Exclusive interview with Stars’ Evan Cranley

If you ask Stars musician Evan Cranley what the best album of 2012 was, he’d say North, the most recent effort of the indie-pop group. Cranley is both a songwriter and plays various instruments for the band. Recently he took a moment and spoke to The News-Letter about North and Stars’ recent exploits.

The News-Letter (N-L): Where do you go to find the inspiration to write songs?

Evan Cranley (EC): That’s a pretty enormous question, but [songs] are directed on what I find inspiring every time. Sometimes it’s the studio or city that I’m writing in, which usually happens in the middle of nowhere, or lunch in a downtown Canada studio. Usually, surrounding myself with new instruments every time, I find quite inspiring, and figuring out how the synth works, or how new software works, can be quite inspiring in the process of writing music.

N-L: What was your favorite song from North to write?

EC: I would have to say that it was “Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It.” I think that was a really joyous, uplifting song to be a part of … it just has a great energy. So that’s my pick.

N-L: What’s your favorite song to perform?

EC: I’d have to say “North,” I love seeing the crowd’s reaction.

N-L: What’s your craziest story from your most recent tour?

EC: We just came back from Asia. We do well in the Philippines and Taiwan. So I would have to say playing Taiwan this last time [with Shugo Tokumaru], it was amazing. We played in an old factory in downtown Taipei to about 1200-1300 people. The local crew [did] the whole set, with shadow images and flying birds and trees and animals in the background. You can see images of it online, we played a place called the Legacy in Taipei. That was a very amazing, crazy show, and I think that Taipei is a very special place for Stars to play. They really seem to understand us very deeply, so that was a very incredible night, one of the best nights I’ve had in years.

N-L: When you’re on tour, do you listen to any music before you perform?

EC: Aretha Franklin … I listen to that every time before I go on. It’s actually our walk-on music.

N-L: Any particular food you like to eat before you perform?

EC: Really? I would have to say whiskey.

N-L: And do you and the band have any pre-concert rituals?

EC: Drinking tequila, maybe chardonnay, getting together in a big circle, listening to Aretha Franklin’s “Who’s Zoomin Who.” That’s what we do before every show. It’s awesome.

N-L: What do you do when you’re not touring?

EC: I tend to have a normal life, I have a three year old [with bandmate Amy Millan], so I’m a dad when I’m at home. I think about music, I cook a lot and I hang out with my family.

N-L: Does your daughter come on tour with you?

EC: She’s just finished a … tour on the bus, and now she’s starting next week with us, she’ll be on the road with us for three months. She lives with us on the bus, she flies everywhere, if the shows are early enough she’ll come see the show. So my mornings are early and my nights are long … but I definitely wear two hats. I wear the guy who plays music for a living and the dad who travels for a living, so, that’s my life. I’m very blessed.

N-L: If you could perform on stage with any band, which one would it be?

EC: I’m going to have to say Apostle of Hustle.

N-L: And if you could rename Stars, what would you call it?

EC: The Brassholes.

Stars will be playing at Ram’s Head Live at 8 p.m. next Thursday, March 7. Milo Greene will open for the band.

“The last time we played in Baltimore was at Sonar, maybe, but that was four or five years ago, at least. So we’re looking forward to eating crab cakes,” Cranley said at the end of the interview. “Looking forward to rock the Rams Head!”