If
you’re driving through the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silverlake and
happen to see a man playing a child’s pink guitar on a street corner, no
need to blink, that’s just Craig Elkins, setting up shop. The former
frontman of the 90’s indie band, Huffamoose (Interscope Records) says he
just loves playing live, especially after discovering his daughters
little nylon string guitar. “It’s one of my few escape mechanisms.”
Craig Elkins’ latest project is entitled I Love You (due out July 10th, 2012). Known for his witty stream-of-consciousness lyrics and deep inviting voice, Elkins says I Love You is
inspired by his struggles to be a functional Dad, husband and
contributing member to society. “You know, you get to be a certain age,
all of these responsibilities just sort of sneak up on you and you have
to try to keep your shit together but you have nowhere to hide or
escape—no one to talk to.”
Self-described
as a singer/songwriter geek rocker with a bit of melancholy, Elkins
penned his first tune at the age of 30, the song “I Wanna Buy you a
Ring” which ended up on the Huffamoose Interscope record. Huffamoose
was a Philly rock band with a cult following, a mainstage gig at
Woodstock ’94, a Horde tour and three solid albums. The single from the
record We’ve Been Had Again- “Wait”
charted on Billboard at Modern Rock, AAA and college radio. The band
appeared on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and soon after the
documentary “Here Comes Huffamoose” was released. The film follows the
band as they make their way from being “The next big thing” to their
ultimate dissolution. Cameron Crowe claimed the documentary as “one of
the greatest rock movies ever” in Premiere magazine 2004.
Elkins
had briefly retired from the music business after the demise of
Huffamoose and then, upon hearing an interview with Arlo and Sarah
Guthrie singing the classic Woody Guthrie song "This Land is Your Land"
he was inspired. It was then that Elkins became determined to have his
then three-year-old daughter, Esme, grow up watching him do something
that he truly loved. After settling in Los Angeles, CA, he recorded two
projects-- one under the band name, O.L.D. “I Live in a World” and one
under the name of Craig Craigstofferson “A Final Blaze of Glory”.
His latest record, I Love You
is the first project under his own name. He assembled the band on the
record with the help of good friend (bass player on the album and
co-producer), Marko Fox. Borrowing 2 players from the Counting Crows
(Adam Duritz was a Huffamoose fan), Dave Immergluck plays guitar and
mandolin while Charlie Gillingham is on piano and organ. Adding Neil
Larson on piano (Leonard Cohen), Pete Thomas on drums (Elvis Costello)
they also had help from Jason Karaban, Steve Patt, Eno Fox, Jaimie
Hovorka, Jeremy Levy with some vocal lendings from Rynne Stump.
Written by Elkins, the lyrics on I Love You
find him mining cathartic and universal territory as he struggles with
the feelings of isolation and disconnect. While the subject of the songs
may be heavy at times, Elkins lightens things up with his quirky,
sardonic wit.
In “Offing Myself” Elkins sings the bridge in a dulcet voice, “When I was a young man, I liked to drink-- I liked to turn myself inside out-- I liked to make people angry but
I am not a young man anymore--I am not a young man anymore--And I got
no idea how to cope”. "Most of the People" pays homage to the fact that
we're all human going through the same struggle called life. Horns soar
as Elkins sings "Most of the people that you see in the street or from
your car or in the store or some other place in the space that you
occupy are gonna die Before you get a chance to see em again".
“Tumbleweeds” hears the mandolin lending to the country rock feel of
the tune. The song sounds buoyant but belies the desolation of the
lyrics, “I nuzzle up to my child when she's sleeping and put my head on
her chest to feel her breath and let the rhythm start my superficial
heart”.
Craig
Elkins is hoping this record connects with people of a certain age with
kids, people in relationships, or those who are just struggling. Not
to leave the young people out—I have this whole other audience of
younger folks who seem to really connect with my music,” Elkin says, “I
think it’s because they’re relieved that the old dude up there on stage
doesn’t suck.”
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