Luke
Crumb and his “Theory of the Man Creator”
1. How long have you been doing what you’re
doing and how did you get started in the first place?
Luke Crumb: My Mother says I began to sing "Before
speaking" and I've memories of me looking out the world and sing, as a
matter of fact I was born the 8th of December, just like Jim Morrison. When I
was 6 years old I asked for a guitar, I felt attracted and I wanted to play it,
so my parents bought me a guitar but in the neighborhood where I lived there
wasn't a guitar teacher, what a bad luck! Only at 17 I've learned to play
guitar self-taught while watching music channel on TV. It was a continuing
challenge till I played my first chord.
2. Who were your first musical influences that
you can remember?
Luke Crumb: The first one and constantly cultivated are
The Beatles, they brought so much innovation and their melodies are almost
everlasting, Twist and Shout is the song by which I first danced with myself,
what a catharsis! I currently play in a Tribute band in the role of John
Lennon, before I did Paul McCartney for 2 years.
But the
most important long lasting big influence onto my life are R.E.M., they
literally saved my life, with their songs they reached places inside myself
that I didn't know before. It is understandable that at the time of composition
I use to run through again their discographies to find a missing piece in the
puzzle of brand-new music.
3. Which artists do you listen to today? And is
there anybody special you’d like to collaborate with?
Luke Crumb: I like to vary, from Peter Buck to Bombay
Bicycle club, there are so much new interesting projects out there. For
affinity affair I'd like to collaborate with Gunnar Spardel (aka Tigerforest),
even if meeting Bob Dylan or Pearl Jam that would be glorious, you know!
4. Describe the first piece of musical
equipment that you actually purchased with your own money. And which is the one
piece of hardware you’re still looking to buy now?
Luke Crumb: My first purchase was a used electric guitar
named "Prince", it was a sort of Fender Stratocaster and Yamaha RGX
imitation, the sound was horrible and I couldn't play much than a song tuned,
but hey I had an electric guitar!
After years
of buy and sell nowadays I prefer to customize, I already realized a custom
Harmonica tuned at 432 Hz, a 10" kick drum, besides various foot
percussion and the next will be my acoustic Cort guitar to which I want to add
a Bigsby and enhance the overall tone,
the sustain and sensibility.
5. Can you tell us something about The Theory
of the Man Creator and your album I.A.M.?
Luke Crumb: The Theory of the Man Creator combines the
principles of the law of Resonance with elements of ordinary life to
"Enable" the deepest abilities of Human Being. I use to define it as
"the first support beyond the common five senses". We all know that
harmony, balancing means wellness (in its widest sense) but just a few of us
knows how to get this elements into daily life and this means just a few of us
have the control on what happens on Earth. I believe that WE ALL ARE CREATORS
and this means we can manage our own thoughts, emotions, actions and not leave
others do for us. I discovered that music supports this because reaches
directly the inside of human being when tuned correctly. The "Theory of
the Man Creator" is the result of scientific researches I personally done
that conducted me to create my own style called "8HzMusic".
All of the
above will be introduced for the first time into my album I.A.M. that I'm
planning to release in the next months. This album is what I called "a
music trip" in a new style that we could call maybe "quantum
rock". Surely you will find more comfortable with the definition of
"pop/rock opera", in fact this album has two parts for a total of 24
tracks. It's my last challenge to re-unite my two big passions: music and
philosophical writing.
To conclude
this album is more than a pleasant melodic pop/rock parade is the first step
toward human upgrading.
6. Live gigging or studio work, which do you
prefer and why?
Luke Crumb: It's two different type of work, where you
have to organize and act in different ways. I love both because I can express
myself wider. Currently I have no possibilities to perform my original
compositions because my job is gigging with The Helpers (Beatles tribute) so I
use to spend my days at my home studio while at night I play live.
7. Is the choice to perform in English and not
in your mother tongue purely a commercial decision? And how do you consider the
actual state of the Italian music market?
Luke Crumb: That's the most frequently question I've
received in my career and it has the most interesting answer about my life: I
sing in English because when I was child I used to sing (before speaking) in a strange language
nobody in my environment knows. One day at 14 years old I had a dream in which
my name was "Freedom" and when I woke up I amazingly knew the
English! That's the truth about my language choice.
Italy is a
place where music and arts in general are always growing, there's so much
experimentation and will of brand-new that could fill the entire European music
industry.
8. On which one of your songs do you think you
delivered your personal best performance so far, from a technical point of
view?
