Exclusive Interview with Alan Curtis Ediger AKA “Whitebeard”
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- April 21, 2020
How would you classify your music?
My 1st 2 albums were kind of all over the map but with the last album “Plaid is the New Black” I have kind of settled into the indie pop/Americana genre. The next album “Gunfighters Only Lose Once” is along the same vein although the first single, “Dream of Me” has a definite reggae feel to it.
Who are some of your top 5 musical influences?
The Beatles first and foremost, Elvis Costello, Chris Cornell, The Kooks, and Jaymay.
What do you want fans to take from your music?
It does not matter to me what they take but if they feel something, then that is what it is all about.I want the song to put them somewhere that brings up some emotion for them
How’s the music scene in your locale?
I split my time between Winnipeg and Nashville, obviously very different scenes. In Winnipeg the local scene is not extremely vibrant but I am the front man for an AC/DC tribute band, “Whole Lotta Angus” and we draw big crowds to all our shows. My own music is not at all like AC/DC so I do not get a ton of crossover. In Nashville, I spent the bulk of my time writing, collaborating and indulging in the vibrant original music scene there.
What is the best concert you have been to? What do you like most about playing live?
Chris Cornell. His acoustic show was phenomenal. I sat close enough to see the whites of his eyes. The stage was just him, a stool and an acoustic guitar. The best part of playing live is seeing the response from the people. Being able to make someone smile is intoxicating, I played an acoustic show on a patio maybe 5 years ago and there was a woman who was smiling through the whole first set. On the break she tearfully told me that she was battling cancer and the 45 minutes she was listening to me were the first times she had forgotten her troubles and could just sit back and enjoy in a very long time. That was a very humbling day for me and really accentuated why we do this.
Is there a song on your latest CD release here that stands out as your personal favorite, and why?
It is hard to pick a favorite but Eddie’s Store, which has not been released yet, will always pull at the heartstrings. I wrote the song with Annette Barkley in Nashville and it is a whimsical, melancholy track about missing the carefree days of youth. My son, Cole, who was also my drummer, unexpectedly passed away just 10 days after we recorded that one and the new release “Dream of Me”. So those 2 songs will always be linked to my last memories of his musicianship. I also felt that Eddie’s Store is my best lyric to date.
How have you evolved as an artist over the last year?
In the last year I have learned to appreciate the power of the lyric and have really broadened my tastes to almost any genre. Plaid is the New Black was released in April 2019 and did quite well (by my standards). I am trying to navigate the music scene to get my songs out to as many as possible but the model seems to be changing almost daily.
If you could meet, play a gig, co-write a song, have dinner, have a drink with any band or artist (dead or alive) who would it be?
Obviously my son, but I guess thinking of the bigger stage, the Beatles. It amazes me that Paul McCartney could write the lyric to Yesterday when he was only 22 years old.
What’s next for you?
I have to put the finishing touches on the next album. The corona virus has put a huge damper on this summer’s festival circuit. I want to continue working on the craft of songwriting and hopefully catch a break or 2, maybe opening for someone, getting some more airplay, and just enjoying the fact that I can play music and hopefully make something that someone wants to listen to.
More on Mr. Whitebeard https://www.whitebeardmusic.com/bio
End of Interview
