Interview with Curt Krause from Edmund Wayne

Posted by on Aug 21, 2012 in Local Musicians, Music, Visiting Musicians

Interview with Curt Krause from Edmund Wayne

Curt Krause, whose project Edmund Wayne plays Stage Door Theater on Aug. 29, answers some questions…

Edmund Wayne, along with local group Correspondence School, will give the first musical performance at the Stage Door Theater, at 1010 Adams, on August 29th at 8:30pm. The entrance to Stage Door is in the back of the building, in the alley. The 50 seat theater is an aspect of the Liberty Theatre Project, which seeks to rebuild the historic theater. Cost of admission is $5 and all proceeds go to helping rebuild the Liberty.

Edmund Wayne is the project of Curt Krause, whose band Buffalo Death Beam was a favorite around the Northwest. He was last through in March as a soloist, but will be joined this time by Sean Knox and Tiffany Harms, also former members of Buffalo Death Beam.

Curt took some time to answer some questions for us about his new EP, life as a musician, BDB calling it quits and more.

As you know, I’m a big fan of your tunes and had such a blast playing some  shows with you back in March, so I am so stoked to have you back in La Grande, what brings you through this time around?

Well Wayne, I really enjoyed stopping in La Grande the last time I was out and this time I’ll have a full band in tow and we’ll be doing a mini-tour in support of edmund wayne ep, our debut release.

What’s been the difference, in your perspective, playing smaller towns as opposed to larger cities?

I love playing in smaller towns, I believe there is a greater appreciation for a live show because a small town isn’t going to have a 100 different shows to choose from, it may be one good show a month or a couple different shows to choose in a weeks time. And everybody knows each other, I like that. I grew up in a small town and I live near a small town now.

So Buffalo Death Beam has taken an indefinite hiatus, how did that come about?

We’d been together for three and a half years. It was a great time. A couple of members ended up making some career moves and moved themselves physically from the northwest. But its alright.

I know you guys were starting the recording process right before you decided to call it quits, do you plan to release any of that material?

I don’t know if that stuff will ever be released. We were on our way out as a band and I feel it may have shone. And this may have been my fault, but I was not too pleased with what came out of those recordings. You win some you lose some. But I’ve never been one to release something for the sake of releasing something or because you may feel like it was a waste of time.

You are now touring with two members of Buffalo Death Beam as Edmund Wayne, is that permanent or are you treating Edmund Wayne with more of an open door policy, so to speak?

I am lucky enough to have Sean and Tiffany helping me out now and I sure hope they continue to be a part of edmund wayne. I feel like they would fit in well on the next record.

Has the shift in focus from BDB to your solo work changed the way you approach writing music, knowing that you won’t have the large band to depend on for dynamic shifts and other elements of the music?

Not necessarily. I know now that I have a lot more responsibility when it comes to arranging and producing. And this is something I love to do but I realize that this is also an area I must work at to improve those skills.

Do you have a strict regiment for writing tunes, or are you a “whenever the muse speaks to me,” kind of dude?

I work with music everyday. But I definitely am a “whenever the muse speaks to me” type of guy. I feel that I need ample amount of time sitting down with an instrument and staring at the wall in order to conjure up a song. Staring at the wall is a crucial step for me.

You can listen to the EP in it’s entirety HERE

I started in January with the help of some friends in Seattle from the band River Giant. They helped out on three songs and it was amazing and the other two songs are more minimalist songwriter stuff. It’s a good blend. I am excited for this release, it may have taken a little longer than I would have liked but I am pleased and that is a rare thing.

Do you have plans for some extensive touring in the coming months?

Well, this tour is 6 dates and we won’t tour extensively again until January.

How do you spend your time when not doing music? I know you work seasonally at a vineyard…

I am a regular guy who has got lots of great friends and family that I love to spend time with. And I work and I play a lot of music. In the coming months I will work some long hours at a winery in Snohomish, WA, which is the reason for the lack of touring during the fall.

How has the balance been, in your experience, with the necessary day job and still allowing yourself the massive amounts of time it takes to write, record, practice and play shows?

Its what I love to do and as a young man. I still see myself as a young man. I am alright with working up from the bottom and putting in the hours and not getting paid as a musician. I love music and holding different jobs allow me to play as much music as I can right now.

What keeps you motivated to stay at it and what kind of hope or goal do you have for your music career in the future?

I love music. I love sharing it. Being able to tour and share music with different wonderful people every night is quite the adventure. I believe that if I keep the right attitude towards music, relationships with folks, life and all that shit… in the end it doesn’t matter where I end up with or without a professional music career, but that I worked hard at something and I lived and played with passion and we had fun. The rest doesn’t matter. There is too much bullshit out there that makes itself some money and I don’t feel it matters how I am judged on that pedestal. I enjoy the relationships I have gained through music too much to worry about that. It sure would be nice though.

Finally, you’re based in Snohomish, WA, but I know you’re out playing quite frequently and playing with a lot of different bands, who are some of your favorite bands from around the Northwest?

River Giant is amazing, they are a rock trio that does wonderful harmonies, but really knows how to rock out. And they have started to get some much deserved recognition in the northwest. Another guy on my ep, is Simon Kornelis, he is an amazing songwriter and great friend. He is unheard, but just amazing, his writing has a wonderful nostalgic vintage style with a modern voice. Down in Astoria, I’ve got some friends, Holiday Friends, who are an electro-chamber-folk band, they’ve got a great grasp on what they are doing and are so good. There are so many, these are a couple just off the top of my head.

Learn more about Edmund Wayne by visiting his WEBSITE and reading another INTERVIEW we did with him back in March.