9 Questions to Newport Folk: Christopher Paul Stelling
Interestingly enough, the very first time I met Christopher Paul Stelling was last year at Newport in the Museum stage. It was the waiting period in the morning where I was wandering before the official sets started and I ended in the Open Mic on the Museum Stage hanging with my dear friend Dan Blakeslee. Dan was sitting next to Stelling and introduced us…then Christopher’s name was called for the open mic, he opened a case that was off to the side of the room and pulled out a rather road worn looking guitar. I was immediately intrigued. He then began to play and sing and I was dumbfounded. The energy that this man is able to unleash into his songs and performances is unprecedented. The power and talent he beholds is a rare and beautiful thing and I feel lucky to have been one of the folks watching that day. Well, sure enough, he must have wow a few others as this gent is back this year playing the festival in a more official capacity. I caught up with Christopher to talk about his new record and signing with Anti, playing to travel, and more with another edition of 9 Questions to Newport Folk. Check it…
1) For the fine folks who may not be as familiar with your work, how would you sum up your sound in a short phrase (10-15 words)?
CPS: I’m a songwriter, and I’m just trying to do the best I can… I have a proclivity for finger-picking, stomping, hollering, crooning, and just trying to untie this knot in song. It’s not really folk, blues, or country…and that’s just what it is.
2) What projects are you currently working on or have you recently released?
CPS: I’m releasing my 3rd record Labor Against Waste on ANTI- records on 6/16… I got two others: False Cities, and Songs of Praise and Scorn. I tour more often then not… I’m leaving for Europe tomorrow for 6 weeks and 35 shows…. My US tour starts at Newport Folk Festival. I hope to start recording another soon.
3) Newport Folk is celebrated for its collaborations, community and bringing folks together for a weekend where they may not see each other otherwise. How do you feel about that preservation of unity and family sentiment in the folk music community? How does it play into your own music and where you come from? Is there a “scene” or community that you feel especially attached to?
CPS: I’m not certain that tradition is unique to folk music… but I love it… I think where-ever good people get together and share what they do that sentiment comes out. I do think Newport is a one of a kind happening that is an island unto itself. It needs to be experienced to be believed. It’s the mothership of festivals. I was for a longtime a musical loner. My life has gotten exponentially better since a lot of these “folks” came into it.
4) Do you have a favorite moment on stage from your career? Something that just stands out as special and has given you the urge to keep on going.
CPS: Tons of them…
5) If you could collaborate with anyone (dead or alive) musically, who would it be?
CPS: Hamza El Din, Erroll Garner, Paul Motion, Skip James, Woody Guthrie… I’d love to write lyrics with Richard Brautigan, Tagore, Faulkner, Kafka, … But come to think of it I collaborate with these guys and many more all the time… they just don’t know it… or maybe they do.
6) 1 record that shaped you when you first started playing and 1 ‘lesser known’/indepdent record or artist that you are now/are listening to now that you think folks really need to hear about?
CPS: Nick Drake’s Pink Moon was very special to me… that VW commercial in 99 came out and I was like WHAT IS THAT?!?!
I think more people should listen to Malcolm Holcombe. He is the realest thing in songwriting… And I’ll stand on Steve Earl’s dining room table in my bare ass muddy feet and sing that to the rafters.
7) So, why is creating music important to you? Why do you hit the stage night after night, pull out the old song notebook every day, or whatever else you do to let loose your creativity?
CPS: Forgive me if I’ve said this before… but I believe it to be true: Some people travel to play music… I play music to travel… It turned out that this habit of mine facilitated my wonder lust.
8) Aside from music, do you have any other pastimes? What would you want people to know about you aside from your musical endeavors?
CPS: I like to cook, read, draw, make stuff out of found leather. Ya know: the good stuff.
9) Anything else you want to plug or we should know?
CPS: I hope people will listen to this record… and if you like it well enough, I hope you’ll buy it so I can make another one.
See you at the fort?
Yes sir, yes you will
