Back in October, I was approached by Olde Haint Press to do an interview. I finally found some time to respond to the questions. And the interview is now online.

Olde Haint Press (OHP) is a sort of outsider publication; an obscure publication for an esoteric few. It is run by Teddy Horse, who also performs music under the name count beetle. The main theme is a sort of fellowship and firelit conversation.

An Interview with Marc Gunn…December 2010

OHP: Welcome, Mr. Gunn, to the Olde Haint Press….It is an honour to speak with you…would you take the time to tell the readers a little about yourself and your music?

MG: Thanks for having me. I'm happy to share.

OHP: What led to the demise of the Brobdingnagian Bards? Is it officially over, or are you on a lone path for awhile? Are you working with other musicians other than Andrew now or are you at it alone?

MG:When you play music with someone for a long time, there always comes a time of change. The Brobdingnagian Bards performed together for almost ten years. We had a Great run. We made fans all around the world. Our music was downloaded literally Millions of times. We played for packed audiences. It was awesome. But it was time for change.

For me, there were a lot of things I couldn't experience while playing with the Bards. For one, I wasn't able to develop as an autoharper because Andrew played lead instruments. I love writing melodies. Since the breakup, I wrote an entire album of instrumental music called “Heart's Ease”. It's beautiful, but it would never have been if it weren't for the change.

Another reason for me is just musical differences. I love traditional Irish music, both song and tune. Andrew and I had the songs down packed. Our “Holy Grail of Irish Drinking Songs” continues to be one of our best-selling albums. And we had fun with the music too. But the tunes weren't there. And by “tunes” I mean instrumental Irish music.

Mind you, I still haven't really started strong in that direction, but it IS something I want to explore more. I love traditional music. I want my music to reflect that.

But ultimately, I'm a singer. And that won't change. Instrumental music for me is a luxury at present. So only time will tell about that.

That said, I am working with other musicians. I started singing with my friend Jamie Haeuser and we started our own wee group called Gunns & Drums. Our songs are American folk and blues songs with a Celtic touch. But it's the harmonies. Ah! Jamie recorded harmonies with me on “The Bridge” and “Happy Songs of Death”. They are Beautiful! So I'm looking forward to recording more music with her in the future.

I've also worked a wee bit with a fiddler from Massachusetts, named Samantha Gillogly. She's a brilliant fiddler who contacted me a number of years ago. She and Jamie both joined me on stage for the Anne Rice Vampire Ball last year. It was awesome! I'd like to do more with Samantha. She's also recorded a set of tunes with me on “The Bridge”. She and I have tentatively formed a group as well called The Bandshee.  But thusfar, we're still in our preliminary stages. I'm hoping to do more with her in the future.

As for the Brobdingnagian Bards are definitely no more. No telling if we'll do anything in the future. But at present, we have no plans.

Oh! And the Bedlam Bards too! Our former bardic counterpart in Austin was a group called the Bedlam Bards. They play Comedy and Celtic  music. They also have a CD out inspired by the Joss Whedon TV Show called Firefly. A while back I wrote my own song inspired by the show called “Monahan's Mudder's Milk”. It was so well-received that I decided to record an album of Firefly Drinking Songs. So I called up the Bedlam Bards and asked if they wanted to record a live version of that album. They agreed and we started recording it DragonCon this year. I'm hoping we'll have it out by next summer.

OHP: Can you tell us a little about what got you interested in this sort of music path, and folk music, in general?

MG: It's ironic really. I never expected to be playing Celtic music. I barely listened to any except the occasional bagpipes or whatever crossed over with bluegrass and folk music. My dad was big into those when I grew. My only connection was my Scots-Irish heritage and being born on St. Patrick's Day. So I sorta fell into it.

In the fall of '99, I started working at the University of Texas at Austin. I was terrified about performing live, so I started practicing on the South Mall to build up my confidence. Then I was invited to play at a Renaissance Festival in January. I was still a bit scared so I invited Andrew to play music with me. That's how we started the Bards.

