O68 What was your most memorable experience from your time as a member of the iconic rock band The Police and how do you think that inspired or influenced you as an artist?
AS I suppose the obvious answer would be when we played Shea Stadium and went to number one in America. But when I reflect on it, I think it would be when we did a little show at a university in Bath, England. The audience reception for us was so strong and overwhelming that I think that was a very outstanding and exciting moment for us and a signifier of the future…it’s like that’s when we knew we were going to be something significant!
O68 You are jazz, classical, and rock guitarist – what musical genre do you thrive in most or do you enjoy each one?
AS I’m attracted to all kinds of music, I never felt that I was just singly one thing. I primarily started off wanting to be a jazz guitarist. Sometime later, I went to university and played classical guitar. Ultimately, all these things blended together into the voice that I’ve tried to find with the guitar so… it’s a combination of all three.
O68 You picked up photography while touring with The Police. How has it evolved over the past 40 years? Does your photography inspire your music or does your music influence your photos?
AS When I started photography seriously, I was photographing from the inside of an incredibly famous rock band, but I also studied photography and went out into the world everywhere I possibly could to shoot photographs. I was very naturally drawn to it, so it’s continued to be a part of me, not as a hobby, but as a way of getting through life.
O68 What is the meaning behind the title of your current tour The Cracked Lens and a Missing String?
AS The title is an indication of the kind of evening listeners might expect, which will be pretty quirky by most standards. The idea of The Cracked Lens and a Missing String is that these are things that you might call setbacks, but in many ways, they are the things that often push you forward to unexpected results.
O68 What can people expect from your upcoming show at the Ridgefield Playhouse on July 23rd?
AS This show is where I finally bring two things together that I’m passionate about – music and photography – and I’ve invented what I think is a pretty unique show. I hope people at the Ridgefield Playhouse will have an intriguing and exciting night. •
