Published: July 6, 2010 3:31 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight July 2010 Edition
Craig Erickson
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Craig Erickson
Craig Erickson passionately sings from the heart and soul that echoes his deep love for storytelling through his music. One gains a sense of fulfillment after listening to Erickson sing and a better understanding why he wants others to hear his music. In our weekly music spotlight, our Webzine highlights this creative and talented singer/songwriter in this week’s feature.
Isaac: Let’s get started with this interview. When and how did you first become interested in music? How long have you been playing music?
Craig: In Junior High School...I had a band that did covers of Cream, Hendrix, Mountain, Zeppelin, etc. We got more into funk and jazz and started playing Herbie Hancock, Sly Stone, Steely Dan, and originals...
But I have been playing music for 28 years...
Isaac: Who would you say are your biggest musical influences and why?
Craig: My dad was a jazz guitarist and teacher so he got me interested and helped me learn a lot. I discovered Hendrix and realized you could mix many styles of music together and create something unique as well as change styles as needed to reflect different happenings in your life and observation of the world. I was blown away by the funky synergy of bands like Allman Bros, The Band, The Grateful Dead... sheer over the top musical chops of bands like Weather Report, Yes, King Crimson, Return To Forever...and the soulful and insightful songwriting of people like Joni Mitchell, Dylan and Elvis Costello... The last few years been really into Kings X, Chris Whitley, Ani, and Derek Trucks.
Isaac: What has been the greatest highpoint in your career so far?
Craig: Flying to San Francisco to record for Mike Varney and Shrapnel records/ or...flying to Paris to do a promotional tour and the Salon De La Musique...a tossup!
Isaac: What has been the greatest disappointment in your career so far? What did you learn from that experience?
Craig:...probably discovering the advent of torrents where people load so much of my music for free all day long and I don't get any money for it...those who are selling massive amounts already aren't hurt so much...I realize that there are no guarantees and you have to be constantly working on something new...playing lots of live gigs and give people good reasons to support you and your quest to bring them great music, and still pay your rent, etc.
Isaac: What draws you to want to play the type of music that you do?
Craig: I gravitate towards music that expresses the human condition...all of it...good and bad...and offers some sort of spiritual connection that music has the power to express...
Isaac: What do you feel it takes to play this type of music that you play?
Craig: A lot of adventurous curious living and being very observant and sensitive to what’s happening around me and beyond. The live jamming is being free within parameters of some discipline. Confidence tempered by humility and love for others...
Isaac: What do you think you will create that will make your performances and who you are stand out in the music industry?
Craig: The combination of retro music sensibilities...with the open mind to the new innovations...wanting to be skilled, soulful and a little bit unpredictable. Not so interested in following trends as maybe trying to create one by accident.
Isaac: If you had the opportunity to do one cover, what cover would you do and why? How would you put your own spin on this cover?
Craig: I would love to do a cover of "Big Sky Country" by Chris Whitley...but done in either reggae, or like a dramatic sweeping soundtrack version with lush keyboards and Jeff Beck crying guitar or kind of an acid jazz funky version...I tend to radically rework all cover songs I do. It’s really fun...
Isaac: What does it take to be a good songwriter?
Craig: Talent, work, inspiration, patience and willingness to make mistakes and edit as needed...
Isaac: How difficult is it to juggle music, family and work obligation, and life in general? Explain.
Craig: That is a rough one...Being really driven by an artistic "muse" is quite demanding on the artist and everyone they know sometimes. I have been a little overdriven and obsessive at times and maybe been
an architect of heartbreak and various problems ,yet I have felt healing by expressing much of it in song...and the power of God’s love.
Isaac: What is your definition of being an Indie artist/band?
Craig: The courage and determination to carry on in the face of overwhelming odds and to march to your own drummer and work your tail off...
Craig: Interested in even more diverse songwriting and musical exploration, very edgy and improvised shows,..more production and collaboration with other artists ..and the sharing of music and lyric expressions with as many as possible ... playing each song, solo and show with intensity, dynamics and soul...I like music to save lives and give people a reminder of the good meaning of life and help them feel empathy and healing for the pain they may have gone or are going through...music is a sacred art form which can have such a powerful effect on the world...
