The marvels of modern technology meets the simplicity of guitar and voice of Lee Coulter, a young man whose origins are as eclectic as his musical tastes. According to his website, he was influenced by Ray Charles, The Beatles, Babyface, Nirvana, Paul Simon, Norah Jones, The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson and Hank Williams. He is compared favorably to Jason Mraz, G. Love and Jack Johnson. Born of an Indonesian mother and Australian father, Lee’s spoken voice maintains the sound of the outback as he graces stages and wedding venues from his home base in Encinitas, California. His journey to sonic stardom began in Queensland where as a youth, he became a singer songwriter as a way of helping to support his single parent family. Now his ‘home team’ includes his talented Photographer/Anthropologist wife Sharisse and their little one. The songs are lively and upbeat, gathering in listeners world wide.
I was introduced to Lee and his soulful sound via his Live From The Laptop series in which he records and makes available, songs on his laptop computer. My friend Brian Hilliard posted on Facebook one of Lee’s delightful pieces called I Would Love in which he invokes the ideas that if given the opportunity, in every case, he would just love. “If I were the earth, I would give you all that you need”… then if he were a book, a pen, money … If I were a gun, I would love to never kill anyone…melt me down to make something fun…I would love, I would love, I would love” How cool is that?
Think about your relationships and ask yourself, if YOU had the chance to just love, would you? It costs nothing but your fears and belief in separation.
How do you live your bliss?
I live my bliss by chasing the perfect song. I don’t think there is really such a thing and if there is that I am the one to write it but it sure warms my heart trying to find it. Among plenty of other emotions.
How were you led to music?
Everyone is led to music. I chose to play it, I believe, because I want to communicate deeply with humans all over and it is one of the most powerful mediums to do so. And most easily produced mediums. I couldn’t make and distribute top quality feature films from my bedroom.
What genre would it fit into?
I never know what genre to call my music but I’m not too cool to be in the pop box. I guess it’s mostly acoustic so acoustic pop works. I made up a genre name “funkacana” but not all of my songs fit under that.
Do you write your songs or do they write you?
Most of the time, I feel a disconnect from the songs I write. Like it wasn’t me that wrote them. And I guess my music being my life’s work would mean that it somewhat defines me.
How has your music changed since becoming a Daddy?
The music hasn’t changed since I became a dad apart from specifically writing a song about my son after he was born.
Can you introduce us to your alter ego; he of the video Rockstar 101?
Walter LeGeaux is the result of being amused by what a lot of people apparently find appealing. I’ve always like producing hip hop beats and danceable music so when I took on this side project of Square Pegs Baby, I thought not only will the music be a different style to what I’m used to performing but I’ll play the part as well. He embraces all the characteristics that I find obnoxious and transparent in some current pop icons. SPB music is mostly for real and for the fun of it but Walter LeGeaux will can hopefully shine a light on some of the ridiculousness along the way, via some video blogging. If not, if it makes people laugh, that is a goal achieved as well.
How did Live From The Laptop come to be?
Live from the Laptop came about because I saw it as a way for people to see what I can do with just a guitar and voice in one take as opposed to the full production that is on the album. It’s just another way to share what I do. I’ve recently started to do some covers on there including from fellow obscure, unsigned artists. There’s so many beautiful songs out there that people don’t know about and if I can help turn a few more people on to some of the undiscovered genius out there, I’ll find that very fulfilling.
This Live From The Laptop performance was shot in front of Lake Tahoe
http://youtu.be/hL8rpym_OO8
www.leecoulter.com
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