New York artist B-Mack is truly one of a kind. He’s an award-winning music conceptualist, vocalist & composer, making music within a variety of different genres. His track Silent Witness really caught my attention, making me want to find out more about this awesome artist. See how we got on below!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a new single titled Silent Witness. What can you tell us about the song?
Silent Witness – written by Bruce Mack & Michael R. Cox – is a soul-rock composition recorded live and produced by guitarist/bassist Michael Cox with Chris Eddleton on drums, myself on lead vocals & synths/organ and featuring Ben Tyree on rhythm & lead guitars. The song is about acknowledging our ability of being able to sense things from deep within, to perceive and understand the world around us beyond our five senses and our rational mind.
I wrote Silent Witness in 2017, not realising my idea behind the song was/is actually a thing! But I did realise the idea harboured a deeper level of understanding, so I began searching for essays that expounded on similar ideas so I could understand more and support my abstract thinking.
In 2021 I found a documentary film called Innsaei, in which several authors elaborate on their experiences and studies of how ‘intuition’ impacts our daily lives. From it I quote the late author and scholar Malidoma Patrice Some, PhD (Elder of the Dagara people, West Africa). He said “Nature is actually the silent witness to intuition”. I was elated to hear the accuracy in how his understanding related to mine! Toward the end of Silent Witness, I use the quote to adlib with.
So now I actually believe there is a community still waiting to hear Silent Witness. When camping out in nature, I find it easy to give focus to this natural ability out of concern for myself and others in the unknown. The “black squirrels…” mention references a moment when I was sitting on a balcony in Whiteplains, NY, daydreaming out into a backyard that few animals
seemed to frequent, until 2 black squirrels appeared from within a group of bushes! It was the first time I had seen a black squirrel, so I asked myself could there possibly be a deeper meaning to this? After about 2 minutes of watching them run around, I then laughed at myself because it wasn’t really that deep. But from that moment I did realise that sometimes intuition might be light-hearted or gently presented.
How has the reception to Silent Witness been so far, and where can it be purchased?
The response has been excellent with over a dozen positive and thoughtful reviews and weekly inclusions to various Spotify playlists.
It’s great to hear how the music affects others and/or what it means to them. When it’s positive in any way, I feel I’ve served my purpose in being. Silent Witness and my other recordings can be purchased at all digital retail outlets links here or here.
The track was released as part of a double single with another song titled Duckgrease Burning at the Crabhouse. Why did you decide to release two singles at once? What can you tell us about that track?
I decided to release two singles simultaneously for several reasons… The first was to provide more music for blog curators to choose from and hint that this is not not a one-off. The 2nd was to meet my audience with an A-Side & a B-Side, as what used to be done with promotional 45 turntable discs. My audience being generally a little older might appreciate that, although I must admit it might be better served with actual vinyl. And the 3rd reason was to approach my releases a little differently than I have over the past years to get the attention of my fans and potential new followers.
Duckgrease Burning at The Crabhouse is a funky groove r&b escapist song with an imaginary place we all can go to have a good time. This song was totally produced by me – the songwriting, arrangement, vocal performance and instruments played. Thanks to Jersey City vocalist LaRayne for her fabulous harmonies and vocal feature on the chorus. The title came about back in November 2023 – I was cooling duck breast and mastering my duck confit. See, I love cooking and seafood, so it was easy to use ‘Duckgrease’ as a metaphor for ‘making it easy to have a good time’. And who doesn’t love a crab-house?!? My apologies to those with shellfish allergies. I’ll have to cook you something special when you stop by!
Do you have any more singles planned for release soon?
Yes, co-producer Michael Cox has created a Deep House Remix of Silent Witness, so as big fans of dance music, we look forward to connecting with the dance community as well. We’ve begun circulating it to house music heads.
Collaborator/wizard Michael Cox has a welcomed tendency to create alternative versions of the band’s recordings, so we have a couple of belters and ambient tracks as well just waiting for their day to shine.
Do you have any plans to release an album or EP in the near future?
Yes, we will follow-up with a full length album later in the summer (2024) that will be printed on vinyl & cd. The album will feature several songs released over the last 8 years along with a selection of new songs not previously released.
