“Songs 'not poetry,' but they hit home”

Posted: 27 Nov 2010 06:30 AM PST

By JANE STEVENSON, QMI AGENCY

Posted 19 hours ago

It'll be a big shocker next Wednesday night in L.A. if singer-songwriter-producer Bruno Mars isn't one of the top Grammy nominees.

Mars, who is scheduled to perform on the Dec. 1 Grammy Nominations Con-cert's live telecast (Global, CBS) has pro-duced, co-written or sung on some of the biggest hits of the last year and a half.

Among his achievements -- K'naan's Wavin' Flag, Flo Rida's Right Round fea- turing Ke$ha, B.o.B.'s Nothin' on You, "Travie" McCoy's Billionaire, Cee Lo's F---You -- and now his own No. 1 hit, Just the Way You Are, from his debut album Doo- Wops & Hooligans.

But the 25-yearold artist, in Toronto recent ly for his first-ever Canadian con-cert featuring his brother Eric on drums (he also has four sisters), is demure when asked about his Grammy chances.

"Wow -- I don't really think about those things when it comes to Grammys and stuff," said Mars in a Canadian news-paper exclusive with QMI Agency.

"I think it's very important (but) I don't know how to feel about that. You can't believe the hype.

"People always ask me how do you write these songs? I don't know what songs are going to be a hit. I do know what feels good in the studio. It's when you start believing the hype that every-thing you write is good, when you're untouchable.

"That's when the s--t hits the fan." In Mars' case, he was busted for cocaine possession in September in Las Vegas and the case is still before the courts. His publicists tell reporters not to ask about it.

When asked more generally what the Hooligan part of his album title is about, he said: "I don't know about bad boy. (I'm) just young. I'm not geeking out, writing love songs in the studio all day. I like to watch shows. I like to go out. I like to listen to music. I like to dance. I love jumping on stage, that's where the hooli-gan side comes from."

As for his current heartthrob status, the single Mars, whose Toronto show was packed with screaming girls, doesn't know what to make of it.

"I definitely heard them," he said of the loud female fans. "I feel a little weird -- 'a heartthrob' -- is just so funny for me to hear ... I mean look, I write love songs, I don't want biker guys at my show."

As for the other part of the album title, Mars' love of doowop music is his main inspiration, thanks to the influence of his singer-musician father.

"I think that's where my style comes from as far as songwriting 'cause it's pretty straightforward, simple music but it was charming and it had melody, beautiful harmonies," said Mars.

"And I think that's why I write simple songs -- Just the Way You Are, Nothin' on You-- it's not saying nothing too poetic or mind-blowing but it's hitting home.

"It's been a long time since a straight-forward song has been out ... You Are So Beautiful, You Look Wonderful Tonight, Billy Joel's Just the Way You Are-- those are the songs I listen to."

Born Peter Hernandez in Honolulu (the family nickname Bruno -- after wrestler Bruno Sammartino -- stuck) before he moved to L.A. at age 18 to pursue music, but almost gave up on his dream.

Good thing he didn't.

"(I was) close to giving up at one point," he said. "I did get signed (and dropped by Motown). It's not like it is in the movies.

"You get signed and all of the sudden you're rubbing shoulders with the hit producers, and the hit songs are falling in your lap and you get to tour the world.

"I basically found out in that process you have to do everything yourself, and you should do everything yourself, if you want to be an artist and not a manufac-tured puppet.

"I wanted to say I wrote my own songs so that first deal didn't work out but it was because of my frustration of waiting on producers, songwriters, that's when I took the liberty of, 'Alright, I'm doing this s--t on my own.' "

jane.stevenson@sunmedia.ca

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