I chatted with Peter Cincotti about his appearance on “House Of Cards” and his upcoming tour.
Q: Talk about your childhood, where you grew up, etc
That sounds like a therapy question ::laughs:: I grew up in New York City…born and raised. I attribute a lot to New York. There’s so much different kinds of live music to experience. So yeah, New York City is a big part of my life.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
Pretty much since I can remember. When I was three years old, my grandmother bought me a toy piano..I was hooked! Later on, we purchased a piano for the house…I couldn’t stop playing. I didn’t even question what I wanted to do with my life at that point.
Q: Who inspires you?
On a musical level everyone from Randy Newman, Stevie Wonder, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles. I actually tried to sound like Jerry Lee Lewis for the longest time growing up ::laughs:: Beyond that, people who love music top to bottom. Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Billy Joel.
Q: What has been your favorite venue to play and why?
I’ve played all kinds of places. Sometimes I like bigger venues, sometimes I prefer a smaller venue. I grew up passing by Carnegie Hall. I finally got to play it when i was 19. That was a huge moment for me.
Q: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done in life?
Oh boy…I need a few drinks before I answer that one. ::laughs::
Q: What was it like filming “House Of Cards” and being in a scene with Kevin Spacey?
It was a LOT of fun. It was such a cool set. The White House set they mocked up was so realistic. It was surreal playing myself, while being in a scene with Kevin Spacey playing the President. If I remember correctly, the President or Russia was there as well.. To duet with Kevin was very memorable. We must’ve played that song twenty times ::laughs::
Q: What is your song “December Boys” about?
It’s a coming of age song. It’s from the film “December Boys” starring Daniel Radcliffe. It was one of the few song that I wrote for another purpose. I remember getting the script and I loved it. The song was an easy thing to write. There’s so much to grab on to.That’s something I definitely want to do more of.
Q: How does it feel to have one of your songs plastered into cinematic history?
I’ve never phrased it like that, but it’s really cool. A lot of the songs I write are visual. I love writing for characters and finding universal overlaps.
Q: Are you excited about your show here in Annapolis this Friday?
Very much so! It’s been a while. I love playing at Rams Head. It’s one of the first shows we’re doing to promote my new record that will be out later this year. So the Rams Head crowd will be some of the first to hear some new material!
Peter Cincotti headlines Rams Head Annapolis Friday!
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