Your music has a unique sound. What/who are you most influenced by? What have you been listening to recently?
Although I am primarily a vocalist, I play several instruments so my influences are many. But the concept of improvisation influences me foremost, so jazz and vocal greats like Lambert,Hendrix & Ross, Eddie Jefferson and Betty Carter are high on my list of vocal influences. In terms of bands, popular artists, a few stand out more than others – here’s the who & how: Parliament – Funkadelic’s funk&rock captured me as a teenager already engulfed in the music world of James Brown & Sly & the Family Stone… P-Funk was a natural progression with a forward-looking approach.
Brenda Russell – being a loner at points in my life, having to learn to compose for myself, I was fortunate that my coming-of-age period was host to great singer-songwriters like B. White, J. Mitchell, B. Joel, etc.. Brenda’s writing and piano playing
was somehow close to my heart. Frank Zappa influenced me by his experimentation with instruments, sound & abstract arrangements for his highly capable big bands that particularly included George Duke. Those recordings often made me feel as though I was listening to a Monty Python theatrical ensemble (major compliment btw). Then there’s Jimmy Castor, his
sound referenced the neighborhoods I lived in (1960’s West Harlem), doo wop which I loved, and opened my ear to world music with that calypso rhythm on “Hey Leroy, Your Mama’s Calling You!”
Now regarding Hugh Masakela, I had a natural affinity for horns, so to hear beautiful melodies against a raunchy band gave me a since of how to write melodies, taking me away from the molds previously heard… I think it was the soul of his experience in South Africa that I related to also. Black folk were having struggles here in the ‘States while he was sharing their struggles in S.A. through his horn.
Then there’s David Bowie, I could not help being impressed by his unabashed and unapologetic approach to writing and singing things many were afraid to say – combining that with his presentation of sound & visuals gave me such a boost in my solo/frontman roles as a performer. What I’m currently listening to in rotation in my Spotify playlist – Bruce Mack’s
2023-2024 FWNR Faves. In that playlist there are 3 artists I’ve recently been giving some attention to, they are DiggDeep, Black Lives and The 1865.
You’re from New York. What is the local music scene like in your area at the moment?
This is an interesting question because the music scene in NYC is something often talked about amongst musicians, referencing a time when a band could build an audience and develop a sound by having a traditional venue such as a bar with a little extra space or a club, either putting your band in rotation once a month. Aside from lesser known bars that booked
bands, there were over 175 well-known clubs in NYC between mid 1980’s-2005 that were the anchors of this rich creative community, with the country’s first alternative newsweekly The Village Voice as its literary cannon. By featuring ads/flyers created by artists, placed & paid for by the venue in a dedicated section of the arts-based weekly, bands became easily
recognisable by promoters, writers and the general public.
Many of these venues were concentrated in pockets of the city (lower Manhattan, Midtown, West or East Village, Harlem,
Hoboken & Jersey City, NJ) which since have been redeveloped for expensive housing and shopping centers, so they no longer exist. The upside of that is the restoration of famous halls, small theatres, eateries that feature bands and small spaces dedicated to band performance all in Brooklyn. Harlem and the Bronx still have a few places (Shrine, Silvana, The Artist on City Island, Bronx Music Hall, The Punch Bowl), but Brooklyn (Bushwick, Williamsburgh & Bedford Stuyvesant in particular) is the new mecca for booking bands (Music Hall of Williamsburgh, Elsewhere, Baby’s Alright, Brooklyn Steel to name a few) but the “community” seems disconnected without a literary platform that talks about the scene. I find that to be important for young artists, as bands have to build their credibility enough to be considered for larger venues and/or festivals because that’s a key goal.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
We have just started to investigate putting together a series of dates for autumn 2024.
Any last words for the fans?
First of all Jane, thank you for writing about my work and having me on your platform. To our fans, I want to thank you for being supportive by streaming, purchasing and taking a moment to read this interview! Please continue and encourage others to do the same for any artist who’s music you like. And if you have kids, share and expose them to as much music as
possible and talk about it with them. That is one of the greatest memories of my childhood! If you spot me somewhere, please mention this interview.
Peace & Love,
Bruce