The creative industry is often hindered by skyscraper executives who attempt to mold the artist into a polished performer -- and the music business is no exception. But, singer-songwriter Brian Seymour is bypassing the standard path set by his predecessors, and giving the white-collared big wigs a run for their money. "The only way to get anywhere in this business is to do something well and hopefully people turn on to you and start passing it around," says Seymour, whose currently in the studio recording tracks for upcoming independent projects. But it's his latest release, "When I Was Blonde," that has been gaining momentum in the media and by legions of fans of all hair colors.

     All this tress talk has us wondering -- is the song of the same title about a hair color experience or is there more than meets the dye? "It's more about the other self, whoever you used to be. You can't hide your black roots, I mean your dark roots of your hair are your dark roots," Seymour explains. "You can fool people for maybe a week, but eventually it's all going to come back." One thing that is coming back is word of mouth -- this is one artist that is lyrically fine-tuned.

     Before you convince yourself that "true" music evaporated when MTV emerged, consider a listen to his artistic endeavors. Brian Seymour spoke frankly with gt magazine in this exclusive interview, where we discovered the art historian within, the stage name crisis, and why it's so difficult to give his own material a listen while heading down the highway...

gt.com: as a trained art historian, if you hadn't decided to pursue music, would you be working with that degree instead? Although in the same creative genre, what made you decide to make the job switch?

BRIAN: Well, that's an interesting question! I did work for awhile, but I haven't had a job in it for about ten years. I actually still teach a class now and then and do some research on my own. But I think I would go back and finish my degree at some point, maybe go on to a doctoral level. Yeah, I think that would be something I'm hoping to go back to.

gt.com: that's great! now, your song "Always Leaving" was sung by Cowboy Mouth on their 2000 album release "Easy." what do you find more satisfying -- hearing yourself on the radio or hearing a song that you have written performed by other artists?

BRIAN: It's interesting, because it definitely has got to be yourself, right? I mean, you want to hear yourself. But there is something really cool about being disassociated with your song, in a way. When Cowboy Mouth did that version, I was involved only to the extent that I knew that they were going to record it, but I didn't have a say in how they were going to record it. Sometimes it's interesting to hear how people interpret the vibe of your material. I've been involved with artists that have recorded my stuff, but it's just much more hands on. I have this one producer who likes to use my stuff and he tends to have women sing my songs, and he pairs it up faraway from where I would be -- with drum machines, production, and all that stuff. I mean, that's a blast, hearing how other people interpret your stuff, and it can be fun. The more the merrier, you know? The more times you hear it interpreted, the better.

gt.com: absolutely! so, if you had the power to choose one person to sing a song you have written, who would be the ideal candidate?

BRIAN: William Shatner? ::laughs:: It's so hard to say seriously that there is an artist. When I started doing more songwriting in New York with other writers, that was a whole...don't know what you would call it, like the Britney Spears and boy bands, so there was a lot of people writing for artists. I've never been a "write-for" kind of writer, I just kind of write for myself. I don't mean to make light of the question, but it's so hard to say, because I never really write for anyone else. I would love to write for somebody I know and somebody I respect, but there is no one I could think of at the moment. Most of the people I gravitate towards are singer-songwriters.

gt.com: Shatner -- love it! having been on the music scene for close to eight years, what would you say is the biggest struggle you've had to overcome to be a part of this business?

BRIAN: It's really the same as any other business -- it's getting people to listen. Whether you're selling real estate or you're selling fax machines, we're selling ourselves, our music. And unfortunately, most people you deal with have their own thing going on, whether they're producers or record persons or lawyers, they have their pet projects that they are trying to push. It's never going to work that you're going to be able to cut corners, it doesn't work in this or any business. The hardest thing is to get people to listen to the music. I feel bad, because with just the little success that I've had, I have people wanting to send me their demos or come see their bands, and it's just so hard to find the time. But I know how it is, and I remember what it was like to want somebody to give you a leg up.

gt.com: good point! in the past, many solo performers took on aliases. were you ever tempted to create a pseudonym?

