Remove had the chance to chat with the prolific home-recorder Craig Garwood on his approach to live shows, songwriting heroes, and his most recent record Sarah + Abraham.
What have you been up to? Give us an update on The Craig Garwood Group.
I have a new lineup for the band now. we’re a four-piece now consisting of Elton Defrance, John Shaughnessy, and Dylan Marcinkiewicz. we’ve been practicing pretty heavy since our last show around Thanksgiving time.
Your recordings and live shows have two distinct energies. What's your approach to the live show?
basically to play very loud and for me especially to put a lot of emotion into it. I feel like nobody wants to see someone stare at a microphone and barely move a muscle. that’s how I feel at least.
Would you ever do a live album?
yeah! whenever the opportunity approaches us. I wish I would’ve done one with the previous lineup before it changed. but I’m not actively seeking it out.
Tell us about your most recent record Sarah + Abraham. What's the story behind the album if there is one? What kind of headspace were you in when writing it?
It’s pretty much the same story with any of my other albums. I was listening to a lot of Smashing Pumpkins at the time, and a little bit before I was in a band with Krystian Quint and he used a big muff so that inspired me to write some louder songs. that’s pretty much the only thing that’s different. As for the title, I got it from one of my professors when I was going to school. It was a comparative religions class or something like that. He wrote “Abraham + Sarah” on the board and I liked that so I used it. And for my headspace, I guess I was kinda melancholy when writing all of the songs for it. I felt like everyone was out to get me.
What does songwriting mean to you?
I feel at this point in music there pretty much is nothing I personally can bring to the table. so style is everything. If I write, I don’t know, basically a Beatles song and I do it in my own style and my own way it’d come out as something really different and be uniquely distinct probably, whether it’s good or bad.
Who are some of your musical heroes?
Rick White is for sure really high up on my list. Kim Deal is who I try to mimic my vocal style or whatever from. I think Jeff Tweedy has really good lyrics. Mark Kozelek has way with words too. I have to add Beat Happening too they’re great.
Are there any interesting stories behind in any other songs in your back catalog?
Yeah, actually one that comes to mind is the song 'Chainsaw' off PEEPHOLE. I was working for my city's parks and rec department and I was using a chainsaw and not really paying attention, and it caught my pants and tore a big hole. I didn’t get hurt but I felt really stupid so I wrote a song about it.
What’s your favorite part of playing and putting out music?
putting out or recording music was something that appealed to me more at first than playing shows. I just really like recording and writing songs, and I feel like it’s the only thing I’m kinda good at, or at least confident with. I view it mainly as a hobby that I invest in. I don’t think it’ll ever get boring for me. playing, in general, is something that I don’t even recognize anymore. I play at least guitar every day not out of necessity or anything but just because it’s something I love doing so much, and I feel like if somebody else likes the way I play or likes the songs I write it just makes me love it more and keep doing it for as long as I’m alive.
Questions by Joey Molloy
I have a new lineup for the band now. we’re a four-piece now consisting of Elton Defrance, John Shaughnessy, and Dylan Marcinkiewicz. we’ve been practicing pretty heavy since our last show around Thanksgiving time.
Your recordings and live shows have two distinct energies. What's your approach to the live show?
basically to play very loud and for me especially to put a lot of emotion into it. I feel like nobody wants to see someone stare at a microphone and barely move a muscle. that’s how I feel at least.
Would you ever do a live album?
yeah! whenever the opportunity approaches us. I wish I would’ve done one with the previous lineup before it changed. but I’m not actively seeking it out.
Tell us about your most recent record Sarah + Abraham. What's the story behind the album if there is one? What kind of headspace were you in when writing it?
It’s pretty much the same story with any of my other albums. I was listening to a lot of Smashing Pumpkins at the time, and a little bit before I was in a band with Krystian Quint and he used a big muff so that inspired me to write some louder songs. that’s pretty much the only thing that’s different. As for the title, I got it from one of my professors when I was going to school. It was a comparative religions class or something like that. He wrote “Abraham + Sarah” on the board and I liked that so I used it. And for my headspace, I guess I was kinda melancholy when writing all of the songs for it. I felt like everyone was out to get me.
What does songwriting mean to you?
I feel at this point in music there pretty much is nothing I personally can bring to the table. so style is everything. If I write, I don’t know, basically a Beatles song and I do it in my own style and my own way it’d come out as something really different and be uniquely distinct probably, whether it’s good or bad.
Who are some of your musical heroes?
Rick White is for sure really high up on my list. Kim Deal is who I try to mimic my vocal style or whatever from. I think Jeff Tweedy has really good lyrics. Mark Kozelek has way with words too. I have to add Beat Happening too they’re great.
Are there any interesting stories behind in any other songs in your back catalog?
Yeah, actually one that comes to mind is the song 'Chainsaw' off PEEPHOLE. I was working for my city's parks and rec department and I was using a chainsaw and not really paying attention, and it caught my pants and tore a big hole. I didn’t get hurt but I felt really stupid so I wrote a song about it.
What’s your favorite part of playing and putting out music?
putting out or recording music was something that appealed to me more at first than playing shows. I just really like recording and writing songs, and I feel like it’s the only thing I’m kinda good at, or at least confident with. I view it mainly as a hobby that I invest in. I don’t think it’ll ever get boring for me. playing, in general, is something that I don’t even recognize anymore. I play at least guitar every day not out of necessity or anything but just because it’s something I love doing so much, and I feel like if somebody else likes the way I play or likes the songs I write it just makes me love it more and keep doing it for as long as I’m alive.
Questions by Joey Molloy