Carl Cape and the Electrons

Carl Cape. Artist biography: November 2007, Chevstar Records.

Carl Cape writes homespun folk-blues with an acoustic guitar and a velvet case of harmonicas. His sound has echoes of Woody Guthrie, Roger Waters, Neil Young and Damien Rice and, at times, Carl’s soulful style evokes memories of 1920’s blues harmonica player Noah Lewis.

Carl Cape’s songs tell stories. His first album ‘Reborn’ draws upon tales from the traveller’s road from the English/Scottish Borders to India. The album includes vocals by a Minister of the Dalai Lama’s governmentin-exile on: ‘Superhighway’. That song, written in a tumbledown cottage in the middle of the Northumberland moors reflects Carl’s philosophical writing. ‘Superhighway’ was inspired by the writings of Native American shaman, Lame Deer: ‘it’s a quick comfortable superhighway, but I know where it leads to’ (Lame Deer, Erodes, 1980, p.18).

Carl and the Electrons’ trip takes us from authentic spiritual blues to the new rock n roll of ‘Elvis is not dead!’ Audiences connect with Carl. Perhaps it’s the Indian gurus wandering alongside him, or the screech of owls, the sound of the sea, or the eco-messages of ‘Medicine Stick’- a song about farmers in drought-hit Australia. Maybe it’s the lyrics that trigger your own memories of a walk on a purple heather moor. You can expect a beautiful journey at a Carl Cape gig. His folk-blues is highly recommended.

Song Lyrics:

Chanson du Jour

This stone came from the sea,

this cone came from the tree,

this crystal came from the land,

this shell came from the sand,

the place where you first took me,

the place where I began to see.

Without your earth I'm lost,

without your fire I'm cold,

without your sea I'm dry,

without your breath I'd try,

maybe I'd soon expire,

my heart would never be the same.

What I know is what I want,

what I want is what I need,

what I need is to spend,

a little time,

with you.

My vision ain't always clear,

I don't always let myself hear,

my words ain't always good,

I don't always do what I should,

but I know I don't want it to slip away,

we've got something we should try to keep.

Carl Stiansen: acoustic guitar, vocals and whistling.

Ally Lee, slide guitar. Harry Fox, percussion.

Si-Fi, bass. Helen Whitworth: flute

In Spanish.

Chanson du Jour:

Esta piedra vino del mar

esta piña vino del árbol,

este cristal vino de la tierra,

esta concha vino de la arena,

del lugar donde me llevaste por primera vez,

del lugar donde yo comencé a ver.

Sin tu tierra estoy perdido,

sin tu fuego tengo frío,

sin tu mar me seco,

sin tu aliento quizá,

pronto moriría,

mi corazón no volvería a ser el mismo.

Lo que sé es lo que quiero,

lo que quiero es lo que necesito,

lo que necesito es pasar,

un poco de tiempo,

contigo.

No siempre tengo la vista clara,

no siempre me hago oír,

mis palabras no son siempre buenas,

no siempre hago lo que debo,

pero sé que no quiero dejarlo escapar

tenemos algo que deberíamos intentar

conservar.

Yes, love playing live. I play anwhere from small cosy acoustic clubs to big stages at festivals.

Woddy Guthrie. Neil Young. Noah Lewis. And too many others to mention... Talking Heads, Jeff Buckley, Dan Driscoll.