Luke Crumb: Well I think that surely "Illumination
Song" is a masterpiece of my career, that's why I've been Awarded by the
Song of the Year. Personally one my favourite songs is "Timmy Space
Room" (that will be included in I.A.M.) in which I reached a strong
balance between vocal and guitar performance, besides the whole symphonic
arrangement.
9. Which ingredient do you think is most
essential in making LUKE CRUMB music sound the way it does?
Luke Crumb: Don't think! And I mean freeing, unleash
creativity without boundaries. Most of my compositions were born during a
unique session improvisation.
10. If you were forced to choose only one,
which emotion, more than any other drives you day after day to stay in this
tough business. Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why?
Luke Crumb: Pride with no doubt. I strongly believe and
have faith in what I do and I know my investigations will be useful.
11. Which aspects of being an independent
artist and the music making processes excites you most and which aspects
discourage you most?
Luke Crumb: In terms of creativity being Independent is
often the only reason why an artist chooses of being so, and I am no exception.
Honestly the financial aspect, in my experience, is the hardest part. I'd really like to
record my songs in a big studio with a dozen of master musicians and the have a
tour of 8 months around the world but, till now, this was impossible.
Personally I trust in the phrase "why do you want to see the entire road
when all that matters is just one step beyond you?"
12. Tell us something about your songwriting
process and what usually comes first, the lyrics or the music? And which is
your preferred instrument for composing
Luke Crumb: Usually I have portion of lyrics, notes or
entire poems, I use to write very much and I just try to connect with the
words, their meaning for me and the music starts on its own, I mean that I
literally let myself drive. I use to compose with my acoustic guitar even if
the voice has a dominant role.
13. How involved are you in any of the
recording, producing, mastering and marketing processes of your music. Do you
outsource any of these processes?
Luke Crumb: I personally do everything. I'm always on the
lookout for collaboration. Since the experience of my first EP FATHER &
MOTHER and the start-up of I.A.M. weren't totally good I use to beware.
14. The best piece of advice in this business
you actually followed so far, and one you didn’t follow, but now know for sure
that you should have?
Luke Crumb: The best priceless advice I've received from
my old friend Italian cartoonist Lino Gorlero was "be honest with
yourself". I surely troubled and felt in my life but I know I always
followed that advice. Earlier in my youngness I was advised to think to myself
first, now I know that if I had followed I could have avoid what I call
"my deviant routes ".
15. At this point, as an independent artist,
which is the one factor you desire most, and feel will undeniably benefit your
career?
Luke Crumb: Being recognized for my work, for being useful
to disseminate new knowledge.
16. Do you consider Internet and all the social
media websites, as fundamental to your career, and indie music in general, or
do you think it has only produced a mass of mediocre “copy-and-paste” artists,
who flood the web, making it difficult for real talent to emerge?
Luke Crumb: Surely the Internet has increased the
mediocrity mixing with those that we called "musicians" and this
produced the "music Babylon". Now when you surf the webs are extremely
confused about who is a musician and a passionate for music. The passionate
ones proclaim themselves as professional and the professional as experts. I
think that social media networks are extremely powerful but the target system
has been created only for financial improving and not for wellness improving
(that's what art was created to). So or you're in or out! I'm still convinced
that these strategies won't work so long and everyone will take its place.
17. Do you make use of the new technology
offered by the computer and software programs, or do you work exclusively in
real studios, with traditional instruments and music production techniques?
Luke Crumb: As an artist I am always involved into
researches and I try to evolve myself with all the tools that humanity puts at
my disposal. I like to fuse computer music with that merely acoustic. My own
style "8HzMusic" couldn't be born without the computer tech, so I'm
really devoted and thankful to every new songwriting technique.
18. What is the ONE thing you are NOT willing
or prepared to do, in your quest to achieve a successful musical career?
Luke Crumb: I don't know. Because I won't be prepared to
do a thing until I'm going to face it and I'm not willing to do it until I'm
going to receive an offer.
19. What do you think is the biggest barrier
you have to face and overcome as an indie songwriter/performer, in your quest
to achieve your goals and any commercial success?
Luke Crumb: As I told you before financial freedom is
still the hardest part of my life. I'm pretty sure that with a standard budget
I can reach my goal.
20. Tell us about any new projects or ideas you
will be working on in the near future?
Luke Crumb: At this time I am completely immersed on the
marketing process of my album release and it will take a long time, but later
after the summertime I'd like to tour USA.