PGH is all about helping artists highlight their most recent projects, so let us all know what your latest project is – and tell us about how it come into the world. What has the initial feedback on it been like?

GARY NIEMEKSKI: have been working on the current project for about a year now. The album would be called “Till Then” and expected to be released by the end of this year. So far, there has been great anticipation on when the whole project would be finished.

Are there any particular songs on this project that are special to you or communicate a message that you’d like to share here?

GARY: I wrote a song called “Till Then” which is the name of the album dedicated to my father who passed away in 2008. It is a song about how much of an influence and impression he made on my life since I am a father now.

As we all know, the music industry has been devastated for many reasons over the past 10 years, what are you thoughts on these changes and are you finding some of the changes helpful to you with getting more people to hear your music?

GARY: I think the music industry now is all about quantity and not quality. There are so many good songwriters and artists that will never get discovered for the real reason why we are all in this business.

Along the lines of this discussion, it would be really interesting to get your thoughts on what you think the future of ‘music enjoyment’ will look like in the coming years?  How do you personally enjoy and ‘consume’ music?  Any trends you’ve noticed with your own habits compared to, say, 10 years ago?

GARY: I hope and believe that music will go back to basics in the next 5-10 years. More melodies and musicianship.

We would love to hear what your plans on with your next project – Are you going to a full CD, an EP or just release songs as you finish them?  Release them digital only or combine physical with the digital or what?

GARY: I have in the works 2-3 more CD’s in the works.

Is there a particular musician(s) you’d love to collaborate with – and why?

GARY: I would love to collaborate with Marshall Crenshaw and Eric Carmen. They are two brilliant songwriters!

Advance apologies: the so-called ‘classic’ questions.   What other artists and bands have influenced your music and any particular reason why? Also, push come to shove: “Your Top 5 Albums Of All Time”?  (Pop Geeks really are interested in this, trust us!)

GARY: Beatles, Rasberries, Cheap Trick

Top five albums:

1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band–Beatles

2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road—Elton John

3. Bridge over Troubled Water—Simon & Garfunkel

4. Abbey Road—Beatles

5. Dark Side of the Moon—Pink Floyd

Okay, last question:  Where can we hear more of your music and any other releases you have?

GARY: We have one CD released in 2006 and only made a 100 copies.

Check out The Starfire Band on MySpace