John Andrew Fredrick: The Black Watch Abides
The prolific songwriter reflects on three decades of creative output with The Black Watch, what it’s like to release the band’s 25th album, For All the World, and why he just can’t stop stealing from The Beatles.
Today, the Spotlight shines on John Andrew Fredrick of The Black Watch.
After thirty-seven years of making indie rock, the band’s latest album, For All the World, boasts an energy and vitality that surprises even John. John’s a great guest: His creative process remains rooted in uncertainty, he reads more about music than he listens to it, he draws inspiration from everything from Dostoyevsky to David Bowie, and believes the best songwriting comes from not knowing too much about where you’re headed.
John talked with me about his philosophy of creative doubt, his daily ritual of playing guitar, and why staying uncertain after all these years keeps the music feeling alive.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Black Watch’s album For All the World)
Dig Deeper
• Visit The Black Watch at their Facebook page
• The Black Watch discography and streaming links on Bandcamp
• John Andrew Fredrick’s author page and novels at Verse Chorus Press
Albums and Songs Mentioned:
• Led Zeppelin Five - The Black Watch album that courted controversy with its title
• “It’s All Too Much” - Beatles cover featured on Led Zeppelin Five
• The White Album - The Beatles album that inspired Fredrick’s songwriting beginnings
• Ram - Paul McCartney solo album, Fredrick’s favorite Beatles solo work
• The Concert for Bangladesh - George Harrison album Lawrence champions
Literary Works and Authors:
• The King of Good Intentions trilogy by John Andrew Fredrick
• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
• Understanding Hunter S. Thompson - Modern critical examination of the gonzo journalist
• The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch
• The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser
Musical Influences and References:
• The Beatles - Fredrick’s “super über overlord masters”
• Guided By Voices and Robert Pollard’s prolific output
• XTC - Influence on The Black Watch’s Jiggery-Pokery album
• David Bowie - Extended discussion of catalog favorites
• Hunky Dory, Low, and Blackstar - Key Bowie albums discussed
• Steely Dan and 10cc - Examples of pristine recording
Academia:
• University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) - Where Fredrick earned his Ph.D. in English
• Andrew Marvell - 17th-century poet whose “time’s winged chariot” phrase resonates with Fredrick
• T.S. Eliot - Source of “good poets steal” philosophy
• Negative capability - John Keats’ concept of remaining in uncertainty
More About The Black Watch:
• Shimmering & Shining with The Black Watch
• Out of My Tree: An Interview with the Black Watch’s John Andrew Fredrick
• Pennyblackmusic: Interview with John Andrew Fredrick
