As one half of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Hall and Oates, John Oates knows a thing or two about a well-crafted pop/rock song — but he also has a deep appreciation for the roots of American music.
He explores this on Arkansas, his new solo album that finds Oates and his backing band paying tribute to some classic recordings. With that album’s release fresh in his mind, Oates sat down with Rock Cellar’s Ken Sharp at the world famous Troubadour in West Hollywood before a recent solo gig for our latest installment of RockCellarTV. It follows our deep, candid conversation with Rick Springfield from last month — be sure to watch that one if you haven’t yet.
In the chat, which you can enjoy below, Oates discusses making his new record and being in Nashville, songwriting, his inspiration as an artist and much more — and even treats us to two intimate acoustic performances! The first is of the underrated Hall and Oates gem “Crazy Eyes,” and the second is “That’ll Never Happen No More,” a Blind Blake song featured on Arkansas.
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