But back then, we had virtually no songs. I had written a couple. Andrew found a couple funny songs, like “Do Virgins Taste Better” and “A Prudent Thief”. And then we kinda winged it. Our try out at the faire went great. So he joined me on the South Mall, because he was just as nervous on stage.

That's hilarious to think about now considering he's a master entertainer now in my mind. Just a brilliantly fun guy. And I too have no problems standing up there, singing, and making a fool of myself.

Our song selection grew when a teacher at the campus lent me a couple of cassettes with Irish songs. They were awesome fun. Our first Irish songs pretty much came from those albums.

Nowadays, I see myself as a folk song preservationist as much as a songwriter. I do my best to keep the folk tradition alive in a digital age. That's why I record a lot of traditional songs and give them away for free on my Irish Songs & Lyrics website (www.irish-song-lyrics.com). I'm actually planning on expanding that website soon too. So people can listen to the music even easier.

OHP: How did you get familiar with the auto harp and such? Is this your primary instrument, besides vocals, or do you ever use guitar or other strings?

MG: My dad played  a little bit of autoharp while I was growing up. As I said, he was big into folk music. I thought the instrument was interestingly cool, but it wasn't until '97 after my rock band broke up that I decided to learn to play it. Back then, I was struggling to write songs and doing a bad job of it. But the autoharp seemed to make that easier. I felt like songs almost wrote themselves.

Then as I started learning the autoharp, I really fell in love with it. It's simple to get started playing, but there's SO much about it as a musical instrument that is unexplored. I'm hoping to do that throughout my music career.

So that said, yes, I can play guitar. Just not well. I also play a tiny bit o'piano… Again, just not well. I even occasionally pick up the bodhran or the penny whistle. But I consider myself so bad at them, that it's really not worth noting.

OHP: Are there any artists; authors, writers, filmmakers or musicians that you hold great? What are some of your favorite works in these various realms, if you were to name a few?

MG: Wow. Yes. Definitely there's a bunch. Ingrid Houwers designed  the CD covers for my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers albums. She is an Amazing Celtic artist.

Rie Sheridan Rose, oh, speaking of collaborators. She was an old Bards fan turned close friend and a writer. She wrote a song for the Bards called “Soul of a Harper” which became the title of my first solo CD. And recently, I've been collaborating with her for lyrics for a Steampunk Pirate CD and a Hobbit Drinking Songs CD. She's an awesome poet and writer!

Nikki O'Shea is a fantastic artist too. Much more contemporary style too. Sorta anime, but variety. She actually started a Bards Comic (www.bardscomic.com) a number of years ago with the Brobdingnagian Bards. Now I'm one of the lead characters along with Samantha Gillogly too.  She's done a couple album covers for me as well. Awesome work.

I love movies. I'm really big into the fantasy and Sci fi genres for some of my musical inspiration, but if you check out my albums you'll see songs inspired by Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Firefly, Star Trek, Bugs Bunny, Red Dwarf and more…

As for musicians, I host the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast (www.celticmusicpodcast.com) so I run into all sorts of great musicians. A lot of the indie Celtic musicians end up on my Celtic compilation CDs, groups like Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer, Jed Marum, Hugh Morrison, Ceann, Poitin, Maidens IV, Ed Miller, Kennedy's Kitchen, Boston Blackthorne, Anne Roos, The Rogues, Tears for Beers, Heather Dale, and the list goes on.

But I also found inspiration from such groups as  The Wolfetones, Clannad, Altan, Black 47, Ewan MacColl, Fabrizio de Andre, Bryan Bowers, and Elvis Presley.

OHP: What is currently going on with your music? Are you planning any shows or recordings?

MG: My daughter was born Oct 27, 2010. She had a heart defect and the first of several surgeries to come. So touring will take a wee dip in 2011. I have a busy spring already booked and then after that, I hope to take some down time.

That said, I have some cool shows scheduled. In Austin, Texas, I'll be at the Sherwood Forest Faire for 3 weekends. I'm doing a Scots-Irish Festival in Alabama in April and a Sci fi convention, Starfest, in Colorado.

