Artist Interview: Bobcat
Bobcat, the powerhouse one-man band, is currently on a thrilling two-year tour across the continental US, blending rockabilly, punk, psychobilly, and pure rock 'n' roll into a truly unique sound. In this interview, he discusses the challenges and joys of touring solo, his eclectic musical influences, the intentional comedy woven into his performances, and his quest to conquer the modern rock frontier.
Tori: How do you manage to weave so many different genres together to create a cohesive sound as a one-man band?
Bobcat: I listen to a lot of different types of music, so it all comes out with my songs. I get more cohesive as I write more songs and play more shows
Tori: Being a one-man band comes with unique challenges. Could you walk us through your setup and how you choreograph your performances to deliver such a dynamic, rock 'n' roll experience?
Bobcat: It starts and ends with the guitar. I have my cajon for a bass drum and a snare on a stand with its volume matched to the cajon. I then match the guitar to that as well and then place the vocals just over it. There are parts that need more guitar and that must come up and down for different parts. The rock n roll experience is all about the song, so I let that be the centerpiece
Tori: You're currently on a thrilling two-year tour of the continental US. What has been the most unexpected or memorable moment on the road so far, and how do you maintain your energy and sanity over such a long run?
Bobcat: You don't. Sanity isn't an option on the road. Relative sanity is, but being sane doesn't happen when you do what I do. It's feast or famine. I exercise every day to stay in good enough health. The most memorable moment was Moonrunners fest 2024. Another great time was Monorama and Ska Vs Psychobilly this summer. I love playing on festivals with similar genre acts
Tori: Beyond the music, your performances are noted for including slapstick comedy and comedic antics. How do you decide which material to include, and is the humor an intentional counterbalance to the punk and psychobilly edge of your sound?
Bobcat: I base the joke/ skit to the song. It's about writing the perfect intro/ outro to each song based on the lyrics or how it's delivered. Every song has an accompanying joke that goes with it
Tori: Your musical style is a unique blend of rockabilly, punk rock, garage rock, power pop, psychobilly, and indie rock. Which of these genres was your entry point into music, and which one feels the most "at home" to you now?
Bobcat: My entry point to all of it was The Beatles, but I quickly found all things I like from bands like The Clash, The Ramones, The Quakes, Goddamn Gallows, Dead Kennedys, Johnny Marr, Turbo AC's, Agent Orange, The Kaisers, The Meteors, Badfinger, The Exploding Hearts, The Buzzcocks. It's two sided. My most at-home genre to play is power-pop, but there's no real scene for it in the USA. The scene I'm most at home with is either the punk rock or Psychobilly scene in the USA.
Tori: You're based out of Long Island, NY. How has that specific regional music scene influenced your development as an artist?
Bobcat: Not really. There's just not a lot of acts coming from there, and if they are, they leave because there are very few places to perform at. NYC is another thing, but it's such a headache getting around it these days, I'd rather be anywhere else
Tori: You channel the spirit of artists like The Meteors, Koffin Kats, Reverend Horton Heat, and The Black Keys. What specific lessons or inspiration do you draw from these diverse acts?
Bobcat: I love the intensity. The honesty in their songwriting, the chords they use for their songs, the minimalism, the carrying of rock n roll in to the 21st century. It's sorely missing from most music made these days.
Tori: You're known for your instrumental renditions of popular covers. How do you select which songs to cover, and what is your process for putting your own signature one-man band spin on them?
Bobcat: I listen to the melody, harmony and rhythm of these songs and decide how to play them. I play a lot of 3-4 hour brewery gigs and I need songs that the people know, but learning other people's lyrics is a drag, because it's not my own. Playing covers like so helps make the music more personal for me
Tori: When you sit down to write a new song, do you intentionally try to explore a new genre or does the sound simply emerge organically?
Bobcat: It emerges organically. I like experimenting with different genres, different rhythms, different chord structures, different melodies and melodic contours. I hear so much music that stays on one melodic contour the entire set and I get bored easily
Tori: What's the story behind the name Bobcat and the visual identity of the project?
Bobcat: My friend, Brett Randall accidently called me that when he was My barber at Rockabilly Barbers back in October 2002. The name stuck. The logo was from another friend slanting a stock image online and putting glasses on it
Tori: Two years is a significant time commitment for a solo tour. What is the ultimate goal or motivation you hope to achieve by performing in every region of the continental US?
Bobcat: I want packed shows, short drives, and too find a music scene better than my hometown. Long Island was getting stale and even more so from me owning a taxi company for a decade. The only way to learn a scene is to go there and participate in it. Meet the other acts, see what's going on. I try to play shows every night, and on weekends at least twice a day or better.
Tori: What, in your opinion, is the biggest frontier left to conquer or redefine in modern rock music?
Bobcat: The act of getting people out to shows. It's a lost art these days
Tori: Beyond your solo work, do you have any interest in future collaborations, or does the complete creative control of being a one-man band remain your preferred approach?
Bobcat: Yes. I want to collaborate with as many folks in diverse genres of music as possible. I jumped off my own tour dates in the month of October because there were significant gaps in bookings. I'm currently playing bass in Sasquatch and the Sickabillies this month and it's going very well. I like to work with others, as many as possible but also release music consistently on my own
Tori: For someone who has never seen you live, what is one surprising element of a Bobcat show that they absolutely should look forward to?
Bobcat: Prank Phone Calls from the stage, jokes between songs, getting weird with the music
Tori: What advice would you give to a musician who is just starting out and considering taking the leap to become a one-man band?
Bobcat: Get a day job and grow your scene locally. Do everything that I did not do yet!
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