Singer/Songwriter Carl Christopher Carder talks about Indiana, his civil engineering career, and of course his music career.
DM) Your voice sounds very unique on the album.
Is there some way that you are electronically altering it?
CC) Well I don't electronically alter my voice in any way.
What you hear is my true voice. I do however record my
lead vocals onto one track and then go in and record another
track singing the same lines. I don't like to add a lot of effects
on the vocals so this helps to beef up the lead a little bit.
I then lower one track so It doesn't sound like two people are
singing at the same time. After the lead is finished I
go in and sing the harmony tracks.
DM) So all the vocals are yours?
CC) Yes they are 100% me. But before I recorded the harmonies
I had to do the lead vocals because after I do the harmonies
its pretty hard to get my vocal chords comfortable at the normal
octave that I sing. I sing the harmonies pretty high (my Dolly
Parton influence) compared to my normal voice and after I finish
them I am a little horse from the strain. Not to say that I can
sing as high as Dolly Parton but for me it's pretty high. If
I did have to redo a lead vocal track for some reason after I
completed a harmony track, I would wait until the
next days session for my vocal chords to become relaxed again.
DM) Did you ever study singing?
CC) Actually Dominick I've never had training in singing or
even playing an instrument . I've picked most of it up
as I've went along and much of it seem to come natural to me.
I learned later on in my life that I came from a pretty talented
family. I never met most of them until I was in my mid
20's because they all live in the southern states. I was pretty
excited to meet someone from my family who had the same interest
in music and could play an instrument.
DM) Did you have any Talking Heads influence in your life?
It sounds a lot like their early music?
CC) You know, I was really into the Talking Heads in the mid
80's and listened to them a lot. I really didn't try to get a
sound like them but I do feel that is a compliment and thank
you for it. I did however try to create a style that would interest
many age brackets. I have been told the music sounds like Harry
Belafonte with a Paul Simon edge. I have also been told the vocals
sound like The Moody Blues, Lindsey Buckingham and John Denver.
But what I find the most fascinating is how people hear things
so differently. Some people hear Calypso while others hear
Country. Others hear Pop while someone else hears Reggae.
I listen to so many styles of music and I love them all that
I can not seem to stay locked onto one style. My influences range
from John Denver and Dolly Parton to Elton John, Brian Adams
and The Bodeans. But my greatest influences would be Paul Simon
and Tina Turner.
DM) Lyrically, it sounds rather down while the music is upbeat.
Why the contrast?
CC) Well again, I like so many styles of music that I want
them all to be a part of mine. I like Country music and
the emotional lyrics it possesses and then again I like Calypso
music and the way it makes me want to get up and dance. I like
to grab as many emotions as I can in one song. The lyrics may
bring you down but the music is there to bring you right back
up again. Music is all about emotion. So no matter if the song
is happy or sad it has to stir them up in some way. Words make
us think about life while music moves us through it.
DM) And what do you do outside of music in your life?
CC) Well Dominick, outside of my music I have a career in
Civil and Architectural Engineering which is how the bills get
paid. As much as I enjoy my music I also enjoy my career.
If I'm not in the studio recording or on the computer drawing
up plans for houses, Churches or a sports complex then I'm on
the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan. I have to admit, I
am a beach bum from mid May to mid October. I can't seem
to get enough of the sand and sun of Sheridan Beach, Long Beach
and Duneland Beach. I also enjoy a bike ride along the
shore of Lake Michigan. We have a great view with all the
sail boats on the lake. As a matter of fact my summer fun
is about to begin in another two weeks. I can't wait !!!
DM) And I thought that the only beach bums were on the two
coasts.
CC) Surprise, we are down here in Indiana as well.
We don't say gnarly dude surfs up or anything like that.
We just enjoy the sunny beaches, the sea gulls the (seagals)
and the sailing. My brother, who lives out on the west coast
and has done quite a lot of traveling around the world has informed
me that Indiana strangely enough has some of the best beach sand
around. Not to fine and not to course. Just right.
DM) I don't think many honeymooners would choose Indiana over
Hawaii!
CC) You're probably right and I wouldn't either. But it's
nice if you don't have the money or the time to go on a vacation
to Hawaii and you can still get a ( little ) taste of it right
in your own back yard.
DM) If you had to choose, between your career and music, which
would you choose?
CC) If I HAD to choose one I would have to go with the music.
Writing and creating music comes a little more natural to me.
For some reason I feel the need to create from my experiences
and form them into music. Although I still create within my Civil
career I have a lot less rules and boundaries to follow as an
artist. We as artist still have rules and boundaries but not
as strict. I derive a great deal of pleasure creating from
ideas, so that is why I enjoy both the music and the Civil career.
DM) Do you feel that you can be an artist in any career?
CC) Well if you mean can I draw cartoons like Charles Schultz
or paint like Van Gogh probably not. But In music, and as an
artist I have a tendency to pay close attention to detail.
As with everything I do, I always put pride and care into it
and pay close attention to detail. I also try to put a
little bit of style into all that I do. As a matter of
fact, I spent many months designing, laying out and creating
the CD jacket for "Time Away". Since I consider all
this art I would have to say yes I can be an artist in any career.
