Interview: Singer/songwriter Robert Kantor reveals the Truth behind his music
I love meeting people with fascinating backgrounds, especially ones with a unique combination of skills and experiences as Robert Kantor. I had the pleasure of interviewing this fashion designer-turned-musician who also designed custom high-end guitars for some of the world’s most recognized guitarists. Read on to learn more about this wonderful artist and his journey to releasing Truth — the name of his upcoming new album, coming out on Nov. 19, 2018!
With your longstanding career in fashion, what was it like transitioning back to writing and recording music?
Quite frankly music has always been second nature for me. I was actually pursuing my songwriting when I was called into assist with a fashion design project for my Dad. He had a presentation to make to JC Penney and asked me to whip up a few quick sketches. All six of my designs sold and the rest was history. I really returned to music because it was the one way I could directly express my emotions and thoughts. At the time after I left fashion, my wife became terminally ill and suggested I find an outlet to help deal with things. The cathartic value of writing became the very thing that saved me and helped me not only overcome illness and loss, but to once again live and celebrate my life. Recording on the other hand was more of a learning curve. I was used to pushing a button and taping a song from start to finish. To use Pro Tools was a challenge but now I could not work any other way. I so enjoy the process of writing, recording, and arranging music along with my partner, producer, and mixing engineer.
What was the biggest challenge and the biggest reward for you coming back to music after so many years?
I think the biggest challenge was to see if I still had the music in me. By that I mean my process is such that I do not sit down and try to write a song. They just come to me, usually at about 4pm while the housekeeper is banging dishes around near my piano. I recall after recording the first three songs I worked on calling in my engineer and being so exited to have him give a listen. I played him the songs and after much pause, he said “Call me in a few months when you decide what you are really going to do.” Nothing stops me and I have of course come a long way in the two years it has taken me to develop my new album TRUTH. The reward is simply in the revelation that once you have the music in you, you always have the music in you. I have been able to document in my own way the very personal journey I had to take during a big time of change in my life.
I understand you wrote your new album, Truth, after a very emotional period of your life. What was the songwriting process like?
Yes, actually I didn’t start out trying to make an album but rather painted pictures as I went through the major process of loss, grieving, healing, and coming back to life. In particular, I wrote “Rain Song” which was my way of saying goodbye to my terminally ill wife and had my daughter sing a duet version with me. We gave it to my wife on Mothers Day shortly before she passed. That still remains a very special tune to me. As I began to wrestle with being single in the modern age, I wrote about the way I felt through several relationships and in the end about how I realized first you have to be happy by yourself. The album is actually in the exact order in which I wrote and finished each song, so it is a true testament to my experience.
Who would you say is your biggest influence in your songwriting? Was there a turning point where you heard an artist or saw a show that inspired you to write songs yourself?
I have been blessed to have decades of amazing music to draw from. I think that my biggest influence has always been Todd Rundgren and I have always loved his pop aesthetic through his long career. Another big influence is Burt Bacharach who has remained relevant through so much of my life and experiences. The list goes on, and I have to credit Hall and Oates, The Eagles and many others as well for my music. I have attended many amazing historic concerts, including The Beatles at Shea Stadium, Woodstock, The Concert for Bangladesh but again I would have to say when Todd Rundgren released his first few solo albums and played all the instruments himself, that was the watershed moment for me.
What can you fans expect during your live show?
I plan to do a simple acoustic songwriting take on my music. I think it is important for me to strip things down to the real essence of what I am trying to say musically and I want the songwriting to be the focus as opposed to the fully arranged versions I recorded. I think it’s better for me to give an honest raw view of my music so hopefully fans will appreciate what I have written in its true form. We typically have three guitars, a keyboard percussionist and a bass player.
Congratulations on your new album, Truth, coming out Nov. 19th! What’s coming up next in 2019?
Thank you so so much!
I have a new EP that is being mixed and mastered now for release in the late spring of 2019. I have tried to explore many forms of music I am interested in. I have delved into blues, classic disco, country rock and even a surfing song! My new EP is titled DARE and it has been so much fun stretching my limits in many new ways. I am a believer in always trying to grow and reach for the stars musically. I also will work on a few new concept videos as well. I love being able to enlist the help of young filmmakers who have a fresh eye and new ideas to try. Hopefully my fans will agree!
For more info: RobertKantorMusic.com