Influenced in equal parts by such artists as The Beatles, Peter Gabriel, and Neil Finn's work both solo and with Crowded House, Castello's music takes its cues from these groups by emphasizing melody and straightforward pop structure. He strives to keep his music keyed in with these basic foundations, even as his songwriting method remains very loose and relaxed.

"I pick up the guitar and start playing around with it, and if something comes, then I go with it. If I feel like I'm just fumbling around with it, I just put the guitar down. With writing songs, ultimately everyone knows when it's finished. It's like painting that last gob of paint. It's either going to be a Jackson Pollock, or a Salvador Dali, or a Vincent van Gogh," he says with a laugh. "That's how music is."

Together with producer Jeff Aderman, he set out to turn these impromptu ideas into the full-group versions he heard in his head, a project which became the genesis of Self Portrait. Crediting Aderman's helpful assistance and keyboard work, as well as an arsenal of drum loops, electric guitars, and different kinds of percussion, Castello says the two arrived at a sound in the studio that he was looking for. The vibe of the cuts from it he has posted online does justice toward the pop groups he is enamored with. There are layers of instrumentation, and the lyrics look at human relationships, wordplay that is equal parts upbeat, lovelorn, and at times even a bit subversive. The problem now, he says, is to pull off the songs live on his own.

"I have a lot of anxiety before a show," he admits candidly. "The songs aren't really meant for the guitar totally alone, and that creates a problem. You need to have some type of a physical connection with an audience. I think it's very difficult for people who are just themselves and an acoustic guitar, and they sit in these coffeehouses on these stools. The pressure is really on for someone like that. When you're solo, you really have to think a lot more, because you're really taking it all on. With a full band, you can just kind of rely on your crew, your lighting guy or second guitarist or whoever. It's like you have a little army. There is that kind of camaraderie and that interaction with the audience, and building that with just your influence solo can be hard."

To counteract this, Castello envisions a stripped-down three piece of himself with a keyboard player and drummer, one that he hopes to put together in the near future and have back him up when he plays out. For many solo performers, the problem is often how to flesh out their solitary performances into full-group songs in the studio. For Castello, the reverse has happened, but he has found inspiration in one of his biggest idols: Crowded House's frontman Neil Finn, who went solo and found creative ways to back himself up on his own in the studio and when playing out. Several occasions where he was able to meet Finn and hang out with him, including a game of Frisbee ("He's pretty good," Castello notes) only served to fuel Castello to take his current tack as a musician. Even as he looks ahead and plans to fill out his sound, Castello remains steadfast that he can still do something that will resonate with listeners.

"If you listen to the radio, every song is about love in some case, unrequited love, chasing love, or something about the human condition, so everybody connects to it. What else is music about? It's going to affect you in some way. A lot of my music conveys things that people go through in their lives, and I want people to walk away with some sort of feeling that it was saying something."

To hear for yourself, Castello will be appearing at Mojo'z Café at 3 p.m. August 23 as part of the third annual Clinton Art and Music Festival. More information about him can be found online at:

www.myspace.com/johncastellomusic