Old Man Luedecke – Easy Money

By starrymag | July 2, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound? 

 

A) Right now, it’s folk music with a bit of calypso. I’m a banjo player first, before a guitarist, so most of my songs at some point have been composed on a banjo which lends a certain old timey-ness to it even if the lyrics and structures are less traditional. 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences? 

 

A) Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Tim O’Brien, The Jolly Boys, Paul Simon, Michael Hurley

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Easy Money.”

 

A) “Easy Money” is a banjo led sing along celebrating the wish to have it easy and not have to work so hard. It’s really a bunch of improvised verses with the melody of an old hymn. It all happened very fast and without much thought right on the floor of the studio during a session at the Banff Centre in the mountains of Alberta. 

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) The melody and sentiment— It’s easy enough to say, “Oh yes, I need it. Oh yes, I want it,” when referring to easy money.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it? 

 

A) Well, it’s a bunch of shots of me in very expensive places in LA playing banjo, but I wouldn’t want you to think that’s where I’d move if I had the dough. I’m pretty happy in the country in Nova Scotia. Like visiting though. 

 

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

 

A) Both usually happen at the same time— usually some words fit something musically and blow past the filters in a thrilling and exciting end to weeks of laborious depression. Then, I write more lyrics and then write more music. Sometimes parts of the earlier work are obviously a part of the spark of inspiration in a way that makes you feel retroactively grateful to the process. 

 

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

 

A) A big one? Depends on the project but the group of people that work on the record all have thousands of minute and major aesthetic choices vis a vis performance, sound and feel that I am aware of and involved with and referred to about by the actual producer who in this case was quite wonderful. 

 

Q) What are some themes we’ll see explored on your new Easy Money album?

 

A) Well, the death of my dad and middle age musings. There’s quite a bit about my own parenting in Easy Money, dad jokes and I skipped a stone. There’s some local color of the Canadian Maritimes in the songs about Sardines and the one about the Oak Island mystery called “Money Pit.”

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Old Man Luedecke performance? 

 

A) Pretty funny and ever-changing banter and a good selection of old and new favorites. I’ll be working with a band more heading into this album touring, but still see my performing life as based around my solo banjo show. 

 

Q) There are 9 songs on the album. How were you able to pair it down to that specific number?

 

A) I had ten original ones recorded and cut one, but I think there are 12 total songs right now— about average for a record. I wrote these as a record so there’s a bit of thematic overlap. This is my third release on vinyl and that determines side lengths and overall length. I still stand by having more and shorter songs— it suits my show and my personality. 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new album as a whole? 

 

A) Joy and the desire to listen again and get more. The songs can be rich lyrically so there’s always something else on another pass, not to mention musically there’s some nice playing on here.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

 

A) I really love the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield Quebec. I played there on my first ever tour and have been getting there ever since. It’s remote and radical and outside of Ottawa, Canada in a beautiful village.

 

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

 

A) Not sure yet. I’ve been lucky to collaborate with people whose music I love like Tim O’Brien and Afie Jurvanen of Bahamas. 

 

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

 

A) Oh, I’m back listening to License to Ill by the Beastie Boys again— I had forgotten how much I loved it.   

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans? 

 

A) I don’t think I’m very good at it. I’m hooked on it to some degree with wild bouts of trying to quit (even sang a lyric about it in “The Death of Truth” – “Anger on the Left and anger on the Right/ I’m caught on the same line that kept you up at night/ Though your grandkids are growing up with love/I wouldn’t let the trolls drink of”) But I think you can tell that I don’t have much flair for it. I occasionally post something on Instagram, which is about my life that feels like the right kind of sharing. I guess being bad at it is not only my personality but my persona to some degree. Just another of the huge swaths of life to be better at. 

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work? 

 

A) Thanks for listening with an open heart. I can’t imagine anyone else can hear it at all.