Exclusive Q&A: Blitzen Trapper Talk Americana

posted in: Country • Exclusive Interviews • Rock

Though they were blessed with an enormous amount of hype from online tastemakers after their first few albums, Portland-based Blitzen Trapper haven’t succumbed to the “Best New Music” curse that often haunts buzz bands that fall off the musical map. After the release of their critically-praised 2007 album Wild Mountain Nation, Blitzen Trapper continued to write and record quality new material for 2008’s Furr and 2010’s Destroyer of the Void. This fall, their latest album American Goldwing takes the band even further into classic rock territory, combining their country influence with a modern take on ’70s rock. We caught up with bandleader Eric Early to talk about his lyrical imagery, what he’s been listening to recently and the band’s favorite spots to play in their native Portland, Oregon.

OS: You’ve said the new album started as a solo album. What made you decide to bring the other guys in?

EE: I think I just started writing songs that were more personal in nature and were closer to me.  I just get excited about making records and then say, “Well, let’s make it a Blitzen Trapper record.”

OS: Your music career seems to be punctuated by life-changing revelations and events. Do you think that if you didn’t have these experiences to draw from, your music would be different?

EE: Oh yeah, definitely. Whatever you’re writing is influenced by all these things that you’ve experienced, people that you know and places that you’ve lived.

OS: You’ve got lyrics influenced by Hemingway, McCarthy and O’Connor. What kind of literary impression do you aim for when you write?

EE: Some of my songs are narratives, some are storytelling and some are more abstract stuff. I guess I’m just aiming to relay concrete images. Images are definitely important for me. A lot of the imagery comes straight from where I grew up.

OS: You guys have drawn on a lot of different strains of American music: soul, funk, blues, country. Is there any particular genre you gravitate to more?

EE: I think at the root of it all, it’s just country music. All those genres are very similar in a lot of ways. It’s all rock ‘n’ roll in the end. I listen to a lot of hard rock, too.

OS: Who are you listening to now?

EE: A few new bands. I like Buffalo Killers a lot.

OS: Do you like touring, hate touring or find it stressful?

EE: I like it!

OS: What’s your favorite place to play in your hometown of Portland?

EE: The Doug Fir. We generally play the Crystal Ballroom, which is a bigger place. That’s cool too as far as big places go.

Check out Blitzen Trapper’s new album American Goldwing out this week! Also, catch them on their fall headlining tour with Dawes.