Sound Check : Chris Robinson : Singer/Money-maker shaker
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Cleveland Free Times
 

In the midst of recording a new album, titled This
Magnificent Distance, former Black Crowes' singer
Chris Robinson has taken a break to hit the road with
Gov't Mule. He'll be showcasing new songs and playing
material from his solo debut, last year's New Earth
Mud. We caught up with the singer via phone as he rode
to the tour's first stop in Philadelphia. - Jeff
Niesel

Has it been a struggle to separate yourself from your
history with the Black Crowes?
I don't think so. Musically, no. Physically, no.
Spiritually, no. Nostalgically - that might be
something different. Truly the way to keep your wits
about you in this day and age is to try as hard as you
can to live in the moment. Be here now.

You're touring with Gov't Mule. Warren Hayes loves to
sit in with other bands. Will he sit in with you
during your opening set?
I don't know. I guess it's up to him. We plan more on
jamming at the end of their show. But you never know.
We did a warm-up show at B.B. King's the other night,
and Warren played the encore with us.

If you were to cover any Allman Bros. song, which one
would it be?
We used to do a lot of Allman Bros. songs in the
Crowes. I don't know. There's so many good ones. I
always wanted to do "Multi-Colored Lady," which is
more of a Gregg Allman song.

Are most of the songs on New Earth Mud about your
wife, actress Kate Hudson?
Well, I think they're about love. I don't think
they're necessarily about my daily life. They're songs
and they only work if they relate to other people and
their experiences and emotions and things. It's
definitely an album with an overriding love theme to
it.

It's hard to deny that "Katie Dear" isn't.
Well, yeah. It's fairly obvious. But it's not so
obvious. That's where lyrics run the fine line and
take on a life of their own no matter what the
original subject was.

So you're feeling "safe in the arms" of love these
days?
That's such a horrible question. C'mon, dude.

Do you mean you're not "hard to handle" anymore?
That's super clever. That's awesome. Do you have any
other stuff you want to talk about or just more bad
questions with song lyrics in them?

The last time I spoke with you, Kate was doing some
singing. What's her best karaoke moment?
I don't know. I've never partaken in any karaoke
ceremonies, so I wouldn't know. But she has an
incredible voice.

How has her pregnancy changed your perspective on
things?
I think it will just mean more love. It's something to
integrate into our lives. It's a naturally joyous
thing. It's just another beautiful aspect to our lives
together.

Will you give up smoking pot?
I don't know. When I live my life the way I live my
life, that changes constantly. If you're not available
to change, you're not adjusting, you're not living,
you're not learning and that's truly what it's about.

You've been pretty vocal about your dislike for the
bands getting played on MTV. Are there any new, young
bands you like?
I don't even know any bands that get played on MTV.
The only thing I've been vocal about are the machines,
not the bands. I think there's tons of great new bands
out there. My Morning Jacket is fantastic. They put
out one of the best records I've heard in forever. The
Kings of Leon, Jet, Polyphonic Spree and the Thrills
from Ireland. There's a lot of good music happening.

Did the Black Crowes get caught up in the machinery?
No. I think it was a certain element of pressure. We
made six studio albums, a live album and a record with
Jimmy Page in 12 years. If it had gotten to us, I
don't think we would have lasted past Southern
Harmony.

What happened to the bikini from the Amorica cover?
I have no idea, man. I have no idea how to answer that
question. It was an old photograph that we bought.

As a California resident, what do you think of the
recall election?
What do you mean? It's a joke. People don't know what
they're doing, who they're voting for, and what the
issues are or who's qualified.