Cliché as it may be, “never too late” is also a pinnacle thought of optimism; that no matter what may happen to distract or diverge you – even your own self – you can still fulfill your dream. Ed Romanoff knows this very well. In overcoming personal obstacles and setting forth on his singer/songwriter journey at a point in life when most would just shrug their shoulders and say “it’s never gonna happen”, Romanoff proved to the music community, and to himself, that it is never too late.
This Friday (2/23), Romanoff is set to release his sophomore album, The Orphan King. Blending blues, country, folk and bluegrass, the rich storytelling lyrics evoke Romanoff’s trademark – a sense of hopeful melancholy. We caught up with the singer/songwriter to talk about the how he finally discovered the artist he was supposed to be, his album, and his anticipated record release show at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall on February 27.
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
ER: Well, I’m fairly ancient having started writing songs in my late 40s… I grew up in Connecticut and have lived in Virginia and Wyoming. I gravitate towards the southern writers and music.
CN: Growing up your father was tone deaf, and therefore you thought you were also. How did you look upon music at that point of your life, in comparison to how you look at it now as a singer/songwriter?
ER: Music just seemed like an unattainable thing, something magical that other folks could do. I was told I couldn’t buy a guitar, and looking back I think it’s because my real father must have been a musician. My mother played the piano and my brother played the drums, but I was not allowed to buy an instrument, until I was 17 and old enough to leave the house. So, I bought a $75 Yamaha acoustic and have never stopped since the day I got it. It wasn’t till I was almost 50 that I learned I wasn’t tone deaf. And then I decide to give it a whirl. These days though, I’m really immersed in learning, guitar, piano, voice and reading music—essentially expanding my musical vocabulary so I can be more fluent in communicating through songs.
CN: Was there an ah-ha moment that made you realize that you were destined to be a singer/songwriter? Especially after working various jobs from tending bar, branding cattle and running your own production company PineRock?
ER: For me it was more of one thing leading to another as a sign from somewhere we can’t see telling me to keep going. At first it was taking classes, then getting a cut on a record, then some songwriting awards. Winning at Kerrville may have been the most satisfying of all, given the folks I admire that have won there (Lyle Lovett, James McMurtry, Steve Earle), and as everyone will say, there was also that moment when you know your song’s been played on the radio. That was pretty special.
CN: Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
ER: Well, the first “real” song was “The Orphan King,” the title track. I wrote that with Mary Gauthier a few years back and was so knocked out that it made it onto her record. I played a version of it for Simone Felice (the producer) during pre-production and he instantly wanted to make it the title track.
CN: What was it like to learn the craft from Mary Gauthier and your experience touring with her?
ER: If there’s a better writer, I don’t know who it is. And she is probably the hardest working too, in terms of scouring the page for any possible sentence or word upgrades…that and touring as well. She is a road warrior of the highest order. Being on the road with her was an absolute gift. I learned so much and saw behind the scenes, the preparation, little things like keeping extra batteries around, or a clock visible to make sure you don’t play too long. But, like most of the great ones, she’s mainly dedicated to finding the truth that each song has to offer. That was probably the most helpful thing.
CN: Does the atmosphere of NYC singer/songwriter circles differ from elsewhere?
ER: Hmnn…there’s little pockets of writers and everyone is pretty supportive. I wish it was more like the ’60s were there were a couple of places where everyone congregated.
CN: The Orphan King, your sophomore album, will be released this Friday (2/23). It’s eclectic with blues, bluegrass, country and more spread over the 13 tracks. How did such a collection of influences come about for this album?
ER: I’ve always been partial to blues, country and folk for the soul of it, so when I brought in songs in they leant themselves to those genres. But also, part of that influence came from Simone [Felice] and part from Larry Campbell too. Also, Kenneth Pattengale was a big influence for “Without You.” Kenneth did his amazing flatted everything stunt guitar thing and I tried to hang on for three minutes. And those styles of music, that’s those folks’ wheelhouse, and it felt great. I got out of the way and watched it come together. But, for me it’s always been about the lyrics. I’m a John Prine fan first and foremost. But there’s also others like Josh Ritter and Gillian Welch that I love, and, well, I have to add Bob Dylan. So mainly I love a good story. But all of those guys have something for the toe-tappers too. Simone was exceptional at finding a good template for each tune without going to far afield of the others.
CN: Your lyrics are whimsical, yet melancholy while your songs are autobiographical (“The Orphan King”) and some don’t have a direct personal connection (“The Elephant Man,” “A Golden Crown”). Can you take us through your songwriting process? For the songs that aren’t autobiographical – how do the ideas for characters come to you?
ER: For each, I tried to inhabit the person who was the focal point of the song, usually the one with the most at stake. I wonder a lot about what they want the most and maybe don’t want the most. For “The Elephant Man,” I wanted for him to meet somebody, and that’s where Pauline came into view. She wasn’t there at the beginning. And I thought “Golden Crown,” about the boxer, was gonna end up with him sinking in a river with a wedding ring in his pocket. But while writing the song, I kinda got from him that he wanted to live. And so he did. As did I. I love fringe characters and the idea that we can land on our feet, even after a lot of crap.
CN: What can fans expect at your album release show at Rockwood Music Hall on 2/27? You have quite the lineup of musicians joining you that night…
ER: The band is ridiculous. We’ve got Ann Klein on guitar and mandolin (Ani Difranco), Sara Lee on bass (B-52’s), Jerry Morratta on drums (Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel), Jay Collins on horns (Gregg Allman), Zach Djanikian on piano (Amos Lee) and possibly a surprise guest from the E Street Band. The rehearsal up in Woodstock was pretty fun and sounding great. Those guys are so good!
CN: Do you have a dream collaboration in mind?
ER: Of course John Prine.
CN: Given that you started your music career in your 40s, do you have any advice to those who might have always wanted to pursue music, but for whatever reason didn’t and now perhaps feel that they have lost their chance?
ER: Such a great question. I think we can be our own worst enemies and edit ourselves right out of a dream. It’s not the easiest thing to break from your self image and the image others have for you. In fact, often people don’t want you to try something new as it highlights the things they’re not trying. But I guess my advice is: let the world tell you “no,” which by the way, it won’t.
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
ER: Resilient, I think. Having bounced back from memory loss in my 20s, learning about my own identity and having had depression in my 40s, I still somehow managed to get out of the house. (Having a dog helped.) But, I think resilience is the most human thing going.
CN: New Album, Tour – What else is on the horizon for you in 2018?
ER: I wanna learn Spanish.
For more information on Ed Romanoff, tour dates, and to purchase The Orphan King, visit: www.edromanoff.com.
For tickets to Ed’s album release show at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, click here.