It's been three years since Luke Sayers ventured out on his own. Once a bassist for Tangerine Trousers, Sayers (with Mark Iannace; the full name of the duo is Luke Sayers and the Last to Know) has traveled the country with his blues/country-inspired folk music. He's seen bar fights, played for semi-interested audiences and achieved a measure of success in an often unforgiving genre taking first place in the 2005 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest.
Sayers, 32, has a sound that's easy to listen to even for the hardest of rockers and the most casual of pop fans. We caught up with him on the phone from his home in Royal Oak.
Would you call yourself primarily a folk singer or are you more?
I'd say it's more than that. Folk is encompassing many styles and genres into one. I'd call it acoustic American roots because it draws from all the music that comes from the ground of this country for several hundred years. They're all related with the storytelling.
Describe your style of songwriting.
I try to create word images and make it almost like I'm writing a scene and give some background and imagery. As far as the music, I let it go wherever. Sometimes it ends up being a more traditional pattern and rhythm. It can get more world influences or funky. I find more Motown making its way into my music.
What's your live show like?
There is definitely a camaraderie between Mark and I. We have a good time. I don't have a set list and I read the audience. We do a lot of banter between the two of us and go with whatever strikes us at the moment.
Have you found good crowds for the type of music that you play?
It's been kind of hit or miss ... you go in and one room might be packed and most of the people are watching TV. You can go to a place that's like a theater and there might be half the amount of people, but they're hanging on every word. That's why we play, because there's no other way to get it out there.
How important is it for you to be a storyteller as well as a musician?
It's important to me because I appreciate content in the lyrics of the songs I really love by the artists I really enjoy. If I hear a poignant lyric or am moved by a story ... that's why I try to create a scene or capture a moment. It's a common experience and it's something they can take in their own life.
Do you have a favorite rock band that influences you?
I'd say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They encompass a lot of qualities I like. My favorite of any artist is Willie Nelson.
Has anyone ever got out of line in the audience?
There was a little fight at one of our shows in Toledo about a month and a half ago. It was funny because the two involved didn't cause as much trouble as the crowd running out to see it. Someone almost ran into our speaker. Besides that, there's the off the wall comment to play some Skynyrd.
