Paul Simon Inspired Robert Ellis' Latest Album ::Robert Ellis News ::antiMusic.com

Paul Simon Inspired Robert Ellis' Latest Album

03/14/2014
. (Radio.com) When Robert Ellis sat down to record The Lights from the Chemical Plant, he knew he didn't want to make another country album. He'd done that already with Photographs, his critically acclaimed, George Jones-inspired album from 2011. Instead, for this new project, Ellis wanted to highlight his pop, rock, jazz and fusion influences. So, he turned to his hero, Paul Simon.

"Paul Simon is a huge inspiration for this record in particular," Ellis told Radio.com. "He consistently has been one of the best songwriters and one of the most experimental and exploratory musicians genre-wise. Every record is completely different than the one before it. So, I looked to him as what I hope to achieve with my career. Not be pinned down by any one thing, but still being massively successful."

Released last month, The Lights from the Chemical Plant is Ellis' third album. And as he explained, many of the 11 tracks came out of personal experiences and his own relationships.

"The really interesting thing about writing is, sometimes when I'm really confused or really unhappy and I sit down to write, there's almost like this other voice coming through and giving me answers," he said. "Something about the narrative quality to songwriting allows you to remove yourself emotionally a little bit." more on this story

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