Arts
      &
      Entertainment
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ryan
      O'Connor
      talks
     
     
      (and
      listens)
      to
     
     
      former
      I
      Mother
     
     
      Earth
      front
      man
     
     
      Edwin,
      about
      his
     
     
      fans,
      his
      solo
      career,
     
     
      and
      another
      spin
     
     
      around
      the
      sun
      and
     
     
      ‘no,’
      he
      would
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tell
      us
      his
      last
     
     
      name.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ryan
      O’Connor:
      On
     
    
   
   
    
     
      your
      album,
      there
      is
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      great
      deal
      of
      versatil-
     
     
      ity
      among
      the
      songs,
     
     
      ranging
      from
      “Shot-
     
     
      gun,”
      “Hang
      Ten,”
     
     
      and
      “Another
     
     
      Drink.”
      Is
      this
      to
     
     
      show
      your
      diversity
     
     
      in
      tastes,
      or
      maybe
      to
     
     
      show
      yourself
      as
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      solo
      artist?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Edwin:
      It’s
      both
      ,
      to
     
     
      show
      myself
      as
      a
      solo
     
     
      artist
      and
      my
      versatil-
     
     
      ity.
      But
      it
      really
     
     
      wasn’t
      to
      show
     
     
      anybody
      anything,
      it
     
     
      was
      kind
      of
      to
      keep
     
     
      me
      interested
     
     
      [laughs].
      I
      tend
      to
     
     
      shy
      away
      from
      al-
     
     
      bums
      that
      sound
      the
     
     
      exact
      same
      all
      the
      way
     
     
      through,
      where
      it
     
     
      sounds
      like
      one
      song
     
     
      copied
      over
      eight
      or
     
     
      nine
      times.
      I
      can’t
     
     
      stand
      that!
      I
      really
     
     
      like
      albums
      with
     
     
      versatility,
      diversity
     
     
      and
      different
      styles
     
     
      —
      as
      long
      as
      they
      fit
     
     
      into
      the
      big
      picture.
     
     
      You
      got
      to
      make
      it
      all
     
     
      work
      together.
      I
      kind
     
     
      of
      tried
      to
      stretch
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      edited
      by
      ryan
      o'connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      degrees
      from
      one
      end
     
     
      of
      the
      scale
      to
      the
     
     
      other.I
      have
      so
      many
     
     
      different
      tastes
      in
     
     
      music,
      and
      so
      many
     
     
      different
      influences
     
     
      that
      I
      can’t
      just
      do
     
     
      one
      style.
      It
     
    

    
     
      helps
      the
      dynam-
     
    

    
     
      ics
      of
      the
      records,
     
     
      and
      it
      also
      helps
      the
     
     
      live
      show.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RO:
      Before
      you
      were
     
     
      singing
      material
      that
     
     
      you
      didn’t
      write,
     
     
      right?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      E:
      Yes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RO:
      On
      the
      new
     
     
      album
      you
      have
     
     
      credits
      on
      all
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      songs.
      How
      does
      this
     
     
      affect
      the
      perform-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ance
      and
      recording
      of
     
     
      the
      songs?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      E:
      First
      off
      all,
      the
     
     
      stuff
      that
      I
      was
      doing
     
     
      before,
      I
      did
      write
     
     
      some
      of,
      or
      a
      little
      bit
     
     
      of.
      It
      wasn’t
      com-
     
     
      pletely
      not
      mine.
     
    

    
     
      So
      I
      did
      always
      sing
     
     
      like
      it
      was
      my
      pen
      to
     
     
      paper
      or
      my
      notes
     
     
      put
      together.
      I
      sang
     
     
      with
      that
      passion.
     
     
      Now,
      it’s
      not
      like
      an
     
     
      ego
      thing
      like
      “Oh,
      I
     
     
      wrote
      it
      so
      I’m
      going
     
     
      to
      sing
      it
      better,”
      it’s
     
     
      just
      more
      like
      you
     
     
      kind
      of
      had
      an
      over-
     
     
      view
      of
      how
      you
     
     
      wanted
      a
      song
      to
     
     
      sound
      in
      the
      begin-
     
     
      ning,
      and
      so
      you
      try
     
     
      and
      keep
      it
      as
      close
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fe
      tdobcs
      o4b
      U2
      wOish
      Ory
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      as
      possible
      unless
     
     
      you
      stumble
      across
      an
     
     
      idea
      that
      elevates
      it
      to
     
     
      another
      level.
      I
      guess
     
     
      live
      it’s
      kinda
      cool,
     
     
      because
      I
      am
      singing
     
     
      words
      I
      wrote
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      part
     
    

    
     
      of
     
    

    
     
      me,
      so
     
     
      it’s
      easier
     
     
      to
      trans-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      late
      them
     
     
      live.
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      think
      that
     
     
      would
     
     
      be
      the
     
     
      big-
     
    

    
     
      gest
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dif.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ference.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RO:
      What
      kind
      of
     
     
      vibe
      did
      you
      get
      off
     
     
      your
      new
      album
     
     
      when
      you
      released
      it
     
     
      and
      it
      got
      to
      the
      fans?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      E:
      It
      was
      well
      re-
     
     
      ceived
      by
      the
      fans,
     
     
      but
      I
      was
      going
     
     
      through
      a
      bunch
      of
     
     
      emotions.
      I
      was
     
     
      nervous,
      excited,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OPED
      DN
      www
      we
      bem
      Lee
     
     
      +
     
    
   
   
    
     
      scared,
      full
      of
      love
      and
     
     
      hate
      —
      all
      at
      the
      same
     
     
      time.
      Basically,
      it
      was
     
     
      well
      received
      so
      I
      felt
     
     
      really
      great
      about
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      That’s
      why
     
     
      I
      make
     
     
      music,
      I
     
     
      want
     
     
      peo-
     
     
      ple
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
     
    

    
     
      en-
     
     
      joy
      it.
     
