Below, you can read our interview with singer-songwriter Art Wright and listen to the album Jerseybraska. Check out our full review of Jerseybraska here.
Q: Great to be speaking with you, Art! You describe “Jerseybraska” as “a self-portrait disguised as songs about New Jersey.” Which track gives the most honest picture of who you actually are?
A: There are a number of songs that are directly autobiographical—really, all of them are to some extent. But the one that most closely reflects who I am is probably “The Steps of St. Theresa’s.” That’s the church where I was baptized, confirmed, married—and where I’ll probably get the final heave-ho someday. I’ve seen a lot of loved ones carried up and down those steps.
I’m not especially religious anymore, but I am deeply spiritual. I believe the soul is real, and the idea of reconnecting with people I’ve lost gives me a sense of hope. At my core, it’s about love of family and friends—and that song captures that as honestly as anything I’ve written.
Q: You’ve been making music with full bands for a long time. What finally made this the right moment for a solo record?
A: The personal nature of the songs made me want to capture them quickly and in a more stripped-down way. Doing a solo record gave me the freedom to work on my own terms, on my own timetable, and to explore a slightly different sound without overthinking it.
Q: How long did “Jerseybraska” take to record? What was the process like?
A: It took about two and a half months, spread across several sessions whenever studio time opened up. The drums were recorded in a single day with no prior rehearsal by Gerry Ross—he’d only heard rough acoustic demos and came in completely prepared. It was incredible.
A lot of the record was tracked live, with bass and other elements overdubbed later. I really wanted to capture a moment and avoid overprocessing it. And since I was financing it myself, I was definitely keeping an eye on the clock, too.
Q: You grew up in one version of New Jersey and now live in a pretty different version of it. Does where you live change how you write?
A: Not really. The past 20 years have been my most productive period, and that’s all happened where I live now. The rural setting may have nudged some of the music in a more folky, rootsy direction. But at heart, I’m still a punk kid from a scrappy, blue-collar town in the shadow of New York City.
Q: Is there a New Jersey story – personal or historical – that you haven’t written a song about yet but probably should?
A: I’ve tried to write a mafia epic, but it always felt a little too cliché—too Sopranos. Ironically, The Sopranos was loosely based on the DeCavalcante crime family, and their boss, “Sam the Plumber,” had a store about a block from where I grew up.
I’m half Italian on my mother’s side, but I was the only kid I knew whose name didn’t end in a vowel. Let’s just say I know some things—and I know some guys who know some guys. There’s probably a song in there somewhere… but I should be careful. (laughs)
Q: What was your first instrument? Do you still have/play it?
A: A $54 Kay electric guitar my grandmother bought me when I was 11 or 12. Unfortunately, I sacrificed it onstage at a college party in a childish Pete Townshend–inspired moment. Sorry, Grandma.
Q: Perhaps in some unspecified amount of time, your musical career explodes in the best of ways. What does that look like for you?
A: I’d be blown away if other artists started recording my songs. I’d love to work with younger musicians who share that same homegrown, honest, human approach to music—maybe as a producer, collaborator, or mentor.
I’ll always keep performing and recording. In the meantime, I’ve launched a YouTube channel around Jerseybraska, and I’m hoping to grow that into something with a real following.
Q: You get to collaborate with anyone of your choosing. Who is it?
A: I’ve been told I sound a bit like Elvis Costello, who’s been a huge influence on me. That probably comes through in the songwriting. It’d be interesting to see what kind of damage we could do together.
Q: Your favorite album of all time? (Yup, you gotta choose one.)
A: I have to go with the obvious Jersey answer—Springsteen’s Born to Run. It’s the best thing he’s ever done. A perfect album.
I got my first copy as a birthday gift in the summer of ’78. A few weeks later, I was in the car with my family driving to Florida, playing the whole album in my head—lyric for lyric, note for note. I still can. That record is in my DNA.
Q: Your favorite song of all time? (Again, only one!)
A: “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by The Byrds. I tear up every time I hear it. It might be the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard.
Q: What would you like fans to know about you that they’re most likely unaware of?
A: The most appreciative crowd I ever played for was about 500 inmates at Rahway State Penitentiary in 1988—a maximum-security prison where they filmed Scared Straight.
I was in a criminal justice program in college, and my band got recruited to play as part of a charity event. There were only two guards with clubs between us and the inmates—no guns allowed in the auditorium.
It was surreal. My Johnny Cash moment. And honestly, it changed me in a lot of ways.
Q: Any shout-outs you wanna make?
A: My wife Jen and my daughters, Victoria and Jessica. C.J. and Gerry, my main collaborators on Jerseybraska. All my past and present bandmates from 68AD, The GBU, Worst Case Scenario, Exit 138, and Snowblind. And every hung-up person in the whole wide universe.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: I’m currently doing a series on my Jerseybraska YouTube channel—an honest look at lessons learned over a 20-year musical journey. Check it out and join the conversation.
(Want to be interviewed by The Ark of Music? Click HERE.)
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