Interview with Vocalist John Sloman (former: Uriah Heep, UFO, Gary Moore, Lone Star)





By Mick Michaels




Cosmick View: Hello, John! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.

CV: How would you define the term "Renaissance man?" And would you consider yourself a Renaissance man?
John Sloman: I have never referred to myself as a Renaissance man. Although, I was once a tea boy on a tugboat…and an apprentice fitter/welder. So, I guess I must be.  

CV: Your new album, "Two Rivers," is essentially considered your musical autobiography. How does it feel having intimate parts of your life out there for others, for the fans, to share in? Are there any parts of that scenario that makes you comfortable?
JS: Two Rivers deals with lots of personal events/moments in my life. Making one's private life public is daunting. But that's partly what drove me to do it. I tend to work alone on my albums, so I have more in common with painters than musicians. I work on a canvas till it more or less resembles the feelings I wish to convey. Sometimes it's capturing a happy moment. But mostly, it's about trying to work my way through some unresolved issue with myself, some other person, or the wider world. Two Rivers is all of these things. Celebrating the good, resolving the bad and saying goodbye to those I will never see again…other than the afterlife, or some future album. I daubed my innermost thoughts and feelings onto a digital canvas. Sometimes it felt like therapy. Sometimes it felt like madness. And now it's hanging on a gallery wall for other humans to see…I feel as naked as Michelangelo’s Adam on the coldest day of the year. But I'd do it all again. Some things just have to be said...even when it's too late.


CV: Besides the autobiographical themes, how would you describe "Two Rivers" in terms of sound and style? Is it something fans will find familiar or will they be surprised at what they hear?
JS: Two Rivers is not the first autobiographical album I've recorded...the first being 13 Storeys, best part of 20 years ago. Back then, a lot of people who were familiar with the rock stuff I'd done really took to it. So, I'm hoping that those same people will take to Two Rivers in the same open minded fashion. Every song,except one, is preceded by a short spoken word passage. And the instrumentation is entirely acoustic in nature, which somehow lends itself to storytelling. 

CV: While writing such a musical memoir, did you find there were some things you choose to leave out?
JS: I didn't leave anything out. I just followed my heart. 

CV: Two singles from the album, “This River Is A Time Machine” and “The Last Coalminer,” both have non-album B sides. Why include non album tracks as B sides? Is it in an effort to avoid giving it all away at once, leaving more mystery to the album?
JS: The B sides of the two singles you mention are actually instrumental versions of the singles. I personally don't get the b side thing for a digital single. But Red Steel Music is very keen on it. So much so, that they suggested I not merely name these b sides 'instrumental' but give each one its own individual title. This however, can lead people to believe that the b sides are independent tracks, as you have quite understandably done…which is why I'm not keen on doing any more b sides. 


CV: What are you hoping fans come away with after listening to "Two Rivers?"
JS: I hope that people who are familiar with my previous material see Two Rivers as a continuation rather than a deviation. I see my albums as a reflection of where I am at the time; both personally and artistically. 

CV: Your career has taken you as front person to several legendary acts...Lone Star, Uriah Heep, UFO and the Gary Moore Band. As an artist, what sort of perspective does such a pedigree of work experience give you that other artists may not have?

JS: The bands I fronted all those years ago mean little or nothing to me now. No disrespect to them. They were great musicians. But it happened so long ago, that it feels like another life. But being with those bands taught me a lot about the so called music business. For example, as a young man, nobody took me aside and gave me the heads up on legal matters; as a result, I took a lot of shit from people…some of whom were musicians, which I just wouldn't tolerate now. 

CV: As a veteran artist, what do you consider your greatest musical achievement to date?
JS: Greatest musical achievement? It's not for me to say. I messed around with bands during my youth...a voice for hire…generic rock. Then, in 1999, my brother Lawrence died. And I was driven to write about him...and family. I'd never written about actual pain before. I thought I had. But it turned out I'd been playing at it.

CV: In addition to the new album, what more can fans expect to see coming from you in 2022?
JS: Aside from Two Rivers, 2022 will finally see the release of a so called memoir that I started writing following the death of my brother Robert in 2016. I sat on it for a while...thinking 'who the hell would want to read a book written by me?' Then the COVID thing happened. I've realized that if I don't put it out this year, I never will. And of course, I want to get on stage again.

CV: Thanks again John for taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success
JS: Thanks Mick for your interest and support. My very best wishes


Check out John at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnslomanofficial/
To pre-order album: https://music.apple.com/album/two-rivers/1607563545

 

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.




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