Next September, I'm doing one of the coolest things of the year. It's A Long Expected Party 2: There and Back Again.. A couple years ago, the Bards played the first festival. It was a reenactment of Bilbo Baggins' birthday from Lord of the Rings. What an experience! I can't wait for this one too!

I also host my Celtic Invasion Vacations every year. Basically, I take fans with me to Ireland or Scotland or wherever and we relax and enjoy ourselves while seeing the countryside. In June, we're heading back to Ireland.

As for music, I have a lot planned. In January, my family and I are going to Kentucky where I've rented a wee cottage for us to stay. I'm gonna spend it recording while she visits a friend. My plan is to record the base autoharp and vocal tracks for as many songs as I can. I have at least 4-5 albums I'd like to finish next year. But I'm sure that's a bit too ambitious. So hopefully, I'll get Something done well enough.

As for themes, I mentioned most of them earlier:  Hobbit Drinking Songs, Firefly Drinking Songs, a Steampunk Pirate CD, Celtic Songs, and a Celtic Christmas CD. Like I said, a wee bit too ambitious. hehe

OHP: Now, then…the night is old and dark and you must be asked a question that was asked of all good artists and men who went this way here….It is something close to the reader's hearts here at the Olde Haint Press….It is something that involves the paranormal or metaphysical subjects….Have you ever experienced a supernatural or paranormal occurrence? Something of this nature? If not, then are you on a particular spiritual path or have a fancy for anything like this?

MG: I've never seen a ghost, but I have too many friends who have to not believe in them. I have had many, many precognitive visions. I just wish they were a bit more useful… Couldn't I at least see the numbers for the lottery?

In general, that's not something that I think a lot about. I'm a very spiritual person, but it's not a part of my every day life except when I have another precog vision.

OHP: What advice or counsel would you give musicians who are trying to make ground in music today?

MG:Well, start by checking out my music marketing website at www.bardscrier.com. I started writing that in '99. And stopped about 2005 with occasional updates since then. But a lot of the information is still golden.

There are many many ways to make it in the music biz today. So I suggest following your strengths. I'm a big believer in the power of free music downloads to build a following, but even that is not for every one.

Building a product is essential to whatever you do. Ideally that's an album. But it could be a t-shirt, or some other swag. Stay creative. Stay interesting. Build a  story. If you want to record an album, you can record one cheap by doing it live, or do some home recording and take it to someone who can mix and master the album. But do have a product.

I make a full-time living from my music. The vast majority of my income is from all the albums I've released (well over 40).

OHP: Can you tell us a favorite moment you have had while traveling or performing? Do you ever get rowdy and succumb to your fancies- like your own drinking songs?

MG: One of my favorite moments was on the 2nd Bards Trip to Ireland. We stopped off in Blarney. Andrew and I decided to play music in the park there for our fans. There were a bunch of other buses and so other folks stopped to listen to us play as well.

One fellow sat down and three songs later raised his hand, “Are you Marc Gunn? I listen to your podcast.”  He was on a tour and a regular listener. I've had a couple similar experiences since then, but the look of shock on Everyone's face that time was priceless.

Interestingly, I didn't drink that much until I started playing those songs… well that and moving to New Orleans. That said, not a whole lot. I'm not a huge socialite. I prefer the quite of home most of the time. So I've never had a good donnybrook or passed out drunk anywhere. But I do love a good Guinness. And I love to sing, especially when I'm drunk.

Another trip in Ireland had me drunk and singing at the top of my lungs, when an employee of the castle we were at shouts, “Don't quit your day job”. To which my fans responded, “This IS his day job!”

OHP: One day we may meet again, perhaps…..thank you for your time and for this interview here….your songs have been given good listening around these quarters and I feel you are a true artisan and hold the good candle for the new age of celtic and folk songs…you are a true bard, indeed, and give good life to olde songs and dances….goodnight

MG:Thank you. It's my pleasure. I do love to share. Slainte and have a great holiday.