BRIAN: For a while there, I wanted to be Mable. There's this angel of the art world named Mable Dodge from the twentieth century. She had the art community surrounding her in Greenwich Village. She literally founded this art colony in New Mexico. She's an amazing woman, she seemed to be able to inspire people even though she wasn't an artist herself. And I always wanted to have a band called Mable Dodge, but everyone thought it sounded like a car dealership. I started a band called Mable, and I wanted everyone to contribute and to write songs, but I couldn't get everyone excited about it. And then I remembered calling my manager and saying "Why don't I just change my name to Mable?" And he was like "Umm..no. Put that idea somewhere under a rock." Someday soon...maybe!

gt.com: haha, we'll see! pretend our readers are searching a music store online and stumble across your latest release, "When I Was Blonde." why should they buy it?

BRIAN: I would hope that the thing that people hear in my music they might not hear somewhere else. Something honest and straight-forward, something that they don't have to compare to other things or try to put in a certain category.

gt.com: you seem to be pretty lenient towards music fans downloading some of your songs for free. what is your take on the issue of downloading music online and the campaigns against it by other artists?

BRIAN: Well, there's a whole shift in paradigm in the 21st century that we're obviously going to be a part of, which is how we're going to pay creative people. You can't unring a bell; you can't stop progress. I'm not going to classify it as progress to mean that it's better, but in the world that we live in, especially in the United States with capitalism, we're all about change and advancement. And this is just part of the shift towards a new market model. A three-minute song is easy to rip off, but wait until it's a movie or a book...until it's the stuff that you put into a library. We're out ahead of the curve, but it's bigger than just MP3s. The people that are trying to stop it and trying to put the ketchup back into the bottle are just postponing the inevitable. You're not going to be able to stop this thing, you're going to have to figure out a way to make it better. We're America, we can figure out a better model, we just have to get our heads together and do it.

gt.com: that's a great theory -- on a lighter note, do you listen to your own CD while driving in your car, or is that too weird?

BRIAN: ::laughs:: You know, I don't listen to myself probably as much as I should. I think it's good when you reflect upon what you have done, especially when you're in the studio, because it gives you a sense of where you want to go in the future. But sometimes it's really hard to listen to yourself. You have so little time to listen to music, you tend to want to go back to your favorites. Especially as a songwriter, I'm very sensitive to listening to good stuff, because if I listen to the wrong thing, I feel like it could put my edge in a weird place.

gt.com: understandably! tell me more about the new tracks you have been recording for your upcoming release.

BRIAN: Well, the new record is essentially done. We're kinda in the production phase and trying to figure out if we like what we have done. It's very hard sometimes to look back and see what you have done. When you're doing it, it's impossible to know how it is going, you have a good feeling or a gut feeling, usually it's all good. But we're kind of sorting this new album out, seeing if we want to re-record some things. I'm actually doing some other recordings right now for some independent films I'm involved in.

gt.com: that's cool, we can't wait to hear those! speaking of albums, if you could recommend one that everyone must listen to and own, what would top your list?

BRIAN: It would say Sparklehorse's album, "It's a Wonderful Life."

gt.com: As a songwriter, when you complete a song, do you test the waters and ask friends, family, or producers what they think? or, is it set in stone and ready to record by the time you hit the studio?

BRIAN: I write a lot, so I tend to show it to the band in rehearsal or my producer in a session. There's always a sense of a basket of songs, which ones are going to make it. But they're never set. It's really part of the songwriting process, to be able to give yourself over to other creative people, you know, producer, drummer, whatever, and let them do their magic, too. If you're inflexible about it, you're never going to grow as an artist, because you're never going to sound how you want to sound.

gt.com: definitely -- finally, where would you like your career to be in five years?

BRIAN: I would like to be sitting here talking to someone like you whose drawn to my music. I'd like to continue to do what I'm doing. I'd like to write songs for film, I wouldn't mind other artists covering me or collaborating with other artists. And I'd like to release a record and tour behind it.

gt.com: we have no doubts that you'll conquer those goals. thanks for the interview, Brian!

Brian releases his latest tracks, gives updated
appearance dates, and more at his official website: www.bamu.com!