After a great performance in the music café of Podium Roepaen in Ottersum (Holland) I had a brief talk with a few band members and later on I spoke with Patrick Sweany. When I talk to Sweany it’s instantly clear that his voice sounds like sandpaper, even when he speaks.
First of all I ask him if he liked the show this afternoon. Sweany: “O yeah, it was a lot of fun again man. We were really looking forward to this show. I always love to play here. This venue, this building has ‘something’ unique. It has a soul and a special history which you can feel in a way. It has a vibe. And besides that, I love the sound of this venue, it’s fantastic. However it’s somehow strange to perform in the afternoon. Look man, it’s stiil light outside.”
Again, you say? You’ve played here before?
“Oh, yes, I think this is my third time. That’s why I told you I know this place. And like it a lot. However for the guys in the band it’s the first time they play here. “
Did you also play in the big chapel of Podium Roepaen before?
“No, I always played in this music café, in this small intimate venue.”
So I understand it’s the first time for your bandmembers. Is this your regular band by the way? Is this The Patrick Sweany Band?
“Yes, this is the Patrick Sweany Band, I can proudly say. Because it’s really great to have these guys playing in my band.”
How did this came about?
“This all come about in the past year. We all met in the music scene of East Nashville and especially at a club called The 5 Spot. In this club I spotted guitarist Zach Setchfield and immediately thought ‘wow, he’s really good. I would like this guy to be in my band’. So now I’m really proud he is. Zach is a damned good guitar player. In addition to his guitar playing and soloing he’s a specialist in playing the keyboard parts on his guitar with great ease.”
What about the other members of your band?
“Well, the musicscene in Nashville is so big and every musician has contact with other musicians. In Nashville there’s a real big network of musicians. So Zach told me that he knows a good drummer and introduced me to Dillon Napier who knew a good bassist, Jason Harris.”
For how long have you guys been playing in this formation?
“Zach and me, we’re playing together for about one year now and the other band members joined us later on. So let’s say this all came about in the past year.”
Did they play on your latest album?
“No, they didn’t. Close To The Floor was recorded with session musicians through producer Joe McMahan on the Nine Mile Records label. This is the band I tour with.”
Speaking of Nashville, which is surely the city of, and place to be for country music. You’re more blues, rock & roll and soul. Why did you move to Nashville?
“I’m from Ohio originally, but I live in Nashville for about seven years now. Nashville is not only the city of country music. It’s the city of music. Nashville has the best music scene which attracts a lot of good musicians. The best musicians come and gather in Nashville. And join up, form bands and plan tours. Nashville is a kind of epic city.”
You started as a blues guitarist and later on you started to play rock & roll and soul as well. What do you prefer the most?
“I just love good music man. But yeah, I started as a blues guitarist. My father was a good guitarist as well and through his vast recordcollection I got in touch with great old blues veterans like Robert Johnson, Lightning Hopkins and Muddy Waters. And later on with artists like Ray Charles and Solomon Burke. By listening to their music my love for true old soul music arose. My heroes in that area are singers like Sam Cooke, Bobby Bland and Solomon Burke.”
Your voice sounds raw and hoarse, and you can really scream out as well. For that reason you’re often compared to John Fogerty. Are you okay with that?
“I must say that this wasn’t exactly one of the artists and bands I used to listen to a lot when I grew up. But hell yeah, the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival is absolutely amazing! So yes, I consider that a great compliment.”
This afternoon you played Just My Imagination by The Rolling Stones.
“Oh yeah, a great song. It’s by The Temptations actually, but obviously better known in The Rolling Stones version.”
And in the encore, I heard a kind of medley of soul classics like Cover Me by Percy Sledge, Hold On I’m Coming and I’m A Soul Man by Sam & Dave. To me this shows that you’re soulman as well as a bluesguy.
“Absolutely, I love soul man! And certainly old soul heroes like Sam & Dave, Solomon Burke, Sam Cooke, Bobbie Bland and Eddie Hinton, he wrote Cover Me for Percy Sledge, by the way.”
Yesterday you were playing at the Rhythm & Blues Night in Groningen and last thursday at the Paradiso. How were these shows? And where are you going next?
“All our shows in Holland were great. And of course the city of Amsterdam is fantastic. Luckily we had two days off to go into town. We’ve been touring for a couple of months now. We have a few more shows in Holland. I think ‘till the 11th of may. After that we go back to the States. Back Home so to speak. Back to the capital of music: Nashville, Tennessee.”
