With iconic garage-punk trio the Oblivians, with the Parting Gifts (his collaboration with the Ettes’ Coco Hames and Jem Cohen), with a legion of other one-offs and defunct projects, and, for the past 13 years with driving rock ‘n’ soul revue the Reigning Sound, Greg Cartwright has chased various traces of American rock and pop to arrive at something singularly his. Still, with his legacy perfectly well cemented among garage-rock aficionados and discerning vinyl-heads, Cartwright is still chasing the unexpected. The Reigning Sound’s latest album, Shattered, is the band’s sixth proper full-length, a follow-up to 2009’s Love And Curses, and its debut for Merge. Cartwright will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new feature on him.
Cartwright: Lots of my friends make music for a living. It’s a work-related network that spans the globe. In some ways, we’re all cheering each other on in our attempt to make a living doing something your not supposed to make a living at. I try to support my friends with other artistic pursuits as well and fly their flags when and wherever I can. Photographers, painters, sculptors, actors, screen printers and every other unconventional path that is imaginable to walk. I can’t get to everyone here in this post, but I’d like to point out a couple of friends who are making some great art right now and who were both instrumental in helping me get the artwork for the new LP completed. My apologies to all my other artist friends. I’ll get to you when they ask me to guest-edit Rolling Stone and we’ll laugh all the way to the bank arm and arm! Firstly, I’d like to tell you about Nathanael Roney, who designed the lettering for the cover of our new Shattered LP. He’s done lots of murals around town here in Asheville. He’s also done lots of gallery showings and regularly does posters and art for our local weekly. He has a great style and combines short prose and images that are often two- or three-color separations. Sort of like mid-’60s pop art, but he’s doing it in a way that’s altogether unique. Check him out here.
Next, I’d like to talk about my friend Sara Marcel, who graciously allowed us to reprint some of her photos for the booklet that accompanies the CD. I met her through our guitarist Mike Catanese. As well as being a great photographer, she has a great sense of humor, plus my wife adores her and really, that’s the highest mark I can give. She just had a book of her photography published called May The Road Rise To Meet You, and it is really a moving tribute to her father and his work as a traveling salesman of sorts. I can’t recommend it enough. Check it out here.
