How does it feel to be compared to musicians like Ben Folds and Billy Joel?
All at once, it can feel flattering, challenging, and limiting. I am often told I sound like Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, Billy Joel, and Elton John. Most of the time, I appreciate such comments, but I always want to reply by saying “Thanks, my other songs are completely different” or something like that. I think sometimes people equate a boy and his piano with said artists because that’s all they’ve seen in rock/pop music for years. I don’t claim to be doing anything remarkably ground-breaking or conceptual, but I am trying my best to avoid writing songs that sound like that. I have a broader collection of songs, many on guitar as well, that individually might sound like Ben Folds, Elliott Smith, Paul McCartney (but not Wings!), or Rufus Wainwright. But collectively, I wouldn’t consider myself completely like any of those artists, but perhaps an amalgamation of all them. People find such comparisons helpful in deciding what music to buy, what concerts to attend, and what music to promote, so I can’t say that it’s compeltely moot or innaccurate. If anything, I’m challenged to write even more diverse music in light of these comparisons.
