AudioFile airs locally in Los Angeles as well as on 125 stations around the world and at www.planetout.com as a regular feature of This Way Out, the International Lesbian and Gay Radio Magazine. AudioFile has received a Silver Reel from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, two "Golden Mikes" from the Radio Television News Association of Southern California
CHRIS WILSON - How would you describe ELEGIES?
ROBERT URBAN - I would describe ELEGIES as some kind of progressive rock... or perhaps "art" rock. There are three tracks on it
that are my own arrangements of classical works by 20th Century composers, so perhaps some of ELEGIES is also some kind of "modern" classical music.
It's also very eclectic in a way that rock albums usedto be. This type of album making was started with The Beatles,
and if you listen to some old Led Zeppelin or Jethro Tull, etc, you'll find they contain songs of many different styles. ELEGIES is like that.
CHRIS WILSON - Who is your audience?
ROBERT URBAN (laughing) My audience... is made up of... well, there's ME!... uh, it's hard to say who my audience is.
I don't really write for the pop market, per se, but I'm happy to write for anyone who'll listen, I guess.
CHRIS WILSON - Why is the album called "ELEGIES"?
ROBERT URBAN - When I started recording ELEGIES, I had no idea the lyrics were going to be as dark & sad as they turned out. My main goal in making this recording was to see what I could do with the new little recording studio I had just built for myself. I was really having fun playing all the guitars, basses, keyboards, drum machines, etc. When the smoke finally cleared - there I was with nine songs - all very sad... in a "reminiscing" kind of way. It wasn't until after I'd finished the cd that I knew I had to name it "ELEGIES", as all the songs seemed to be some kind of sad remembrance.
CHRIS WILSON - How important is being "out" to you?
ROBERT URBAN - Being "out" is very important to me. It's also very necessary to me. If I wasn't "out", then I guess someone would "out" me (laughing). Actually, what's more important to me is to simply be honest and free with my sexuality. It's also important from me to be free in my art. So... "outness" to me is more of a political and practical necessity. Deep down inside, "outness" is not really what I'm thinking about as I do the things I do, but it certainly is something of importance to me.
CHRIS WILSON - Are you a full-time musician?
ROBERT URBAN - There have been times in my life when I was a full time musician, especially when I first came to NYC and was a "legit" tenor, and had nearly 40 private music students. But more and more, as I decided I wanted to do my own music, I realized I had to have some other form of income to back this up. I have a 2nd job as an information specialist. I'm also a photographer. I also make income from my little Urban Productions recording studio.
CHRIS WILSON - What do you think is the difference between the state of music today in the GLBT community and 20 years ago?
That's a very interesting question. Lesbians in particular have made great strides. I think lesbians ROCK. They are so awesome. I am so impressed with the musicianship of the lesbian artists I've had the honor to perform with in the last several years.
One of the things I think is very GOOD in the current GLBT music scene is that we have become very DIVERSE in the kinds of music we do. We now do folk music, rock music, HEAVY rock music, punk music, etc. This is very good and healthy. It's something that will help us all become more integrated into the larger world music scene.