Room for One More

You normally perform in big arenas in the States but now you're starting out in small clubs in the UK.  Is that a dramatic change for you?
Music fans are music fans.  They wanna see something live, experience things and be a part of something.  That’s appreciated by live music lovers from any part of the world.
Do you feel at home with many ex-pats turning up at your UK gigs?
(laughs) Sure!  I would like to hear all English accents screaming in the crowd but I understand if people know you first and you move on from there.  There will be more natives than last time and it becomes more and more the case as time goes on.
What does the title of your album Room For Squares refer to?
It’s really this welcoming kind of sentiment.  I’ve made a record that doesn’t bind me to any one style musically.  I’ve made a record that also probably doesn’t bind me to any one kind of band so Room For Squares is like ‘Hey, let’s get it out in the air before anyone else tries to raise any shit’.  This is just a record for anybody and everybody; there’s no immunity.
What inspired ‘3x5’?
I started touring in March 2000.  I’d never been out in the west coast and I just saw the most gorgeous landscape in the world.  At the time I was taking a bunch of pictures so ‘3x5’ is kinda throwing down the gauntlet.  I’m only travelling for one; I’m not travelling for two.
How did it feel when you found out you had been nominated for two Grammy awards this year?
I felt grown up.  Being nominated is very adult and official.  [John won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal for ‘Your Body Is A Wonderland’, beating Elton John in the same category]
Has it helped to have Elton John name-drop you as one of his favourites?
Yeah, absolutely.  That’s a great booster, a great compliment; he’s a great guy too and a fantastic musician.  On all those levels, that’s amazing.
Are you tired of the 'Dave Matthews' tag?
I don’t think that I have it any more.  If I do, people are being very nice to me by not bringing it up.  There was a time when I was but you know, I’d be an idiot if I sat here and said ‘now that they’ve sold over two million records, God I just can’t get out from under his shadow’, I think that’s kinda of pre-positive.  I remember my own perspective.
What’s behind the idea of dropping in impromptu cover versions into your live sets?
It’s to pay homage to the songs I wrote but also to keep people interested.  Some might not know a specific song of mine.  To keep them interested in the song, we play a segment; it perks people’s ears up a little bit.
You recently released a live DVD entitled Any Given Thursday.  What's the meaning behind the title?
It was just one show.  It wasn’t edited, there are good parts, there are bad parts and it was on a Thursday so it really is Any Given Thursday.  If you were to come to a show any day of the week, that’s what you would see.
What exactly is "John's tiny penis song" about?  A minute per inch, and it's two minutes in duration?
That’s just a joke that I made one time.  It was for an interview I did with a little website and I guess Rolling Stone picked up on it.  
You actively encourage people to record your gigs and download mp3s.  Does this upset your label?
I don’t think a label could be upset by someone selling that many records and being that successful.  Everything helps.  I’m flattered that people want to.  It’s one thing to say “Hey, you can tape my shows” but I don’t think people actually do it.
Where do you think you can draw the line on downloading music off the Internet?
I think you could in terms of teaching kids how to respect a whole work of art but I don’t think you’ll ever stop someone completely.  You can’t control people’s thoughts so I don’t think you’ll ever be able to control someone clicking on a computer screen.
What British music do you like?
I’m a big Coldplay fan. 
Do you reckon Robbie Williams can crack America?
I know he’s popular as a mega celebrity but I don’t really know much about his music.  You know what, if you tell London to love me, I’ll tell America to love Robbie Williams.
Is there any artist you recommend we should listen out for?
There’s a band called Maroon 5 (from LA) that I think are great.  They’re like pop music but it’s more like soul, kinda like Stevie Wonder’s pop but it’s really well done.
When can we expect new material from you?
We’ll be bringing a record out in late summer.  It’s going to be more of a guitar record, looser in terms of tunes and hopefully more emotional than the first record.

Room for Squares

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Photos: Afsheen Shaikh