Rami Feinstein is staying here
Singer-songwriter says theme of his new album, ‘Someone Has to Stay Here,’ is desire to pursue your dreams while learning to appreciate what you have
“I started writing songs when I was little – writing words. I started writing music when I was about 16 or 17,” Rami Feinstein tells Ynet on a breathlessly hot July night before taking the stage at the Container Bar in Jaffa Port.
Now, he says, there are songs that start with the words, and there are songs that are born from the melody. And many of his songs are written together – words and music. But “even before I begin to play, it starts from an idea, something I feel I have to say,” Feinstein explains.
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The 36-year-old singer-songwriter came very close to choosing a life behind the lectern, not the microphone. He served as an officer in the IDF and completed his BA with every intention of pursuing a doctorate in Jewish history and sociology. Then he made the fateful decision to take a year off to “think a little, give music a chance.”
In concert at the Zappa Bar (Photo: Eran Tal)
“I didn’t go back,” he smiles.
Feinstein released his debut album, “A Matter of Time,” in 2008. His second album, “Someone Has to Stay Here,” came out in June.
Reviews of “Someone Has to Stay Here” have been overwhelmingly positive, with critics and bloggers describing the music as rock, folk-rock, or funk. On stage, the chemistry between Feinstein (on acoustic guitar) and the musicians he plays with: Dan Eckert (bass); Ben Labi (guitar); Aviv Cohen-Hashani (drums); Gilad Jacobson (keyboards); Eli Chen Tov (violin); and Oran Ben Avi (saxophone) is clear. He’s been playing with some for two years, with others for six or seven.
Feinstein also co-produced 'Someone Has to Stay Here'
“The ‘click’ usually happens after you’ve performed together for a while. I can’t put my finger on when exactly it happened, but I feel great (with them,)” he says.
When asked how the new album is different from the first, Feinstein – who produced it in collaboration with Eckert – says that from a musical point of view, “Someone Has to Stay Here” bears his own very strong musical stamp. And the lyrics, he says, reflect the different things he’s been through. “That’s really the theme. The need and the desire to follow your dreams vs. the goal of teaching yourself to appreciate what you have.”
Unlike some artists, Feinstein doesn’t write to vent. He says that he finds it difficult to write hot on the heels of heartbreak. “First, you take it in, work it through. Later, when things calm down and I’ve gotten some insights, I can work it into a song.”
Does he feel that he is consistently able to realize his musical vision? “I create within the limitations of the medium I’ve chosen,” he says. “If I weren’t able to express myself authentically, I don’t think I’d do it.”
Feinstein, the son of immigrants from the US, describes his connection to his family’s “American-ness” as "strong." While fully conversant not only in English but also in the American mentality, he writes in Hebrew. “I feel that in English I can be articulate, but in Hebrew I can be accurate,” he says. “It’s very important to me to express my feelings exactly.”
Nevertheless, he doesn’t rule out writing material in English in the future, as many Israeli musicians have done. In fact, he has started translating the lyrics of the new album into English, a project that he says presents challenges because his language is quite idiomatic.
One last point – height. Feinstein often jokes that at 1.93 meters (6’3” ) he is the tallest musician in Israel. Has being tall ever been a problem? No, he laughs, it’s just a little unusual. “Generally, people who are creative seem to be shorter. It’s like I’m tall by mistake.”
Rami and his group will be performing at the Tamuna Theater in Tel Aviv on August 28.
