with
      that."
      Then
      there's
      other
      times
     
     
      when
      you
      put
      so
      much
      thought
      and
     
     
      effort
      and
      focus
      into
      it
      that
      you
      could-
     
     
      n't
      get
      a
      lyric
      out
      of
      your
      head
      if
      you
     
     
      tried
      to,
      because
      you're
      trying
      too
      hard.
     
     
      But
      for
      this
      record,
      it
      was
      a
      matter
      of,
     
     
      we
      would
      write
      the
      song,
      we
      would
      go
     
     
      into
      the
      studio,
      we
      would
      start
     
     
      noodling
      around
      with
      ideas,
      with
      not
     
     
      really
      knowing
      what
      was
      happening.
     
     
      While
      we're
      noodling
      around
      with
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ideas,
      we'd
      start
      formulating
      the
      lyrics.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      was
      no
      official
      ‘sit
      down
      and
     
     
      write
      the
      lyrics,’
      it
      was
      sort
      of
      ‘write
     
     
      them
      as
      we
      go.'
      As
      we're
      writing
      the
     
     
      music
      and
      arranging
      the
      song,
      we're
     
     
      writing
      down
      lyrical
      ideas.
      I
      say
      ‘we'
     
     
      because
      I
      bounce
      them
      off
      the
      produc-
     
     
      er,
      I
      bounce
      them
      off
      the
      players,
      you
     
     
      know,
      I
      bounce
      them
      off
      everybody.
     
     
      (Oops.
      The
      phone
      shorts
      out
      momen-
     
     
      tarily,
      I
      apologize
      about
      the
      phone,
     
     
      Edwin
      insists
      that
      it's
      his
      phone,
      we
     
     
      laugh
      and
      continue.)
     
     
      E:
      So
      yeah.
      The
      lyrics.
      Sometimes
      it'll
     
     
      be
      a
      book
      I
      read
      that
      week
      and
      certain
     
     
      lines
      will
      stay
      in
      my
      head.
      Sometimes
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “:«
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where’d
      Edwin
      go?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      Mother
      Earth:
      Back
      in
      the
      day
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it'll
      be
      something
      I
      heard
      somebody
     
     
      say
      to
      somebody
      else
      on
      a
      patio
      having
     
     
      a
      drink.
      People
      walk
      by
      and
      I
      catch
     
     
      three
      seconds
      of
      their
      conversation
      but
     
     
      in
      that
      three
      seconds
      you
      kinda
      get
      this
     
     
      whole
      other
      vision
      of
      a
      conversation
     
     
      that
      is
      going
      on
      in
      the
      song.
      Basically
     
     
      they
      weren't
      intentionally
      cliché
      and
     
     
      they
      weren't
      intentionally
      kitschy
      or
     
     
      anything
      like
      that.
      It
      just
      seemed
      like
     
     
      for
      the
      song
      and
      the
      moment
      we
      were
     
     
      trying
      to
      create
      in
      the
      song
      those
      lyrics
     
     
      seem
      to
      describe
      the
      moment,
      I
      guess
     
     
      you
      might
      say.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      There
      are
      an
      awful
      lot
      of
      drug-use
     
     
      metaphors
      in
      your
      lyrics.
      "She's
      getting
     
     
      high,
      she's
      getting
      high,
      she's
      gonna
     
     
      fly,
      she's
      getting
      high,"
      for
      instance.
     
     
      Any
      comments
      on
      that?
      Why
      so
      many
     
     
      drug
      metaphors?
     
    

    
     
      E:
      Well,
      that's
      true.
      There's
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      ‘she's
      getting
      high,’
      and
      well,
      there's
      a
     
     
      lot
      of
      the
      use
      of
      the
      word
      high.
      Not
     
     
      even
      that,
      smoke
      a
      J,
      getting
      stoned,
      all
     
     
      the
      references.
      Some
      of
      them
      are
      refer-
     
     
      ring
      to
      smoking
      marijuana
      I
      suppose,
     
     
      but
      that's
      about
      the
      extent
      of
      the
      high
     
     
      that
      it's
      referring
      to.
      It's
      not
      referring
      to
     
     
      like
      heroine,
      coke,
      acid,
      you
      name
      it.
     
