Idaho native John Nemeth blends 1960s-inspired soul with the sounds of blues and pop. Three years ago, Nemeth's first major-label album earned him a Blues Music Award nomination; now, he's released a follow-up titled Name the Day!
"I started listening to blues and soul music when I was in high school," Nemeth tells Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon. "I used to drive my friends around, and they would tell me I sounded like the guys on blues records. And the rest is history. I've been performing ever since."
Nemeth counts Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Buddy Guy and Ray Charles among his biggest influences, and says it shows in his songwriting.
"My songs sound like they came out of the '40s or '50s era, because that's the music I love and that I listen to," Nemeth says. "I try to think like a songwriter from that era."
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