Tomorrow Is Today: A Look Into The Future With Ed Roman

Ed Roman is an Award-winning singer/songwriter, performer and multi-instrumentalist from Shelburne, Ontario, Canada. Blurring the lines between pop, rock, folk, and country music genres, Ed’s uniquely crafted songs have received regular rotation on more than 100 terrestrial radio stations across North America and more than 600 stations, worldwide.

HELLO ED ROMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US! WHAT DREW YOU TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
There’s actually weren’t many things that drew me to the industry other than the necessity to try and survive as an artist. What has always drawn me to music is passion. Exuberance for the things I have incredible joy for and the things I hold with great distain. I’m the kind of person that never shuts up so music has given me a wonderful vehicle to bleed emotional ideas and language from my proverbial soapbox. The other reason I gravitated to music was because I struggled immensely academically as a dyslexic. My mother put a guitar in my hands at a very young age and I was fortunate enough to have wonderful musical friends in my community.

WHO ARE YOU INSPIRED BY?
I am inspired by invention that has no borders. The idea of culminating many disciplines together to create a new concept has always fascinated me. Music has the same application as it is boundless. One of the things that really impresses and inspires me is looking back into ancient history. I’m not really impressed by new cars or fancy shenanigans but what really tips me out the door is how you can move a 200 ton stone into position without modern technology.  Now that’s inspirational and fascinating…

PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS
Quite simply my process is no process and no method to my method. The idea of art should never be put into a framework or categorized by some graph. We as people have still not come close to the limitations of where frequency, idea, shape, colour and concepts in music can take us. 

I am always acting in the moment. The light of creativity can come at any moment in time. The point is you follow the initial catalyst in the idea. After that it becomes listening to the idea and what it requires of you. It can happen on my bass, guitar, drums, keys, napkin, cardboard, writing book and just about anywhere the idea suggests I take responsibility for my thoughts..

WHAT’S AN AVERAGE DAY LIKE FOR YOU?
Being cheeky .. at the age of 50, I don’t like to think about any day as average anymore.. lol. I’ve been feeling more like every day is a gift.  So precious is our time here. 

I am a polymath so I am continually doing multiple things.  My little farm, my recording studio, botanical science projects that I have set up for the winter in my garage for growing peppers and tomatoes and cucumbers, and classes I take in geology, geometry and astronomy have me very busy. Busy but excited and passionate about what I’m doing.

It has the same context for me when it comes to music because it’s something I am drawn to and feel like I must be a part of.

But the day always begins with coffee.

Lots of coffee…

IS THERE A HIDDEN MEANING IN ANY OF YOUR MUSIC?
All hail the troubadour. The clandestine messenger. Hidden meanings inside of the lyrics for those from the mystic schools of the esoteric. 

Let me just say this… Lyrics were meant to be shed from the emotional tapestry of the receiver aka “the writer” as a result of their living experience and then interpretered by the listener for their own use.  Things can be interpreted literally but quite often I see a boundless array of information behind the simplest word.

DO YOU COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS? WHAT IS THAT PROCESS?
I love collaborating with people. I always find new input to be exhilarating especially when the idea is being serviced for the sake of the idea. No egos underwater…Quite often the writing process and recording process are intuitive much like writing on your own. Feeling and interpretation and essential and I’ve been lucky to work with some fantastic people who have incredibly big hearts and ears..

PLEASE DISCUSS HOW YOU INTERACT WITH AND RESPOND TO FANS
I’m always interested in what people have to say. Good or bad. In the past I’ve responded incorrectly to negative statements but I no longer care what people have to think. It matters to me that I make somebody feel something. If it’s a good feeling then..that’s a nice big Jamocha Almond Fudge ice cream cake. If the statement is negative I’m glad I could make somebody feel something.  I’ve been stocked tracked and hacked so I also have eyes built into my back. I can usually sniff bullshit now from 20,000 terabytes away.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT THIS LINE OF WORK? YOUR LEAST FAVORITE? WHY?
My most favourite part about what I do is connecting with people. I’ve met some pretty amazing people in this world as a result of music. Some of which I’ve known my whole life. They are like my family. Obviously this industry can be filled with weasels, rats, wood worms and just about every kind of pitfall you can think of. It’s been a difficult navigational process but by learning the hard way, I become stronger as a result of my mistakes. 

HAVE YOU EVER DEALT WITH PERFORMANCE ANXIETY?
I don’t feel uncomfortable performing in fact I’m more relaxed in front of a group of people. Sometimes you worry about new equipment or things that have gone wrong on a technical issue but most of the time I feel comfortable. Excited and happy to play…

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE PERFORMANCE VENUES.
You know what my age driving around with me is like… do you see that place? I played there.. do you see that please? I played there.. I’m sure there are many of my musical comrades and I can sympathize with that statement. I played some pretty amazing venues into thousands of people and at the same time I’ve played the people that have been down on their luck in a ditch. My most favourite venues of those that are filled with people that are enjoying the music. My most favourite venues are the ones where the band comes off the stage and feels like we have connected with so many people. My most favorite venues of the ones I want to keep going back to because of those experiences.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE WANTING TO FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS?
I must say thank you so kindly for having me today and it’s a pleasure to be able to have spoken with you.

The advice I would give anybody that is following in my footsteps is to create your own path. Don’t follow me. I’m already walking this path. Find your own path because it is the one that is the strongest. You are the one that has created it. You can look back at the way you move forward. And you will always find your way home.

To know more about Ed Roman visit: www.edroman.net and don’t forget to follow him on Facebook @edromanmusic and Twitter @specialedroman