JCCUTTER
Q What inspired you to turn Las Vegas into the main setting for “Vegas Days” and what does the city represent to you on a deeper level?
RESPONSE: I was there on a weekend trip, the noise, the lights, the crazy of it inspired me to want to write something about Vegas Days – but what really got me was this Rodeo Cowboy at the table clearly taken in by the dealer. You could tell he was playing because she was there. What does the city represent on a deeper level? I’m not sure it really represents anything for me, perhaps a monument to escape?
Q When writing the song, were you more focused on telling a story or capturing a feeling of being in that nonstop environment?
RESPONSE: The story motivated, but what drove me was capturing the feeling – the constant forward motion to do more, to be part of it.
Q The lyrics show how easy it is to get caught up in the moment, have you experienced something similar in real life?
RESPONSE: Absolutely! LoL! I don’t see how it is possible not to be at least shaken by the experience and the feeling. For me, it is definitely the feeling of just “doing”.
Q You describe Vegas almost like a place where time disappears, was that idea important for the message of the song?
RESPONSE: That is absolutely one of the key parts take-a-ways I was going for. Time, inhibition, reality escapes you there – if you let it.
Q The gambling theme feels like a metaphor for life decisions, was that intentional from the beginning or did it develop as you wrote?
Response: Yes, gambling is both a story device as well as a metaphor, but not just for life decisions. It was also intended to be about choice itself. Do one thing, and another happens. Maybe you made choice and you aren’t necessarily happy with the outcome, so you make another trying to start the cycle over again, so sometimes you have to go forward or through the choice to get to your goal despite the choices you made. It is kind of like those old “Choose Your Own Adventure Books” – you make a choice, then you have to read to the story in that new direction.
Q There’s a strong connection between gambling and romance in the song, what made you link those two worlds together?
RESPONSE: That Rodeo Cowboy! The way he would look shy whenever the dealer looked at him, but his clear confidence at the game, like he wanted to impress her. It was clear he was into her, and he would play and bet accordingly. It was like watching a dance with each card played between him and her. It was clearly something special, but also fun.
Q Do you see love in “Vegas Days” as just another gamble or something that can break out of that cycle?
RESPONSE: I see love as more of a chance and fate struggling against each other in Vegas Days. It isn’t just another gamble and it isn’t about breaking out. It is something that happens regardless of what you choose, somehow it finds you.
Q How important was it for you to keep the lyrics simple but still meaningful?
RESPONSE: The lyrics being both simple and meaningful are equally important, but it is also about creating the feeling of being there, after the lights and sounds catch you, and just as the betting and the drinks start you are meant to feel like you are caught in it. I felt the simple lyrics help catch you, so that you can stay with the meaning of the story.
Q The card imagery adds a playful tone, how did you come up with those comparisons?
RESPONSE: Playing, and being there witnessing that Rodeo Cowboy and that card dealer. There was something there, between those two. They just hadn’t figured it out yet.
Q Do you think people often treat relationships like a game without realizing it?
RESPONSE: Sure. I’m not sure if that is good or bad. Perhaps it works for some, and maybe not so much in others.
Q Did you want the listener to feel like they are inside the story or watching it from the outside?
RESPONSE: I wanted to recreate the experience for those that had been, but I also wanted it to capture the imaginations of others – inviting them into the story. So I would say, I wanted the listener to feel like they are there for the story.
Q How much of the song is based on personal experience versus imagination?
RESPONSE: I was there, but the Cowboy wasn’t me, so I guess a bit of both.
Q What part of the song do you feel captures the true message of “Vegas Days” the most?
RESPONSE: I would say “Every Roll, Every Flip – Don’t Blink, it’s all Bright” because the feeling is built into it, but also the warning that if you blink you might just miss what’s important or right there in front of you. Sort of the illusion and reality.
Q Do you think the song is more about the thrill of the moment or the consequences that come after?
RESPONSE: It’s about the thrill, the excitement and the chance. The risk is there – and the excitement happens.
Q How do you personally deal with risk in your own life, and does that connect to the song?
RESPONSE: For me, I weight and calculate. Sometimes too much and too long. When I let go of that, usually I find the good in life. So, I would say that is how the song connects with me – sometimes it is just worth the gamble.
Q How do you want listeners to feel after hearing “Vegas Days” for the first time?
RESPONSE: Like they had a good time and are ready for their own adventure – so turn it on and go!
Q If you had to sum up the lesson behind the song in one idea, what would it be?
RESPONSE: Go for the ride, Stay for the game – but please have safe fun and be ready to accept the responsibility of what happens next – accept the risk.
