Music Making A Difference: Talking Shop With “We Were Lost, We Were Found” Artist Carl Hauck

Music has always been a source of inspiration. As a means of baring ones soul or communicating what words simply can’t, music is one of those rarities of human nature that every single soul can relate to. With that in mind, two brothers, Nicholas and James Verburg, set out to connect to people using music as a means to discuss another subject all too common: the battle of breast cancer.

Using local talent the brothers put together a compilation, On Joyful Wings: We Were Lost, We Were Free. Twenty-one songs meant to tap into that human connection, We Were Lost, We Were Free is an effort to contribute to fundraising for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Available for just $5 on via bandcamp, We Were Lost, We Were Free not only showcases an array of upcoming talent, but is an example of how even the most simple song can truly make a difference.

This week on Reviewsic we’ll be featuring interviews with a handful of the musicians featuring on the compilation as well as one with the two brothers that made the project possible.

Today’s interview comes from singer/songwriter Carl Hauck. Though a native of Grayslake, IL, Hauck spent a fair amount of time working out of the Champaign/Urbana music scene during his college years at U of I. One such talent from that area, Tricia Scully, is currently on tour with Hauck as he plays the midwest before hitting New York for a performance at the Knitting Factory. Carl answered some questions for us from the road to talk about his contribution to the compilation, “To Coast”.

Reviewsic: How did you become part of this compilation- was there any specific influence on your decision?

Carl Hauck: Nick Verburg came across my 2008 album Counter Intelligence online, and he wanted to know if I’d be a part of a compilation that he and his brother were putting together.  The charitable cause was definitely a factor in my participation, as my own family has been affected by cancer.  I actually don’t know of many people who haven’t lost a loved one due to the disease, so the cause itself is a worthy one for me.

With regard to the music, it’s nice to have a chance to “officially” release a song that doesn’t belong on an album.  I was pretty set on recording a Bowerbirds cover I’d been doing at shows, but we never received a final okay from them, so I decided to record an original instead.

Reviewsic: How did you get your start in music?

Carl Hauck: I was in a pop-punk/rock band in early high school until the other guitarist moved away.  After a couple of failed attempts at forming bands, I started writing and performing on my own.  It wasn’t until college that I started playing around more regularly, but only because Champaign-Urbana offered so many more gigging and networking opportunities than Grayslake ever did.  My roommate Rich actually got me to do my first open mic down in C-U by promising to donate blood if I played.  I don’t remember how that came about, but I’m pretty sure he still hasn’t given blood.

Reviewsic: What is your favorite song on We Were Lost, We Were Free?

Carl Hauck: My favorites are probably the ones by The Bloodsugars and Jesse Nesbitt – the former for its harmonies and the percussion at the end, and the latter for its nice simple melody.  I’m usually not much of an auto-tune or pitch correction guy, but I think it’s used pretty tastefully on each of the two tracks.

Reviewsic: What is the story behind your song on the compilation?

Carl Hauck: I taught Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist to my freshman high school students earlier this year, and I had a hard time reconciling its gung-ho “follow your dreams at all costs” message with my own sense of pragmatism.  During that unit, I had a student ask me in the middle of class why I didn’t pursue a music career instead of teaching, and I was caught off guard to say the least.  I enjoy teaching, so there wasn’t much to say, but I used the moment as a chance to talk about practicality and patience, which are two things that I think Coelho glosses over in the book.

It was around that time – with the theme of following one’s dreams in mind – that I started writing the lyrics for what would later become “To Coast,” but I quickly became discouraged with the words and ended up setting the song aside.

When Nick and Jim contacted me about the compilation, I immediately thought of reviving the half-written song I’d recently shelved.  It took me an afternoon to finish the lyrics and create a starker, more folksy guitar arrangement. Later that week, I recorded it in my bedroom studio, and that was that.

Reviewsic: What are your top three musical influences?

Carl Hauck: This is always a difficult question.  I’ve heard so much great music in my lifetime that’s surely impacted the way I approach my own music.  Four years ago, I would have told you Andrew Bird, Wilco, Iron and Wine, and Sufjan Stevens, but I’m always looking for new albums and artists, and everything I hear influences me in some way. The past couple years, it’s been Bon Iver, Bowerbirds, A.A. Bondy, The National, and Fionn Regan. And lately, I’ve been digging the latest Cass McCombs and Tallest Man on Earth releases, so maybe they’ll seep into my newer material in some way… Wait, I totally just broke the “top three” thing, didn’t I?

Reviewisc: What are some of your favorite local bands/musicians?

