As long as the songs are strong, I think you can express yourself in any style and have it be soulful and have it be your own voice.
But I would never insult the people that love this music and I would never insult the blessing of music in my life and I would never insult myself by playing uninspired music.
Folk is bare bones music.
I feel it strong in my heart and sing it and write it just because that's a part of Ben Harper, that's just a part of me, that makes me who I am.
I get diminishing returns when I bore myself in an interview.
I grew up listening to spiritual music, Blind Willie Johnson and folk.
I just want to keep doing what I feel.
I love being on the road, I love playing.
I really feel like the sky is the limit with the Innocent Criminals today.
I really feel there's no limitation on what this band can do in the studio or on the stage. That's an empowering feeling - that we can bring a song to life.
I refuse to age disgracefully in rock 'n' roll.
I refuse to make uninspired music.
I'm not going to do the Ben Harper house record or the Ben Harper drum 'n' bass record.
I'm really looking forward to, not more of the same, but a continual growth.
If I don't have the potential to write in different styles and sing in different voices and play in different ways, I won't stay inspired.
If I fall, I fall. I'll rise up like anybody else.
If I'm inspired and music inspires me, then I will continue to play it.
If it comes out sounding like Dixieland jazz or classical or punk or rock or even slightly metal, that's because that's where I'm going to find inspiration.
It will make a weak man mighty. it will make a mighty man fall. It will fill your heart and hands or leave you with nothing at all. It's the eyes for the blind and legs for the lame. It is the love for hate and pride for shame. That's the power of the gospel.
Life is short and if you're looking for extension, you had best do well. 'Cause there's good deeds and then there's good intentions. They are as far apart as Heaven and Hell.
My head works in music, so there's always music there.
Right now I'm listening to a lot of different things but I listen to a lot of classical music. Eventually I would like to compose and perform classical.
So it's not so much that I set out to do something different, it's just that the songs themselves require their own individual voice and attention.
Sometimes I may be totally arrogant, sometimes I may totally be the most humble guy you've ever met, sometimes I may be in between. But that's life. Who isn't like that? What's the big deal if I had an arrogant moment.
Sometimes I think to talk too much about music almost cheapens it.
That happens every time I get behind a guitar, regardless of what I'm saying, 'cause music is freedom and being free is the closest I've ever felt to being spiritual.
That's what I do, I write songs, and I'm always looking for new chords and new places to put my hands on the fingerboard and new octaves to stretch my voice to.
The Blind Boys are truly the deepest well of American musical heritage you can discover.
The music is in the lead here, and a large part of this, I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel a closer bond with the craft of songwriting, stronger than I ever have.
We figured you could download live shows for days, so we decided to go for a cream-of-the-crop approach, but not just take the best vocal or the best performances.
We went for the best overall feel on each song. There are no musical overdubs at all. It's a true live record; it's one of the few true live records out there.
Where my hands fall on the guitar is a different place every day, and I'm trying to push my vocal chords on a daily basis.
You have to do what you believe in.
You look like gold. I've been fooled before, but now I know I've made the mistake in the past. But now I, now I know the difference from gold and brass.
You're definitely a different person at different stages in your life.
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