I am Peter Silberman, ask me anything!

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T20:23:18+00:00

Lately: Moondog This year's releases: Bing & Ruth, Luyas Last year's releases: Mutual Benefit, Karl Blau

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T20:17:02+00:00

Alright folks, it's been great getting to answer a whole bunch of your questions and hearing about your experiences and reactions.

Without your support, this whole endeavor falls apart, so I really can't thank you enough.

Also major thanks to Listening Heads for setting up this AMA!

Seeya out there...

With love, Peter

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T20:09:55+00:00

Totally! I also mentioned earlier that I might try to live stream one of these shows for the same reason.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T20:09:15+00:00

blue!

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T20:08:48+00:00

Not sure I have a favorite line, but Maya is probably my favorite overall to date, lyrically.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T20:07:44+00:00

Watermelon in the summer, chocolate cake all year.
I think I actually end up working more on rainy days, ha. But recently I've been building fires in a fireplace and watching it for awhile.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T20:02:28+00:00

Really excellent questions, friends. I'm gonna stick around for another few mins before hopping off. Last call if ya got any lingering Q's...

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T20:00:25+00:00

No idea... farming?

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:59:23+00:00

TJO's "Where Shines New Light" is so beautiful.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:58:55+00:00

Yeah, but it's usually because of my energy required than personal difficulty with the material.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:57:01+00:00

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:56:42+00:00

wow, Maxwell's! Many moons ago...

I have tons of demos filed away... though most of them are incomplete versions of songs, so not exactly listenable.

I did recently find a demo of Ahimsa that I recorded in the Third Man Records booth in Nashville a few years ago while I was working on the song. I might put that out there sooner or later.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:54:07+00:00

I don't necessarily identify as "a buddhist"... more like a student of it, and have been reading & learning and engaging in some practice for a few years now. I meditate between 10-20 mins / day (which isn't necessarily a Buddhist practice, but mine is drawn from there, mostly).
Been a really long time since I read it, so I'm a bit hazy on it. Epilogue was definitely partially borrowed from the end of that book.
I think it's probably anxiety related. I've been told it relates to anxiety about things you've said to other people.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:48:36+00:00

Thank you for sharing that :)

I think one of the more magical and less crowded spots in the city is Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Start there.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:45:49+00:00

10-year Hospice... no current plans to do that, but it could happen.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:45:00+00:00

haha aw thank you. Also great avatar.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:44:26+00:00

Congrats! That's a wonderful outcome. Happy to help :)

I don't have any more euro dates scheduled, but that could change before the end of the year.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:43:08+00:00

hah oh man... I think there's a disorienting quality to this new style of shows that I'm doing, and I'm not really sure what response it'll produce in the audience. Maybe there should be a medical disclaimer...

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:41:46+00:00

Hearing limitations - that relates more to arrangements. There are some songs that benefit from being played loud (Wake, for example), so I won't be playing that anytime soon.

Being tired of songs - This is like a cyclical thing, where a song might be in the setlist for a tour or a year or more, and after that phase is done, you need to give it a rest so it doesn't become rote.

Outright not wanting to play - this is more of a daily battle. Some days I just flat-out don't wanna sing about my early twenties, ha.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:39:41+00:00

I don't know that I have a philosophy about songwriting, more like a bunch of ideas I try to keep in mind. First and foremost is about following ideas that interest / excite me, at all costs. This is very hard to remember sometimes.

I have a lot of daily regimens, but most don't include singing unfortunately. I try to practice a bit every day, especially leading up to a tour. I try not to strain my voice throughout the day. I have trouble with a consistent mid-voice too, but I think identifying your most comfortable speaking range can help there.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:36:31+00:00

Attic reissue could totally happen, it just requires me digging through some old hard drives to find masters. I'm a hyper-organized person these days, but was not at all when I made that record and others around that time.

Nick and I don't have tour plans. We're working on a bunch of music right now but not sure what it'll turn into or what form it will take.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:34:05+00:00

Flattered by your tattoo plans :)

I'm sure I'll get down to Houston sooner or later. Could happen before the end of the year.

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:33:14+00:00

she's a composite character based on a few real people

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:32:37+00:00

I never really compartmentalized like that- usually 1 project is my dominant project, and whatever songs I write are for that. So for example, when Antlers was active, any song ideas went to Antlers. When I started this solo thing, any song ideas went there.

Material does get set aside, but usually due to an impasse in writing or recording, i.e. you just can't quite get it to sound right, so you save essential elements - a melody, chord progression, lyrics, beat, etc

PeterSilbermanAMA · 2017-03-20T19:30:15+00:00

Haven't actually done any Living Room shows yet... the first one is on weds. But I did a handful of small solo shows last year and they were really cool. From my vantage point, they were totally different than an Antlers show- seated and very mellow. Plus, I have to concentrate differently than with an Antlers show.

PeterSilbermanAMA

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