Lins Honeyman spoke to Hong Kong-based US singer/songwriter JEFF CAYLOR following the release of his eagerly awaited second album

Jeff: I'm inspired by a variety of things: books, poems, movies, other music and especially conversations. There are ideas everywhere if you pay attention. I think the best songwriters are the ones who notice the simplest concept, turn of phrase or nugget of wisdom and turn it into a great song. Several of the songs on 'What Birds Dream' came from a songwriting experiment to write 14 songs in a month. The plan is to force yourself to be really creative in a compressed amount of time and I find that works really well for me. You start to work your creative muscles and they kick into overdrive. Of course, it's impossible to plan when you're going to be inspired but, as any songwriter will tell you, you can't just sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. It's a discipline first.

Lins: You've been putting a lot of work into expanding your online presence.

Jeff: I'm a student of everything and I'm really sort of a nerd at heart. Being an early adopter has its drawbacks at times but I love trying new things. I've got a presence on Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Tangle, Twitter, Last.fm, Ustream.tv, Pandora and a few others just in case. I've also experimented with webcasting my concerts and I put a lot of work into music videos. I love making music and I love experimenting with it all at this time and place in music history.

Lins: It sounds as though you're a busy man!

(photo: Joel Strayer)

Jeff: For me, the biggest challenge is knowing where to spend my time. Should I take time to write a blog post, send my CD to a radio station, work on getting some local distribution or write a new song? It's a juggling act but it's a great opportunity to learn the ropes of the business. Someday I'll hire a manager to do all this!

Lins: You recently presented some awards at the Dove Awards. What was that like?

Jeff: I had a ton of fun presenting at the Dove Awards and I'd totally do it again. They may never consider me for an award but it was cool to be included in the evening as an independent artist. I think I was one of just a handful of independent artistes involved in the programme that night. It was a blast and a little surreal at times!

Lins: You've said in the past that you want to make art that inspires people to live beyond themselves and to make decisions that impact an ever-widening sphere of influence. In practice, how does this work and how does art enable people to do this?

Jeff: Well, I don't know for a fact that it works and I don't think every one of my songs and lyrics would be an example of that in practice. However, I do want the Jeff Caylor catalogue to look like that when all is said and done. I want there to be a trajectory that points to the ultimate source of hope and to our responsibility to one another as people. Art is a powerful tool. I think art can present a point or make a commentary without being explicit. Often, I find the most powerful songs are the ones where I infer what's being said. Of course, there are times when I need a song that spells it all out but I really come back to songs that make me dig for the meaning a little bit.

Lins: How does being a Christian influence what you do artistically and musically?

Being a Christian is the foundation of everything for me. I lead music at my church and I'm passionate about seeing people worship God. We sang "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" a fortnight ago. It has a great melody and a great lyric but it's 500 years old! Did Martin Luther have any clue that he was writing something so timeless back in the early part of the 16th century? In Matthew 25, there's a clear message that we should make the most of what we've been given. To me, I think this song by Martin Luther is a perfect example of this principle in action and I think it would be amazing to create something even a fraction as timeless as that.

Lins: You're touring the US at the end of this year and you've come a long way since your first release in 2004. What have you learnt in that period of time?

Jeff: I think I'm continuing to learn about the process. Whether you're just learning or at the end of a career, you're still on your way to somewhere and the journey is really what is important. In other words, don't wish it away and miss it!