Today is Independence Day. Here is an independent music video I did for Buckman Coe.

The live footage was shot at the Railway Club in Vancouver, I didn’t use a tripod so it has that live show feel to it. We shot the rest of the footage around Gastown.

He’s a very sweet human so I interviewed him so you can all get to know him…

Can you tell me a little about the story behind your new single, Not So Far Fetched?

The journey that our two lovers take is a metaphor for being as unburdened as possible so that two souls can meet purely without our baggage getting in the way. Personally, I suppose this story came about after contemplating my experiences of romance over the years and realizing that along with timing and circumstances beyond our control, for love to flourish we need to have dealt with the clutter of our past. Maybe we just have some carry-on luggage at that point, and we can simply enjoy the other person and the places we visit together.

You are currently working on an EP. What is the focus of these new recordings?

The focus of this ep is to take what I’ve learned from recording Latest Waking and from performing a whole bunch since it’s release, and take my music to another level. I want to one-up myself and make the songs more dynamic, more moving, and more soulful. I am feeling way more expressive in my playing and singing, and want to convey this stage in my evolution. I will also be stepping out of my home studio and going into Profile studios in Vancouver to make use of worldclass equipment so that the sound of this ep will be simply luscious!

I notice you have an array of new instruments, what is turning your crank these days?

Oh yeah, I’ve been playing a ton of banjo and accordion these days. I love the emotional range of these two instruments tremendously. A few weeks back I spent half the night playing banjo in my apartment’s underground parking after a show, and got so into it I managed to lock myself out of my building and had to wander the rest of the night plucking about my neighborhood. Both these instruments will feature on the new ep, too.

You have incorporated storytelling into your live performances. How does this change your live performance?

It has made performing more interesting and freeing for me. As though I am stepping into my role in this world more completely. Traditionally musicians are often the guardians of our stories and myths. And these bards had an important role in relating these to their zeitgeist – the ‘spirit of the time’. There is also an element of theatre that I am reintroducing into my life this way, and I love the way it allows me to really stretch out as a performer.

What do you feel is the connection between music and dreams?

Both take reality and imagination and mix it up into something greater. When I compose or perform, I often enter into something akin to a dreamstate. I close my eyes so I can touch into that state, and then when I do open my eyes and look into the audience I can offer a bridge between the dream of the song and the reality of someone’s life. Or maybe I just look a little sleepy!

buckmancoe.com

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It is not so far fetched that we switch to more sustainable transportation methods and stop abusing oil based methods, that we fight wars with our hearts, and have a whole lot of ecstatic fun doing so… I wish that the US and all nations stopped focusing on their independence and started focusing on their interdependence, this would be cause for fireworks.