     
      But
      some
      of
      the
      high
      references
      aren't
     
     
      referring
      to
      drugs
      at
      all,
      they're
      refer-
     
     
      ring
      to
      a
      human
      state
      of
      mind.
      I
      don't
     
     
      know
      if
      you've
      ever
      been
      in
      a
      situation
     
     
      where
      you
      felt
      repressed,
      or
      held
      back,
     
     
      or
      like
      people
      were
      putting
      up
      walls
     
     
      around
      you
      and
      at
      some
      point
      you
     
     
      break
      through
      that
      mentally
      and
      emo-
     
     
      tionally
      and
      you
      get
      this
      euphoric
      sort
     
     
      of
      elation,
      like
      you're
      high.
      Whether
      it
     
     
      was.a
      relationship
      that
      was
      bad
      or
      a
     
     
      work
      situation
      or
      a
      friendship
      situation.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      song
      High
      where
      she's
      getting
     
     
      high,
      the
      high
      is
      not
      referring
      to
      a
      drug
     
     
      high,
      even
      though
      that's
      completely
     
     
      what
      it
      sounds
      like,
      it's
      referring
      more
     
     
      to
      that
      emancipation
      of
      the
      spirit
      high.
     
     
      M:
      What
      is
      the
      theme
      of
      this
      record?
     
     
      E:
      There's
      no
      solid
      theme
      to
      this
     
     
      record.
      The
      only
      really
      solid
      theme
      to
     
     
      this
      album
      would
      be,
      like,
      an
      intro-
     
     
      spective
      person
      taking
      and
      writing
     
     
      down
      what
      they
      see
      around
      them.
      Does
     
     
      that
      make
      sense?
     
    

    
     
      M:
      Sure.
     
    

    
     
      E:
      You've
      got
      a
      person
      who's
      not
      an
     
     
      extrovert,
      they're
      an
      introvert
      but
     
     
      they're
      jotting
      down,
      they're
      taking
     
     
      notes
      on
      what's
      going
      on
      around
      them.
     
     
      It's
      not
      really
      a
      theme,
      it's
      more
      of
      a
     
     
      perspective.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      M:
      That's
      an
      interesting
      concept.
      I
      like
     
     
      that.
      How
      long
      did
      it
      take
      to
      put
      this
     
     
      album
      together?
      Was
      it
      a
      long,
      couple-
     
     
      of-years
      process
      or
      did
      you
      guy
      just
     
     
      kind
      of
      get
      together,
      get
      some
      songs
     
     
      down,
      and
      put
      it
      out
      there?
     
    

    
     
      E:
      From
      the
      beginning
      of
      the
      song
     
     
      writing
      up
      to
      the
      production
      in
      the
      stu-
     
     
      dio,
      I
      would
      say
      it
      took
      approximately
     
     
      six
      months.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      And
      you
      have
      excellent
      producers.
     
     
      My
      dad
      was
      listening
      to
      your
      album
     
     
      and
      he
      was
      like,
      "WHO
      produced
     
     
      them???"
      Can
      you
      tell
      me
      about
      them?
     
     
      How
      did
      you
      encounter
      them?
      How
     
     
      did
      they
      influence
      the
      music?
     
    

    
     
      E:
      Yeah,
      well
      I
      was
      at
      Sony
      here
      in
     
     
      Toronto
      and
      I
      was
      talking
      with
      my
     
     
      A&R
      guy
      who
      deals
      with
      the
      artists
     
     
      directly.
      We
      were
      talking
      about
      pro-
     
     
      ducers
      for
      the
      record,
      and
      I
      had
      a
      cou-
     
     
      ple
      ideas
      but
      I
      wanted
      all
      the
      big
      name
     
     
      producers
      like
      Tricky,
      and
      who
      have
     
     
      you.
      He
      thought
      that
      was
      a
      great
      idea
     
     
      but
      he
      thought,
      "You
      know,
      I
      have
      this
     
     
      song
      I
      want
      you
      to
      hear,
      and
      it
      was
     
     
      produced
      by
      this
      guy
      who
      works
      for
      us
     
     
      here
      at
      Sony."
      And
      I'm
      like,
      "Yeah...
     
     
      ok
      ..."
      So
      he
      plays
      me
      this
      hip
      hop
     
     
      sort
      of
      tune,
      and
      the
      production
      on
      it
     
     
      was
      amazing.
      It
      was
      like,
      amazing.
      It
     
     
      was
      just
      as
      good
      as
      anything
      I'd
      ever
     
     
      heard
      on
      a
      tape.
      So
      I
      was
      really
      willing
     
     
      to
      talk
      with
      this
      guy.
      His
      name
      was
     
     
      Tawgs.
      When
      Tawgs
      and
      I
      started
     
     
      working
      together,
      we
      got
      along
      great.
     
