LABEL: Relay Station

GUESTS: Garry Tallent, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Southside Johnny, Walter Egan Jr., etc.

HEAR HERE

DELEVANTE: "Sure, a good song should say at least that. It can be so many different things to different people."

P&P: You're as DIY as they come. With the way the music industry is today, is this the route you would recommend for up-and-coming artists?

DELEVANTE: "I think the DIY route is the only way for new artists to go in the music industry today. You need to take matters into your own hands and create the career you want. Initially, no one is going to do it for you, but as you grow and labels, management, booking agencies, etc., become interested, you've already established your own identity and you can accept their help on your terms or continue to carry on independently."

P&P: You grew up in Hoboken, N.J. What do you think of your town now?

DELEVANTE: "I actually grew up in Rutherford, N.J., and moved to Hoboken when I started to play out and record. There was so much music in Hoboken (clubs, recording studios, etc.) and it was very close to NYC. I think the first time I played there was the early '80s. Hoboken has changed quite a bit over the years, but deep down it's the same great place it has always been. An amazing town with a great history!"

P&P: Your most memorable gig ever?

DELEVANTE: "Playing in Belfast with Steve Earle. My brother Mike and I were lucky enough to tour with Steve in Europe for a couple of months."

P&P: And your worst gig ever?

DELEVANTE: "Many years ago on the way to our first real out of town show (it was down the Jersey Shore), our new used van broke down on the Turnpike. We were towed to the gig and towed out. It was one of those 'so bad it's funny' shows."

P&P: You've done just about everything; is there anything else you aspire to do?

DELEVANTE: "I don't think I've done just about everything, but I would like to learn to play the bagpipes."

P&P: Out-of-left-field question: What were you doing on 9/11/01?

DELEVANTE: "Growing up in New Jersey, I remember watching the towers being built. During the summer of 2001, I was in NYC several times. I was even at the WTC late July with my children. I have many photos of them in front of the towers and it took me several years until I could print them. The morning of 9/11 I was going out when I heard the news. I went back in the house and spent most of the day trying to get a hold of my friends in Hoboken. Several of them worked at the towers and luckily they were all OK."

P&P: What's the first record you ever bought?

DELEVANTE: "I had several Beatles and Monkees singles, but the first real album I bought was Sly & The Family Stone's 'Greatest Hits.' I must have just heard something on the radio and decided to get the album. It might have even been an 8-track tape!"

P&P: What was the first concert you ever went to?

DELEVANTE: "The first concert was Up With People at the Rutherford Lincoln Park Band Shell, but the first real concert was Wings at Madison Square Garden."

P&P: What's the worst job you've ever had?

DELEVANTE: "The worst job I had was working at a votive candle factory emptying the old wax out of the returned candles so they could eventually be refilled and reused."