Q&A: Sharif

Having shared the stage with such popular acts as Blake Shelton, Rhett Miller, Rusted Root, and Kenny Loggins, singer-songwriter Sharif has sculpted a broad understanding and appreciation of life as a musician on the road. With over 1,500 U.S. and International shows under his belt, Sharif continues the journey with his latest EP, Almost There.

Thanks so much for doing this interview, Sharif. I read that you grew up in Virginia. Can you tell us a little about your upbringing?

I grew up in the Norfolk, Virginia area, and went to the same school for 12 years. Same building. Same 60-minute drive every morning. Every evening. Since it was a private school, and since we lived on the outskirts of town, none of my friends lived anywhere near me. So as a young child, I had a lot of time to myself. I listened to a lot of records growing up. Once I picked up a guitar and started creating music myself, I had the perfect medium to channel my thoughts, frustrations, doubts…

Did growing up in Virginia have an influence on the artist you’ve become?

Hmm. I was initially going to say “no,” but I think a lot of the southern charm and sweetness has subconsciously creeped into my music. The culture, food, and seasons have all shaped who I am, which in turn shapes my music. I don’t really consider myself “southern,” but people will often point out my southernness in things I do or say….or sing.

At what point did you realize that you wanted to take your music to the next level? What all did that entail?

When I started playing in bands at UVA, I knew that was all I ever wanted to do. After school, I recorded my first record, but knew that I would need to hone my skills even more while I was touring and writing. So, I started taking voice lessons, and reading as much as I could on music theory, guitar theory, songwriting, etc. And just recently, I began taking classes at The Berklee School of Music online. I’m working on a masters certificate in songwriting, and have already earned my Singer/Songwriter Certificate.

Where is home for you these days?

Currently all of my stuff is in LA, but I only spend a few months out of each year there. So far this year, I’ve been to DC, VA, MD, DE, OH, NY, NC, MT, WY, OR, WA, ID, London, Manchester, Denmark Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Lativia….um, I’m probably forgetting some places. But you get the idea. I’m on the road a lot, and I’m not really sure what to call home anymore. I guess I still call Virginia home. My old bedroom with the Kurt Cobain and Garbage Pail Kid posters on the wall.

Do you feel connected to the music scene there?

In LA? Yeah. There’s a great scene for upcoming singer/songwriters at venues like the Hotel Café and Room 5. There’s a nice camaraderie between players in the area. Writing together. Playing at each others’ shows. And so many great artists have already come out of this scene: Colbie Caillat, Josh Radin, Jay Nash, Joey Ryan.

I read that you’ve played over 2,000 shows. How much do you tour? What is touring like for you?

I probably play between 200-250 shows a year. The tough part is finding time to do everything else that an independent artist needs to do: Promoting your music, booking shows, visiting radio station, practicing. Oh, and writing songs!

But it’s such a great feeling being on the road and performing for fans. Playing live shows is a very unique and personal way to connect with your fans. There’s nothing else quite like it. Seeing how fans feel about new material, chatting with them after shows, hearing about what’s happening in their lives. I wouldn’t trade that connection for anything.

For many independent artists it’s hard to gain momentum. Yet you seem to have found your stride. How have you gone about booking shows and getting TV placements?

I’m still at the level where I do 95% of my bookings, and all of my networking. Living in LA is nice because there are so many events around town where you can meet music supervisors for TV and Film, other great musicians, and club owners.

You also need to constantly put yourself out there. Just before I recorded my last record (“Kisses and Lies”) I was at an Old 97’s show in LA. Rhett [Miller] was signing T-shirts at the end of the night for fans, so I went up to him and asked if he would sing on my new record. I described the song in detail, and he asked me to send him a demo. So then I had to go home and write the imaginary song that I had described to Rhett… The potential of having one of my heroes on my record really focused my attention, and my song with Rhett became the first single on my record.

It seems like your writing is very much in line with wherever you are personally. Is it hard to revisit material that came from perhaps a more somber time in your life?

When you write a very personal song, and perform it every night, you always need to re-visit that place so you can connect with the audience. If it’s a song about cupcakes, that’s fantastic, but when it’s a song about a tough breakup, it really takes you on an emotional roller coaster every night.

So, how do you write usually? Chords first? Melody idea first? Lyrics? What’s your workflow?

I really don’t have a set way of writing. Sometimes I’ll come up with a great lyrics idea in the grocery store and write it down. That may turn into a song. Sometimes I may hum a melody that I like in the shower and turn that into a song. Or sometimes I’ll just be running through chords and scales on my guitar and come up with something I like. I think the best songs just happen when your mind is wandering and your subconscious can work quietly on a gem.

What’s your favorite Dylan record, early or late?

Is  Blood on the Tracks considered early Dylan? I would throw my vote that way if for no other reason than “Simple Twist of Fate.” If every other song was terrible, I would still vote for Blood, but I can listen to that record straight through every time.

As for late Dylan, I’m a big fan of 2006’s Modern Times. Dylan has this unique ability to re-create himself over and over again, and “Modern Times” is a great example of that. I saw him live back in ’07, and he even takes his early songs and throws his “new sound” spin on them, creating an entirely different, entirely amazing new song.

Who’s an artistic influence of yours that no one would expect?

You can hear most of my heroes in my work: Ryan Adams, Old 97’s, Sam Cooke, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Conor Oberst… I’m a huge fan of Radiohead too. Sometimes I have to listen to a song over and over to figure out what they’re doing, or to even find the one. They push me to study modern music and dig a little deeper into my own work. Maybe one day I’ll make my experimental art-rock masterpiece.

What’s your favorite line from your latest record?

When I was writing “I Don’t Miss You,” I was taking a look at the bright side of getting dumped. I came up with a list of things that my girlfriend had done that bothered me at one point or another. One of those items was being forced to watch “Sex and The City.” But those words didn’t fit well into the chorus. I looked up the names of the lead characters (I swear I didn’t already know!) and they had a very musical quality to them: “Carrie and Samantha, Charlotte or Miranda.” And that became my hook.