Five Questions with David Ford

As a follow up to the Phillyist review of David Ford's recent show at World Cafe Live and in order to get to know him a bit more before his show tomorrow with Bell X1, Phillyist was lucky enough to have the opportunity ask him a few quick questions.

1. As an introduction to Phillyist readers, what is the one thing you would like most for them to know about you and your music?
I like to think of my music as being lovingly hand-crafted from organically sourced materials with the sole purpose of providing a useful travel companion for navigating the pitfalls and strange terrains of the modern age.

2. We realize that sometimes Philadelphia is viewed with a negative attitude. Can you refute that bad rap and tell us something you loved about visiting Philly?
Well not a good start but the last time I stayed in Philadelphia, somebody broke into my hotel room and robbed me as I slept. Aside from this, there are many things I find to love about the city. I am particularly drawn to the historical significance of Philadelphia as the nation's first capital and the home of American independence following the defeat of the nasty Brits. And how cool was Benjamin Franklin?

[Note: We feel awful about the break-in!]

3. In your opinion, what is the best part of embarking on a concert tour?
I still feel pretty new to the idea of touring in America so it still feels like a big vacation for me. I like going to places I only ever saw in movies or have heard in conversation. I remain constantly entertained by the cultural differences between the US and UK—like, do you know you can't buy root beer anywhere in Britain? And getting to play music every day is the most fantastic thing to do, it never feels like work.

4. For all of our stylish male readers, please confess—where do you buy those adorable hats that you are constantly wearing?
It has not gone unnoticed by me that in recent years, lots of people have taken to hat wearing as a lifestyle choice and I applaud this. However, this demand has led to a rise in the production of poor quality hats while those created in the time-honoured tradition have become harder to find. My hats are made in England by wrinkled old men with grey hair and brown overalls and I buy them from a small shop in Yorkshire.

5. Finally, we have to ask: have you had a Philly Cheesesteak yet, and if so what did you think?
As a tourist uneducated in the ways of Pennsylvanian cuisine, I am yet to experience the delights of the Philly cheesesteak. I have been impressed at the extent to which melted cheese forms a staple ingredient in the American diet and until today I imagined the Philly cheesesteak to be some kind of magical hamburger consisting of a bun containing nothing other than a half-pound slab of melted cheese which somehow manages to maintain the structure of a meat patty… I have since found this to be untrue… but still may I dream.

Photo courtesy of David Ford photo gallery.