     
      I'm
      not
     
     
      6.8
     
     
      a
      vengeance,
      I
      just
     
     
      want
      to
      make
      music
     
     
      people
      want
      to
      sing
     
     
      along
      to,
      and
      put
      on
      a
     
     
      live
      show
      where
     
     
      people
      walk
      away
     
     
      going
      “Hey
      man,
      I
     
     
      got
      my
      moneys
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~'
     
    
   
   
    
     
      there
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      worth.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RO:
      When
      I
      heard
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "you
      were
      going
      solo,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      thought
      of
      the
     
     
      history
      of
      Canadian
     
     
      rock,
      with
      all
      the
     
     
      lead
      singers
      that
      have
     
     
      left
      their
      popular
     
     
      groups,
      and
      never
     
     
      hearing
      from
      them
     
     
      again.
      But
      when
     
     
      your
      album
      came
     
     
      out,
      it
      was
      well
     
     
      received
      and
      sounds
     
     
      really
      nice.
      “Hang
     
     
      Ten”
      is
      up
      on
      the
     
     
      top
      of
      the
      charts
     
     
      right
      now.
      What
     
     
      do
      you
      think
      the
     
     
      difference
     
     
      between
     
     
      yourself
      and
     
     
      all
      the
      artists
     
     
      that
      went
      solo
     
     
      nd
      haven’t
     
     
      been
      heard
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      since?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rese
     
     
      don’t
      even
     
     
      know
      how
      to
     
     
      answer
      that.
      I
     
     
      don’t
      know
     
     
      what
      they
      did,
      or
     
     
      how
      they
      went
     
     
      about
      things.
      I
      don’t
     
     
      know
      where
      their
     
     
      head-space
      was,
      so
      I
     
     
      can’t
      say
      what
      they
     
     
      did
      differently.
      They
     
     
      might
      have
      done
     
     
      everything
      the
      exact
     
     
      same
      as
      I
      did,
      only
     
     
      the
      luck
      of
      the
      draw
     
     
      so
      far
      has
      been
      in
      my
     
     
      favour.
      I
      don’t
     
     
      know.
      I
      do
      know
     
     
      that
      I’m
      very
      pas-
     
     
      sionate
      about
      what
      I
     
     
      do.
      It’s
      my
      favorite
     
     
      thing
      in
      the
      world,
     
     
      so
      I
      do
      get
      up
      every
     
     
      day
      looking
      forward
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      certain
      level,
      like
      I’m
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      being
      able
      to
      make
     
     
      music
      in
      one
      facet
      or
     
     
      another.
      I
      always
      try
     
     
      to
      keep
      the
      quality
     
     
      control
      up
      toa
     
    

    
     
      my
      own
      “cheese-o-
     
     
      meter,”
      so
      if
      some-
      _
     
     
      thing’s
      cheesy
      or
     
     
      cliche
      I
      really
      try
      to
     
     
      spot
      it
      and
      eliminate
     
     
      it.
      I
      think
      that
      if
      you
     
     
      always
      put
      out
      quality
     
     
      stuff,
      the
      best
      you
      can
     
     
      do,
      it
      pays
      off,
      and
     
     
      people
      will
      appreciate
     
     
      it
      and
      get
      into
      it.
      If
     
     
      you
      just
      do
      things
     
     
      half-assed,
      that’s
     
     
      probably
      the
      reaction
     
     
      you'll
      get
      from
     
     
      people.
      So
      other
     
     
      than
      that,
      I
      don’t
     
     
      know
      what
      to
      say
     
     
      about
      it.
      I
      just
      do
     
     
      what
      I
      do.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RO:
      How
      do
      you
     
     
      describe
      your
      live
     
     
      show?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      E:
      Taking
      the
      album
     
     
      to
      the
      next
      level
      is
     
     
      how
      I
      would
      describe
     
     
      it.
      Good
      energy
      on
     
     
      stage,
      great
      players,
     
     
      we
      have
      all
      the
      vibe
     
     
      and
      the
      mood
      of
      the
     
     
      album
      but
      times
      it
      by
     
     
      three
      or
      four
      because
     
     
      it
      is
      live
      and
      you
      do
     
     
      have
      the
      interaction
     
     
      of
      the
      audience,
      and
     
     
      you
      do
      have
      the
      live
     
     
      band
      there.with
      you,
     
     
      so
      the
      energy
      level,
     
     
      the
      whole
      intensity
     
     
      level
      jumps
      up
      a
      few
     
     
      notches.
      That’s
      the
     
     
      best
      way
      I
      can
      de-
     
     
      scribe
      it.