The NaveBlues

The innovative and prolific musician Nave Pundik has been playing the Harmonica for the last ten years but started writing, composing and singing a few years ago. Nave's music originated from the blues but developed into an original, fresh and modern blend of Rock/blues influenced by legendary artists.

"The Blues is a root and everything else it the fruit" Willie Dickson   

THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

 1. What made you decide to start a career in music?  Tell us a bit about your life and history to date ?

As a child I listened a lot to music, but never had the courage to try and play myself. Later on I've decided I had to learn to play an instrument, just for myself. I picked the Harmonica, as it was cheap and I felt it was the best way of self expression. I quickly evolved as a musician, from amateur player, to spontaneous jams in bars, to member of two bands, and finally to having my own band and making an album.

 2. Who or what are your key influences ?

Naturally, the blues, going back as far as the forties and even the thirties. I try to do a research for myself, listen to some old-school blues and draw my influences from there. This includes artists from Robert Johnson and Skip James to Hwolin' Wolf and, or course, Little Walter, who brought Harmonica playing into a whole other level. These artists influenced, in someway or another, on everything we hear today.

3. What modern artists do you like ?

Well, you know, Depeche Mode still sounds great.

 4. Your sound is blues based but is also very distinctive and has a unique blend and sound of it's own. Tell us how you feel you have achieved this and your motives behind this direction ?

Today, harmonica is very blues-oriented. I decided I wanted to take the instrument out of the world of blues and make it more accessible to a larger audience by doing my own original interpretation of the instrument and use it as a leading sound in my band. With each new song I introduce the basic idea and melody to my band members, and they each bring their own arrangements, which create our unique sound.

Our album is divided into two parts, the first part is a blend of genres, while the second part has more classic-blues orientations.

5. What inspires you to write your music/lyrics ?

There is a saying, Blues is a feeling, and in much the same way my music represents life itself and events that happened to me, my surrounding and in the world around me.

Take the single Possess You, for example, that expresses a man's strong desire for a woman he knows he will never have.

Another good example is Say My Name, a track which describes what goes through the mind of a parent who tries to connect with his child that has Autism.

Finally, Blues for My Country, which describes my concern for Israel, and the state of current affairs inside it.

6. Name your all time fave track by another band/artist ?

This is the hardest question, I haven't made up my mind yet, but Little Walter's Blue Midnight and something by Led Zeppelin will probably be somewhere up there on the list.

7.  Your new release comes with a bonus DVD of excellent live concert footage. Where was this filmed and by who? Tell us all about it ?

The DVD was filmed in the Beat Club in Haifa, a cool club that sits on top of a mountain, one of my favourite places to play. We recorded a live show, just as we finished working and arranging all the songs for the new album.

8. What are your ambitions for your music? Where do you see yourself in 5 years ?

Performing, performing, performing and bringing my music to the largest audience possible.

 9. How do you go about writing your songs? Do you come up with melodies and lyrics first or does that follow the music ?

Most of my ideas come as I drive my car (or rather, playing my harmonica while driving my car which earned me, over the years, both applause and a ticket). There is no one way of doing things, sometimes the melody will come first and at other times the lyrics. In both cases as soon as I get the idea in my head I record it to my cell, later on some of these ideas are developed into songs.

10.  Where was your new material recorded and who was producing ?

The album is a live show, produced by me and arranged by all band members.

11. Who are the other players in The Nave Blues and what do they all do and play ?

I have four band members, all of them great musicians. Nadav Hoshea, a crazy, and very gifted keyboard player. Ido Herskovich who has a deep heavy sound on his bass. Maor Hai that brings different styles with his guitar. And finally, Nir Vetshtein who has a striking hand work of the drums. You should hear them out, they're really awesome.

13. In the U.K music and food has combined with celebrity rock and pop stars now appearing and cooking on TV food shows. Please can you give us your favorite recipe ?

I've got a great recipe for you. You take the Sunday's soup, Monday's pasta and Tuesday's meatloaf, mix them all together, shove it into the microwave for 3 minuets, and dig in… Bon Appetit!