Photo Ops, aka Terry Price, is a solo venture with a purpose to be anything but solo. After 6 years of touring and making records with Oblio, Price went his own way in 2010 when the band broke up. Music is in his soul, so inevitably a new sound was soon to come. “Photo Ops” – or “photo opportunities” – is a remembrance of Price’s father who passed away. Travelling across the U.S. in the 70s, Price’s amateur-photographer dad captured timeless moments and sights through his bout with taking pictures. Many of these photos have been revived through Photo Ops’ album artwork, and many of his songs encapsulate the powerful influence that Price’s father had on him. Along with saying goodbye to a lifelong friend and parent, Photo Ops’ latest album How to Say Goodbye reflects this learning how to say adieu to things like youth, friends, family, and anything else that we as humans tend to hold on to.
“I don’t want to be heavy handed with death and loss, but there is a definite need to express it. I want to let people know its okay to feel alienated or sad. I just want to make something simple and beautiful and easy to understand – and also honest.
For the album, he shocked me by admitting that he wrote 50 songs for the album before adventuring into those expansive seas of lyrics to pick the best 10. His wife, whom he left his then-current college girlfriend for to date for 4 years before wedding, and close friends helped him sort through all of the songs to cut the album down to the basics of life, loss and remaining hope through community and love.
“I’m all about quality confessional expressionalism – there’s not enough of that out there.”
Price carries a distinct style throughout his music and media, catering not to any one specific group of people but also not handing it over emptily to the masses.
“My music mission: when people feel a certain way they come to me for that – I want to be a very specific thing. But I’m also going to be honest and say things in a way that connect with as many people as possible – without sacrificing artistic integrity.
“I’m a big fan of timeless melodies with lyrics that are clever but don’t try to outsmart the listener.”
Price described himself as a student of all kinds of music; from classical to jazz to rock to something you’d hear just down the street in East Nashville. He doesn’t have any love though for what he called “pitchfork orgy dance tunes.”
Price will be flying out of town Thursday for some touring and musical adventures, but you can find him any stime on his main site, facebook or twitter.
By: Kaitlyn Crocker,
Creator of & Writer for EVOLve Nashville magazine
