Interview with David Eugene Edwards
by Gerard J. Walhof
from Dutch TV/Radio station VPRO, 25 August 2002
at the Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen (NL)
A 22-minute interview with David Eugene Edwards was conducted during the Lowlands-festival by the Dutch radiostation VPRO. Questions were asked by 16hp-fans through the internet. If you want to listen to the Realaudio-file, you can go here. Otherwise you can read below a selection of the more interesting questions and answers.
Interviewer: Gerard J. Walhof
Question 1: What does Scrawled in Sap mean and what is the song about?
DEE: Scrawled in Sap is when people write their name on a tree, when they carve their name into a tree. It's usually with a heart
someone loves someone and they carve it into a tree. That's what that means. It's about when I met my wife, basically.
I: But, it's more symbolic
DEE: Right! No, I didn't carve any name into a tree. [laughing] When I was a kid I did.
Question 2: In Holland you are a big name. But how big are you in your own country?
DEE: Euh
maybe like 3 inches tall [laughing]
I: Maybe you could answer it by means of record-sales or something like that.
DEE: I don't know. It depends. In certain cities we do really well. In other cities it's much more difficult. It's the same in Europe as well
but we do better here.
I: But back in the States does it really differ from city to city. I can imagine that you're quite big in Denver, of course.
DEE: Yeah, we do really well in Denver, we do well in Seattle. Mostly on the coast, east coast, west coast. And in the South we do really well. In the Midwest it's really more difficult.
I: Do you have an explanation for that?
DEE: You just can't go everywhere and tour. And if you don't get played on the radio, which we don't in America, then nobody knows who we are.
I: Not at all? Not even at college stations?
DEE: Well sure, there are college-stations
but just in general. It's much more difficult for people to find things up. Because the word of mouth is so spread out. I think word of mouth is much more effective in Europe, because people travel a lot more and they are closer together.
I: And you play a lot of here.
DEE: Exactly.
Question 3: The arrangements on "Folklore" are much more sober. Will you be looking for this minimal style in the future?
DEE:
I don't know. We never really think about it
in the future necessarily
we just kind of do what we feel doing in the moment. Things change all the time.
I: But you are aware that the arrangements are sparse?
DEE: We tried to figure out what not to do, instead of what we could do. Which is usually not the way we work. So.
no, just to leave space where you would normally fill something up with an instrument or sound.
I: Is it like when you start composing or actually arranging your songs that you first put quite a lot in it and the sort of peel it off?
DEE: We have done that before. But this time we went into it and did it really basic and left it like that. It can be sort of uncomfortable a little bit
but that was something we enjoyed about it.
I: In what way uncomfortable?
DEE: Just in doing it and feeling that it's not done and that there is more you want to do with it, but leaving it that way anyway. And when you listen to it too
it kind of has that feeling that
that slight uneasiness to it or something. And we liked that, what we created there. So we just left that.
Question 4: In a recent OOR-interview, published this month, you said that new age comes from the devil. Why is your judgement of people whose believes are different from yours so austere, becoming more austere? And do you speak on behalf of 16 Horsepower? Or on behalf of yourself?
DEE: I speak on behalf of myself, of course.
Euh
Well, I just think that religion in general, whether it is new age religion or any others
euh
more often than not something that comes from man it's not really
it's rules that men setup to make themselves able to attain a certain status, whether it is Buddhism or whatever or
You do this, you don't do this
and you end up with this
you are in charge basically of your own
you are your own God
you are your own master. And the new age movement I know is very much this way
and I have quite a bit of experience with it in my own family. To me that is what evilness is, is putting yourself in that place being master of your own destiny. If I eat this I'm going to be healthy
and if don't eat that. I just
I know it doesn't work that way. We are not in control. Even though we think we are
or want to be.
Question 5: The line-up at Pukkelpop was different from the previous tour. For what reasons?
DEE: Steve Taylor, who was playing guitar for us before, wasn't able to tour
family reasons
And
so we took a friend from Denver, John Rumley, who we've known for a long time and so he is playing. And then Daniel McMahon who plays with me in Woven Hand is playing the keyboards for us as well. So just friends of ours to help us
. We really enjoy to play music with a lot of people. People from Colorado I really enjoy,
working with the people and taking them on tour. Making more of a community out of it rather than a band that is from Denver that does good. And goes off to tour.
I: You're still family rooted in that community?
DEE: I like to play with people that are from there. You know what I mean.
I: Is it also that it makes you feel at home more or less? You won't get too alienated when you are on tour?
DEE: Maybe that has something to do with it. But I like to play a lot and when I am in Colorado it's nice to be able to play music with people
even though some of the members of 16 Horsepower don't really live close. There are other people that I play with. I just like the community of Denver and the people. There are a lot of different people that I enjoy playing with. So, it's a good place to be.
I: Not that once and a while that someone gets jealous not playing with you?
DEE: Oh, I don't know. [laughing]
Question 6: What part of the Christian philosophy do you like the most?
DEE: There is no section that I like the most. It's a whole thing. I take it as a whole thing.
I: But I can imagine there might be a part in the bible which in one way or another morally attracts you the most?
DEE: Euh
probably visually, you know what I mean
scenes of Christ doing the things that he did. Just what an amazing person he must have been to be around
at that time. Just visually, the way I see it in my mind.
I: It really triggers images as well?
DEE: Oh yeah.
I: Images that also reappear actually in the music?
DEE: Yeah
I hope so.
I: When you are playing
do you also
are those images reappearing in your mind, in your brain at that moment?
