When Rick Price pulled into Nashville, Tennessee he'd come in search of that classic, Southern sound.
On his latest record, 'Tennessee Sky', Rick encapsulates the musical spirit of The South affectionately known as the Nashville Sound, pioneered by recording houses such as Decca, RCA and Colombia. “For this particular record, the song 'You Are Not Alone' is very much about my life in Tennessee,” Rick says.
“The other tracks are not really about Tennessee but it's a roots, gospel, blues-based record, so I would have to say that definitely The South has had its influence. I knew I was headed more into a roots-based music, but it wouldn't really matter where I lived, I'd just make the music that I make.
"I came to America on an expedition just to broaden my view of the world and have some different experiences, and that's exactly what's happened. It's just been fantastic.”
The latest single from the new album is 'You Are Not Alone', a song which has deep, personal meaning for Rick in the message of hope he wants it to convey to his listeners. “I think the song carries a message for me that I really do believe that spiritually we are all connected and there's a higher power that we can draw on internally that carries us over difficult times. It's not so much a religious perspective as it is a spiritual perspective, and at times even scientific.
“Everything is energy and we're all connected to it, and I wanted this album to be uplifting and I wanted it to be inspirational. That's the message that I want to say to people, and to myself, because when I go out and sing that song every night it's reassuring to me to hear that message. Even when you're going through really bad times, there's a force there that can carry you over if you reach for it.”
Produced by Rick himself, 'You Are Not Alone' is accompanied by a heartfelt video clip which relates directly to the song's message. “That's often the answer in addiction,” Rick says, “is there seems to be no medical cure, it seems to be that you have to reach inside for spiritual strength. You have to be willing to move beyond your thought processes and go to a deeper place.”
Rick embarks on his 'You Are Not Alone' tour throughout Australia in October and November. In addition to his shows, Rick will also be presenting a series of masterclasses where he will impart a career's worth of knowledge to a new generation of aspiring performers. “It's not so much the guitar, it's more performance in general, and I touch on songwriting as well,” Rick says.
“It's really about getting in touch with your inner artist, getting to know yourself as a performer and how to connect with your audience. Also, how to manage performance anxiety because we all experience it; it's a bit of a taboo subject but a lot of people struggle with it.
“I share the tools that I use and the tricks of the trade I've picked up over the years. It's something that can be helpful in any area really, but it is tailored specifically to performance. It can branch into a lot of different things.”
Rick Price plays the Sydney Blues & Roots Festival 29-30 October.
