Dale Veach A few words with multi-instrumentalist Dale Veach, of Dale aka Elad. Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself. Dale: I began playing the guitar when I was thirteen. I taught myself keyboards by transposing from the guitar. I developed my first lead progression from remembering a live vocal run by Edgar Winter in the beginning of the song Tobacco Road. For the most part, before seriously recording music in 1999, I made 3 short attempts to join bands, sat in at various events anonymously and played at family and friends' gatherings. I played copy songs. I also started singing at some gatherings. It is the hardest instrument for me to master. I don't think that I will ever be completely satisfied with my vocals. Perhaps it's a good thing. There's always room for improvement in anything one attempts to accomplish. LB: How did you start out making music? Dale: It wasn't until the late 1990's that I began playing, recording and editing original music seriously. In 2009 I was able to create my own label "Elad Music Production Studios" by applying and being registered in the United States as a registered trademark in the entertainment industry. I now publish my works through my label on the site with the same name as the trademark and invite others to publish and or collaborate music there. LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now? Dale: My parents were protestant missionaries in Cuba and South America. We relocated seventeen times by the time I was seventeen years old. My influences had been Latin and gospel. I was encouraged by my family to play instruments in church but I felt awkward and out of place. I preferred playing when no one was around. My favorite Gospel songs were by the likes of Mahalia Jackson. Like many musicians of my era, The Beatles were a huge influence. The first heavy metal vocals and music I heard was Janis Joplin’s "Ball And Chain". The great many concerts that I attended through the years featuring many great artists in rock, blues, jazz and country music have created a music stew in which it is difficult for most critics to decide which genre to label me with. In that sense, I have earned the title of original musician. To this day, even though I am a lot more at ease in a crowd, I prefer to perform in the studio where I am not distracted and can concentrate more on the music. LB: Tell us about your latest release. Dale: My latest album is on cdbaby. It is entitled "Cross The Finish Line". It is the first of,God willing, many more to come. It features the title song and nine others. Three songs: “Keep On Boogieing”, “Home”, and “No Mojo Cure” feature the artist Giorgetto from Verona,I taly on bass, guitar (rhythm and or lead) and sax. Giorgetto and I have never met in person. I don't speak Italian and he doesn't speak English but we both speak music fluently. It would be a dream come true for me to be able to cross the big pond and visit him someday. The song “No Mojo Cure” needs a little intro. Around Halloween in 2009, I became interested in researching the meaning of the word ‘mojo’. To my surprise, through a historical site about New Orleans, Louisiana, the lyrics fell in my lap. I created a Ghost story using historical events featuring the Commandant of The Isle Of The Cat who was murdered by three men. Madame La Laurie who owned the infamous haunted house and the Vieux Carree which is now the area around Bourbon St. It was believed that the mojo bag had powers for both good and evil and possibly had cut pieces of cats but no one knows what is actually in a mojo bag. The Mississippi river flows North near New Orleans. From New Orleans, sunset is seen first as it reflects in the east on Lake Pontchartrain and rises in the west on Algiers. I have an idea of where to research this year for another Halloween song. LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows? Dale: I still prefer to sit in anonymously playing live keyboards in the Atlanta, Georgia area, but the studio is where I'm at my best. LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy? Dale: I am able to write and create a song in a week. Editing and producing is much more difficult especially if a video is involved. I am a novice in these areas but have always been a quick study and look to speedily improve. LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music? Dale: The home page of http://eladmusicproductionstudios.com is the best place to find all my links as I add more. They include: www.cdbaby.com/cd/daleakaelad www.youtube.com/daleakaelad www.myspace.com/daleveach www.myspace.com/daleakaelad http://members.soundclick.com/Dale+aka+elad http://facebook.com/daleakaelad www.isound.com/dale_aka_elad www.4shared.com/account/dir/27271985/f7c27614/sharing.html There's a little for everyone. Free,bargain basement and via famous sites purchases. I look forward to befriending as many musicians as I possibly can. It's a long arduous process because I do check the artists out and help promote them through my blogs.