DEE: Yeah, the images from the songs themselves, you know
the lyrics are always in pictures to me. I'm seeing them in pictures whenever I'm singing them from whatever situation those lyrics came from. That's the situation I see
I: Because I can imagine, of course that doesn't happen at every gig
that once in a while
that you really get in a state of mind
DEE: It changes all the time. I have really no control over it. Sometimes I'll be playing and I'll be just thinking about, you know
something really silly or stupid
in a very serious part of the song
but my mind is just
has taken me somewhere else in the middle of it. And I forget that I'm even singing, really. Yeah, it's an interesting thing. [laughing]
I: Do you feel
when you are on stage at that certain point do you feel threatened by it?
DEE: Yeah, I feel threatened by it all the time. From the minute that I get up there until the minute I leave I feel threatened by it, yeah.
I: And it never makes you stop?
DEE: No.
I: Because it is a challenge, or?
DEE: Well yeah, it is a challenge.
I'm not very confident, you know, when I am there. I am confident about what I believe in
expressing that I'm not very confident in. I'm not confident as a musician, as a singer
or as a performer.
I: And the fact that audiences get wild, that you are very successful doesn't change that?
DEE: No.
I: That means that materially there is not much influence to that?
DEE: I'm sorry?
I: In a materially way of speaking there is not much influence on your insecurity? Like audiences, record sales,
DEE: No.
I: You never feel like you want to get rid of that?
DEE: That feeling? Of that? No.
I: Cause it is more or less your musical drive?
DEE: Well, it's a drive and I think it's a better place to be for me than to be confident or maybe I would just become too cool in my own eyes or something like that or whatever
I: It keeps you being a human being?
DEE: Yeah, hopefully it keeps me humble
keeps me
to not think better of myself than I should.
Question 7: If you are in Colorado do you go to the Rocky Mountains a lot? Are you an outdoor type?
DEE: Yes I go out with my kids. Take them to the mountains or we ride our bikes. At the base of the mountains there is this path. I am not a big outdoor person, really, but
I: I really don't see you walking around with a gun ... shooting deer or something.
DEE: No, I am not a hunter.
I: [laughing]
DEE: No, just walking, hiking.
I: Just silence, air, clouds
DEE: My son's screaming [laughing]
it's not that quiet.
Question 8: What is a Hutterite Mile?
DEE: Hutterites are a group of people
similar to the Amish.
They live primarily in Montana. They are just really cool people. I really like the way they live.
Then the interviewer explains about this religious community further in Dutch fo the listeners. That they live in and hark back to the past. For instance they are not allowed to drive cars. They are very religious and go to church very often.
Question 9: How did September 9th affect your life?
I: I think he means September 11th
DEE: [laughing] Right
well September 9th
I:
is your birthday [laughing]
DEE: No [laughing]. Euh
well just in a way that it changed everybody's lifes in America. Everything became more difficult, from mailing a letter to going to the store or whatever. In those ways it affected everyone. It didn't affect the music that I make,
maybe gave me slightly a little bit more urgency about what I am trying to do or that. But it didn't change the way I see things or the way
I: It's not like ... because there was also a strong religious aspect to what happened on 9-11
DEE: To me it was no surprise.
I: Why not?
DEE: Those things go on the world every day, all the time.
Why it shouldn't affect America, is before now
THAT is a surprise to me: not that it happened, but that it hasn't happened any sooner.
I: Is it like that you feel, Islam never ever has been so threatening as before or?
DEE: Well, I think the world is
you know, I think we are in the times
towards the end of time. What is happening is just what is meant to happen
what has been told that it would happen. It's been going on forever. It's been going on for thousands of years, you know, this conflict.
I: But do you really think that at this certain stage arrive at the end of time?
DEE: Yeah, but I'm not one of those people who subscribe to a specific date that the world is going to end
I: No, no of course not.
DEE:
and this guy is the antichrist and this is that
I don't listen to that. But I do believe that we are in the last of our times, yeah. But that doesn't mean it's going to happen in my lifetime
you know, but I feel that we are at that place.
Question 10: Which song of 16hp is your favourite? And was it your favourite always?
DEE: Phyllis Ruth is my favourite song. And yeah, that has always been my favourite song.
Question 11: Is it difficult to maintain your religious integrity working in an environment as extremely secular as the music industry?
DEE: Yes, it is difficult.
I: And it is as aggressive as it is? Commercial as it is?
DEE: Yeah, it's difficult but I think it is difficult to be a Christian if you work in a bank,
I: yeah, but this is extremely 'anti' and commercial and aggressive and
DEE: Yeah, it's very obvious. And the more obvious it is the easier is to avoid. To me all the stuff that goes along to being a musician in the rock world to me is just obviously ridiculous.
It is easier not to fall into that trap. But it's things that are more subtle that can really take a hold off you and that's why I say someone works in a bank or a janitor, or whatever your profession is
the temptations are there and
and those simpler things are all the more strong and subtler. But of course there is temptation all the time to do whatever, you know
in the world that I am in.
I: But Rock 'n' Roll is secular, aggressive, it's sexist, it's everything like that
in the end it's very powerful
DEE: Well yeah, music is powerful. It's not rock 'n' roll that is powerful. Its just music
I: And is that also one of the reasons you are not getting out of this culture
DEE: euh
I:
well if you have a choice?
DEE: I play music, that is what I do. So I play were people go to see music. I don't play like churches and Christian places. I go where people play music. I play in clubs, I play in bars, wherever music is played. And were people come to hear music, that is were we play.
I: Is it also that you, especially when you are on stage that you feel the positive power of pop-music? The rock-industry, whatever?
DEE: There definitely is
it can be used for such good purpose and it can be really a great thing, I think. I think we just kind of throw it around
we can do whatever we want with it. Which we can. Hopefully I try to be a little more responsible with it, you know what I mean, not waste or
because there is a lot of music out there.
I: I think a lot of people think you act a lot more responsible.
I
: Thanks for being here.
DEE: Thanks for having me.
   
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