Td Lind: Saint or Sinner?

8 months ago 07th Oct 11:34

Td Lind’s new album Call Me A Sinner looks set to be his best yet (okay, so he has only had one previous offering… but it’s still great!) but FemaleFirst wanted to find out if he really was a sinner ahead of the release. We caught up with him to chat about run-in’s with Paul Rodgers, astrology and life in LA.

What have you been up to recently, anything exciting?

Well I came back from LA just a week ago to open up for Eileen Rose who is just fantastic. I’ve done about six shows with her now and it’s been great and I’ve been promoting the album too, its been an absolute blast!

Your new album; Call Me Sinner, is almost ready for release - how would you describe it?

I guess it’s rootsy and I suppose these day they call it alt-country as it has tinges of Americana to it and there are also some blues on there too so I think it’s a bit of a mix of roots music.

You recorded the album in just four days, when it usually takes quite a while; why do you think you managed to record this one so quickly?

Well the last record took longer because the producer that I was working with was an on-off situation and the studio wasn’t built so it took eight months to make most of the last record and then to get it released we had to pick some pop song to get it out there and in the end it took a lot longer despite the fact that it should have only taken about a week to release. With this record I just wanted to go in there and cut it live so it would sound the same as it does when we’re

Do you think it had a detrimental effect on the overall quality?

I think in the long run the way we cut it makes it a very honest record because you go in there an play the songs just how I would if I had come round and played in your living room.

Nowadays people take a lot of time to make a record and if you don’t have the songs all ready it can take a long time but with me the songs were already written and I wanted to do what I wanted to do on the last record but didn’t get the chance to if that makes sense?

What is the inspiration behind the title?

Well I wrote Call Me A Sinner last year and basically the inspiration came from living in LA and seeing the world becoming more and more politically correct and structured and everyone is trying to say and do the ‘right things’ and I will never judge anyone else for what they do because I drink too much and smoke too much myself, but the rest of the world seems to be judging everyone else at the moment and so the idea was sort of “If you want to call me a sinner then do so; I really don’t care.” the fact is; we all do things we regret but it’s very easy for other people to judge others.

You’ve already had one successful offering, do you think this one will do even better?

Yes. I got to start and finish something on the terms that I really wanted to do it. I’m pleased with the last record because it did well but this one I’m more proud of and I think people will listen to it because it’s no longer about compromise.

How did you get into the industry to begin with?

Well my family has always been in music and theatre and I wasn’t the most academic of people and when I was younger music was always been in the house and it was just what I love to do and a medium I find most expressive to myself and I don’t know what else I could possibly do. I’m a gardener and painter as well but music has always been in my life.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I would say two things; firstly I would say this record, and then the second would be opening up for Bad Company back in the nineties and I was a huge Paul Rodgers fan!

However, it was possibly the worst meeting ever because it was an outside gig and I was stood at the side of the stage watching them sound check and Paul stops the whole band and says over the mic “Who the f**k is smoking?” and he looks around and it’s me!

He had always been my idol but he yells at me and starts the song again and then about a minute later he stops the band again and says; “I can smell Carbon Monoxide… who’s van is on?” and guess whose van it was! I always wanted to meet him and then I do and he absolutely hates me, I think idol’s should be admired from afar.

What would you like to achieve over the next 10 years?

I would like to have a career! I would like to get to do what I love; play live gigs, make records and have a family and somewhere along the line I would like to be recognised as a good songwriter (but that’s just my ego talking!) I think I would like to know that people enjoy what I’m doing and that people think it’s worthwhile.

How would you measure your success?

I suppose every artist, whether it be writing a book, doing a play or making music, awards say ‘okay, you’ve reached this point, well done.’ if I did get an award it would be great but I don’t think it’s going to happen because the stuff that I do isn’t going to be in the charts. To be honest I feel I’m already successful as I’m doing what I want to do and I’m pretty damn happy.

What else is in the pipeline for you in the near future?

I’m hoping that the radio will play my singles and people will like them so the near future should just be about gigging and selling records. It would be nice to play a gig to a full room! I’m just going to be promoting the record here and in the US and then at some point I’m going to make another record and do the same with that!

Who do you look up to within the industry?

I’m a huge fifties-head. The 1950’s - Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran. I also love the 1920’s and 30’s like Ella Fitzgerald… I just love classic singers.

Aah; the classics! Finally, we ask everyone we interview to come up with a question for the next person we interview....and wants to know; “What’s your favourite type of cheese?”

Aah; the classics! Finally, we ask everyone we interview to come up with a question for the next person we interview....and Sara Bareilles wants to know whether you believe in astrology and what your star sign is?

I am a Gemini and the older I get the more stubborn I seem to be getting and as far as astrology goes… I think there must be something in it but if you told me to sit down in front of someone and they would tell me my life story I would say “Bo**ocks.” we make choices in life and we live with them, right or wrong.

Very Diplomatic; now could you come up with a question for the next person I interview?

Is your job different from your passion and is it possible to make them both work but without separation?

FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison