Greencarpetedstairs Interview
by Kingmi Baby
Photo Courtesy of Neil Ewing
Greencarpetedstairs, the brainchild of Neil Ewing, is a local act that leaves quite an impression. Starting in approximately 2003, Ewing has become a prominent part of the local DIY scene, and has created his own unique blend of ambient and hip-hop. I was able to steal some time from him, and he was gracious enough to answer these questions about him, his process, and the Denver DIY scene.
CMB: What was the beginning for you? What made you want to start doing music?
EWING: The beginning was probably Guns and Roses and Madonna [when I was] a 4-5 year old. I remember loving Appetite for Destruction and Madonna. Thriller and Bat Out of Hell were huge for me as well. I starting making music because I didn’t want to do homework, and was tired of drawing.
I started producing about 10 years ago as a way to cope with the loss of a good friend of mine. Hip hop helped project those feelings of loss into something productive, and made me celebrate his life, and gave me a way to celebrate my own life.
CMB: You have a background in visual arts, do you still use that, and has it affected your music in anyway?
EWING: Definitely. I don’t draw as much as I should, but I’ve been drawing a lot more lately. I’m currently animating a short cartoon. Understanding theories about art and processes, and learning about new and ancient cultures, changes how I am able to view the world, and questions the processes with which I make my art. I’d like to think that it’s all connected.
CMB: You are established in the underground DIY scene in Denver, what about the underground scene and venues like Rhinoceropolis draws you?
EWING: They let me play, I love that place. DIY venues are cool; it allows people to build a creative scene away from the normal bar or rock venues. It fosters a different crowd, and some revolutionary art gets made. They don’t care about race, or sex, or age. Throughout the years, the people who run it have been really kind to me. DIY venues provide an alternative.
CMB: What is your take on the DIY ethic?
EWING: It’s so subjective, really. The core of DIY is the self. It’s all on the artist to make the art and try to make a career out of that art. It is easier in this finical climate with the fan being closer to the artist. I think DIY is a good thing. It doesn’t have to be on some tlc vs. pebbles shit anymore. Some labels are good, but for the most part labels are unneeded bullshit. It’s easier to do most of the work on your own. The music industry is brutal, full of hungry acts. DIY helps those acts find a niche, and push the art the way they see fit.
CMB: What inspired the name Greencarpetedstairs?
EWING: A set of stairs in a house I lived in my junior year of college. Lots of music projects at the time had weird [names] for the sake of weird names.
CMB: What is your process for writing new material?
EWING: I try to compose music to comment on my surroundings and internal ideas, along with lots of experimenting and YouTube videos. I try to stay inspired, see what happens.
CMB: If you could describe your sound how would you do it?
EWING: I don’t think I really have a sound, I write a lot of different sounding stuff, from hip-hop beat stuff to jingles for cartoons or collaborations for other artists based on ideas the have; pop music, dance music, whatever I’m feeling.
CMB: Do you have any future shows, mix tapes, or singles planned?
EWING: I’ve been curating a tape with some indie-rap legends. It’s sample heavy, I need to think about shopping it or how I’m going to release it. I’m always working on new instrumental stuff and beats for rappers.
Online: facebook.com/greencarpetedstairs
Category: What's Up?
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
 |
 |
