Page 11 - BiTS_05_MAY_2021

BiTS: Have you played in New Orleans?

AS: Yes. I’ve been guesting with my friend John "Papa" Gros a couple of times, but I haven’t gigged
there. I’ve been over there five or six times now over the last decade and I’ve produced two records

for another guy called Joe Rusi and I also did my own record there, plus I’ve done some other stuff,
recordings in New Orleans. Not much gigging, but I’ve been recording in New Orleans with good
people. People like George Porter Jr and John Vidacovich, Doug Belote and John "Papa" Gros.

BiTS: Tell me about the new record. First of all, you’ve appeared on dozens and dozens, you’ve
probably lost count of, other people’s
records. This is the first one that’s gone

out under your name.

AS: Yes, I’ve always been the sideman, if
you can call me that. I always played with
other artists and on other people’s records
and all that. It took a while, but it’s kind of
boiled to the surface that I had to make my

own stuff eventually and now is the time. I
procrastinated. So that’s the title.

BiTS: Is this an album that was made in
lockdown when everybody’s been battling
COVID?

AS: Actually, I left New Orleans just
weeks before they closed down the whole

world. The COVID thing has just dragged
everything out for me, and I thought that
it would be over by now. I had actually
planned gigging around the release date,
which was in February, but that’s not

happened yet. If everything works out, I’ll have my first solo with band gig next weekend, actually.
Hopefully, they’ll open up a little bit more. We’ll know this Tuesday, actually, if they’re going to
open up more here.

BiTS: Have you been badly affected?

AS: Yeah, everything’s closed down. There’s no gigs. They can’t have concerts. People can’t
congregate. It’s like it’s all over.

BiTS: People in Sweden thought they’d got it covered and then it turned out they hadn’t. Tell me
about the album. Do you have a favourite track on it?

AS: Which one is my favourite baby? I’m not sure, there’s different temperatures in every song and
I don’t know, I like the first track a lot, ‘Dressed Up To Get Messed Up’. Then, I kind of like all of
them [chuckles].

BiTS: [Laughing] Of course you do.

AS: I can’t really tell, it’s too close.

BiTS: How’s it going? How is the album selling? Is it going okay?