Musically speaking, Aaron Crane doesn’t play games. His album It’s Personal is entirely and exactly that. There’s no smoke, no misdirection; only Crane, a Louisvillian who also plays in the band Strumbeat, banging songs from his acoustic guitar and his gut. He’s unabashed about love and loss, unafraid to say he feels something. He can gracefully move from a slow tune about devastation to an upbeat rocker with the click of a track. Overall, it’s refreshing in such a Hip Age to have something so earnest.
LEO: If you were Mayor, what would you do to help promote people like you in this city?
Aaron Crane: Well, I guess the most obvious suggestion would be to utilize the waterfront for more local shows and concerts. It was developed to attract more people downtown, and it is definitely well suited for such venues. Many artists would be attracted to this just for the exposure, as well as the chance to offer the public a taste of original music without the bar scene attached to it. Also, programs aimed at helping local artists utilize the Internet to expand their audience would be useful. I know a lot of musicians are well versed on the ’Net locally, but I’m sure there’re plenty who aren’t and would like to be.
LEO: Which Louisville musician needs to get more attention?
AC: Carl Stuck is one that comes to mind. He’s one of the guitar players for the band Strumbeat (in which Crane also plays). A really good player and has good vocals as well. His originals are well crafted and very memorable. Also, another guitar player/singer named Josh Glauber has a smooth playing style along with a very likable tone to his voice — very reminiscent of a David Gray or James Taylor.
LEO: If music were food, what would yours be?
AC: I would say most of it would be like fried chicken and mashed potatoes on a summer day. You know, nothing fancy, but appeals universally in its comfort and familiarity.
LEO: Tell me about one of your favorite works of art aside from your medium.
AC: Most of Van Gogh’s works. Great expressive art comes out of much pain and suffering. I feel he captures both the joy and sorrow that life bestows upon each of us. There’s always good and bad in everything — it’s just a matter of your perspective and what you want to focus on.
LEO: What do you want to say that you know you shouldn’t?
AC: I watched a program recently about the impending pandemic of bird flu spreading in Europe, and a thought occurred to me that maybe it could be a good thing. Not that innocent people die, but that countries would work together to solve the problem. The fact that we share the same biology regardless of our individual or collective beliefs should be primary. If we faced a fate like that of the black plague in the Middle Ages, would we work together to save humanity or would we just see who’s left standing at the end? Hopefully, cooperation and compassion will win out, because a virus shares all ideologies.
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