Thank God For Sweet Tooth

Der heiße Scheiß hat einen Namen!

Sweet Tooth, das bedeutet so viel wie „Schleckermaul“ oder „Leckermäulchen“ und was der Fotograf Brett Nelson diesen Herbst herausgehauen hat, ist feinstes Naschwerk!
Sein Ohrenschmaus, das Debüt-Album „Thank God For Satan“, ist ein kleines Meisterwerk über Gott, Tod, Liebe und all die zeitlosen Themen, die wirklich bewegen. Das alles verpackt in wunderbarer, handgemachter Musik und mit einzigartiger Stimme vorgetragen.
Regisseur Danilo Parra, dessen Karriere schon Musikvideos für die Black Lips und Appaloosa zieren, hat einen wunderschönen Clip zu Bretts Song „dust in my face“ gezaubert.
Brennende Puppen, Gitarren, Blitze und Kornfelder - Brett Nelson hat das, was sich jeder Künstler wünscht: Authentizität, Tiefgang und himmlisches Talent!

Klar, ist all das Grund genug für Online-Redakteurin Michaela dem sympathischen Amerikaner ein paar Fragen zu stellen!

Sweet Tooth Nelson - Thank God For Satan

Michaela: Why the name "Sweet Tooth"?

Sweet Tooth Nelson: I don't know really, my roomate asked me if I was gonna call my music "Brett Nelson" and I said, "No, I think I'm gonna call it something like "Sweet Tooth Nelson" or something....yeah I'll just call it that." I've always been eating peanut M&Ms and drinking Mountain Dews constantly, for forever.

M: Where do you come from and where do you live now?

STN: I was born in Charleston, South Carolina. I went in between there and Alabama, growing up. And right now I'm living in Queens, NY.

M: When did you start making music?

STN: About 8 months ago, I think.

M: How would you describe your music?

STN: Happy and Sad. Folk and Country. Genesis and Exodus.

M: Where have you recorded "Thank God For Satan"?

STN: On my computer's garage band, in my room in Queens. And also 4 songs in few of my friend's rooms in San Francisco.

M: Almost all songs of your album refer to death, god and satan. Why have you chosen these motifs?

STN: Real things happen every now and then and they effect you. I was writing poems to make a book and started writing songs because it was just more natural feeling. What they're about is just what they happened to be about. I was raised real christian so I guess it's something I'm always gonna be pissed about.

M: Do your songs often have a personal background?

STN: Every song is something that I've been thinking about. So, yeah.

M: Are there songs on the album, which have a very special meaning to you?

STN: Yeah. "Daddy knows about death" is a poem I wrote under a bed in my aunt's house in Alabama last Christmas. My grandmother started shaking uncontrollably at the Christmas table. So that one's hard, and I guess lonely wise I would have to say "I'll be honest" sucks to play too. That's a pretty open song.

M: Can you please describe the content of your song "Dust in my face"?

STN: Well, that song's about a guy who's seeing a girl he's pretty into, that's leavin. I guess a kind of similar situation was kind of happening to me at the time, I felt that way for a minute. Wrote it down, and felt better.

M: Who had the idea of making the video clip?

STN: The first time I sang in years was because my best friend Danilo let me record guitar stuff at his house, and told me to sing over it when we were done. As soon as I started talking about an album we started talking about making the video. It was both of us wanting to work together. After 4 months of putting it off we finally did it. And had the awesomest time ever ever ever. Danilo chose which song, and we worked on a concept.

M: How was the shooting?

STN: It was the best. Found a cornfield in Oklahoma and used it for 2 days straight. Found thunderstorms, played in the rain, got to smash a guitar for the first time ever! Pretty awesome.

M: In the clip you look like a farmworker or a hobo*. Do you feel connected to this lifestyle in any kind?

STN: I mean, sure. I know what it's like to be poor, my grandmother picked cotton. Raised a worker. Plus I'm constantly going hungry on the road. Had to sleep on strangers floors in Texas and steal avocados to stay alive.

M: You are surrounded by creative people, like directors, musicians and photographers.
In which way does this influence you?

STN: My whole life I've only been surrounded by these kinds of people. Musicians, skateboarders, writers, photographers. The dirtbag assholes, that always have holes in their shoes and only $4 to their name...for a 40oz beer and some pizza. It influences me because everyone's supporting everyone. Everyone helps everyone.
If I didn't have these people around me I'd be dead.

M: Any idols in music?

STN: Woody Guthrie, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Karen Dalton, Townes van Zandt, Win Butler, Hasil Adkins, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash for sure. The list goes on and on. And on. The black lips.

M: Do you often play live gigs?

STN: Some, I've been playing this bar that my friend owns a couple times a month. I've been playing smaller house shows that are really fun too.

M: Funny things that happened on concerts you played?

STN: My friends "The Hounddogs" usually show up drunk and yell and dance and howl. They're all from the south. This one guy yelled "This sucks!" and I put my guitar down and chased him out screamin. That was fun.

M: Any saying, which has a special meaning to you?

STN: When I call somebody "sweetheart" or "sugar", it usually means somethin.

M: Any future plans?

STN: Getting a band to play live with, calling it "Hallelujah". Touring with them to South By Southwest in March. Doing the soundtrack for an upcoming skate video called "Wild Ride". Recording a new sweet tooth album, and doing a few duet songs [with] the country singer "Jess Paps". And maybe getting a 7' record split with my folk friend "Brave Horatius". Also putting the thank god for satan album out on tape with Tic Toc records. So, I'll let you know when that's all done. Hopefully by the time it's warm again.

* "Hobo" ist, ähnlich wie der Begriff "Tramp", eine Bezeichnung für amerikanische Wanderarbeiter.

Songs von Sweet Tooth gibt´s immer dienstags um 22h in der Kramkiste zu hören.