Bruce W. Derr – A Hodgepodge of Musical Talent
Written by Sarah Jae Wetzel
Interview by Gina M. Tutko
PA Music Scene
May 2011
Bruce W. Derr can only be described as a musically versatile person, a hodgepodge of musical talent with an actively creative mind. Derr lists some of the instruments he plays as guitar, drums and bass as well mandolin and banjo and piano. “But I don’t play any thing extremely well. It is my cross to bear. If I can make something sound interesting, I’ll tell you that I play it,” Derr tells PA Music Scene.
His experimental tastes can also be seen by watching the music videos posted on Facebook under Bruce W. Derr. They prove his instincts to be accurate, providing their own unique side of Bruce’s talents to the internet, each video with a different presentation, story, voice and music.
Some of his videos could be described as peaceful and even hypnotic; others are action filled while rocking out. A common theme through most of the videos is the background that changes often, sometimes flittingly quick, from scene to scene.
In the video for “St. Lolita“, the mission for Derr’s day is to “relax everywhere.” With each clip changing to the next, in no more than five seconds, it shows scenes of Derr lying around outside at random places. Seeming to become a part of the structure he is laying on Derr creates a feeling of gazing upon pieces of art. The video enhances and dances with Derr’s mellow, soothing voice backed up by calm, soft instrumental music to complete the flow of creativity. Inspirational, with a memorable chorus that rings in your head after listening just one time, this song could become an instant radio hit.
With the music that sticks in his head and inspires him, Derr exclaims, “Inspiration these days comes from anything and often everything. Anything can inspire you if it catches you at the right time. Nothing makes me wanna write a song more than hearing a song I really love.”
“I quite enjoy playing a song my brother Ben wrote called “Tinges of Blue,” Derr announces. An upbeat, country-sounding waltz, the lyrics are like soft lullabies, especially with the line Derr uses as his Facebook comment for the video: “summer lands like a hummingbird, if only for a spell.”
“One Sign” from the album The Footprints of Chaos has a more upbeat, rock sound with a dose of country in it. The music includes clearly defined guitar over a softer beat from the drums. The combination of the music as a whole including voice, instruments and beat, might bare some resemblance to Tom Petty. In the video, the background flicks from picture to picture depicting words from the lyrics. The chorus has its own distinguished background with colors blending together, swirling behind him in a mash of color, as hypnotizing as a lava lamp to accompany the music.
The combination of Earl Pickens, Jake Kline, Pete Groff and Bruce W. Derr equals The Sweetbriars, a rock band from Lewisburg. Their music, a mesh of rock meets country, takes Bruce on a different musical approach with his band than with his solo career. Tramping through snow, in the “Parade (Meet Me Halfway)” video with his bandmates, Bruce sounds and looks country… complete with a cowboy hat and crooning love song lyrics. “Rock. Roll. A fair share of twang,” is written as the band’s interests on Facebook, naming The Beatles, Bob Dylan and KISS, Derr’s favorite band, as their influences.
Conshohocken, PA, home of David Bielanko’s Marah, a rock band that Derr toured with in June 2010. Playing at the Philadelphia’s World Cafe, Elk Creek Café and Aleworks in Milheim, they rocked their way up and down the east coast, as well as a show in Ontario, Canada and even Spain. Touring with Jessie Malin and playing with one of his heroes, Steve Earle on stage, Derr has, as he says, “Experienced many, many things. Having things you literally dream about actually happen is a rare thing and I feel lucky.”
The kind of music Derr listened to as a child? “Rock and Roll. At my core…I have a rock and roll soul. However, I’m covered in Folky skin. I just go with it,” Derr says.
“Mr. Personality” another of Derr’s musical videos is rock and roll. With a sense of a joking personality, Derr wears a wig of long black, matted hair, a small pink bow sitting in the middle, above his forehead. Dressed in a black suit, carrying a suitcase, he walks down the middle of a deserted road as the music begins. As the camera follows him through his journey around town, showing no one around but himself, the guitar holds long, heavy rock notes. The drums that start out soft with a simple beat pick up their pace and volume equaling and rocking out with the guitar. The lyrics melt together, but almost at a fault, to where some lines and lyrics are hard to catch or understand. Even so, this song and video has a lot of “Personality” to it, drawing a listener into the story and the video.
When asked where he is on his quest for greatness, Derr explains that it’s not greatness he is after: “I just wanna believe that I’m doing what I am supposed to be doing in this life… I’m on a quest for peace more likely. I just want to feel peaceful.”
The only way to purchase his music is to email Derr himself at brucewd@dejazzd.com . Currently he is recording a new album but states that he will have music available soon on iTunes and Amazon. Keep an eye out for Bruce W. Derr’s new album The Therapist due on May 31st.
The answer to what Derr dreams for his music was simple and logical, realistic and down to earth, “to get to as many people as possible…and for it to continue to be a passion.”
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