TED LEO, VAN MORRISON. Q: Push comes to shove, what is your favorite band? A: That would have to be THE POGUES