Third Class progresses into happiness

Tell us about yourself and your music

I am a poet, feminist, driver, and fundraiser and my music usually reflects a love for anyone who might be an outcast. I think people who see things through a creative lens and have lived a lot usually enjoy the songs.

Talk to us more about your latest release

The latest release is Poem Idea, an album of stripped-down ballads about love and happiness. It’s a coming-of-age album in that there aren’t so many implications of sadness as in previous works.

What inspired you to write this release?

Poem Idea was mostly inspired by my wife, Mindy. She is the love of my life and she made me want to write happy love songs and dig up other happy songs that I’d been shelving. I was also inspired by having the courage to have left a previous marriage which was very bad. My friends, loved ones, and even pets showed me the way to happiness.

Describe the writing and recording process

Most of the songs were written within two years of the album’s release, but a few were shelved from as far back as 2008. I felt that I was writing or reworking these songs while in the haze of new love and in the shock of divorce. The recording process only took an hour and a half at Historian Recording Co., an amazing studio in Youngstown, Ohio. The first track was one that I’d just played to test the sound levels in the studio, but the engineer encouraged me to include it on the album.

Any plans to release a video?

Any plans to hit the road?

I did go on a Poem Idea Tour in 2018 and I am currently making concert dates sparse as I’m writing new songs.

As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?

I use no gimmicks, no over-the-top sound manipulation, just honesty, makeshift-minded goals, and the humility of being a small act in a small town.

Who have you been listening to lately?

I’ve been listening to Chance The Rapper, Collective Soul, Kanye West, Aerosmith, Al Green, Daryl Hall & John Oates, The Presidents Of The United States Of America, Curtis Mayfield, The Mountain Goats, and NWA, Matchbox 20, and Lizzo.

Who are your biggest influences?

My biggest influences are Radiohead, Ben Folds Five, Wilco, The Mountain Goats, Curtis Mayfield, Fiona Apple, Laura Nyro, Lauren Hill, The Presidents Of The United States Of America, and The Violent Femmes.

Tell us about your passions

I’m very passionate about charity, women’s empowerment, poetry, and my wife.

What else is happening next in your world?

I recently moved back to Ohio, from New York, and my wife and I are taking care of my mom who has Parkinson’s Disease. I am currently writing a lot of songs and my wife and I are settling in and trying to make a new home together, with my mom.

 

 

Thanks for an awesome interview, Third Class

 

 

Connect with Third Class

Website: http://www.thirdclass.netFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/thirdclassmusicInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/thirdclassTwitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/thirdclassLastFM: https://www.last.fm/music/Third+ClassYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thirdclassmusicLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-boyle-472b2b57Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thirdclassReverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/thirdclass

Genres: singer-songwriter

Source: ArtistPR Indie Artist Interview