Craig Wedren – No Estoy Triste

By starrymag | May 31, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) My sound mutates depending on what interests me at any given age and stage. For film and TV, the musical style can vary radically from show to show. I think of that as character acting – trying on different genres.  My own personal music tends to be highly melodic and somewhat disorienting, whether in a rock context (Shudder To Think) or a more experimental songwriter-ly mode (like my upcoming album Adult Desire.)  Let’s call it all “Art Pop.”

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Off the top of my head, my favorite band is (and always has been) X, the composer that has most influenced me it John Cage. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Terry Riley, Alice Coltrane and Juana Molina. I also think that Kate Bush is kind of the best ever. [smile]

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “No Estoy Triste.”

 

A) When my friend Ken Marino and I were working on How To Be A Latin Lover (Ken directed the movie), he wanted an upbeat, family-themed song to end the film and leave the audience humming. Ken and I have been besties since college and our kids are super-close, too. We got them all together and recorded everybody singing the chorus (“no estoy triste!”) and then recorded Ken’s 6-year-old daughter ruminating on family and love, which I cut into a few instrumental moments in the song.  I brought in Jungle Fire – our Latin Lover house band extraordinaire – to play on the track and it became a kitchen-sink kind of celebration of love, happiness and family that capped off the film.  A Spanglish jamboree!

 

Q) Was it inspired by the film How To Be a Latin Lover or one that just fit well for it?

 

A) “No Estoy Triste” was written very specifically for How To Be A Latin Lover. Fit-to-order! [smile]

 

Q) How did you come to feature Jungle Fire on the track?

 

A) Jungle Fire were our ‘house band’ for How To Be A Latin Lover. I mean, let’s face it, Ken and I are gringos. I have a love and facility for different kinds of Latin music, but my ancestors were Russian Jews who moved to Cleveland.  We wanted to make sure everything was authentic and we knew there needed to be an element of classic, ’70s-ish Latin Funk (think “War”). Howard Paar, the film’s music supervisor, and Johnny Katovsich from Lionsgate suggested Jungle Fire who were PERFECT.  We really hit it off, used a couple of their songs in the film and when I needed a band sound for some of the film’s instrumental score. They were my players and collaborators.  Their sound blended beautifully with the orchestral score and gave a lot of texture and personality (Not to mention greasy FUNK!) to the music overall.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) My writing process varies depending on the project and I try to use different approaches to stay limber and keep discovering. For my songs, the music usually comes first, then the melody and then the lyrics. When a melody arises, it often comes out as phonetic gobbledygook and sometimes I like to leave it that way because it can engage the listener’s imagination, where they fill in the blanks for what they think I might be saying.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) At this point, I produce just about all of my music, be it for film/TV or songs and albums. I have a composing team, Pink Ape, comprised of friends with complementary skill sets and everybody plays in the sonic sandbox. Bo Boddie is my mixer extraordinaire.

 

Q) Will you, personally, have an EP or full album coming in the near future?

 

A) I’m just completing my new album, Adult Desire, which should be out late-Summer/early Fall 2017!

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I’d like to collaborate with Juana Molina. She’s a perennial fav of mine. But there are some pop artists with/for whom I’d love to write. I think Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, for instance, could use a little help finishing their ideas. [smile]

 

Q) Your music has frequently been featured in films and television. How does that make you feel?

 

A) I’ve always been a film nut and have been obsessed with music since memory. Being able to combine the two has been a dream come true and it still makes me giddy.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

 

A) I’ve been listening to “Halo” by Juana Molina. She’s an Argentinian iconoclast who makes gorgeous, unique music that feels like it comes straight from her subconscious. Her music is somehow earthy and astral at the same time.  The strangeness feels unforced and is both cocoon-like and slightly unsettling.  I recommend it!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. What does it mean to you when people reach out to you with appreciation for your work?

 

A) It means a great deal to me when people reach out to (usually through social media) to express love or thanks for my music. My line of work can be solitary and I don’t tour or perform as much as I used to. So, hearing from listeners helps complete some kind of circuit and remind me that I’m not doing this in a vacuum. Fans of my music, beginning with Shudder To Think, have always been passionate and we’ve always had a pretty direct and personal line of communication, which is important to me.

 

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure we share about your music and what is to come for you?

 

A) It’s been a strange couple of weeks, where Chris Cornell died, followed by the 20th anniversary of both Tim Taylor (Brainiac) and Jeff Buckley’s death. They were all friends and genies to me. The sadness and unresolved ache that’s been coming in waves, contrasted with the joy I feel in my own life and work, has me feeling acutely thankful.  And strange.  And alive.  And wanting to create.