Roger Gupton is a North Carolina-based singer, songwriter, and bass player with appearances on NPR’s Mountain Stage, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, SXSW, and the Artist Den. More recently, Roger began performing his music solo, with a duo featuring pedal-steel virtuoso Allyn Love (Jeanne Jolly, Mount Moriah), as well as with a full band. Recent appearances include the Haw River Ballroom and the Amphitheater at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Roger is also a founding member of The Letter Jackets, which includes members of Chatham County Line (YepRoc). He produced and mixed the band’s debut release in November, 2013.
If you had to describe yourself as a band, song or genre, what would it be?
Polka. I’m serious about music but I try not to take myself too serious!
What drew you towards the music world to the point that something clicked and you said, “Hey, this is what I do!” or, “I belong here!”
It was an organic process. I moved to Raleigh and started playing in bands. I worked in a record store to make ends meet, met Terry Anderson, and started playing with him. That led to other opportunities and every connection was a little victory that kept me going along the way.
Have you ever felt like you “made it?”
I’ve achieved most of the things that I could imagine as a 14-year old playing guitar in my bedroom. But as cliché’ as it sounds – it’s really about the journey versus the destination. Being true to yourself and doing what you really love is actually the way forward. When I’ve made leaps of faith in my own career – It’s when I’ve had the faith to do what I felt was best for me. You can fail at things you don’t want to be so you might as well go for what you do want to do.
Knowing what you know now, if you could do something over or different what would it be?
Not much, really. I might’ve started playing my original music sooner.
If you were to start fresh today and you didn’t have any contacts in the music world, but you had all of your collective knowledge, talents and experience, how would you get started?
I would start the same way as I do on any new tour. I’d start making some new contacts. I would tour more on my own and build the band up organically. I would have more confidence by performing solo or with another musician. Splitting bills with people and staying and listening to the second set. I would establish my own confidence and credibility.
Top 3 takeaways that supported your success in the music business:
- Be true to yourself – do what you love.
- There is room for all of us.
- Be frugal with your money.
Learn more about Roger Gupton on ReverbNation:
http://www.reverbnation.com/rogergupton
Suggested Reading:
Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It sounds pretentious as heck, but it’s really worthwhile to read if you want to be an artist of any stripe.
Find this book and others like it on Audible.com
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