A Q&A with Cree Rider

Cosmic Americana, from St. Louis…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
The title is ‘All of the Love’. The follow up lyric is “only some of the time.” It’s about struggling with art, passion, love and life.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
The waiting is the hardest part. Patience is such a crucial part of the recording process. First you have a song, then you work up the song with a band, then you go to a studio, then you organise any other musicians/parts/overdubs. Then you mix and mix and revise. Then you master it. Then you get the art together, and get set to release it. There’s probably a half dozen steps I am missing. It’s a test of patience to see the process through. But you trust the process because in the end, you want to release something to the world of meaning and value, and of course you want it to sound good!

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it?
Our friends in the UK, The Animal Farm (an indie record label), mixed, mastered and released this song. I really to enjoy our collaboration together. They bring an outside the box vision of the song that I can miss myself, being so involved in the creation of the song. There will be a part of the song that they will rework, and I will just go, “Yes!”. Sometimes you need someone not attached to the creation of the work to provide input to take it to another level.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
I want them to connect emotionally to the music. I want them to have a sense of intrigue and wonder. I want it to inspire them to listen to more music, and to take a chance on artists they may not be familiar with.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
I think I mentioned but basically, I will bring the song to my band, we work it up and everyone gets a chance to add to their input, then we hit the studio and the engineer helps us get the best recording possible and adds their input and expertise. Then we go into mixing process, and we may have guest musicians or overdubs to work on for a while. Then we really make a strong mix of the song and send it over to our friends The Animal Farm in the UK, where they take their stab at a fresh mix. Then I would with them in partnership as we create the best track we think we can, get it mastered and release it. It takes a lot of time and communication, and while that can be trying at times, in the end it is the best part. Building relationships and sharing ideas through music. Then finally we get to give it to the listener, and at that point, it becomes yours!

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
I really enjoy the southwestern desert sounds of Calexico (from Tuscon, AZ) and I feel that vibe in this track. It’s a sort of lonely, spacious, desert rock sound, which I also feel harkens back to the band Love and their song ‘Alone Again Or’. I have this vision of creating Cosmic American music, like so many of my favorites, and this track exemplifies the sound and vision I have for that.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
I would love to travel in the UK and Europe. I’d love to play the old concert halls across the pond from us. In the US, a dream would be to play at the Ryman Auditorium, in Nashville Tennessee, the home of the Grand Ole Opry!

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
This is the one! ‘All of the Love’. It is an example of the Cosmic American sound of Cree Rider. And go listen to Love’s ‘Alone Again Or’ as well, as an example of our inspiration.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
I am very lucky and blessed. I am already doing what I want to do. I write, record and play music, and I share it with the world by releasing those tunes, and by playing concerts. I am lucky to have partnerships with a label that gets my music into TV and movies (Lovecat Records) and now I am working with Animal Farm in the UK, trying to expand my audience. The ambition here would be just to continue working to expand the audience, to continue progressing and to take it to the next level. But let me tell you, if it all ended for me tomorrow somehow, I have already lived my dream of creating art and connecting with people via that music. It is a very beautiful and special thing.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Thank you, good night, be safe, and I hope to see you again. Keep searching for new music, and keep connecting with art, whether it be visual art, literature or music. There is nothing more human and unique in us all then our ability to find meaning through art. It is a special gift given to us.

For more info visit: facebook.com/creeridermusic