Sean Croghan is an old friend of deceased singer Elliott Smith. Thats why I was so surprised to see Croghan covering an Elliott Smith song on the new tribute album To: Elliott from: Portland. But once you hear Croghan play High Times you will understand why it had to happen.
Buy To: Elliott from: Portland
Daniel Robert Epstein: I know you were friends with Elliott. So what made you decide to work on this album?
SeanCroghan: For a while I didnt want to do it because I was friends with Elliott and it seemed like a weird thing to do. Then I found out about the money going to the Smith Foundation so I felt that was alright. Also I found the song on a tape and that changed things too because I really liked the song.
DRE: Since the track you cover, High Times, was previously unreleased, when did you first hear the song?
SC: The first time I heard it was when we were living together and he played it at a few shows. He just felt that wasnt such an important song anymore and he was writing new stuff. Then after he died I was listening to all these tapes that he had given me and that song was on one of them.
DRE: What struck you about hearing it again?
SC: It was just so different. From the time he was recording his last album he had changed so much from when he first started. This song was like super discord. All his songs are dark but this song was dark more in a Portland way. It was just something different and it was something I forgot that he had done. It really reminded me of him and it reminded me of our time in Portland.
DRE: How was the actual recording?
SC: It was really cool because I got to work with a new band in Portland that I think is really amazing. We decided to approach the song in a totally different way than Elliott would because trying to cover Elliotts method is so hard just because his recording is almost perfect. S I got together with a band called Worms and it was fun. We just made it more of a noise, gospel song.
DRE: How did you first meet Elliott back in the day?
SC: We were both in bands. I was in Crackerbash and he was in Heatmiser. Our bands were playing shows together. We had mutual friends and Portland was a small city. If you were playing a certain type of music then you knew everyone else who was playing that type of music. Over time we got to be closer friends.
DRE: Were you surprised when he got so popular?
SC: Oh no because as soon as we toured together it became pretty obvious that there was something special about Elliotts music.
DRE: How much do you think about him today?
SC: All the time. We were really tight friends. It was this really intense time in both of our lives and so we went through a lot of shit together. I miss him all the time.
DRE: What are you working on now?
SC: Im thinking about going in and recording another solo record. Ill probably do that with those same guys I did the Elliott song with because I like their style and I want to try some different stuff. Also I like to do a lot of painting. My muse is someplace else other than music lately. We do lots of music at my house all the time. We have regular nights where tons of people come over and just play music together but as far as shows and stuff right now Im stepping away.
DRE: Did working with Elliott make you realize you sucked at doing solo music?
SC: Yes it did because Elliott would always try to get me to do these shows after hit his stride and Id get up there and be so nervous. Im not half the guitar player Elliott was so Im just kind of banging away at my wooden box. It wasnt pretty sometimes.
DRE: What are your paintings like?
SC: Its really folk art style, primitive. Its not in any gallery so far, Ive only shown them at restaurants. I like to dig around by the train station and see what weird junk I could find and then I make something.
DRE: How has Portland changed since you started out in music?
SC: It was a good place to be an artist but things are a lot more expensive now. You used to be able to work 20 hours a week and have an apartment for $125 and spend the rest of your time being in a band or painting or whatever you were you were out here to do. Its becoming harder because it is a much bigger city than it was 15 years ago.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Buy To: Elliott from: Portland
Daniel Robert Epstein: I know you were friends with Elliott. So what made you decide to work on this album?
SeanCroghan: For a while I didnt want to do it because I was friends with Elliott and it seemed like a weird thing to do. Then I found out about the money going to the Smith Foundation so I felt that was alright. Also I found the song on a tape and that changed things too because I really liked the song.
DRE: Since the track you cover, High Times, was previously unreleased, when did you first hear the song?
SC: The first time I heard it was when we were living together and he played it at a few shows. He just felt that wasnt such an important song anymore and he was writing new stuff. Then after he died I was listening to all these tapes that he had given me and that song was on one of them.
DRE: What struck you about hearing it again?
SC: It was just so different. From the time he was recording his last album he had changed so much from when he first started. This song was like super discord. All his songs are dark but this song was dark more in a Portland way. It was just something different and it was something I forgot that he had done. It really reminded me of him and it reminded me of our time in Portland.
DRE: How was the actual recording?
SC: It was really cool because I got to work with a new band in Portland that I think is really amazing. We decided to approach the song in a totally different way than Elliott would because trying to cover Elliotts method is so hard just because his recording is almost perfect. S I got together with a band called Worms and it was fun. We just made it more of a noise, gospel song.
DRE: How did you first meet Elliott back in the day?
SC: We were both in bands. I was in Crackerbash and he was in Heatmiser. Our bands were playing shows together. We had mutual friends and Portland was a small city. If you were playing a certain type of music then you knew everyone else who was playing that type of music. Over time we got to be closer friends.
DRE: Were you surprised when he got so popular?
SC: Oh no because as soon as we toured together it became pretty obvious that there was something special about Elliotts music.
DRE: How much do you think about him today?
SC: All the time. We were really tight friends. It was this really intense time in both of our lives and so we went through a lot of shit together. I miss him all the time.
DRE: What are you working on now?
SC: Im thinking about going in and recording another solo record. Ill probably do that with those same guys I did the Elliott song with because I like their style and I want to try some different stuff. Also I like to do a lot of painting. My muse is someplace else other than music lately. We do lots of music at my house all the time. We have regular nights where tons of people come over and just play music together but as far as shows and stuff right now Im stepping away.
DRE: Did working with Elliott make you realize you sucked at doing solo music?
SC: Yes it did because Elliott would always try to get me to do these shows after hit his stride and Id get up there and be so nervous. Im not half the guitar player Elliott was so Im just kind of banging away at my wooden box. It wasnt pretty sometimes.
DRE: What are your paintings like?
SC: Its really folk art style, primitive. Its not in any gallery so far, Ive only shown them at restaurants. I like to dig around by the train station and see what weird junk I could find and then I make something.
DRE: How has Portland changed since you started out in music?
SC: It was a good place to be an artist but things are a lot more expensive now. You used to be able to work 20 hours a week and have an apartment for $125 and spend the rest of your time being in a band or painting or whatever you were you were out here to do. Its becoming harder because it is a much bigger city than it was 15 years ago.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
courtneyriot:
Sean Croghan is an old friend of deceased singer Elliott Smith. Thats why I was so surprised to see Croghan covering an Elliott Smith song on the new tribute album To: Elliott from: Portland. But once you hear Croghan play High Times...
osaka:
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