Steven Delopoulos of Burlap To Cashmere
Interview at the Cup ‘O Joy Music Venue
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Relaxing in the Cup ‘O Joy’s artist lounge with its upright
piano, fireplace and comfortable furniture I began to wonder what type of musician
I was about to interview. Steven Delopoulos, the singer and songwriter
for Burlap To Cashmere, had seen many changes to his music and musician’s life
over the last two decades. Having had early
success as one of the first CCM folk-rock acts in the late ‘90s, followed by
years of supporting two solo albums with related tour work, then having the
original band come back together after a 15 year hiatus for the highly
successful self-titled Burlap To Cashmere
release.
The denim clad, relaxed figure with curly, long black hair
and heavy day-old beard strolled toward me with hand extended and a broad
smile. As we sunk into soft leather chairs following greetings I noticed a striking
facial feature. Deep set, extremely dark eyes pervaded the smile and small
talk. As if continually searching for the next image and experience, those eyes
both intense yet calming clued the answer to my question. Delopoulos is a poet
and artist who paints a musical portrait of our world based on these images and
experiences.
SM - If you were
to choose a word or two to describe B2C (Burlap To Cashmere) songs, what would
those words be?
SD – Folk-rock
with a Greek influence. Many have said a Latin influence but this is not true.
Our music has a definite Greek or Mediterranean influence, which is in the band’s
roots.
SM - At times,
B2C songs are personal, sometimes powerful in message, at others fun. What inspires your song writing? What are
your musical influences?
SD – I am
inspired by what is happening in the mystery of the moment. I write my songs to
include these moments, one at a time and this might take a great deal of time.
If I write a song in the next couple months I’m doing well. Like painting, I look back often at a song,
rewriting as necessary, to gain the right feeling and mood of the song. On our
first LP, when I wrote BIBLE (“Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”), I
initially asked myself, “What does it mean?” It had to do with heaven and was
basic material but it took time to really feel the song’s meaning and mood. It
is difficult to write a song. When it works it is a job well done. I’m not a songwriter
who can write a song during one sitting, people who can have a gift. For me, I
can listen to one of my songs a year after writing it and have an ‘AHA’ moment
– “Oh, that’s what it meant!”
I wrote “Closer to the Edge” waiting in a locker room for
our set to begin while touring with Jars Of Clay years ago. Looking back now,
the song feel’s right for our second album. It became fuller with time. It took
time to weave the imagery upon imagery of the song as I tried to write my
feelings in Greek, then in English, and back to Greek again. “Life in a Van”
was the opposite, I wrote the song while living in a small Nashville apartment.
It was not personal, just a story of my imagination, dreaming of a scenario.
Songs I have listened to throughout my life have had a great
influence. Songs by Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin, Tom
Waits, Tom Paxton, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.
Also, old Greek 70s
music like George Dalarus., Having grown up in the Greek Orthodox Church and
attending Greek dance school those 12 beat rhythms of Greek musical structure
incorporate themselves into my music. My major was Musical Theatre. From
Shakespeare to Andrew Lloyd Weber the combination of language and rhythm has
greatly influenced my music.
Together, my writing
stems from those experiences unconsciously. My songs are my interpretation of
all of that. More than folk rock my music is my interpretation of life’s
experiences, of who we are.
SM - The
mid-to-late 90’s saw B2C emerge as a new direction in CCM with folk-rock and a
cross over between CCM and secular music. Following a long break after
extensive touring, John’s (lead guitarist, backing vocals) misfortune in 2005
and various solo works, why a reunion? What spurred the reunion now?
SD – A
combination of things and timing. I had written new music, which Johnny and I
were playing and the band liked. Teddy our drummer returned from living in
Europe. The core of the band was back together. During 2011 we made the new
(self-titled) album by getting together in our basement studio with new songs.
The three of use were playing together, we had the band name, we said “let’s
get together and play!”
Writing for a band is so much different than writing for one
of my solo projects. The material has to be right for the entire band. In this
case, the new album has a stripped down sound as compared to our first release.
All of us liked this stripped down sound, it has a broad and organic feel. What
helped the sound to have this quality was our new producer, Mitchell Froom. He
has a broad base of experience and is a piano player. He would review songs
with me in the morning at the studio, then make subtle changes giving more life
to a song on tape. He knows how to paste updates and make them work, keeping
them low key in a coffee house / folk-rock way. Mitchell has the ability to
grasp a song’s feel, mood, and meaning right away.
SM – Is it
difficult to let go of your material to a producer?
SD – You really
have to trust the producer. It makes all the difference to the artist and the
material. The producer and the songwriter must have respect for each other’s
abilities and experience. Smaller artists are sensitive creatures, this is a
core quality of being an artist. Trust and respect make this relationship work,
it gives it more space. Mitchell is aware of an artist’s needs and desires. You
may ask, “Why would you be so protective of your material?” The reason is the material
is my creation and as an artist I wish the material not to be changed or
corrupted, I want it to remain whole and original. Trust and respect make this
partnership work.
SC - B2C songs
are organic with Greek or Mediterranean flavor, folk-rock known for its simplicity
and clarity of message, and not solely CCM. What does the future hold for you
and B2C? Are there any changes planned in direction professionally or
personally?
SD - We are excited
to continue to make more records. Our current tour is booked to include festivals,
which we have not done in some time.. Next year we will again hit the road with a larger tour. Being
back on the road and doing what we do feels great. We enjoy making a living as
musicians, making music together. Doing what you love and are meant to do is
one of life’s great pleasures. Everything feels fresh again after a lapse
between our two albums.
SM - How do you
keep your tool set sharp?
SD – Number one
is health. After this it would be keeping perspective with the world we live
in. Health is first and foremost, everything else works after this. When we are
in perfect health we enjoy the pleasures of life freely. When our health is not
perfect our pleasures and lifestyles become threatened.
SM – What is
important to you?
SD – Living in
the mystery of this moment. That’s where songs come from, from the heart. This
is where the eternal things come from. You must be a believer in attempting to
do things for the eternal although in reality they may be temporary. If we are pretty
happy we are in a better place making the best of it and being as comfortable
as possible.
The mystery of the moment is captured by those piercing, ever
searching dark eyes and conveyed in poetry then set to music. The music of our
lives, loves, faith and experiences. Long may those eyes search and interpret.
The next B2C album is in process. B2C asks their fans to
participate in a fun way. Pledge for their next album through pledgemusic.com. The pledge campaign,
while raising money for their next album, also allows fans to receive the next
album and receive a host of option gifts dependent on the amount of the pledge.
Check it out at http://www.pledgemusic.com.
Note: See related Burlap To Cashmere concert reviews in the
August, 2014 edition of Phantom Tollbooth.
Scott S Mertens
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