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Quick Q and A with Seth Glier, Sept. 2011
 by Kathy S-B  ·  8 October 2011

Seth Glier is a young man with a huge talent. One critic says that Seth is channeling Billy Joel. There’s something to be said regarding that statement. As Seth states in this interview, Billy was not originally one of his early influences, but he’s definitely become one now. Seth’s star is rising rapidly. The me&thee is delighted to have an opportunity to present him for the fourth time on Friday, October 14.

To learn more about Seth, visit his website. Spend a couple of quality minutes with Seth and watch his video of “Walking Katie Home.”

Seth Glier
It’s terrific news that your CD The Trouble with People has been re-released AND re-mixed and that it’s gathering you a lot of new fans! What did Kevin Killen (U2, Elvis Costello, etc.) bring to this new release?
Well the first thing that you notice is that the sound quality is much better so it’s been getting picked up by radio stations and is reaching a bit more people. I don’t really know too much about mixing and whatever it is that takes music and puts it on a CD but I know that the story comes across in the music. Space is a friend of mine.
You play both piano and guitar. Do you write your songs on both or do you gravitate toward one instrument over the other?
Yes, Guitar and Piano are very different instruments. I tend to write more rhythmically on guitar and more melodically on piano . . . but at the end of the day writing is just writing. Each of the instruments in just a tool to speak through. I don’t know enough on either instrument to go too far out but I know enough so it doesn’t get in the way when I’m writing.
Occasionally I’ll be writing a song on piano and I get stuck so I’ll pick up a guitar, and, since my musically tendencies are so different on the instruments I usually find a way around the hump.
You’ve cited Joni Mitchell, Martin Sexton, and Jeff Buckley as three of your biggest musical influences. Could you possible name one tune by each of them that resonates greatly with you?
Hmm, those are some of my big influences but I would say that during the past year my influences have changed quite a bit. I’ve started to study Cole Porter, Billy Joel, and Jackson Browne.
Joni Mitchelll’s “A Case Of You”
Billy Joel’s “She’s Always A Woman”
Jackson Browne’s “These Days”
Cole Porter’s “Everytime We Say Goodbye”
I’m enraptured by the idea of creating something that can be timeless. These are examples of songs that have lasted through my father’s generation and onto mine. I still manage to relate to the emotion and feeling of each of those songs and never think about the 30 plus year time spans.
You’ve been touring all over the country over the past couple of years. Do you have any particularly memorable experiences that you’d like to relate?
None that are appropriate for a church concert series. hahaha
One comes to mind. Last October we were playing the CBS Morning Show and were taping it live from Charlotte, NC. We drove pretty much through the night to get a sound check at 5 AM. upon making it through security, the guard pointed us down the hall and said “your green room is just to the left of the tiger.” Well, maybe I was too tired to fully understand what he was saying but sure enough there sat a real TIGER! I later found out that Animal Kingdom was opening a new park and there to promote it. I quickly performed “Gotta Get Away” and got as far away from the tiger as possible.

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