Why 'big name' Jake likes small shows

4:32pm Friday 20th April 2007

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SOMETIMES it helps to have a famous surname, but Jake Stigers, the lesser known brother of Curtis, has always done it his own way.

He spoke to us ahead of his UK tour with his band Velvet Roots, which calls at Chorley.

HI JAKE, ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR UK TOUR AND HOW ARE YOU PREPARING?

Yeah, totally, absolutely, we're really really looking forward to it. This is going to be our fourth tour in the UK and we think it's great out there. As for preparation, I'm eating raw eggs, doing 1,000 sit ups a day (laughs).

BRITISH AUDIENCES SEEM TO HAVE WARMED TO YOU. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

They appreciate good music, maybe? It's a strange thing, but we definitely have a lot of interest in the UK.

UNLIKE MANY BANDS FROM THE USA THAT COME OVER, YOU'VE CHOSEN NOT TO FOCUS ON THE CAPITAL BUT ON INTIMATE VENUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHY?

Well, like I said, this is the fourth time we'll have been touring in the UK. The first time nobody really knew us. They were like 'Who are these guys?' so we played these small places because we had to.

YOU USED TO BE A MISSIONARY IN THE DEEP SOUTH BEFORE TURNING TO ROCK N' ROLL - TELL US MORE.

It's kind of Al Green in reverse. (The American soul singer converted to Christianity and became a pastor in the 1970s). When I was young I felt like I had a calling and so became a missionary. I loved it. It was a great experience, and when I got out I was still young and decided I wanted to act like a young man. I wanted to drink and smoke and have sex and make mistakes and that's what I did. I had a great time doing it too.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH VELVET ROOTS?

We all met in New York. Our bass player is a New Yorker and all the rest of us are from different places. it just worked out really well. We realised we had this chemistry so we stuck together.

HAS IT HELPED HAVING A FAMOUS BROTHER OR DO YOU GET SICK OF COMPARISONS?

Yeah, I suppose it has helped and I certainly don't wish is was any other way. It's been a positive thing for me and he's been very supportive. I suppose I don't have anything to compare it against because it's not like I could ever see what would've happened if I hadn't had a famous brother. It's weird though that lightning should strike twice in the same spot.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD, DO YOU THINK, THAT MEANT YOU BOTH TURNED OUT TO BE SUCCESSFUL MUSICIANS?

We were raised by our mom, a single mother in Idaho, and she loved music and was always singing. When we were in the car we'd sing together and that's how I learned to harmonise. Every Sunday we'd go to church and sing there too. We'd sing songs and she'd be tenor first and then we'd switch. It was pretty interesting.

See Jake Stigers with Velvet Roots at Apple Jax, Chorley, on May 25. For tickets call 01257 269696.