     
      He's
      a
      young
      guy,
      didn't
      have
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      experience,
      but
      he
      was
      really
      excited
     
     
      about
      working
      with
      me
      and
      I
      was
     
     
      excited
      about
      working
      with
      somebody
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      was
      young
      and
      fresh.
      So,
      we
      got
     
     
      along
      great,
      we
      started
      writing
      out
     
     
      songs,
      we
      had
      a
      good
      time,
      we
      both
     
     
      got
      very
      excited
      about
      it,
      but
      we
      felt
     
     
      we
      needed
      one
      more
      person
      to
      round
     
     
      out
      the
      trio.
      Somebody
      who
      could
      give
     
     
      us
      a
      more
      experienced,
      more
      skilled
     
     
      opinion.
      So
      at
      that
      point,
      another
      per-
     
     
      son
      who
      produced
      for
      Sony
      Record
     
     
      company,
      his
      name
      is
      Diesel.
      He
      just
     
     
      finished
      producing
      a
      record,
      so
      he
      was
     
     
      free,
      and
      the
      big
      studio
      at
      Sony
      was
     
     
      free.
      So
      the
      three
      of
      us
      ended
      up
     
     
      hooking
      up
      and
      having
      a
      similar
     
     
      vision
      for
      the
      type
      of
      record
      we
      wanted
     
     
      to
      make.
      We
      camped
      out
      in
      the
      studio
     
     
      every
      day
      for
      about
      five
      months.
      And
     
     
      basically,
      because
      it's
      right
      in
      the
      mid-
     
     
      dle
      of
      an
      office
      building,
      all
      the
      office
     
     
      workers
      would
      leave
      at
      five
      o'clock
     
     
      and
      I
      would
      show
      up
      at
      five
      o'clock
      in
     
     
      the
      evening
      and
      we
      would
      work
      until
     
     
      one
      in
      the
      morning
      or
      whenever.
      We
     
     
      didn't
      want
      to
      be
      there
      when
      the
      offices
     
     
      were
      in
      full
      bloom,
      so
      to
      speak.
      Not
     
     
      the
      right
      rock
      recording
      environment.
     
     
      So
      we
      camped
      out
      in
      there
      and
      we
     
     
      wrote,
      and
      we'd
      go
      to
      dinner,
      we'd
     
     
      come
      back
      and
      listen
      to
      what
      we
      did
     
     
      and
      we'd
      be
      critical
      about
      it
      and
      that's
     
     
      basically
      how
      the
      record
      came
      about.
     
     
      M:
      Stop
      me
      if
      this
      is
      a
      touchy
      subject.
     
     
      What
      do
      you
      think
      of
      I
      Mother
      Earth's
     
     
      new
      album?
      Have
      you
      heard
      it?
     
    

    
     
      E:
      The
      album's
      out?
      Are
      you
      sure?
     
    

    
     
      M:
      Yeah,
      it
      came
      out
      in
      October.
     
    

    
     
      E:
      Wow,
      I
      didn't
      even
      know.
      Honestly,
     
     
      I
      didn't
      even
      know
      they
      had
      their
     
     
      record
      out.
      I'd
      really
      like
      to
      hear
      it.
      I've
     
     
      heard
      their
      single
      on
      the
      radio.
      To
      me
     
     
      it
      sounds
      like
      vintage
      I
      Mother
      Earth.
      I
     
     
      think
      their
      music
      is
      as
      thought
      about
      as
     
     
      it
      ever
      was.
      Basically
      I
      haven't
      heard
     
     
      the
      record
      so
      I'm
      not
      going
      to
      sit
      here
     
     
      and
      criticize.
      I
      was
      always
      a
      fan
      of
     
     
      their
      music,
      but
      I
      can't
      give
      you
      an
     
     
      honest
      answer.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      Well,
      that's
      the
      end
      of
      my
      ques-
     
     
      tions.
      Anything
      you'd
      like
      to
      add?
     
    

    
     
      E:
      Well,
      I
      could
      get
      philosophical.
     
     
      Always
      make
      sure
      you're
      doing
      some-
     
     
      thing
      in
      life
      that
      makes
      you
      want
      to
      get
     
     
      up
      in
      the
      morning
      and
      do
      it
      as
      best
      as
     
     
      you
      can
      do
      it.
      It
      keeps
      me
      going.
     
     
      You've
      got
      to
      do
      things
      you
      love
      to
      do.
     
     
      That
      make
      you
      feel
      good
      about
      your-
     
     
      self,
      and
      that
      make
      you
      want
      to
      get
      up
     
     
      in
      the
      morning,
      like
      I
      said.
      It's
      too
      easy
     
     
      to
      live
      your
      life
      for
      other
      people,
      and
     
     
      before
      you
      know
      it,
      it's
      over.