Carl Hauck: Even though I graduated from U of I and moved back up to Grayslake last year, I still feel connected to the Champaign-Urbana music scene.  A few of my favorite local artists from around there are Common Loon, Elsinore, Tricia Scully, and Santah.  Common Loon just put out an incredible album, and Elsinore is releasing a record in August, so it’s a great year for C-U music.  Santah also put out a new record a couple weeks back, and they performed on one of the tracks on my upcoming album.  As for Tricia Scully, she’s truly come into her own as a solo musician after her band broke up, and her new stuff is wonderful.  Yes, I may be biased, but whatever.  We’re in the first week of our summer tour together, and we’re really excited to be on the road.  I should also mention that Tricia just recorded an EP specifically for this tour, and they’re selling like hotcakes.

As for the Lake County music scene, I’ve never really felt all that much a part of it for various reasons, but I’ll still plug my fellow Grayslakeans in Butterfly Assassins and keep hoping that their band doesn’t go extinct.  Honestly, I’m actually not even sure what constitutes the local scene anymore.  In my opinion, Lake County needs legitimate bar venues that actually care about booking good, original music, or a DIY venue like the former Venetian Village Hall that can bridge the gap between younger and older artists and draw more touring acts to the area.  Because right now, most Lake County acts end up migrating to Chicago once they’re popular enough or old enough, and the scene around here fails to become anything more than a breeding ground for high school bands.  A scene needs to become a respectable destination in order to thrive, and to do that it needs venues that are willing and able to pay musicians in return for drawing an audience.

Reviewsic: If you could work with anyone in the music business, who would it be and why?

Carl Hauck: Maybe Tom Waits.  I’d just want to sit in on his writing and recording process out of curiosity.  He does so much with his music that most artists wouldn’t dare to do.  And to some extent, it’s his voice that enables him to do so.  I remember Sam Beam saying in interviews that The Shepherd’s Dog was like the Swordfishtrombones of Iron & Wine’s career.  While The Shepherd’s Dog was a good album, it never got nearly as weird or out there as Tom Waits gets on just about any of his albums.  Like Sam Beam, I have a somewhat mellow, soothing voice (or so I’ve been told), and as a result, I consider myself confined to certain musical realms and genres.  So until I’m a gruff old man of seventy or until I take to smoking two packs a day, the idea of me singing the blues or narrating “Frank’s Wild Years” simply doesn’t seem convincing.  Needless to say, I’m a little envious that Tom Waits can get away with sliding in and out of all the genres that he does.

Reviewsic: Tell us a little bit about your music beyond this compilation.

Carl Hauck: Since 2004, I’ve released three albums, all of which were self-recorded and self-released.  Most of my recorded material tends to be more layered with orchestration, in contrast to the song I did for We Were Lost, We Were Free, but that song is probably more true to my live performances.  My live performances usually just consist of me and my acoustic guitar, unless I have friends in town who are willing to play in exchange for a drink.

Reviewsic: What is the most memorable show you’ve ever played? How about best/worst moment so far in your music career?

Carl Hauck: I’m not sure if it’s the most memorable show I’ve ever played, but I remember showing up at this pizza joint in Bartlett four years back, along with a couple other bands, and the owner was unaware that there was supposed to be a show that night.  We had all been booked by the same girl via MySpace, but the owner had never heard of her.  A modest crowd still showed, though, and a couple kids volunteered to go pick up a PA, which was cool.  I remember hating on the mysterious “phantom booker” quite a bit during my set, but strangely enough, it turned out to be a pretty good show, mostly because the people who showed up were into the music.

I don’t like playing in front of crowds who aren’t there to listen to the music, so house shows are great, since the audiences are generally attentive and interactive. There aren’t any lights, smoke machines, bouncers, or drunken hecklers…Everyone is there for the music and the people around you seem like friends by the end of the night.  There also tends to be a sense of camaraderie among the musicians playing, and I like that.  Down with green rooms, and up with living rooms.

Reviewsic: What plans do you have for your music in the future?

Carl Hauck: As I already mentioned, Tricia Scully and I are currently on a summer tour that’s headed around the Midwest, down South a bit, and out east to Brooklyn.  I’ve gone on a couple short tours that were each about a week long, but this is the first extended tour for both of us and we’re playing in some new states, which is exciting.  You can check out our summer tour blog at http://summertour2k10.wordpress.com

I’m currently wrapping up the tracking on a new album, which I’ve been working on since last summer.  I always enjoy getting others involved (especially when they have talent that I could only dream of having), and this time it’s no different.  I’ve had a ton of creative and musical input from friends and loved ones, including Fred de Albuquerque, Tricia Scully, and Molly Robison, as well as members of Butterfly Assassins, Santah, and Good Night & Good Morning.

I’m hoping to finish tracking and start mixing as soon as Tricia and I come back from tour.  After mixing it, sending it off to get mastered, and compiling the artwork. I plan to shop it around to some smaller labels, just to see if anyone bites.  I’m proud of how it’s coming together, so hopefully it’ll get released sooner rather than later.

Tags: Interview, Local Music, New Release, Tour